2014-15 Champions League: the Quixotic Quest to Qualify
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At this moment, having just flung my remote control and a bottle of water across my living room, I'm hoping Arsenal fails to make it into the top four this season. What's the effing point?
The tactics were really bad in the second half. Wenger played that like there was only one leg, with the fullbacks constantly pushing up and then playing Ox (beautiful strike notwithstanding) as a defensive midfielder.
Atletico's loss doesn't seem so bad anymore...
Atletico was outplayed today: Leverkuson was quicker and more physical. Leverkuson created the best chances, though Atletico did have a goal disallowed and the Leverkuson keeper made a brilliant save.
There was a bit of bad luck, too, as Atletico had to use two substitutions on injuries. In hindsight, my biggest take-away is that Filipe Luis should never have left Atletico -- he doesn't start at Chelsea, and was an essential piece on Simeone's squad.
If Koke is not back for the second leg, I'd like to see Cholo give Cani a shot. I like Saul a lot as a player, but I think we need more ball control (Garcia and Torres do nothing with the ball).
Atletico was outplayed today: Leverkuson was quicker and more physical. Leverkuson created the best chances, though Atletico did have a goal disallowed and the Leverkuson keeper made a brilliant save.
There was a bit of bad luck, too, as Atletico had to use two substitutions on injuries. In hindsight, my biggest take-away is that Filipe Luis should never have left Atletico -- he doesn't start at Chelsea, and was an essential piece on Simeone's squad.
If Koke is not back for the second leg, I'd like to see Cholo give Cani a shot. I like Saul a lot as a player, but I think we need more ball control (Garcia and Torres do nothing with the ball).
This is so true.ConigliarosPotential said:
I'd love to see the Gunners do well in Europe, but at this point, give someone else a chance.
ConigliarosPotential said:
The Europa League is actually not too bad if you don't have any commitments on Sunday mornings. You get to learn about all sorts of places in Europe you've probably never heard of.
DLew On Roids said:
tonight's ties are pretty tasty, actually. Other than Everton-Hot Young Boyz and Napoli-Trabonzspor, pretty much every tie is still up for grabs.
The CL place on offer has definitely increased the gives a shit factor of most teams, England's most notably.
Schalke score early to go up 0-1. This might be a game! If they can score another goal, both teams are even in aggregate. Probably won't happen, but Real have been struggling a bit lately.
Edit: and Ronaldo heads in the equalizer for 3-1 aggregate lead. Booo.
Edit: and Ronaldo heads in the equalizer for 3-1 aggregate lead. Booo.
And there's one! Two goals in <40 minutes, there's plenty of time to outscore Real Madrid by one from here on.
Edit: at this point, away goals are tied, meaning that any Schalke two-goal win will eliminate Real.
Edit: at this point, away goals are tied, meaning that any Schalke two-goal win will eliminate Real.
Can Ronaldo even smile? He scores goals at will and looks like he has a headache. He must be thinking I´m so mean.
Matip was sleeping on both headers. RM defense looks really shaky, against a team that had problems to create scoring chances and dominate teams in the Bundesliga. Schalke is not a team with offensive firepower.
Matip was sleeping on both headers. RM defense looks really shaky, against a team that had problems to create scoring chances and dominate teams in the Bundesliga. Schalke is not a team with offensive firepower.
Ugh. Ronaldo. So damn good, yet so damn infuriating. He's the hero today, for sure. Completely saving a helpless team.
I feel a bit dirty, but I'm kind of rooting for the Meringues in this one.
Two Bundesliga teams playing a final in Berlin seems kind of boring, especially given that the last two CL finals have been domestic league cup matchups. Kind of happy to see one of the Bundesliga teams drop out.
Two Bundesliga teams playing a final in Berlin seems kind of boring, especially given that the last two CL finals have been domestic league cup matchups. Kind of happy to see one of the Bundesliga teams drop out.
Chelsea: Courtois, Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry, Azpilicueta, Fabregas, Matic, Ramires, Oscar, Hazard, Diego Costa.
PSG: Sirigu, Marquinhos, Silva, Luiz, Maxwell; Verratti, Motta, Matuidi; Pastore, Ibrahimovic, Cavani.
Bayern - Neuer - Rafinha, Boateng, Badstuber, Alaba - Schweinsteiger - Robben, Götze, Müller, Ribéry - Lewandowski
Shakhtar - Pyatov - Srna, Kucher, Rakitskiy , Stepanenko, Shevchuk - Douglas Costa, Fred, Taison - Teixeira, Luiz Adriano
Bayern might win this match 7-3 with that lineup. Push Alaba and Rafinha up into midfield and you've got the old 2-3-5 as discussed at some point in the Bayern thread.
Interesting to see Mourinho go with the same relatively defensive group in midfield (Ramirez alongside Matic, with Fabregas at #10) again. That's the same trio he played in Paris and they looked kind of shit and couldn't control the match at all.
I assume Marquinhos is playing fullback. We'll see how he hangs with Chelsea's wingers
PSG: Sirigu, Marquinhos, Silva, Luiz, Maxwell; Verratti, Motta, Matuidi; Pastore, Ibrahimovic, Cavani.
Bayern - Neuer - Rafinha, Boateng, Badstuber, Alaba - Schweinsteiger - Robben, Götze, Müller, Ribéry - Lewandowski
Shakhtar - Pyatov - Srna, Kucher, Rakitskiy , Stepanenko, Shevchuk - Douglas Costa, Fred, Taison - Teixeira, Luiz Adriano
Bayern might win this match 7-3 with that lineup. Push Alaba and Rafinha up into midfield and you've got the old 2-3-5 as discussed at some point in the Bayern thread.
Interesting to see Mourinho go with the same relatively defensive group in midfield (Ramirez alongside Matic, with Fabregas at #10) again. That's the same trio he played in Paris and they looked kind of shit and couldn't control the match at all.
I assume Marquinhos is playing fullback. We'll see how he hangs with Chelsea's wingers
What's happening with Cesc? Not just this game, but in general. I'm not an Xs and Os guy so maybe it's a formation issue, but it just seems like his creativity and, for lack of a better word, flow is not there. He looks like kind of like a replica of the Fabregas I know, but with a muzzle on.
Terrible decision. It was a really clumsy situation but you can see on replay how he cocks his leg and then holds up.
http://fat.gfycat.com/GiftedSlimyAmphiuma.webm
Never a red. Oscar embellished the fuck out of it too.
Another Champions League tie ruined by a sending off.
Never a red. Oscar embellished the fuck out of it too.
Another Champions League tie ruined by a sending off.
Morgan's Magic Snowplow said:
There is no word in the English language to capture how much I fucking hate John Terry.
I don't know what you mean. The fact that Oscar is running around now like nothing happened is a testament to his toughness and ability to play through pain rather than any indication he was embellishing when he held his leg and writhed around like he had a compound fracture.OilCanShotTupac said:
And that is not a second yellow for Oscar? Do these refs have money on this one or what? They've lost control of this match.
This is the first time I remember seeing the physicality of a match escalate when the refs break out cards. It's like this ref is trying to incite the players to hurt each other.
I have a newfound fondness for David Luiz after he just threw Costa to the ground.
Also, here's this gem from the Guardian MBM:
Also, here's this gem from the Guardian MBM:
deconstruction said:
What was the call there? DOGSO? Because that's horseshit. There was a Shakhtar defender keeping pace right in front of the goal on that. Did the assistant have any input, because he should never have let that get called DOGSO.
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