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Champions League 2010-11
Topic Started: Jul 16 2010, 07:51 AM (4,397 Views)
Pepe
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An interesting point shelsoccer. Either UEFA conducted a very open draw or the distance between the seeded teams and a few others, such as 2nd seeded Real Madrid, and the rest of the Champions League participants has grown.

Hopefully a few clubs perhaps like Braga, Shakhtar, Spartak Moscow or Panathinaikos can surprise us this season.
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Hector
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I am bitterly disappointed at Sevilla's elimination, the usually reliable goalkeeper Andres Palop had a disastrous night and now like Zenit, Sevilla have only the Europa League to look forward to. And it is even possible Sevilla may have to sell a player or two because of the loss of the expected Champions League income.

iPuerta amigo, Sevilla esta contigo!
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ursus arctos
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I don't agree with shel, which is unusual enough to deserve mention.

The Madrid, Milan, Ajax, Auxerre group is to me as difficult a group from top to bottom as the Champions League has seen in recent years.

I do agree that we are seeing a period marked by the development of a handful of "superclubs" who see anything less than reaching the semi-finals as failure, while the next tier of challengers is actually growing in size as "big" clubs fall behind their peers and formerly "smaller" clubs build competitve teams, often on the back of the financial windfall that the CL provides.
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raconteur
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Group stage begins tonight and here is an article previewing the next two days games,

http://sports.yahoo.com/soccer/news?slug=afp-fbleurc1

On paper the most interesting games today look to be
Werder Bremen-Tottenham
Lyon-Schalke

Wednesday's best games seem to be:

Bayern Munich-Roma
Real Madrid-Ajax
Auxerre-Milan
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Sammy Maudlin
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This is related to the discussion in the Bundesliga thread too about rising ticket prices,

http://sports.yahoo.com/soccer/news?slug=ro-notebook091410

Quote:
 
Slovakian champion MSK Zilina could find itself in trouble with UEFA after drastically hiking its ticket prices for this week’s Champions League showdown with Chelsea.

Normal tickets for Zilina’s matches cost around $10, but fans have been infuriated by the club’s decision to raise costs to between $75 and $500 for Wednesday’s group stage clash against Chelsea’s superstars.

Zilina already stands to make a guaranteed $10 million in prize money and bonuses for reaching the group stage, where it has been matched up with Chelsea, Marseille and Spartak Moscow. However, that clearly is not enough for the club’s directors, who have decided to hike prices in a nation where the average salary is estimated at around $10,000 per year.

A UEFA source told Yahoo! Sports that “we are aware of the situation and it will be discussed.”


Price gouging at its worst.

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ursus arctos
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Pana shouldn't have gotten Barca mad by scoring first.

Very impressive performance by Los Che in Turkey.

Don't watch the Valencia injury for Man United if you've just eaten.
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Winslow
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All the Tuesday scores:

Group A: FC Twente 2, Inter Milan 2; Werder Bremen 2, Tottenham 2.
Group B: Benfica 2, Hapoel Tel-Aviv 0; Olympique Lyon 1, Schalke 04 0.
Group C: Bursaspor 0, Valencia 4; Manchester United 0, Rangers 0.
Group D: Barcelona 5, Panathinaikos 1; FC Copenhagen 1, Ruben Kazan 0.

Aahhh! Back to work, as Inter begin its CL title defense with a decent draw in soggy Enschede, while Spurs coughed up a two-goal away lead and should be upset about it. Lyon wins at home as Michel Bastos scores the only goal and Lloris outplays Neuer in a matchup of World Cup keepers, but Benfica is the early group leader.

Valencia shows early promise with a huge road win in Turkey, while Man U had Rangers under the cosh for long stretches, but never broke through. Both teams had second-half penalty shouts, none louder than Giggs's when Edu fell on the ball in the area and handled it at least twice. (Otherwise the American looked pretty comfortable in the middle of Rangers's midfield.) I saw the Valencia injury but didn't really understand why other players were vigorously motioning for the trainers; there was no replay shown, so it must've been ugly.

As Ursos mentioned, Panathinaikos opened the scoring at the Camp Nou, but that lead didn't last long; Messi (two) and David Villa made it 3-1 at halftime and Pedro (nodding in the rebound after Messi hit both posts!) and Dani Alves added goals in the second half.
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Simon
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Winslow,Sep 14 2010
01:04 PM
I saw the Valencia injury but didn't really understand why other players were vigorously motioning for the trainers; there was no replay shown, so it must've been ugly.

It was bloody awful, his ankle ended up facing backwards. That looked to me like he type of injury he'll struggle to ever come back from, and if he does I do wonder how a player so reliant on pace can reach the same level again. Very sad.

The United game was crap really. Yes, we had all of the ball against a very negative Rangers, but I can't think of anything we made their goalie do. We made ten changes to the team though, with a view to the far more important match with Liverpool at the weekend. But changes or no changes, it's still disappointing to have threatened so little in a home match. Put it this way, the player who emerges with most credit is Paul Scholes - who was left out to be rested for Liverpool!
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Yogi
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Sad injury to Antonio Valencia. Hope he becomes like Henrik Larsson and makes a full recovery but that will be months away, if at all. Rangers just came to defend, they achieved their wish, a 0-0 tie, but for neutrals it was a real bore.

Hey Diego Milito finally scored this season! Unfortunately for Inter it was into his own net, for Twente's 2nd goal. I think that draw is a pretty good result for a rebuilding Twente. Inter, on the other hand, have really not yet played a decent game this season. It is still early but soon they will run out of patience there.

Sounds like Werder Bremen-Tottenham was a good match. Schalke are still winless in the new season.
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Don Balon
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Barcelona-Panathinaikos would have been a good basketball game but as a football match it was not much of a contest. The Greeks did score first as Govou got behind Abidal and Puyol after a long kick from the goalie was headed on in his direction. But after that it was all Barcelona as their passing and movement just ripped Panathinaikos apart. For this game Guardiola went with Busquets and let Mascherano sit out and the midfield passed the ball splendidly. Messi had a very good game even if he did miss a penalty and David Villa already looks comfortable in the team's forward line.

Great win for Valencia but they were against an inexperienced team who had stage fright. Substitute forward Tino Costa was instrumental in Valencia's win and now with Manchester United visiting mestalla in the next round, Valencia have an opportunity to open a gap at the top of their group. Beating Manchester United is never easy but valencia are well positioend after this convincing road win.

4 games played, 0 wins for Schalke in the new season.
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Martin
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Antonio Valencia has a fractured and dislocated ankle, his 2010-11 season sadly is over,

http://sports.yahoo.com/soccer/news?slug=a...rangersvalencia

And it is highly unlikely he will be able to play Copa America next June so this is a loss to Ecuador as well as to Manchester United. Seems to me though that those players who have broken their ankle as he has, as compared to those who broke their fibula and tibia like Eduardo or Manuel Pablo, have been able to make more complete recoveries.

Nice header by Diego Milito for the own goal v Twente!
Club Sportivo Desamparados
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Pique
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Tino Costa's long range goal for Valencia's opener is worth watching if you get the chance. Another long range shot of his, this time via free kick, went off the post and was headed in for Valencia's 2nd goal.

Chicharito Hernandez had a good attempt at a header narrowly go wide early in the game for Manchester United's best chance I think of the game. But after that he did not receive much service as United's midfield was AWOL. Sad to hear of the seriousness of Antonio Valencia's injury. Looked like his boot got caught in the soft turf as his momentum was going the other direction.

Messi, Xavi, Iniesta and Villa really did put on a show at the Nou Camp. You figured they would take it out on somebody after their weekend league loss to Hercules. And it was Panathinaikos who got in their way and were steam rolled.
Esas son las leyendas de futbol mexicano,
En todo Mexico hay un Chiva hermano!
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valenciano
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Tino Costa really does have a rocket for a left foot, good to see him getting an opportunity for playing time in this match. As well as he played, he should get more opportunities very soon in Valencia's midfield.

Manchester United are still the group favorite but to start off with a road win like that, as a Valencia fan you simply could not ask for more.

I know Schalke lost some defenders and Kuranyi from last season's team but they must not have gotten the memo that the new season has already started! They are playing like it is still preseason.

FC Copenhagen with a late goal to defeat Rubin Kazan. It is only week 1 of group play but this has not been a good Champions League for Russian clubs.
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Winslow
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And Wednesday's scores...

Group E: Bayern Munich 2, AS Roma 0; Cluj 2, Basel 1.
Group F: Marseille 0, Spartak Moscow 1; MSK Zilina 1, Chelsea 4.
Group G: AC Milan 2, Auxerre 0; Real Madrid 2, Ajax 0.
Group H: Arsenal 6, Braga 0; Shakhtar Donetsk 1, Partizan Belgrade 0.

So Mourinho gets a good start in the CL thanks to an own goal and one by Higuain, while Ibrahimovic gives thanks for his Italian return with a brace at the San Siro. Bayern scored two late goals to hold back Roma, Marseille fell at home on a late own goal, and the EPL giants predictably romped--though Chelsea kind of sleepwalked through this one, giving up a goal on a comical defensive mixup, and if the Zilina attackers had taken their chances in the second half this could've been a lot closer.
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Yogi
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I was content with Milan's win, but it did not begin well as Auxerre were discipliend ta the back and closed Milan down well. Milan's play picked up when Kevin Prince Boateng came on for the injured Ambrosini and added more liveliness to the midfield. Ibrahimovic was very static in the 1st half but moved more in the 2nd and was on hand to knock in two goals.

It is going to take another few weeks to a month to get Ibra and Robinho integrate dinto the team plus hae everybody understanding Allegri's desired way to play but a win in this game was a must so Milan have begun the CL the right way.

Higuain was dangerous for Real Madrid against an Ajax team who without Luis Suarez looked pretty punchless.

Big road win for Spartak Moscow at Marseille in a game betwene the two clubs likely fighting for 2nd place behind Chelsea in that group. After other Russian clubs struggled the past month in Europe, I am sure that was a very welcome result for Russian fans.

From what i read Roma played like Rangers did yesterdya, putting almost everyone behind the ball but Bayern's persistance eventually paid off. I guess it should not surprise us that thomas Mueller found a way to score one of their goals.
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