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| Europa League 2011-12 | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Jul 15 2011, 05:27 PM (1,877 Views) | |
| Merengue | Mar 16 2012, 08:53 AM Post #76 |
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I agree here with Pither, Schalke-Athletic Bilbao looks like the most interesting quarterfinal. Raul & Huntelaar vs Athletic's frenzied pace. I want to 2nd rosarino's praise of Fernando Llorente's goal last night, for those who missed it here it is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61McWwTwzP0 |
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| The Artful Codger | Mar 16 2012, 01:49 PM Post #77 |
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What a beautiful finish by Llorente and a great pass over the top of United's backline. As a neutral you really had to admire the way Athletic Bilbao went out and played. They were a little more conservative in the 2nd leg but with reason after their first leg win, but this club just love to press and I like how they string passes together. Schalke won't be easy opponents, we remember their semifinal champions league run from last season but if Athletic Bilbao play as they did in both legs versus Manchester United, they can not only win this tie vs Schalke but also the entire tournament. |
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| Manzanares | Mar 17 2012, 09:54 AM Post #78 |
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Schalke-Athletic Bilbao does look like a good matchup and both clubs have great sets of fans who should only add to the atmosphere at both legs. From Atletico Madrid's perspective I think the club are content with the draw matching them with Hannover. There are no easy games at this stage but I think it was good to avoid another Spanish club because familiarity often makes for less interesting European matches. It certainly raises tension too. But with three Spanish clubs left there is a possibility Atletico will have to face another if they want to win this competition. |
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| Manzanares | Mar 30 2012, 09:28 AM Post #79 |
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Quarterfinal, first leg results: AZ 2-1 Valencia Atletico Madrid 2-1 Hannover Schalke 2-4 Athletic Bilbao Sporting Lisbon 2-1 Metalist Kharkiv Much more competitive games in the Europa League than the same stage in the Champions League. Atletico controeeld the game against Hannover but needed a 89th minute Eduardo Salvio goal to win 2-1 at home. Mame Diouf's goal just before halftime cancelled out Radamel Falcao's opener and gave Hannover their needed away goal. It won't be easy next week in Germany though but Atletico have a pretty good away record in this competition. Sporting Lisbon controlled their game too and were 2-0 in front before Metallist got an njury time penalty which they converted to give them a good chanc enext week in leg 2 at home. Valencia went to Holland and lost 2-1 (a popular score on the night) but again their away goal gives them, just like Metallist and Hannover, plenty of hope in leg 2. The one club who does look in trouble is Schalke who were 2-1 in front of Athletic Bilbao, thanks to two Raul goals, the last one a beauty of a volley but Athletic showed their relentless spirit and fought back for the away win. Fernando Llorente's return was abig reason why Athletic reversed their recent league struggles with this win. But it also looked to me like they wore Schalke down. DeMarcos and Muniain getting the final two goals in the game's final 10 minutes. Athletic look to have their series in good shape going home but the other three are very much up for grabs which should make for an entertaining set of return legs next week. |
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| Merengue | Mar 30 2012, 12:47 PM Post #80 |
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They were some good matches in the Europa League, and plenty of late drama with both Atletico Madrid and Metalist. But the Schalke-Athletic Bilbao game was the highlight. Schalke, led by Raul's goals, Manzanares is right, the 2nd was a beauty, it reminded me a bit of Zidane's classic volley in the 2002 Champions League Final, looke dlike they were ehaded to victory. But Athletic did wear them down with their high pressure and eventually holes opened up in Schalke's defense. Relentless is a good description of how Athletic played. |
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| chacal | Apr 6 2012, 10:03 AM Post #81 |
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Quarterfinal, 2nd leg summaries: Valencia 4 Adil Rami 15,17, Jordi Alba 56, Pablo 80 AZ Alkmaar 0 Halftime: 2-0; Attendance: 35,000 Valencia advance 5-2 Athletic Bilbao 2 Ibai Gomez 41, Markel Susaeta 55 Schalke 04 2 Klaas-Jan Huntelaar 29, Raul 52 Halftime: 1-1; Attendance: 40,000 Athletic Bilbao advance 6-4 Metalist Kharkiv 1 Jonathan Cristaldo 57 Missed penalty: Cleiton Xavier 64 Sporting 1 Ricky van Wolfswinkel 44 Halftime: 0-1; Attendance: 38,500 Sporting Lisbon advance 3-2 Hanover 96 1 Mame Biram Diouf 81 Atletico Madrid 2 Adrian 63, Radamel Falcao 87 Halftime: 0-0; Attendance: 44,000 - - - Atletico Madrid advance 4-2 It will be an all Iberian semifinals: Atletico Madrid-Valencia Athletic Bilbao-Sporting Lisbon Metalist Kharkiv made it close versus Sporting but lost out on the opportunity to send the match to extra time when Cleiton xavier missed a penalty. |
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| Manzanares | Apr 6 2012, 03:21 PM Post #82 |
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I was content with Atletico's play in defeating Hannover in Germany. Now on to a mouth watering semifinal versus Valencia. If Atletico can maintain their current level then I think they can defeat Valencia over two legs. Consistency, always a problem with both clubs, is a goal which Atleti have better obtained the 2nd half of the season. |
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| valenciano | Apr 19 2012, 10:14 AM Post #83 |
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Semifinal, first legs tonight: Atletico Madrid-Valencia Sporting Lisbon-Athletic Bilbao Roberto Soldado is finely healthy again so he will lead Valencia's attack in their visit to Atletico Madrid. A good matchup of goalscorers with Atletico's Radamel Falcao. Atletico eliminated Valencia on away goals (controversially I might add) in the 2009-10 quarterfinals of this competition so here is a chance for my club to get one back on them. Should be a pretty evenly matched series. Sporting Lisbon-Athletic Bilbao is the other semifinal, Iker Muniain is facing a late fitness test for Athletic who also will be missing the suspended Javi Martinez who I think is the heart of their defense. Athletic's all action style does not change home or away but Sporting have a pretty skillful and energetic team themselves, or at least they looked that way the times I have seen them play. On paper, a pair of interesting semifinals. |
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| The Artful Codger | Apr 19 2012, 10:38 AM Post #84 |
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Sporting Lisbon-Athletic Bilbao is the other semifinal The conquerors of the two Manchester clubs. Should be a good match but I like how Athletic play and I think they not only will win this semifinal but will defeat whichever club emerges from the other semifinal. Athletic's speed, strength and relentless attitude will carry them through. |
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| Sporting | Apr 19 2012, 10:46 AM Post #85 |
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I hope Athletic win the competition. They've been too long without a trophy and their fans deserve it. |
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| Pepe | Apr 19 2012, 03:47 PM Post #86 |
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Atletico Madrid 4-2 Valencia Sporting Lisbon 2-1 Athletic Bilbao Some exciting games, and an excellent 2nd half from Atletico Madrid. It was 1-1 at the half against Valencia (Falcao & Jonas with the goals) when Atletico's Miranda got a goal 4 minutes into the 2nd half, 5 minutes later Adrian scored a fine individual goal to make it 3-1, Falcao added a 2nd midway through the 2nd half to put Atletico comfortably ahead but Valencia got a 2nd goal deep into injury time by Ricardo Costa. 2 away goals will help but they still trail by 2 goals going into enxt week's home leg. That will not be easy particularly with Falcao and Adrian in such good form for Atletico. In the other semifinal, Athletic's Jon Aurtenetxe scored in the 2nd half to give his club a lead but Emiliano Insua and Diego Capel scored within 4 minutes of one another in the games final 15 minutes to give Sporting a 2-1 win. I think Athletic can make that up next week in Bilbao but Sporting could have won this match by more than a single goal so right now I think we will be seeing a Atletico-Athletic final...played in Bucharest, Romania! |
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| Sammy Maudlin | Apr 19 2012, 04:28 PM Post #87 |
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If it were not for Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, Radamel Falcao would be the talk of the soccer world. The guy is a fantastic forward. What a great finisher with either his head or his feet. Bucharest, Romania is the sight of this year's final? I know UEFA likes giving nations out of the international football spotlight a chance at hosting events, especially the Europa League Final but Bucharest is a surprise, not exactly where one would expect a European club final to be played. I can't imagine travel to there from Spain and/or Portugal will be particularly easy. |
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| Manzanares | Apr 19 2012, 06:35 PM Post #88 |
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I enjoyed this game very much, well except for deep into injury time at the end of each half when Valencia scored their two goals. A bit of a lack of concentration on the set pieces. Otherwise a very fine game from Atletico with Falcao, Adrian (Del Bosque needs to consider him for la seleccion), Diego and Arda Turan all being dangerous. Falcao's 2nd goal was a superb strike, and Sammy is yes he is having a wonderful season but has been overshadowed by Messi and Ronaldo. No shame in that though and I feel Atletico can make a 2nd Europa League Final in the past 3 years because they can score goals on this Valencia defense. Los Che (Valencia) are not really ending the season well and they could have trouble in both the league and the return leg here. Sporting should have defeated Athletic Bilbao by more than 1 goal. They may regret that single goal lead next week as Athletic will come out at them from the start. Maybe with less at stake but Europa League games are I think more open and enjoyable than Champions League matches, especially from the quarterfinals on in to the final. Both of today's games were I thought more pleasant to watch than the two Champions League semifinals played this week. |
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| Yogi | Apr 20 2012, 09:37 AM Post #89 |
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With Falcao and Adrian in this form I do not see Valencia overturning their two goal deficit against Atletico Madrid. |
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| Manzanares | Apr 26 2012, 03:29 PM Post #90 |
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Valencia 0-1 Atlético Madrid (Atlético win 5-2 on aggregate) Athletic Bilbao 3-1 Sporting Lisbon (Athletic win 4-3 on aggregate) So it will be Atlético-Athletic in the final Atlético Madrid playing Athletic Bilbao and instead of playing in Zaragoza or Salamanca, which are roughly halfway between the two cities, the Europa League Final will be played in Bucharest, Romania on May 9. Atlético Madrid absorbed a lot of early Valencia pressure but the defense, led by the very impressive Miranda stopped Valencia's attacks or when needed Courtois was there to make the saves. Midway through the 2nd half Adrian chested a pass down and volleyed a fine shot into the the opposite post for the game's only goal. A superb finish and more evidence of why I think Adrian needs to be on the national team this summer as he can fill the role the injured David Villa normally plays. In the other match in front of a lively crowd at San Mames, another forward who should be on Vicente del Bosque's team, Fernando Llorente played a key role in Athletic Bilbao defeating Sporting Lisbon 3-1. Llorente asisted on the first two Athletic goals but Sporting evened the series with a van Wolfswinkel goal but Athletic, who pushed for the winner throughout the 2nd half finally got it when Ibai Gomez, who had a fine game, beat the fullback on Athletic's left flank and his low cross to the first post was turned in for a goal by Llorente in the 88th minute. A deserved win for Athletic in an entertaining game between two good passing teams. So now on to the Atlético-Athletic final which also should be a fascinating matchup between two clubs and coaches who know each other well. One sad note from tonight's games, Valencia's Sergio Canales, on loan from real madrid and who just recovered from a cruciate knee injury, looks to have reinjured his knee again, likely ending his season and probably putting his participation in this summer's Olympics in doubt. A shame as Canales is a talented player with a great future but his road to recovery will now be even longer. |
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