2017 Champions League Knockout stage
- Thread starter Senator Donut
- Start date
yeah, Marcelo is easy to like, Modric too, but the favoritism they got today was so bad I couldn't even finish watching. It was enough to make you feel sympathy for Arjen Robben, for crying out loud (who was absolutely busting his ass out there, especially once Lewandowski was subbed out).
I would like to see a big match in Europe where Real Madrid or Barcelona gets porked by a ref. It's amazing how consistently bad calls go their way.
Unless there was something wrong with Slimani, not even placing him on the Leicester's bench is baffling to me.
Unless there was something wrong with Slimani, not even placing him on the Leicester's bench is baffling to me.
I'd add Asencio and Isco to the list. Asencio in particular is so smooth on the ball and has his head up more consistently than just about any other player I've seen.
Also, congrats to Bosox who has to be thrilled to be thru to the semis again. Aesthetics aside, I'd much rather have them win UCL than Real.
Well, you probably missed the first leg, then. That outrageous penalty the ref gifted Bayern could've decided this draw, had Vidal not flubbed it.
Although I don't think anyone in Italy will have much sympathy for Juventus if they end up on the wrong end of dodgy officiating.
Thanks!! The victory over Leicester was not pretty, but I think anyone paying attention to the sport knew that Atletico and Leicester play similar styles and would, therefore, play in a way to be the team not beat by a counter attack.
Three semifinals in four years is damn impressive. What Cholo Simeone has done for this club is truly remarkable.
Took a look again at highlights from yesterday, it was real bad:
https://my.mixtape.moe/zgdqvz.mp4
Result: 2nd yellow.
Result: Foul, no card given.
Trying to find the offsides still as well. Just a terrible job by the ref TBH.
Edit: About as egregious as offsides gets at the pro level:
https://my.mixtape.moe/zgdqvz.mp4
Result: 2nd yellow.
Result: Foul, no card given.
Trying to find the offsides still as well. Just a terrible job by the ref TBH.
Edit: About as egregious as offsides gets at the pro level:
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Pulisic and Dembele are both on the bench today. Trying to bring a second half barrage against tired legs, I guess, but I'd be concerned about the leaky BVB defense making it a greater uphill climb before they can even hit the pitch.
Credit to the ref so far for not falling for any Barca theatrics...and there are a lot of theatrics.
No one has really had an answer on defense for Monaco, though I guess BVB is particularly leaky. Gotta say Monaco is sure fun to watch, particularly Mbappe
Yeah, the issue isn't necessarily being poor defensively so much as thinking there was hope today in any tactic that didn't involve trying to score score score.
It´s not as if Dortmund´s chance to advance was good. Maybe ~10%. There´s the away match vs. Bayern in a week in the DFB cup semifinal coming up and they have to overtake Hoffenheim to secure 3rd place. 4th place probably brings CL football, too, but nobody wants to play the qualification matches and start early*.
(* CL qualification matches started for Gladbach the 16/08. Bundesliga matches started 10 days later 26/08. DFB cup started in between, for the CL team Gladbach, it was the 20/08, but that´s a 1st round match vs lower league teams most of the times. Starting later saves energy for the later matches.)
Juve are super tough to break down. so solid and well organised at the back. Barca are having a go but they might have to produce some magic just to get one goal and they're not at their best tonight - so far. Tie needs a Barca goal and soon.
Some nice sportsmanship from Barca, keeping the ball after Juventus kicked it out.
I'm not exactly impartial, but Neymar should be off.
I'm not exactly impartial, but Neymar should be off.
Barca lucky not to be a goal down there, Juve getting chances on the counter attack. Barca's build up has to be much quicker, as soon as Juve get set up with two banks of four they just soak it all up. Feels like Barca might have to get in behind Juve, as opposed to trying to pass the ball through them.
Not sure how they're going to get behind, to be honest.
They have the talent to poach a goal with individual moments. A Messi free kick or shot from distance can beat the superhuman but aging Buffon to the top corner.
The referee looks like he doesn't want his name in the paper like Deniz Aytekin's (PSG-Barca), so he's assuming Barca is diving and only blowing for stuff he's absolutely sure of. That really means Barca don't have a clear route back into the game. That's not to say they can't find one- if they score a goal it can change everything. I just don't see where it's coming from right now.
They have the talent to poach a goal with individual moments. A Messi free kick or shot from distance can beat the superhuman but aging Buffon to the top corner.
The referee looks like he doesn't want his name in the paper like Deniz Aytekin's (PSG-Barca), so he's assuming Barca is diving and only blowing for stuff he's absolutely sure of. That really means Barca don't have a clear route back into the game. That's not to say they can't find one- if they score a goal it can change everything. I just don't see where it's coming from right now.
BVB gets one back.
Mendy at the left wing with the ball at his foot looks great. But defending against Dembele, he looked like a stiff.
Dortmund is now in the same trouble as Bayern in yesterdays extra time. They have to go for it and they have a weak defense, so there will be even more room for Monaco´s great attackers. Mbappé at 18 is a joy to watch.
Mendy at the left wing with the ball at his foot looks great. But defending against Dembele, he looked like a stiff.
Dortmund is now in the same trouble as Bayern in yesterdays extra time. They have to go for it and they have a weak defense, so there will be even more room for Monaco´s great attackers. Mbappé at 18 is a joy to watch.
Monaco seals it with another goal directly off a BVB defender passing it to straight to the wrong team.
No clearer sign of Serie A's decline over the last 10 years than neutrals pulling for Juve!
Haha the greatest keeper I've ever seen, and one of the sports best personalities, deserves one.
Monaco
Atleti
Juve
Real
is my order of preference. I love this Monaco side. My dream all year has been Jardim to Arsenal at the end of the season, bring Mbappe and either Lemar or Bernardo with him.
But I know we'll keep Wenger.
Atleti
Juve
Real
is my order of preference. I love this Monaco side. My dream all year has been Jardim to Arsenal at the end of the season, bring Mbappe and either Lemar or Bernardo with him.
But I know we'll keep Wenger.
Tuchel is saying in german TV that he would start the same lineup again. They had to play their best to have a chance and did not.
He is giving his younger guys (mentioned Dembele) more rest, as he already played them so much and they are having a tough time physically [...].
He is giving his younger guys (mentioned Dembele) more rest, as he already played them so much and they are having a tough time physically [...].
Understandable. It's hard to like throwing out a B lineup in the quarterfinals of the Champions League, but it was probably the smart call in the bigger picture.
1. Atleti - they deserve one after two heartbreakers
2. Monaco - fun to watch, hard to hate
3. Juve - even with Gigi they're still an evil empire, but better them than...
4. Real
2. Monaco - fun to watch, hard to hate
3. Juve - even with Gigi they're still an evil empire, but better them than...
4. Real
I know Atleti has a Chinese owner, so I'm not naive to the fact that top-tier clubs tend to rely on foreign capital to spend enough money to compete, but I'm not sure a neutral should root for a team owned by a guy like Dmitry Rybolovlev. He's the guy who bought Trump's mansion in Florida for an insane price that was way over the price Trump paid for it a few years ago.
Football Leaks also showed that he and Mendes, the super agent, were doing sketchy things with transfer fees. Then again, I know a football journalist who argues that many teams, including Atletico and Monaco, are, in a sense, world-class money laundering operations.
Okay, after some time to digest...
Both Juventus and Barcelona came out initially ready for a repeat of the PSG tie. Within the first few minutes, both teams put in a few hits that had everybody in the stadium holding their breath. Only the most egregious of these resulted in a foul. Early on, Dybala got hit and stayed down, then got up miraculously to receive the ball, only to be chopped again. He got that second call, but the ref mimed diving at him, too. It became pretty clear that he wasn't going to put up with the bullshit.
At this point, the teams split. I think Juventus realized where the referee stood and adjusted. Barcelona have essentially one game plan when it comes to dealing with referees- hit the floor and appeal. Even to the 88th minute when Suarez ridiculously dove in the box, it was their only real plan to cut through the Juventus defense.
I can't give enough credit to the ref for not folding to the pressure from the home fans. The really unfortunate part is that, had he been in charge of the PSG 2nd leg, PSG advances. A referee shouldn't have that significant of an impact, but there it is.
I'd love to see Buffon add this last piece of hardware to his trophy case. With the defense and organization Allegri has in this side right now, I think there's a legitimate shot it happens. A lot rides on Higuain- he wasn't good enough tonight. He has a reputation for wilting as the spotlight gets brighter- some of that seems to be happening. I'd love to see Dybala to learn to stay on his feet. He has so much of a left-footed Del Piero in him. Alex made a living hitting impossible shots from the corner of the box that cleared the keeper by yards and hit the upper ninety. Dybala has that. If he can focus, he'll be one of the best and most admired players in the world. If he can't, he'll just be another Neymar or Suarez, minus the biting.
Both Juventus and Barcelona came out initially ready for a repeat of the PSG tie. Within the first few minutes, both teams put in a few hits that had everybody in the stadium holding their breath. Only the most egregious of these resulted in a foul. Early on, Dybala got hit and stayed down, then got up miraculously to receive the ball, only to be chopped again. He got that second call, but the ref mimed diving at him, too. It became pretty clear that he wasn't going to put up with the bullshit.
At this point, the teams split. I think Juventus realized where the referee stood and adjusted. Barcelona have essentially one game plan when it comes to dealing with referees- hit the floor and appeal. Even to the 88th minute when Suarez ridiculously dove in the box, it was their only real plan to cut through the Juventus defense.
I can't give enough credit to the ref for not folding to the pressure from the home fans. The really unfortunate part is that, had he been in charge of the PSG 2nd leg, PSG advances. A referee shouldn't have that significant of an impact, but there it is.
I'd love to see Buffon add this last piece of hardware to his trophy case. With the defense and organization Allegri has in this side right now, I think there's a legitimate shot it happens. A lot rides on Higuain- he wasn't good enough tonight. He has a reputation for wilting as the spotlight gets brighter- some of that seems to be happening. I'd love to see Dybala to learn to stay on his feet. He has so much of a left-footed Del Piero in him. Alex made a living hitting impossible shots from the corner of the box that cleared the keeper by yards and hit the upper ninety. Dybala has that. If he can focus, he'll be one of the best and most admired players in the world. If he can't, he'll just be another Neymar or Suarez, minus the biting.
if I had to respect an owner or believe them a good person in order to root for a team, I probably wouldn't be able to be a fan of any sports league upmarket from the AUDL. Being a sports fan often requires compartmentalizing to avoid an omnipresent awareness that many of the players we root for are dogs, may or may not be on-field cheaters as well, and would turn their backs on us for an extra buck here or there - nevermind the owners as well.
I mean, Bob Kraft was a corporate raider who basically pillaged his own father-in-law's company - and he's one of the kinder, gentler souls in the sports ownership world. Rooting for teams based on ownership? That way madness lies.
I mean, Bob Kraft was a corporate raider who basically pillaged his own father-in-law's company - and he's one of the kinder, gentler souls in the sports ownership world. Rooting for teams based on ownership? That way madness lies.
I find myself in a state of rigorous agreement with Insta's last two posts. Both the rooting hierarchy (Atleti -> Monaco -> Juve -> -> -> -> Meteor -> Real) and the bit about ownership and rooting interest. It's fun to hate on a team because of ownership (who didn't love to goof on the Raiders because of Al Davis?) but making a palatable owner criteria for your rooting interest is definitely a fool's errand. Better to consider a good owner a bonus, rather than a necessity, else you might as well be searching through parole lists for your next babysitter.
On a completely unrelated note, my brother showed me a picture of Monaco's stadium yesterday. Going to a game there immediately went on the bucket list. I mean:
On a completely unrelated note, my brother showed me a picture of Monaco's stadium yesterday. Going to a game there immediately went on the bucket list. I mean:
The tabloids in Portugal are saying that if Allegri leaves Juve that they will look to hire Jardim from Monaco.
Yes, when it comes to both of our clubs, we should take a "see no evil, speak no evil" approach to Jorge Mendes and transfers.
If I was in Monaco, going to a game would be right behind hanging out on a yacht with models.
Well, when you put it that way! But I think I could manage to stomach skipping an afternoon of Trumping French women to check out a world-class soccer match in that palace.
My God - look at that venue. Do they host quidditch matches there when no football is being played?