Author Topic: 2015-2016 UEFA Champions League  (Read 38471 times)

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Re: 2015-2016 UEFA Champions League
« Reply #120 on: April 13, 2016, 04:37:26 PM »

Offline Yoki_IsTheName

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Barcelona went down.

Great performance by Atletico Madrid, but boy, Felipe Luis, talk about shutting down. He did a ton on this game and then some. Barca failed to capitalize on at least 2 great chances.

So, is it Bayern Munich's tournament to lose now?
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Re: 2015-2016 UEFA Champions League
« Reply #121 on: April 13, 2016, 05:49:03 PM »

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I think it's fairly open.

I am going with Atletico as the team to beat. Best balance between recent form and overall talent. I am amazed at how much they have improved their passing and creative play this season. Fantastic job by Simeone.

Bayern I thought were the best team in Europe this season but they are struggling for consistency at the wrong time of the season. Injuries to the backline have hurt them defensively. Problems reintegrating Robben and Ribery. Creative play in final 3rd has suffered as a result. They do not look the smooth running machine of earlier in the campaign.

Real Madrid might be the 2nd best team left. Players getting healthy at the right time of the season and have picked up a couple of morale-boosting wins recently.

Man City the dark-horse of the four remaining teams. Enough match winners to cause problems for anybody. Pellegrini finally found a good balance (no Yaya) between workers and flair players in the last game.

Re: 2015-2016 UEFA Champions League
« Reply #122 on: April 13, 2016, 06:17:32 PM »

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Still very worried that Pool will win the EL, although they still have to best BVB and then, potentially, Sevilla, who won't wish to surrender their double crown easily.  City needs to secure third spot in the league, which means defeating Arsenal in our upcoming fixture. 

Will Blanc be sacked at season's end?  Given their domestic dominance, plus another CL quarter-final run, I think he deserves another year, even though I cannot stand the guy...

Spain had 5 teams in the Champions League this season after Sevilla won Europa League. Is that not how it is done now? That England gets it's 4 teams + a 5th if Liverpool win EL?

Why do you not like Blanc? I am a big fan of his. I love the way his PSG team plays.

I hope PSG keeps Blanc around. I was surprised in the past that they showed loyalty to him despite Champions League disappointments. I hope they do so again. I hope they do not panic and go after Mourinho. PSG play such beautiful football. It would be a shame to see Mourinho go there and wreck that.

Re: 2015-2016 UEFA Champions League
« Reply #123 on: April 13, 2016, 07:48:43 PM »

Offline Sixth Man

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Still very worried that Pool will win the EL, although they still have to best BVB and then, potentially, Sevilla, who won't wish to surrender their double crown easily.  City needs to secure third spot in the league, which means defeating Arsenal in our upcoming fixture. 

Will Blanc be sacked at season's end?  Given their domestic dominance, plus another CL quarter-final run, I think he deserves another year, even though I cannot stand the guy...

Spain had 5 teams in the Champions League this season after Sevilla won Europa League. Is that not how it is done now? That England gets it's 4 teams + a 5th if Liverpool win EL?

Why do you not like Blanc? I am a big fan of his. I love the way his PSG team plays.

I hope PSG keeps Blanc around. I was surprised in the past that they showed loyalty to him despite Champions League disappointments. I hope they do so again. I hope they do not panic and go after Mourinho. PSG play such beautiful football. It would be a shame to see Mourinho go there and wreck that.

It's been widely reported in the English footy press that if Pool win the EL, only the top 3 EPL finishers will qualify for next season's CL comp.  Of course, if Pool wins EL and City wins the CL (1% chance and I'm a City fan!) and both finish outside the top 4, I believe maybe only the top 2 EPL finishers would qualify for next CL comp.  Interesting point about La Liga having 5 reps in this season's CL comp, but maybe it's because UEFA has once again tinkered with the rules, as it seems to do every or every other season. 

I don't care for Blanc because he's arrogant (City are the CL's 'guest team' in this year's semis!), not to mention a racist (remember his suggestion as France national team manager that is was quite important to limit the participation of Black and Arab players in the national set-up).  That being said, he's a quality manager, and as I posted earlier, I think he deserves another season with PSG.  Prior to this CL tie, PSG was playing the second-best footy in Europe after Barca, even better than Bayern.  Bringing Maureen to Paris would destroy the beautiful foundation they have created and which has flowered this season.  Also, Maureen is that dangerous combo of a sociopath and a megalomaniac...I actually feel sorry for Chelsea and the Roman Empire for the ruins that Mou left behind him there.  Now that he's gone, I can stop hating Chelsea and even root for them at times, once again! 

Re: 2015-2016 UEFA Champions League
« Reply #124 on: April 13, 2016, 07:51:42 PM »

Offline Sixth Man

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I think it's fairly open.

I am going with Atletico as the team to beat. Best balance between recent form and overall talent. I am amazed at how much they have improved their passing and creative play this season. Fantastic job by Simeone.

Bayern I thought were the best team in Europe this season but they are struggling for consistency at the wrong time of the season. Injuries to the backline have hurt them defensively. Problems reintegrating Robben and Ribery. Creative play in final 3rd has suffered as a result. They do not look the smooth running machine of earlier in the campaign.

Real Madrid might be the 2nd best team left. Players getting healthy at the right time of the season and have picked up a couple of morale-boosting wins recently.

Man City the dark-horse of the four remaining teams. Enough match winners to cause problems for anybody. Pellegrini finally found a good balance (no Yaya) between workers and flair players in the last game.

I'd rank them as (1) Bayern, (2) Atletico (3) Real and (4) City.  Regardless of who City draws, we will be hard-pressed to advance any further.  Great point about MP finding the right balance in these two matches.  Keep Yaya on the bench and prosper; play Yaya and you compete, 10 on 11, when the other side is in possession. 

Re: 2015-2016 UEFA Champions League
« Reply #125 on: April 13, 2016, 07:53:11 PM »

Offline Sixth Man

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Barcelona went down.

Great performance by Atletico Madrid, but boy, Felipe Luis, talk about shutting down. He did a ton on this game and then some. Barca failed to capitalize on at least 2 great chances.

So, is it Bayern Munich's tournament to lose now?

Short answer:  YES.  I'll be shocked if Bayern doesn't win the Big Ears this season. 

Re: 2015-2016 UEFA Champions League
« Reply #126 on: April 14, 2016, 03:17:48 PM »

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9 mins in. Dortmund already 2-0 up on Liverpool.  Two lovely goals on the break.

Dortmund are an incredible team. Tuchel was a great hire.

Edit: Holy moses ... I had to go out at halftime. Just got back at the end of the match. What a turnaround. Liverpool win 4-3!

Argh, devastated I missed that comeback.
« Last Edit: April 14, 2016, 04:59:00 PM by Who »

Re: 2015-2016 UEFA Champions League
« Reply #127 on: April 15, 2016, 04:50:22 AM »

Offline LatterDayCelticsfan

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twas  3-1 when I went to bed, and when I woke up the first thing on my reader is Klopp talking of miracle comebacks.

 Almost as jarring as when I went to be reading how Danny Ainge had no plans to hire a coach within less than two weeks only to wake up and seeing this forum blowing up with folk hailing the genius that is Brad Stevens
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Re: 2015-2016 UEFA Champions League
« Reply #128 on: May 04, 2016, 03:17:40 PM »

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Yaya Toure has been awful for Man City. They need to take him off and get someone on who will press Real Madrid's midfielders. Great choice by Zidane to play three ball-playing CMs in Kroos, Modric and Isco. Taking advantage of City's midfield.

De Bruyne hasn't been much better. Some sloppy touches. Terrible defending. Carvajal is getting whatever he wants down that right flank because De Bruyne isn't tracking back. Navas hasn't fared much better on the other side either.

City's three attacking midfielders really letting them down in the first half.

Re: 2015-2016 UEFA Champions League
« Reply #129 on: May 04, 2016, 03:48:14 PM »

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I think City need a 2nd striker up there alongside Aguero. He was too isolated for the first 30 minutes and then got fed up and came deep for the rest of the half. So even when Man City had the ball in the final 3rd, they had nobody making runs in behind because Aguero wanted to be in around the ball. Bad play in both instances.

Real Madrid's CBs are handling Aguero easily. I think City need to bring on another striker to make it 2 vs 2 at the back. So they can stretch those CBs of Madrid better. I'd bring on Bony for Navas at halftime.

I'd also drop Yaya Toure for Delph. Play 4-3-1-2. Be direct and try to get the ball up to Aguero and Bony as fast as possible.

With De Bruyne making runs from midfield to join up with Aguero & Bony. I would have liked to have taken off De Bruyne as well for Sterling. I think Sterling's speed and dribbling could be very dangerous in central areas with Real Madrid playing with no defensive minded midfielders. But Pellegrini had to use that first half sub on Kompany so De Bruyne gets a pass. Ideally, I would have liked to have taken all 3 of City's attacking mids off. They were terrible in the first half and have started the 2nd half no better.
« Last Edit: May 04, 2016, 03:53:30 PM by Who »

Re: 2015-2016 UEFA Champions League
« Reply #130 on: May 05, 2016, 07:25:50 AM »

Offline LatterDayCelticsfan

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Another Madrid derby in The Champions league final :-O

If Atletico top Real, added to Clippers being better than the Lakers presently, throw in Man City, being ahead of United in the English Premier league. The world of sports has gone completely upside down
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Re: 2015-2016 UEFA Champions League
« Reply #131 on: May 28, 2016, 05:26:03 PM »

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I hate when Cup Finals are decided by penalties. They should do a replay.

Then again, this has been a bad match. Not sure I want to watch these two teams play each other again.