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Champions League 09/10
Topic Started: Jul 23 2009, 05:46 AM (4,902 Views)
raconteur
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autogol,Nov 4 2009
04:37 PM
What a tight group involving Inter, Barcelona, Dynamo Kyiv and Rubin Kazan. At minute 85 tonight in Kyiv, Dynamo were in first in the group and Inter last. 5 minutes later, Inter win with 2 late goals and they are in first in the group with Rubin ahead of Barcelona in 2nd place via the tiebreaker of better head to head record and Dynamo Kyiv are in last place. Looks like there is still more drama ahead in this group including a big showdown at the Nou Camp between Barcelona and Inter.

This has become a fascinating group and who amongst us could have predicted that when the competition started? Credit to both Kyiv and Kazan for how they've played. If the competition ended now, current holders Barcelona would be out! They still have time of course with a home game against Inter and a trip to Kyiv coming up but this group looks like it will be a nail biter to the very end.

Barcelona may be in third in their group but they still control their fate, it is Liverpool and Bayern who are the traditional clubs in trouble in the tournament and unlike Barcelona, neither still control their fate, they'll need help to qualify.
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ursus arctos
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And just to make things more interesting, the Barca-Inter match is the Wednesday before the weekend on which Barca welcome their old friends in all white to the Camp Nou . . .

Inter are at home to Fiorentina that weekend.
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Merengue
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ursus arctos,Nov 4 2009
05:23 PM
And just to make things more interesting, the Barca-Inter match is the Wednesday before the weekend on which Barca welcome their old friends in all white to the Camp Nou . . .

Inter are at home to Fiorentina that weekend.

So that would be November 25th then wouldn't it? Barcelona-Real Madrid is on November 28. A busy month ahead and with these big matches coming up for Barcelona they may come to regret Wednesday's draw with Rubin Kazan. It was a game Barca controlled but just could not break through Rubin's defense. Now as noted Barca will have to play Inter at home and Dynamo Kyiv away with the game in Kyiv in December which should make this game in Kuzan feel like it was played in balmy weather!

ursus I know you are looking for something to worry about with your Viola but Fiorentina have been putting together some very good performances in the Champions League. Are they playing Mutu and Jovetic together or alternating them?

Sevilla with perhaps their poorest game so far in the tourney but the point won is, as discussed, enough to get them through to the next round. That makes 6 teams now guaranteed through to the elimination rounds-Manchester United, Chelsea, Porto, Bordeaux, Sevilla and Lyon. With Arsenal on the verge of qualifying. That is a lot of teams, 6 out of 16, clinching their passage after only 4 matches played.
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ursus arctos
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They've been alternating them, but to a large extent Prandelli's hands have been tied. For today's match, Jovetic was out because of a foot problem, and Montolivio only came on as a sub after things weren't clicking during the first half.

It will be interesting to see what team he puts out against OL.
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libero
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I've been impressed with Juan Manuel Vargas at Fiorentina. He had a difficult season last year making the jump up to Fiorentina but this year he has been a real threat down the left flank for the Viola. Lyon are saying they will be sending a strong team out to play Fiorentina in 3 weeks time, but let us wait to see their league position before speculating what kind of team they'll use against Fiorentina. Sure they would like to win the group but they also have to be wary of their league responsibilities too. And Liverpool should not have reason to complain if Lyon do field less than their best, Liverpool had their chances and blew them. On Wednesday, Liverpool paid the price for not scoring more than one goal when they had Lyon on the ropes. But it was almost as if Liverpool's goal brought Lyon to life.
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Dr. Z
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I have to credit Rubin Kazan, they were very well set up defensively with 2 lines of four players and they made it hard for Barcelona to break through. Plus with Dominguez they also were a threat on the break. There is a reason they are currently in 1st place in the Russian league. From what I have seen of Dynamo Kyiv, I would say Rubin Kazan are a better and more complete team. They are legitimate contenders to slip past one of either Barcelona or Inter in their group.
Poniendo el pecho a las balas!
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shelsoccer
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I know it's pretty typical of the way Barca plays, but their persistence in trying to force their way through the center of Kazan's defense became almost comical. Kazan often had four mids lined up at the top of the box and four defenders along the penalty spot, all eight well within the touchlines if not actually within the width of the penalty box itself.
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Nkono
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shelsoccer,Nov 5 2009
08:20 AM
I know it's pretty typical of the way Barca plays, but their persistence in trying to force their way through the center of Kazan's defense became almost comical.  Kazan often had four mids lined up at the top of the box and four defenders along the penalty spot, all eight well within the touchlines if not actually within the width of the penalty box itself.

I think this is a good point made and is one of the reasons why I think Barcelona will miss Samuel Eto'o more than they think. Eto'o has the speed and mobility to stretch a defense, Ibrahimovic, his replacement, is a fine player and one with excellent technique, but he does not have either the speed nor the mobility to stretch out an opposing defense and that allows teams to do what Rubin Kazan did, pack the center of the field and restrict Barcelona's movements. And with Iniesta and Henry still not 100% and Messi going through a mini slump in form, right now Barcelona are not playing up to the form they displayed last season.

Lyon did play a pretty subdued game against Liverpool yesterday but the Liverpool goal did bring them back into action (must have awaken them!) Manchester United and Chelsea were not the only clubs with an eye placed on a big weekend league matchup as on Sunday Lyon hosts Marseille. I believe this is something like the 8th consecutive year where Lyon have qualified for the 2nd round of the Champions League, while they still have not reached even the semifinals in the competition, that streak is an impressive record.

With Lyon and Bordeaux already qualifed for the next round and Marseille giving Real Madrid and Milan a good run for their money, this has been a very productive Champions League for French clubs. The next goal is to build on that after the new year and advance in the knockout rounds.
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raconteur
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Champions League time again, these are Tuesday's games:

Rubin Kazan v Dynamo Kyiv
Fiorentina v O. Lyon
Debrecen v Liverpool
FC Barcelona v Inter
Rangers v Stuttgart
Unirea Urziceni v Sevilla
Arsenal v Standard Liege
AZ Alkmaar v Olympiakos

Group E
*Lyon 10
Fiorentina 8
Liverpool 4
Debrecen 0

Group F
Inter 6
Rubin Kazan 5
Barcelona 5
Dynamo Kyiv 4

Group G
*Sevilla 10
Unirea Urziceni 5
Stuttgart 3
Rangers 2

Group H
*Arsenal 10
Olympiakos 6
Standard Liege 4
AZ Alkmaar 2

* Teams qualified for the next round.

Wednesday's games
Bordeaux v Juventus
Bayern v Maccabi Haifa
CSKA Moscow v Wolfsburg
Manchester United v Besiktas
Milan v Marseille
Real Madrid v Zurich
Porto v Chelsea
APOEL Nicosia v Atletico Madrid

Group A
*Bordeaux 10
Juventus 8
Bayern 4
Maccabi Haifa 0

Group B
*Manchester United 10
Wolfsburg 7
CSKA Moscow 4
Besiktas 1

Group C
Milan 7
Real Madrid 7
Marseille 6
Zurich 3

Group D
*Chelsea 10
*Porto 9
Atletico Madrid 2
APOEL Nicosia 1
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Don Balon
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Barcelona and Liverpool tonight and Bayern tomorrow are all between the sword and the wall and need wins or else face the possibility of early elimination. Rubin Kazan will kickoff shortly against Dinamo and that game will be over before Barcelona take the field versus Inter. Inter are definitely coming not the game in better form as Barcelona are having trouble scoring goals. Looks like Ibrahimovic will be able to play but Messi's status is uncertain. Inter have the type of team which can win away from home and with Eto'o and Milito, a pair of forwards who will trouble Barcelona. The first match between the two to begin the competition was a disapointment but I think tonight's game will be a much better one, barcelona need the win and thus will play a more open game which should lead to a better spectacle.
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Yogi
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Liverpool should beat the Hungarian team but they'll need help from Lyon playing at Fiorentina, a Fiorentina win tonight eliminates Liverpool no matter what they do in Hungary.

Similarly if Rubin Kazan win, and they're tied 0-0 at the half now in Russia with Dynamo Kyiv, and Barcelona lose to Inter Milan, then Barca will also be out of the tournament. Makes today's games pretty interesting.
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Sporting
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Personally, I wouldn't bet on Liverpool beating Everton reserves right now, but we'll find out in a couple of hours!
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Simon
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Liverpool FC are throwing a party:

http://www.lfc-endofseasonparty.com/
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Winslow
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Funny stuff if you're not a Scouser. Tuesday's scores...
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Group E: Debrecen 0, Liverpool 1; Fiorentina 1, Lyon 0.
Group F: Barcelona 2, Inter Milan 0; Rubin Kazan 0, Dynamo Kyiv 0.
Group G: Rangers 0, Stuttgart 2; Unirea Urziceni 1, Sevilla 0.
Group H: Arsenal 2, Standard Liege 0; AZ Alkmaar 0, Olympiakos 0.

As Simon hinted, the Reds are Europa League-bound in spite of their victory (a scrambled goal by N'gog after just four minutes made the difference), as Lyon couldn't rise to the occasion against La Viola. Barca's win was easier than the score indicated, thanks to first-half goals by Pique (a flicked-on corner fell to his feet as Inter's back four stood like statues) and Pedro (a slightly botched finish of Xavi's nice run and cross) along with a desperately poor effort by the Nerazzuri. But the draw in snowy Kazan means Group F remains the one most up in the air.

Meanwhile, Stuttgart cashed in at Ibrox but still is two points behind the Romanians, who did the business at home. Do they play each other next? Arsenal didn't have much trouble with the Belgian champions, while Olympiakos more or less books its place (I can't be bothered to check the goal difference) in the second round with a road draw.
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Manzanares
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Inter really did look flat against Barcelona but Barca even without both Ibrahimovic and Messi played a great first half. Their typical ball movement was on display and which against Inter's passivity meant Barca had something like a 60-40% advantage in ball possession. The second goal was a real work of art, the build up leading to it was after at least 15-20 passes which opened up Inter's defense where the ball finally fell to Pedro, who although not hitting the ball real well, still scored as the ball rebounded off the turf and past Julio Cesar. In the 2nd half Barca took their foot off the gas, probably with a view towards Sunday's game vs Real Madrid while Inter never really looked like scoring.

In the Spain forum we were discussing whether Barca can play without Ibrahimovic who is their only true center forward. Well today they certainly managed it with Ireland's favorite footballer Thierry Henry operating nominally as a center forward althouh he often would drift out wide opening space up for others to dart into that area. Iniesta and Xavi were their normally brilliant selves but it was Pedro who I thought was very important to Barca's play. He was not awed by the moment and was very active and skilled. He really has become a good alternative in attack for Barcelona.
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