By the way, you really have to wonder what on Earth was Kompany thinking when City were attempting the offside-trap on Messi. Kind've makes me a bit more sympathetic for Demichelis' red-card.
That's a good catch. Kompany played him on.
UCL Round of 16 - First Legs - Feb 18 - 26
- Thread starter Ronaldo's Mum Eh?
- Start date
That's a good catch. Kompany played him on.
Dunno if any of you have seen the highlights of the PSG match, but they were rampant. The fourth goal is a work of beauty.
They earned their money; City just won the lottery.
I'm watching the second half at the moment. Levekusen had the disadvantage of playing with 10 men in the 2nd half, but I dont have much positive to say about them.
Barca's experience helped them, but you've got to give Citeh credit, they didn't fall apart after the sending off and fought well.
I'm actually disappointed in Barca. Yes, the tie is basically over, but they don't look even remotely as good a team as they were under Guardiola. The talent is still there, but I don't see them winning the CL this season.
I'm actually disappointed in Barca. Yes, the tie is basically over, but they don't look even remotely as good a team as they were under Guardiola. The talent is still there, but I don't see them winning the CL this season.
PSG playing their own tika taka in the 2nd half
I'm happy, more than for the win though. They're far from peaking but I saw that elite competitive edge they've been missing for awhile which means even better Barcelona football lies ahead since it was pretty obvious they were in 3rd gear for most of the match. Even Messi was often reduced to being just a decoy, freeing up space for them at will in the middle of the pitch. City were chasing the ball all night against a very tepid Barcelona that was still able to put on a rondo clinic.
Not sure how it flipped on but the last few matches, a change has come about - can Tata get the credit for this? It seems implausible to me because they've been so inconsistent but I'm beginning to wonder.
Not sure how it flipped on but the last few matches, a change has come about - can Tata get the credit for this? It seems implausible to me because they've been so inconsistent but I'm beginning to wonder.
David Silva had an excellent game. Tried his best to drag City back into the contest.
Silva was playing them on his own. Created everything of note City actually did.
Amazing how poor Toure and Clichy were tonight.
Barcelona are so immensely dull though. Really, really boring. Who wants to watch that?
At one stage they had Messi, Sanchez, Iniesta and Neymar up top and yet they still looked happy just to retain the ball. They ended up getting a second so they're through but Jesus, they just love boring everyone to death whilst doing it.
Barcelona are so immensely dull though. Really, really boring. Who wants to watch that?
At one stage they had Messi, Sanchez, Iniesta and Neymar up top and yet they still looked happy just to retain the ball. They ended up getting a second so they're through but Jesus, they just love boring everyone to death whilst doing it.
I'm really confused as to what Cities tactics were tonight. They passed the ball from their attackers back to Hart so many times and not even due to high pressing from Barca.
They are obsessed with the statistics more than the result or scoring goals. They want as many completed passes as possible on their record.
It was only Clichy's awful defending that allowed Alves to get a cheap goal to finish it. Otherwise City would have kept it to 1-0 and would have given themselves a chance in the Camp Nou.
I just don't get Barcelona. They had 35 minutes against ten men, numerous opportunities on the break, and yet they endlessly turned back and slowed the game down. There is just zero verve about them. Hugely talented side but the style they play is just lamentably dull.
People say City's atmosphere was bad tonight. It was, but as the commentator mentioned, it's actually a lot to do with Barca's football. It sends you to sleep.
They looked terrified of conceding an away goal and set up 451 rather than 4222.
The away goals rule is so damaging to first legs in general though. They become a desperate effort to get a 0-0 or a scrappy 1-0 as opposed to just playing openly.
Just get rid of it. I'd rather go straight to penalties after the second leg than be knocked out on some spurious ruling.
Just get rid of it. I'd rather go straight to penalties after the second leg than be knocked out on some spurious ruling.
It's a crap rule, it inhibits the home side who would usually be the ones looking to win the game. So many times you hear that 0-0 is a good result at home, the attitude should be that you need to win your home games and not just to hang on and then nick a goal away.
By the way, you really have to wonder what on Earth was Kompany thinking when City were attempting the offside-trap on Messi. Kind've makes me a bit more sympathetic for Demichelis' red-card.
I said that at the time. Dimechelis will get the blame, but it's largely Kompany's fault. Terrible defending.
The away goals rule was instituted to stop away teams just parking the bus, arguably it has outlived its usefulness.
I was wrong. That is all!
Seems a long time ago when United were first in Europe and they had to contend with the rule of 4 foreigners in your side. People forget that, and todays teams would be fecked with that rule. Now they can play their strongest sides.
I'd rather that than a City quad or whatever it is they were going for! There is a real chance of them doing the domestic treble.
The away goals rule might be the bane of first legs, but its the maker of the 2nd. The whole winning to losing in 1 goal makes for incredible cagey nervy games. The lack of it is what makes the world cup and Euros dull by comparison. With the away goals, one team can always be winning. Without it, you get draws, and then teams set out not to lose.
3 game ties remain a possible solution, as I jokingly mentioned in the other thread, but there is no room for them, and I can't think of another system as fair which produces the winning-to-losing-in-one-goal-ness
3 game ties remain a possible solution, as I jokingly mentioned in the other thread, but there is no room for them, and I can't think of another system as fair which produces the winning-to-losing-in-one-goal-ness
Looks like I was a bit off the mark with Demichelis, albeit to be fair to myself when I said if City lose it would be because they are an inferior team to Barcelona and not solely because of Demichelis I didn't expect him to get a red card and give away a penalty.
With that said City looked great but Barcelona hardly got out of a second gear so its six of one, half dozen of the next. It also has to be said that this was the first time I can remember Barcelona winning an away match in England in the knockout stages.
Some City players were fantastic for them in an attacking sense, Fernandinho and Silva in particular, while others were either isolated (Negredo) and some just not in the game (Navas)
City are getting praised in this "The little engine that tried its very best but just couldn't.", especially during the match on commentary. Of course their efforts are to be praised but if I closed my eyes and just listened to the match I would have thought that Everton were playing Barcelona and not a team that was assembled for 500 million pounds, full of internationals, on for the quadruple and favourites for the premier league. People can't have it both ways, either City are a mega-force and best team in the world which makes a result like this a massive disappointment (let's not forget nearly everyone predicted a City win here) or they just aren't one of the very best teams in the world and people have thoroughly overstated their capabilities.
I'm not trying to say that City are an awful team, just pointing out that even before this result people were too quick to declare them the best team in the world.
Back to the game, I can't believe how lackluster Barcelona were. At times there was no movement at all in their game as they just stood there and passed the ball to each other staticly. I'm not sure if they just underestimated City or if it was just tactics but it didn't feel like I was watching Barcelona. Even though they weren't at their best they still managed to cut City apart on a few occasions, the offside chance, Alves marauding down his flank and a couple of close chances. One thing I didn't understand was why they kept whipping in crosses, Kompany and Fernandinho had each and every single one of those for dinner. I can't remember a Barcelona player winning a header in the City penalty box so why keep trying it? Anyways they got what they want, clean sheet, 2-0 win.
City did well I thought, pushing hard for an equalizer even when they were down to 10 but Barcelona just look like they never got out of second gear and when they went up a level, City couldn't live with them, see that period after their goal. It wasn't a humiliation by any stretch and City did themselves proud but it was a lesson in humility, a lesson of we're good but we aren't that good yet.
EDIT:
Surprisingly enough, I just checked the stats and Barcelona had 68% possession (big surprise) but they also had more shots on and off target, which surprised me somewhat. Someone just looking at those and the scoreline would think that City got battered but that wasn't the case.
With that said City looked great but Barcelona hardly got out of a second gear so its six of one, half dozen of the next. It also has to be said that this was the first time I can remember Barcelona winning an away match in England in the knockout stages.
Some City players were fantastic for them in an attacking sense, Fernandinho and Silva in particular, while others were either isolated (Negredo) and some just not in the game (Navas)
City are getting praised in this "The little engine that tried its very best but just couldn't.", especially during the match on commentary. Of course their efforts are to be praised but if I closed my eyes and just listened to the match I would have thought that Everton were playing Barcelona and not a team that was assembled for 500 million pounds, full of internationals, on for the quadruple and favourites for the premier league. People can't have it both ways, either City are a mega-force and best team in the world which makes a result like this a massive disappointment (let's not forget nearly everyone predicted a City win here) or they just aren't one of the very best teams in the world and people have thoroughly overstated their capabilities.
I'm not trying to say that City are an awful team, just pointing out that even before this result people were too quick to declare them the best team in the world.
Back to the game, I can't believe how lackluster Barcelona were. At times there was no movement at all in their game as they just stood there and passed the ball to each other staticly. I'm not sure if they just underestimated City or if it was just tactics but it didn't feel like I was watching Barcelona. Even though they weren't at their best they still managed to cut City apart on a few occasions, the offside chance, Alves marauding down his flank and a couple of close chances. One thing I didn't understand was why they kept whipping in crosses, Kompany and Fernandinho had each and every single one of those for dinner. I can't remember a Barcelona player winning a header in the City penalty box so why keep trying it? Anyways they got what they want, clean sheet, 2-0 win.
City did well I thought, pushing hard for an equalizer even when they were down to 10 but Barcelona just look like they never got out of second gear and when they went up a level, City couldn't live with them, see that period after their goal. It wasn't a humiliation by any stretch and City did themselves proud but it was a lesson in humility, a lesson of we're good but we aren't that good yet.
EDIT:
Surprisingly enough, I just checked the stats and Barcelona had 68% possession (big surprise) but they also had more shots on and off target, which surprised me somewhat. Someone just looking at those and the scoreline would think that City got battered but that wasn't the case.
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Aye, it's being and will continue to be painted as some sort of heroic failure of a display but really as you said its the most expensive team ever assembled, with multiple International players, against a Barca side that are generally very shaky away from home in Europe, city should have shown a lot more tonight.
I thought you were kind in your praise, I thought city were fecking dreadful, didn't have any evident tactics, they were slow, passed the ball poorly and sat back for large spells.
The only time they showed any sort of aggression or will in their play was the period after they went down to ten. Pathetic and cowardly performance, Silva and to an extent Negredo and Fernandinho were okay. Toure and Kompany were shocking.
City were crap, set up wrongly and sent out with the wrong attitude by Pellegrini. Barca did just as much as they needed to.
One cliche we'll probably never hear Andy Townsend say :
"It's all set-up to be another one of those special European nights at The Ethiad"
"It's all set-up to be another one of those special European nights at The Ethiad"
Didn't they beat Chelsea when Ronaldinho was there? 2-1 iirc.
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I can't deal with Arsenal kickstarting their season. It was the tie against Bayern in 2013 which sparked their form throughout 2013 in the league.
Come on whoever plays Bayern in the next round.
to those who said City would beat Barca.Told you guys Barca would have it easy.
I just remembered they played Kolarov and City on the flanks as some sort of big game tactic but that clearly didn't work.
People pull up Wenger for not adapting to the opposition (which isn't true by the way) but when another manager does it, tries something different and it backfires then it never gets mentioned. I wonder how City would have fared if Pellegrini had just simply played Nasri and Kolarov from the beginning, dropping Clichy to the bench. In fact it was a cowardly move for a team with so much quality players to start with two full backs on the pitch, Navas was their only outlet at times and it was no surprise to me that City, despite being down to 10 men looked better when Nasri came on for Kolarov and gave them more attacking impetus.
Sometimes being too clever, as well as playing players out of position can be a bad thing. Play your best players and come up with tactics that allow your best players to win the game.
People pull up Wenger for not adapting to the opposition (which isn't true by the way) but when another manager does it, tries something different and it backfires then it never gets mentioned. I wonder how City would have fared if Pellegrini had just simply played Nasri and Kolarov from the beginning, dropping Clichy to the bench. In fact it was a cowardly move for a team with so much quality players to start with two full backs on the pitch, Navas was their only outlet at times and it was no surprise to me that City, despite being down to 10 men looked better when Nasri came on for Kolarov and gave them more attacking impetus.
Sometimes being too clever, as well as playing players out of position can be a bad thing. Play your best players and come up with tactics that allow your best players to win the game.
The unique problem against Barca is that you simply can't limit any of their players attacking. Against other teams you can play an attacking winger to limit their full back's forward venture, however against Barca you simply can't do it as Alves will still go forward and your winger will have to track back. I think Kolarov would have fared better if Negredo could actually get to the box for some crosses to be pinged in.
We did that in the '11 CL final against Barca. Lot of people in hindsight saying Hernandez should've never started the game.
Sometimes it's impossible to tell what the right decision is.
Bloody hell Moyes you tactically inept bollix....
Awwwwwwwwwwww
2 nil up, and both being away goals really put Barcelona in the box seat now. City really have to pull something serious off to go through now, but I can’t see them getting anything over in spain. At least this puts an end to their quadruple talk.
Good assessment, if a little kind on City. Exactly what I felt about the commentary too.
Yeah absolutely. The commentators are so biased, it's unbelievable.
Poor old City. Look they're trying and (almost) matching the might Barcelona.
Sigh.
And people call Arsenal the poor man's Barcelona...Hmmm makes you wonder, doesn't it Al!!
(shudders to think what United are called these days...poor mans City?
)