2017 Champions League Knockout stage
- Thread starter Senator Donut
- Start date
Monaco were phenomenal but my ref meltdown would have been warranted. He was completely incompetent. A card for Aguero for a dive when he's hit and then Sterling booked for dissent. The entire 2nd half he was on the wind up. Gives that penalty on Otamendi after waving off the earlier one (and another later on Sterling).
what a match though. Both teams just going for it, really enjoyable football.
I just can't take whining about refs seriously anymore. My dad watches entire programs in Portuguese where talking heads micro-inspect every call from the Big 3's matches. It will get worse once they add a 4th official for replay. A lot happens in a match and the ref is the obvious scapegoat for failure. Rarely gets credit for a victory.
City dominated the last half hour and really punished Monaco for not finishing more of their chances.
I generally used to be that way but this season has beaten it out of me. Far too many impactful blown calls. I still don't want replay, though, it ruins every sport.
Aside from getting the calls wrong, the ref just marred the match. You get both teams going like that the ref just has to keep control of the match. He got card happy and inconsistent.
Monaco were tremendous, though. Tired by the end but there is some serious talent on that team. My team is as likely as many to mine it for talent but I really hope they can keep that group together, football like that is what these European nights are supposed to be about.
I think the Aguero call was correct, but I don't see how the ref could possibly have seen it in realtime clearly enough to show the card.
Nobody argues about the contact. Problem is, he's going down before they come together. I'm not sure that's debatable. He simulated the contact before it happened, so it's a card. If he carries his stride, he gets clipped and it's a penalty. I won't buy an argument about avoiding injury as he could just as easily have chosen to hop the keeper as go down.
I just don't buy that the ref could have caught it in real time with enough certainty to warrant the card. He's ultimately vindicated by the replays, but it seems really Mike Dean to brandish the yellow.
Nobody argues about the contact. Problem is, he's going down before they come together. I'm not sure that's debatable. He simulated the contact before it happened, so it's a card. If he carries his stride, he gets clipped and it's a penalty. I won't buy an argument about avoiding injury as he could just as easily have chosen to hop the keeper as go down.
I just don't buy that the ref could have caught it in real time with enough certainty to warrant the card. He's ultimately vindicated by the replays, but it seems really Mike Dean to brandish the yellow.
No way. It's a pen probably 70+% of the time and there's no way it's a card. You're watching in slow mo and analyzing milliseconds. Nobody is going to stand up and get their leg swept by a keeper. The keeper made a crazy strong challenge and would have been lucky to get away with it. Booking Aguero for diving was complete nonsense
I disagree. Aguero was on his way down before anything happened. That's simulation, that's a card.
Juve and Porto have been their crooked tie. The winner gets a place in the quarters and a really nice bag to stuff bribery money in to.
These two matches are pretty brutal after yesterday's high flying antics.
These two matches are pretty brutal after yesterday's high flying antics.
Oh, cute. Another one quoting the initial Calciopoli allegations without knowing how it actually panned out. Never gets old.
Yeah. Calciopoli comments to Juventus fans are deflated ball jokes to Patriots fans, except dumber.
http://www.italianfootballdaily.com/calciopoli-nine-years-later/
http://www.italianfootballdaily.com/calciopoli-nine-years-later/
Zomp is an entire forum that hates Man United, but we are spared his whining about it. Juve didn't just get a reputation as crooked starting in 2006. Good grief.
Yeah and the Patriots weren't first accused of cheating when ballghazi happened either. What's your point, other than when success happens, haters quickly follow?
I can't believe there are people going to bat for Juve lol. Yeah, the Old Lady is such a victim and has always walked the straight and narrow
Shut your face with your bullshit is my point. One idiot mentions Patriots and you have to jump in like Dumb Quixote. You should shoo away and learn about the club wide doping used by the Lippi-era Juventus. But haters gonna hate, right guy who jumped in for no reason?
I'm not the one who made a drive-by post, which belied your lack of understanding of Calciopoli (Juve were never accused of bribery) nor did I resort to unoriginal ad hominems, but sure whatever guy.
Arsenal's execution is starting now, along with Napoli-Real Madrid as an undercard. Barca-PSG and Dortmund-Benfica are tomorrow.
Why are Ozil and Muller both on the bench? edit: I see Ozil is sick.
Why are Ozil and Muller both on the bench? edit: I see Ozil is sick.
Most of the times, Ancelotti prefers Thiago to Müller.
Results: Thiago is playing great (superb passing), Müller is struggling in the role as a super-sub (bench-striker, rotation for Thiago or winger).
1-0 Arsenal
Gotta give Walcott credit for his finish. Just above a keeper's head is a fantastic place to put a shot from an oblique angle and close range. Virtually anywhere else and it's saved. There's no quick way of swinging the arms up to knock that ball away.
I had to do some work, what got Arsenal a red card? Did Walcott headbutt Alaba after all their back-and-forth in the first half?
Lewandowski was through 10m in front of the goal, Koscielny went for the ball, fouled him. Ref showed him yellow, goal-line assistant told him to show red card.
Now it´s 5-1 Bayern with 8mins to play. This enters "Fire Arsene instantly" territory.
They looked seriously focused and dialed-in for the first half. The announcers said Arsenal "look to be up for it" and they did have some great possession and link-up play. Bellerin was making great runs, Walcott was abusing Alaba on the flank, Giroud was inches from getting a few headers together... it looked like Arsenal at least had a chance.
I missed all but a middle 5 mins of the second half but from what I gather it was a completely different team out there. Koscielny is certainly worth a few all by himself.
I missed all but a middle 5 mins of the second half but from what I gather it was a completely different team out there. Koscielny is certainly worth a few all by himself.
Not that I expect it to assuage Arsenal fans but drawing Munich and Barca 5 of those times is probably the most important part of that graphic. I know that is possible because of the way you perform in the group stage, but Arsenal weren't really favored in any of those matchups.
Stop being so rational!
Agreed, though. Just a bit of game thread frustration.
You have to face those clubs eventually if you want to win CL and Arsenal keeps under performing.
Teddy is right, mostly...but Monaco and Milan were both eminently beatable, and the same thing still happened.
Bayern finishing 2nd in their group (to Atleti) the year Arsenal finally wins their group (after two hard-fought draws with PSG), and thus drawing Arsenal anyway, is some pretty cruel irony, too.
Barca in a 3-3-4 with Rafinha pushing up on the right wing. Ney does seem to be dropping pretty deep.
Catennachio it is not!
Catennachio it is not!
Pulisic is starting at LW, and their attack has been largely running through him to get into most advanced positions (other than route-one balls to Auba).
Emery with the heart-attacking-inducing strategy of "sit back and hope Barca doesn't score five goals".
Only need 4 in 90. I think if Barca scores 4, they're happy trying to get a fifth in 30 minutes or send it to PKs. PSG looks rattled. Barca clearly playing with a lot of energy but also showing some yips. Namely Ney and Rafinha. There was a good post on Reddit saying that Barca was going to have to attack PSG with multiple tactics/formations and I think it would work really well here. Emery probably has a plan to stop what Barca did in the first half, but if Messi comes out wide and they change the plan, PSG won't be ready for it. Both goals were a bit flukey.
Okay so that may be a penalty. I'm honestly not sure...looked like Neymar went down too easily. However what is the ref doing, waving Neymar to get up then calling a penalty? Surely he had a good angle.
Pulisic with the timed run on the through ball and then a chip of the keeper from an oblique angle. Dortmund 2-0!
