Champions league Semi Finals 2020-21 - April 27-28 and May 4-5

I predicted all 4 remaining English teams to get to their respective European finals. I just think the PL is by far and away the strongest league and it might be apparent for all to see yet again just like in 2019 when we had we had 4 English European finalists.

City & United are already in the final. Ironically, Arsenal are the English team least likely to get to the final, we still need to overturn deficit against Villareal, but I'm hopeful we can do it. We should be able to, given the relative strength of our squad compared to Villareal, so it's really up to Arteta to handle Villareal. He had a shocker in the first leg and definitely should be sacked if he's incapable of turning over Villareal.

I really hope Real Madrid beat Chelsea. I think Real can stop City from winning it. Chelsea won't be able to stop City in my opinion. But anyway I have a feeling the PL will showcase its strength yet again by having all 4 English teams progress to their . finals. I'd be delighted if I was proven wrong and Real Madrid end up beating Chelsea. I really rate Zidane, I think he's an elite world-class manager. I have so much respect for Real's achievements under Zidane.
 
GatoLoco said:
As much as I hate to say this, Chelsea are the big favorites tonight because of their much superior fitness and the favorable result in the first leg.

Zidane may have worked a few miracles until now, but let's not forget, they are called miracles for some reason. They cannot keep on happening forever.

Hearing Tuchel in the press conference, you could really notice his confidence. He knows an out of shape and not very young Ramos will play today and will use all his pacey players against him in a perfect fusion of English and German football.

Don't get me wrong, Madrid has some good players, it's just that those players are not the best fit for Chelsea defensive strength and dynamism in midfield. Everyone who watched the first leg could clearly see Kante looked like a man among kids, I don't see anything radically different happening tonight.

I am afraid a very competent young coach will be the real winner of the day. Thomas Tuchel, I salute you.
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This is really nice to read but you're being way too pessimistic. It's an evenly balanced tie. We may be slight favourites due to the performance and away goal in the first leg, but Real Madrid can and likely will score tonight.
 
Chelsea are massive favourites to complete a sport-destroying unprecedented El Plastico final
 
For tonight I expect the usual team.
My doubt is Asensio in a 433 or Valverde in something like a 4312 with Modric released and he very uptight and dedicated to fixing leaks here and there. Although Asensio continues with his routine of going unnoticed, he has scored several goals in recent games, and in the end we have to score.
On the other hand, Valverde's option seems opportune seeing the hot flush of the first half in Madrid, but if he has not been able to train it would perhaps be good if he starts later, thinking in the extra time.
 
On what we've seen to date. Chelsea have better fitness levels than Madrid. They pass the ball better around the press. It'll be very difficult for Real.

So queue an easy Madrid win tonight.
 
Topgun1 said:
Ironically, Arsenal are the English team least likely to get to the final, we still need to overturn deficit against Villareal, but I'm hopeful we can do it. We should be able to, given the relative strength of our squad compared to Villareal,
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Do you even have anyone good other than Saka? :confused::confused:
 
NasirTimothy said:
A team with Neymar and Mbappe in their ranks would be a ‘glorified Spurs’ in the PL according to this guy. If anyone wonders whether jingoistic propaganda works in blinding people to sensible opinions, then this is exhibit A right here
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So, after yesterday, which pretty much reiterated my point about PSG being flaky/an average team who have a sprinkling of world class players, do you still think my opinion is only owing to my blinding from 'jingoistic propaganda'?
 
Bricking it. Hope Hazard has a stinker as much as i love him. And Benzema has lost his shooting boots.

Ramos starting I prefer, because he is liable to give a pen away
 
Hammondo said:
We spent less than a few teams, usually 1 at the time.

It is also not a totally accurate picture of things. A team who spends over time ends up spending less than a team who spends a lot all at once. Newcastle, Chelsea, City are all good examples of having to spend a lot of money all at once, which means at the time you are always going to be the highest spenders.
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The key here is not that they spent a lot but that they had to spend a lot, just in order to be competitive. Roman spent all those hundreds of millions and the resulting team still didn't win as many titles as United. That's the kind of advantage United had at the point when the new money arrived in the game.
 
giorno said:
Do you even have anyone good other than Saka? :confused::confused:
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Tbh Villarreal manager have the pedigree to win EL more than once. Unfortunately for arsenal they sacked him and appointed Arteta who is clueless and make arsenal lower midtable team.
 
Dave Smith said:
So, after yesterday, which pretty much reiterated my point about PSG being flaky/an average team who have a sprinkling of world class players, do you still think my opinion is only owing to my blinding from 'jingoistic propaganda'?
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Look, if you want to bury your head in nonsense, be my guest. If you want to use logic and reason, you’ll be better for it.

This is a team that reached the final of the CL last year and lost to a great Bayern team. Then they were drawn on the strong half of the competition after a tough group stage and knocked out Barcelona and the defending champions before losing in the final four to a team that cost a billion to assemble and who have finally got it together mentally to make a serious assault on this competition.

A City side that they dominated for much of the first leg and conceded a couple of dodgy goals against. If that’s a ‘flaky’ team, then sure, they’re flaky. But it’s funny that no one was calling them ‘flaky’ or ‘average’ when they were beating European champions Bayern and FC Barcelona.

The actual truth is, they’re a top side who are perhaps a bit weaker in one or two positions (and squad wise) than is necessary to win the whole thing. All the actual evidence points to that conclusion when you take the emotion out of it.

People like your good self can’t accept these simple facts because you don’t like Neymar, or you don’t like Qatar, or you have misconceptions about the strength of the French league, a competition you never actually watch.

So in answer to your question, yes, you are clearly blinded by jingoistic propaganda.
 
With as much as UEFA hates RM right now, I am expecting at least one call to go our way.
 
Kentonio said:
The key here is not that they spent a lot but that they had to spend a lot, just in order to be competitive. Roman spent all those hundreds of millions and the resulting team still didn't win as many titles as United. That's the kind of advantage United had at the point when the new money arrived in the game.
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Absolutely. SAF was so important. I don't know another manager who did that.
 
NasirTimothy said:
People like your good self can’t accept these simple facts because you don’t like Neymar, or you don’t like Qatar, or you have misconceptions about the strength of the French league, a competition you never actually watch.
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Can't speak for him, but I watched a full season following Lyon a few seasons ago and the quality was indeed shit compared to PL standards.
 
Hammondo said:
Absolutely. SAF was so important. I don't know another manager who did that.
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He was a great manager indeed, but you guys have deified him too much in order to explain that time. It vastly underestimates quite how powerful United were as a club in that period, both financially and in terms of brand.
 
Kentonio said:
He was a great manager indeed, but you guys have deified him too much in order to explain that time. It vastly underestimates quite how powerful United were as a club in that period, both financially and in terms of brand.
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I don't see anyone doing that.
 
Rajiztar said:
Tbh Villarreal manager have the pedigree to win EL more than once. Unfortunately for arsenal they sacked him and appointed Arteta who is clueless and make arsenal lower midtable team.
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I agree 100%

Arteta is the worst manager in the PL league. Really sad to see what he's doing to the club.
 
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NasirTimothy said:
Look, if you want to bury your head in nonsense, be my guest. If you want to use logic and reason, you’ll be better for it.

This is a team that reached the final of the CL last year and lost to a great Bayern team. Then they were drawn on the strong half of the competition after a tough group stage and knocked out Barcelona and the defending champions before losing in the final four to a team that cost a billion to assemble and who have finally got it together mentally to make a serious assault on this competition.

A City side that they dominated for much of the first leg and conceded a couple of dodgy goals against. If that’s a ‘flaky’ team, then sure, they’re flaky. But it’s funny that no one was calling them ‘flaky’ or ‘average’ when they were beating European champions Bayern and FC Barcelona.

The actual truth is, they’re a top side who are perhaps a bit weaker in one or two positions (and squad wise) than is necessary to win the whole thing. All the actual evidence points to that conclusion when you take the emotion out of it.

People like your good self can’t accept these simple facts because you don’t like Neymar, or you don’t like Qatar, or you have misconceptions about the strength of the French league, a competition you never actually watch.

So in answer to your question, yes, you are clearly blinded by jingoistic propaganda.
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How can you tell that from my previous posts? Just because I do not think PSG are that great? This is absolute nonsense and you're displaying an inferiority complex in that you take such previous comments to heart too much and try to blacken someone else's name.

If you think PSG are so great, I will give you a bet. £40 if PSG win the CL by 2023. I will personally sleep easy as they'll continue to flake out like they have in the biggest games like Spuds. :lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:
 
4-3-3 for Madrid today.

Courtois; Nacho, Militao, Ramos, Mendy; Modric, Casemiro, Kroos; Vinicius, Hazard, Benzema.
 
Seems our team is
Mendy chistensen silva rudiger azpi Jorginho kante Chilwell mount havertz werner
 
Pow said:
Seems our team is
Mendy chistensen silva rudiger azpi Jorginho kante Chilwell mount havertz werner
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Love Havertz being included. Maybe he wants Pulisic to come on and run against tired defenders.
 
WeePat said:
Love Havertz being included. Maybe he wants Pulisic to come on and run against tired defenders.
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Reward for his two goals on the weekend surely, can't really argue with it given the quality of the finishes. Madrid team is strong and this is a 50/50 tie I think.
 
im confident Real will win this. They are a CL machine and Chelsea will need something spectacular to get through. The odds is great too!
 
Feels like it will be a year where it's 4 English clubs in the finals again or English vs Spanish finals where the Spaniards come out on top. Tricky tie to call this...want to say Chelsea because under Tuchel they've been incredibly solid but Madrid are the CL masters.
 
I had never heard the name ‘Mendy’ until a few years ago but now it feels like every team has at least one.
 
SilentWitness said:
Feels like it will be a year where it's 4 English clubs in the finals again or English vs Spanish finals where the Spaniards come out on top. Tricky tie to call this...want to say Chelsea because under Tuchel they've been incredibly solid but Madrid are the CL masters.
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CL Masters but they were knocked out in the last 16 the previous two seasons to Ajax and City. More questions surround this Madrid side than Chelsea imo. They were nullified in the first leg in open play. Big turn around needed but it's a funny game as with Benzema in this form, just needs half a chance.
 
Dave Smith said:
How can you tell that from my previous posts? Just because I do not think PSG are that great? This is absolute nonsense and you're displaying an inferiority complex in that you take such previous comments to heart too much and try to blacken someone else's name.

If you think PSG are so great, I will give you a bet. £40 if PSG win the CL by 2023. I will personally sleep easy as they'll continue to flake out like they have in the biggest games like Spuds. :lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:
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Why would I have an inferiority complex? I’m not a PSG fan or French or Brazilian (or Qatari). I just call out nonsense when I see it.

And your bet is dumb. If I’d bet you £40 in 2015 that Man City wouldn’t win the Champions League by 2020, would that mean that Man City are not a good team because they didn’t win a knockout competition?

I’ll ask you again, why are PSG flaky and City not? Answer that specific question please.
 
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Champions League should be forbidden. I suffer too much.
 
Thankfully Zidane reverts to normal setup it seems. Although Hazard putting in a performance seems tremendously unlikely given he's not fully match, forget CL level fit, in form and very likely lacks confidence. Wild risk that.
 
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