The Europa League 2017/18(Use the SF thread to discuss the current match)
- Thread starter Santi_Mesut_Alexis_87
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I remember the 4-0 game back in 2012 and Ibra tore Arsenal apart that night but they came close to overturning the deficit in the second game. Both clubs are a shadow of their former selves but Arsenal will be too strong if they don't slip up at the San Siro.
Fantastic draw!
Lazio should hopefully progress, Milan-Arsenal and Dortmund-Salzburg should both be brilliant games, but the standout fixture for me is Moscow-Lyon. Fekir and Golovin
Lazio should hopefully progress, Milan-Arsenal and Dortmund-Salzburg should both be brilliant games, but the standout fixture for me is Moscow-Lyon. Fekir and Golovin
Viktoria Plzen it is for us. No Atlético Madrid, No Dortmund, no trip to Russia. I'll certainly take that.
Milan are shit, dunno why everyone is laughing at Arsenal like they are certain to go out. They should beat Milan.
Yeah Milan are still in trouble.
Let's be honest this draw is a better game than the City, Liverpool and Utd games in the R16 of the CL.Here you go
Milan aren't shit and while arsenal are certainly better and should beat them, they won't.
They'll probably start with Cutrone for this one. Andre Silva will probably be subbed on at some point.
Milan are on an upward trajectory since Gattuso remedied his faltering start. On current form, they're more than capable of beating Arsenal.
For me, it depends on whether Suso turns up or not.
Can't believe we let him go for free
Not the Sports Minister, but Igor Lebedev, who sits on the executive committee of the Russian football union, is an MP from the nationalist Liberal Democratic party and the deputy chairman of the Russian parliament:
“I don’t see anything wrong with the fans fighting,” Igor Lebedev wrote on Twitter. “Quite the opposite, well done lads, keep it up!”
https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...ial-to-violent-fans-well-done-lads-keep-it-up
Seriously fecked up. No wonder there are all these doping issues with their Olympic sportsmen/women with people like that running their sports committees.
Both him and L.Alberto have developed into really good players. Still, it's not like you're lacking in attack at the moment!
Damn me ! Insane. Some I was already aware of but the sheer scale of the collusion.
Fogel, who spent two years investigating doping and getting to know Rodchenkov before he went into witness protection, has revealed more details about Russia’s football doping programme and how it was allegedly orchestrated by Vitaly Mutko, the Deputy Prime Minister of Russia, who until last month was in charge of Russia 2018.
The ex-head of Moscow anti-doping agency is now in witness protection in USA
Watched Atalanta v Dortmund and was kind of rooting for the Italians. Would have watched Bilbao v Spa Moscow instead to check out that Inaki kid but tie felt decided already. EL ain't half bad at all.
Seeing the draw, Arsenal, Atletico, Dortmund and Leipzig will make it through to the next round. Would have these four in the semis if they avoid each other, cracking stuff it would be.
Milan-Arsenal tie is excellent for the Europa. Has a CL feel about it because of the names, despite the quality of the teams.
Milan-Arsenal tie is excellent for the Europa. Has a CL feel about it because of the names, despite the quality of the teams.
Amazing the standard of teams in it this year compared to last year, very contrasting.
Lazio v Dynamo Kiev
RB Leipzig v Zenit St. Petersburg
Atletico Madrid v Lokomotiv Moscow
CSKA Moscow v Lyon
Marseille v Athletic Bilbao
Sporting Lisbon v Viktoria Plzen
Borussia Dortmund v Red Bull Salzburg
AC Milan v Arsenal
A pretty tasty final 8 if it works out that way.
Zenit, Atletico or Lazio to win it for me.
RB Leipzig v Zenit St. Petersburg
Atletico Madrid v Lokomotiv Moscow
CSKA Moscow v Lyon
Marseille v Athletic Bilbao
Sporting Lisbon v Viktoria Plzen
Borussia Dortmund v Red Bull Salzburg
AC Milan v Arsenal
A pretty tasty final 8 if it works out that way.
Zenit, Atletico or Lazio to win it for me.
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Apart from Atletico Madrid and Dortmund it's almost same.
Last year we had Roma, Villarreal, Schalke, Gladbach, Fiorentina, Lyon, Besiktas, Celta Vigo, Shakhtar, Spurs, Zenit, ManUtd.
Roma, Besiktas, Shakhtar, Spurs, ManUtd are playing in CL round of 16 this season.
Atletico being probably the strongest team left in it and Dortmund being capable of anything on there day.
I think it slightly skews the way people look at it because united were the eventual winners, and the run they had was pretty much all shite teams bar an Ajax team with an average age of probably 21. So it makes it seem like the quality was a lot poorer due to a very easy run.
Alternatively looking at it for say Arsenal this year they could end up beating AC Milan and have to potentially play Atletico & Lazio still to win it.
It's crazy that they still have the WC but there you go.
you have included several clubs that were eliminated in the Ro32.
Last year Ro16
Celta de Vigo v FK Krasnodar
APOEL Nicosia v Anderlecht
Schalke 04 v Borussia Mönchengladbach
Olympique Lyon v Roma
FK Rostov v Manchester United
Olympiakos Piraeus v Besiktas
AA Gent v Racing Genk
FC København v Ajax
were quite depressing compared to this year.
I did think that was very odd, but didn't have the time to fact check it so this is great.
The original point now stands, last years RO16 was very low quality.
I think the fact Utd were the top side left alters opinion.
This season doesn't look easy for Arsenal but it looks more than doable for Atletico.
Sub Utd in for Atletico and does it look that different?
This season doesn't look easy for Arsenal but it looks more than doable for Atletico.
Sub Utd in for Atletico and does it look that different?
This should be fun. Arsenal have no striker except useless Welbeck. Milan are hardly offensive nowadays.
If Arsenal can keep the first leg decent and then get Lacazette up and running for 2nd leg at home, then they should go through.
Arsenal should definitely play full team in both legs and not take it lightly.
If Arsenal can keep the first leg decent and then get Lacazette up and running for 2nd leg at home, then they should go through.
Arsenal should definitely play full team in both legs and not take it lightly.
When you look at the 16 posted by Rafateria this year then the 16 posted by Markolan from last year there is a difference in quality but as I said I think what makes it actually seem worse is the fact United were the eventual winners and you only have to look at the quality of the teams they faced.
United literally only had Ajax & Roma to fear last year... Roma went out straight away and Lyon weren't much better.... then on top of that the Ajax team was obviously completely inexperienced.
This year if you look at Atletico at this stage they could still play Lazio, Dortmund, AC Milan, Arsenal potentially all teams that suffer with inconsistency but all teams that on there day are more than capable as oppose to Rostov,Celta Viga etc who quite clearly just do not have the quality.
So what? Those are the teams that played KO round.
Fact check? Not sure that would have been of any use as I listed the good teams that played KO rounds.
Arsenal are much better than Milan currently. Will be hilarious if Milan knocked them out though.
Personnel wise, yes. Form wise, no. Milan are unbeaten in the last 11 games - WDWWWDDWWWW
Wow, how many of these are in the league ? I don't watch Serie A but I remember Milan being in a dilemma earlier this season.
Hopefully Arsenal will win against Milan. By time we play them, they should be in it so they will play weaker team.
They had only six wins in the first 14 league games. Since the 1-0 win against Inter in the coppa Italia quarter finals on 27th December, they have 2 draws and 5 wins in the league.
So they turned the tides, great to hear. Always had a soft spot for Milan in my heart.
Note that turnaround came with a change of manager ... Gattuso now managing them. Supposedly a bit more defensive & solid (no surprise there then) but still lacking flair up front. I think they'll see off Arsenal.
Yeah I think the discussion that most people were on about would've been the quality of the Europa league this year compared to last year at this current stage and going forward into the final rounds. Not sure what the point would be really looking at it on the basis of teams that are already out.
It's all part of the macho and nationalistic culture that now permeates Russia from Putin downwards. Putin likes to be photographed bare-chested, wearing combat fatigues and looking 'manly'. Even the Russian Orthodox Church is little more than a cheer-leader for Russian nationalism.
The glorification of violence and aggression is what you'd expect in a gangster-state that has recently decriminalised domestic violence - e.g. wife battering. It's now only a civil offence, punishable by a £400 fine or a 15-day prison sentence - so long as they don't break any bones ... and assuming that the gangster-run judicial system is willing to convict.
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