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| Champions League | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Aug 1 2008, 07:30 AM (4,237 Views) | |
| Mr. Pither | Dec 19 2008, 06:00 AM Post #136 |
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Those are some very savoury looking matchups. Not just the Anglo-Italian ones historyman highlighted but also Liverpool-Real Madrid. I think Barcelona and Bayern Munich might be feeling a little fortunate that their draws on paper look less difficult than the other favourites received. But inevitably some clubs in good form now will slip out of form by the time the competition resumes in February, and vice versa. |
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P-I-T-H-E-R ...as in Brotherhood, but with PI instead of the BRO and no HOOD | |
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| SuperEagle | Dec 19 2008, 06:25 AM Post #137 |
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Arsenal-Roma is the sort of matchup neutrals should be interested in as those are both clubs who like to play an entertaining style. Roma won't be easy but considering the alternatives that is not a bad draw for Arsenal. Chelsea-Juventus, Inter-Manchester United, Liverpool-Real Madrid, are all matchups which would not look out of place in the semifinals or the final itself. I am with Mr. Pither that both Bayern Munich and Barcelona have to be thinking they dodged a bullet in this draw. But I also like how Villarreal and Panathinaikos were paired together guaranteeing a spot in the quartefinals for at least one club outside of Europe's elite. Atletico Madrid-Porto might be another matchup like that too. |
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| calimocho | Dec 19 2008, 08:04 AM Post #138 |
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As a fan these are the type of games you want to see so I am happy with what the draw brought us. SuperEagle is also right to say the good thing is several non traditional powers (Villarreal-Panathinaikos and Atletico-Porto) also will have the opportunity to make the last eight which in this era of super rich and powerful clubs is a welcoming sign. |
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| Yogi | Dec 19 2008, 11:34 AM Post #139 |
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Ranieri coaching against his old club, Mourinho going against Ferguson once more, Benitez coaching against Real Madrid, yes there will be plenty of good storylines leading up to the Champions League second round. I'll join those who have also said it is refreshing to see some less prestigious clubs also will get the opportunity through this draw to reach the quarterfinals. I like that as it is nice to see some new faces at these latter stages of the competition. |
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| Merengue | Dec 19 2008, 06:12 PM Post #140 |
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Can't wait for this all to begin even if the two months off will help my club Real Madrid get healthy and accustomed to new coach Juande Ramos. Madrid get to play the team coached by an ex Real Madrid B team coach, Rafa Benitez. Juve's Claudio Ranieri goes against his old club too. As others wrote there are so many great stories in these octave final matchups. Much can change in these teams form betwene now and the end of February but so many of these games have all the makings to be classic matchups. |
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| gaviota | Dec 20 2008, 01:47 AM Post #141 |
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Like Merengue I am thankful there will be a 2 month break now which will allow a club like Real Madrid time to get healthy again and learn to play for it's new coach. But Liverpool also will get Torres back by then and he will look forward to playing against Real Madrid. Should be a great matchup versus Liverpool. With Milan not in the tournament, these are the two most winning teams in the Champions League remaining. Inter-Manchester United is another set of matches which look like they will be real struggles between two giants. I look forward to seeing Ibrahimovic lead his team against Cristiano Ronaldo and Rooney. Barcelona did get as fortunate a draw as possible but Lyon with Benzema and Juninho always will remain a threat. The other two Spanish clubs, Villarreal and Atletico also got about as favourable a draw as they could have expected. Can not say the same about Chelsea and Juventus who should eb in an extremely tight qualifying series. It is too early to prognosticate these matches now as we should wait to see if there is any changes, positively or negatively, in how each of these 16 teams are playing in late February. |
| CHAMP13NS | |
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| Simon | Dec 20 2008, 03:01 AM Post #142 |
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siralfred will be torn when Inter play United! The only thing I'd add to what's already been posted is that although it's generally for the best if you win your group, it doesn't always work out that way. Manchester United put the work in to top their group ahead of Villarreal, but Villarreal are paired with Panathinaikos while United must face one of the most powerful teams in the competition! I suppose that's the way it goes sometimes... |
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| Don Balon | Dec 21 2008, 03:35 AM Post #143 |
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To follow on Simon's comments, this year I think the second place teams look as strong as the first place group finishers and that has helped us have so many attractive matchups. I agree with the previous comments that Barcelona and Bayern probably are the happiest with their opponents but many things can change between now and the end of February when it all resumes again, injuries, loss of form, players coming back from injuries, all will effect the competitors which makes this all so hard to prognosticate now. |
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| historyman | Feb 22 2009, 11:08 PM Post #144 |
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Well the clock is ticking down to the knockout stages so it's time to revive this thread. As a warm up, there was an article in the Guardian today about the only time that Liverpool and Real Madrid have previously met in European competition. This was of course the 1981 European Cup final in Paris, which Liverpool won 1-0 courtesy of an Alan Kennedy goal. 1981 EC Final You Tube Highlights That match has little relevence to Wednesday night's game, but I thought the article illustrated some of the seismic changes that have occurred in football since then. Even if, by some miracle, Liverpool were to win the CL this year, I can't imagine Steven Gerrard taking the trophy down to his local and propping it behind the bar! Nice to be reminded too of the late Laurie Cunningham, one of the legendary 'Three Degrees' who burst onto the scene during the late '70s. Laurie Cunningham |
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| Sporting | Feb 23 2009, 03:43 AM Post #145 |
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I'm really looking forward to the games this week. I'll have the usual problem of deciding which games to watch live and which ones the highlights of. I think maybe the Madrid - Liverpool one is a highlight, but others will have their own choices. Form teams: Inter, Man Utd, Real Madrid. Off form teams: Villareal, Barcelona, Atlético Madrid... That's just off the top of my head, though. |
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| Yogi | Feb 23 2009, 07:40 AM Post #146 |
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It is wonderful to have the Champions League back and with my club for once not taking part this season I can actually sit back and enjoy these games without the tension of watching my own club participate. I would Sporting add Lyon to your list of in form teams and Bayern to the list of those off form. I don't know about Panathinaikos or Porto's form but the remaining clubs could all probably be in that nether world as they are neither in form nor off. But this what helps make the tournament so intriguing as some clubs who were in such great form last fall are now playing at a lower level. So how will they respond to the first challenge of the new year? |
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| Simon | Feb 23 2009, 12:30 PM Post #147 |
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Yeah, who'd look after it when Gerrard gets locked up at the end of the night? ATLETICO MADRID v FC PORTO Atletico have only won one of their last 8 league matches, while Porto's form has been good in opening up a four point lead in Portugal. I find this tie hard to predict, I would say Atletico are the better side but they clearly have their problems and of course with the rumours of Spanish and Argentinian cliques in the dressing room, maybe they aren't united enough to beat an organised team like Porto? LYON v BARCELONA The fact that Barcelona haven't won either of their last two league matches should hardly make us think the wheels have fallen off. They are still an imposing prospect, especially if the talk in the Spain forum is correct and the defeat against Espanyol can partly be put down to Barca's preparations for this game. Lyon aren't the force they once were, especially going forward where they seem heavily reliant on Benzema. I thought this looked quite a nice draw for Barca in December and I still find it hard to make a case for Lyon advancing over two legs. ARSENAL v ROMA This is a pretty great time to be playing Arsenal. They haven't even scored in 3 games, key players such as Fabregas, Walcott, Rosicky, Adebayor and Eduardo all miss out and even new-signing Arshavin is cup-tied. The Gunners have slid out of the title picture in England and are even 6 points adrift of the CL places. Roma's current form is better, and of course they have the added incentive of hosting the final at the Stadio Olimpico. I did read that Totti has never scored in 10 matches against English opposition, whether that is coincidence or points to a problem he has playing against the English style, I'm not sure. Arsenal are unbeaten in 22 CL home games. INTER v MANCHESTER UNITED This one's come along at a dreadful time for United, as we've been hit by a load of defensive problems at the same time. Normally our defence is a major asset, as with this record-breaking run of clean sheets we've been on, but Vidic has to miss this first leg due to a suspension he picked up in the damn Club World Cup. Gary Neville and Wes Brown are both out, O'Shea is a big injury doubt and so is Jonny Evans who limped out of the Blackburn game the other day and hasn't been able to train. It seems likely that Fabio will start, in what will only be his second match for United! Evra or even Carrick may play at centre-back alongside Rio and either Rafael or Fletcher should play at RB. Bit of a nightmare when you're about to play Inter in the San Siro! At least the team is on form, even if we're not scoring many goals. Inter are in fine form as well, even if they may miss Samuel and Materazzi. This looks like the tie of the round to me. REAL MADRID v LIVERPOOL It's amazing, as historyman said, that these two giants have only played one match against each other. Real Madrid must be big favourites on form, winning nine consecutive matches to cut Barcelona's lead, while meanwhile Liverpool have gone from PL leaders to 7 points adrift after a run of bad results and performances. Gerrard is in Liverpool's squad despite having not played in 3 weeks, but he hasn't been able to take part in a normal training session. He's so important to the reds, particularly in their current slump, that they may still start him. Logic would say Madrid will win this tie, but they've made a recent habit of exiting at this stage (3 years? 4?) while Liverpool usually have a deep run into the CL, so who knows? CHELSEA v JUVENTUS A week ago we might have tipped Juventus, in view of all the strife at Chelsea (I've just been struck by what bad shape all 4 English clubs are in as the CL resumes!) but it might just be that Hiddink can knock a few heads together and get them playing as a team. A win at Villa is great preparation, and they still have a spine of Cech, Terry, Lampard and an in-form Anelka, while Drogba looked a lot better at the weekend. Juventus's results have been a bit inconsistent recently so this one is up for grabs. VILLARREAL v PANATHINAIKOS This looks the weakest tie to me. Villarreal didn't do too much to shine in the group phase, and their domestic form has been indifferent as well - they haven't won 2 consecutive league games since early November (and managed it just one previous time this season, in September). Meanwhile Panathinaikos's bad form has dropped them well behind Olympiakos. Pana did win at Werder Bremen and Inter though, so maybe anything's possible. SPORTING LISBON v BAYERN MUNICH Sporting's form has been a bit wobbly but they will be on a high after a dramatic 3-2 win over city-rivals Benfica. Sporting's game is built around their defence, and counter-attacking. That might make them tricky opponents for Bayern depending on what type of form Toni and Klose are in, and whether Ribery can show his best. Bayern aren't exactly tearing it up in Germany, but although Sporting may be tricky opponents I think it's fair to expect Bayern to qualify. Ahead of this week's three Anglo-Italian clashes, the BBC have done a comparison of various aspects of the two leagues. There are some interesting bits of info in here, such as Mourinho having not lost a home league game in his last 110! That's incredible. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/7903318.stm |
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| historyman | Feb 23 2009, 10:31 PM Post #148 |
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Good preview as always, Siimon. It will be interesting to see what conclusions we can draw - if any - regarding the battle between the Premier League and Serie A. |
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| Hector | Feb 23 2009, 10:48 PM Post #149 |
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Super preview, I do not know what else to add to it, other than I am still sceptical about how much a club's league form translates to the Champions League. There are so many interesting games these next few days but Inter-Manchester United and Real Madrid-Liverpool are the two which really have my interest. Both games would be suitable for a semifinal in my opinion. The same could probably be said for Chelsea-Juventus too but those are two practical teams so I have my doubts if their two matches will be that exciting. |
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| calimocho | Feb 24 2009, 08:32 AM Post #150 |
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I also enjoyed the preview Simon, good work. I think looking at club form is meaningless in this competition, Manchester United and Barcelona, two of the three last champions were the exception as they also won their respective league titles but the trend has been recently that clubs who win the Champions League are not usually among the leaders in their domestic leagues. So while their league form may be poor recently clubs like Arsenal, Chelsea, Atletico Madrid and Roma still can have a lot to say in this tournament. Inter hosting Manchester United is the game which obviously attracts the attention today. I did not realize the extent of Manchester's injuries which make sme think they will try and play a defensive game tonight and out Italian the Italian club! But with Ronaldo and Rooney in attack they also should have the firepower to get a goal on the road. But despite their top defensive record they will be tested by Ibrahimovic and Adriano. This is the type of match you look forward to in the Champions! |
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