UEFA Champions League - Last 16
- Thread starter swiftaw
- Start date
The way that Milner ruled portions of the midfield today it seems like it would hurt if he has to take Robertson's place next game.
I was a bit late it seems!
Messi with a credible response to CR7s masterclass yesterday. Totally different circumstances, but remain silent he did not.
I believe the quarter final and semi final draws are on Friday
Edit: Yep, Friday at Noon CET.
Be careful what you wish for. Both of those sides are very talented and in spectacular form at the moment.
Would love to see a City-Barca pairing.
Yeah after seeing the Real match I want nothing to do with Ajax, I’d rather see Porto (of course), United, or Spurs
Ajax-Spurs would be interesting because Spurs start four former Ajax players (Eriksen, Sanchez, Alderweireld, Vertonghen).
From Spurs' perspective, I just don't want any of the English sides. Part of the fun of European competition is playing different teams from the ones you already play.
From Spurs' perspective, I just don't want any of the English sides. Part of the fun of European competition is playing different teams from the ones you already play.
Got on a plane up 1-0. Got off the plane in the next round!
Can’t wait to watch the highlights when I get home.
Can’t wait to watch the highlights when I get home.
I think it's worth considering that some teams are better built for knockout competitions than full seasons. Madrid has been shit, but Ajax should have won both games, and they looked quite good while doing so.
The relative strength difference of two sides over a two-legged tie at this point is going to be negligible. It's tough to pick a side you'd expect to be an easy out. This is the fun part of the CL.
I still find Liverpool terrifying (with my Juventus hat on). Juve/Pool would be disastrous for me from a marriage perspective.
I feel like Pep sides can be game-planned for a match or two these days, but I still wouldn't want them in a draw.
The mercurial nature of a lot of the teams left leaves a lot to timing and chance. It's hard to imagine anybody beating Juventus or Liverpool based on their last matches, but if you go back to the first legs it's a different story.
I still find Liverpool terrifying (with my Juventus hat on). Juve/Pool would be disastrous for me from a marriage perspective.
I feel like Pep sides can be game-planned for a match or two these days, but I still wouldn't want them in a draw.
The mercurial nature of a lot of the teams left leaves a lot to timing and chance. It's hard to imagine anybody beating Juventus or Liverpool based on their last matches, but if you go back to the first legs it's a different story.
I think in both cases the performance of their opponent left something to be desired as well.
A big thing will be how the league campaigns impact the EPL teams. Obviously Liverpool and City are in the title race and Spurs and Man U are going to be in a slug fest for a Top 4 space. Barcelona has a decent lead in La Liga and Serie A is a joke, so that gives those clubs an advantage.
Zoso's likelihood to win:
Citeh
Barca
Juve
Pool
Spurs
Ajax
United
Porto
I think any of the tier 1 squads could do it and I'd be fairy shocked if any tier 2 squads took the trophy.
From Barca's perspective, this is how I want it:
United
Ajax
Porto
Pool
Spurs
Citeh
Getting impaled by a rusty knife
Juve
I'm here for entertainment AND results so for that reason, Juve is a resounding dead last. They are a deep and talented squad who makes the sport unwatchable at times with histrionics and tactics. Citeh is definitely a brutal matchup, but my goodness a Barca-Citeh Semi would be glorious. I'm a Spurs man and we already had that matchup twice in the group phase, so no thanks. I'd be A-OK with Pool-Barca. Brutal matchup but that would be exhilarating. Porto does not scare me but doesn't excite me either. Ajax would be very fun, but United would be more historic and high profile.
Dream matchups:
Barca-United
Spurs-Porto
Liverpool-Ajax
Juve-Citeh
What I expect:
Citeh-Porto
Barca-Pool
Spurs-Juve
United-Ajax
Citeh
Barca
Juve
Pool
Spurs
Ajax
United
Porto
I think any of the tier 1 squads could do it and I'd be fairy shocked if any tier 2 squads took the trophy.
From Barca's perspective, this is how I want it:
United
Ajax
Porto
Pool
Spurs
Citeh
Getting impaled by a rusty knife
Juve
I'm here for entertainment AND results so for that reason, Juve is a resounding dead last. They are a deep and talented squad who makes the sport unwatchable at times with histrionics and tactics. Citeh is definitely a brutal matchup, but my goodness a Barca-Citeh Semi would be glorious. I'm a Spurs man and we already had that matchup twice in the group phase, so no thanks. I'd be A-OK with Pool-Barca. Brutal matchup but that would be exhilarating. Porto does not scare me but doesn't excite me either. Ajax would be very fun, but United would be more historic and high profile.
Dream matchups:
Barca-United
Spurs-Porto
Liverpool-Ajax
Juve-Citeh
What I expect:
Citeh-Porto
Barca-Pool
Spurs-Juve
United-Ajax
I agree.. which is, I think, what I said... The two games this week were basically showcases for the differences between the two. Ronaldo scored spectacular, physical goals.. Messi scored on a dribbling move and made a couple passes that were partly due to how Barcelona play/expecting a player to be there, but also just unselfish and the type of vision that has rarely been seen. Ronaldo gets the hat trick.. Messi gets two goals and two assists. I think it's pretty much exactly what the two of them typically do.
This is the endless debate, but it’s part of why footy is so much fun. I started with my conclusion, then looked at the stats to back me up. I assumed that Messi and Ronaldo had similar goal numbers, but that Messi would blow Ronaldo out of the water on assists. That’s actually not the case. Messi certainly has the edge (163 to 127 at the club level), but it isn’t the massive disparity I assumed.
Then there’s big games. Generally, you’d say that if you want to win a league, you pick Messi. If you need to win a tournament or a single game, it’s Ronaldo. I mean, look at his performance in the 2016 Euro final.
What, he didn’t play? And Portugal still won? Goddammit.
Ronaldo has really confused me this year. At the start of the season and for the first phases of the campaign, he was a provider, not a scorer. He was behaving like he was happy. It was out of the character I had in my head for him (granted, I didn’t watch many Real games). My biggest knock on him is that he has slammed so many defenders standing in walls this year that it’s a miracle he hasn’t killed somebody. He needs to step away from free kicks for the good of the side. I don’t know if it’s a gentleman’s agreement or what, but Juventus has two takers that are clearly superior in Dybala and Pjanic.
I should be a Ronaldo fan after Tuesday, but I can’t make myself do it. There’s just something about him, whether it’s how he behaves on the field, his baggage off the field, or the fact he’s always on-brand. It just bothers me. If the rape allegations are true, well... Fuck him. That would be literally the most disgusting thing possible to me, especially if Juventus pull this off.
Then there’s big games. Generally, you’d say that if you want to win a league, you pick Messi. If you need to win a tournament or a single game, it’s Ronaldo. I mean, look at his performance in the 2016 Euro final.
What, he didn’t play? And Portugal still won? Goddammit.
Ronaldo has really confused me this year. At the start of the season and for the first phases of the campaign, he was a provider, not a scorer. He was behaving like he was happy. It was out of the character I had in my head for him (granted, I didn’t watch many Real games). My biggest knock on him is that he has slammed so many defenders standing in walls this year that it’s a miracle he hasn’t killed somebody. He needs to step away from free kicks for the good of the side. I don’t know if it’s a gentleman’s agreement or what, but Juventus has two takers that are clearly superior in Dybala and Pjanic.
I should be a Ronaldo fan after Tuesday, but I can’t make myself do it. There’s just something about him, whether it’s how he behaves on the field, his baggage off the field, or the fact he’s always on-brand. It just bothers me. If the rape allegations are true, well... Fuck him. That would be literally the most disgusting thing possible to me, especially if Juventus pull this off.
They just have to make do with the immense television coin that make those games immobile.
He transitioned to being the most handsome assistant coach/cheerleader the world has ever seen. And that power of positivity is what drove Eder’s blast into the back of the net.
Maybe if Messi did something similar for the good of the team, besides quitting on them when things don’t go right, Argentina would finally win a final that he’s involved in.