Champions League 2012-13

[pineapple stu]

Away goals counting in extratime is one of the most unfair anamolies with two-legged ties.
I don't know about that. It counters the fact that the away team has to play an extra 30 minutes away from home. And generally, games like that tend to involve team A winning at home before blowing the lead away from home, so they're now on the back foot and away from home. Away goals counting in extra time seems to balance things up nicely.

[osarusan]

Not for me - the value of an away goal in extra time seriously overcompensates for the extra 30 minutes away from home.

[geysir]

Because they have their home crowd behind them, playing on their home pitch, with no travelling involved. 6 of the second round teams at home in the second leg got through this year, another 6 last year, and another 7 of them the year before. Many of the ties are evenly matched, but playing at home last is a huge advantage, as the records demonstrate.
Do the records demonstrate when evenly matched teams play, the team that plays away first comes out on top?
Offhand, I recall Celtic's UEFA cup run in 2003, they played at home first in all 5 ties, Celta Vigo, Liverpool, Blackburn, Boavista, Stuttgart.
You could say they were relatively evenly matched teams. Not good home performances either, except v Stuttgart they won 3-1. There was a lot of work to do in the away games.
The next year they knocked out Barca playing at home first and later lost to Villareal, again playing at home first.

[geysir]

I thought we might have had one CL 1/4 final game an evening, instead we have 2 on at the same time.

Barca's away strip is just embarrassingly awful.

[Charlie Darwin]

Not enough weeks left in the season?

edit: 1-0 Bayern

[SkStu]

That Alves pass was glorious. The finish weren't bad either. 1-0 Barca.

[Charlie Darwin]

Give him a ball and a yard of grass.

[geysir]

I see the ITV are doing a cheapo TG4 panel on the side of the pitch affair.
TG4 do it much better.

[Charlie Darwin]

I'm too patriotic to watch ITV. It's Tommy Martin or nothing for me.

[geysir]

I can put patriotism aside when HD is on offer.

[OwlsFan]

I didn't realise that PSG have now changed its name. It's now called "David Beckham's PSG" or at least according to the reports of the game I heard on Sky and Ireland's Today FM this morning. Reminds me of when Sunderland were "Roy Keane's SUnderland" or Ipwich "Roy Keane's Ipswich". Alan McNally when summing up the game for Sky was asked about Beckham's performance said he wasn't very effective and gave him a 6 but realising this was probably heresy bumped it up to 7. We then got the stats of his 70 minutes on the field.

I wouldn't say that tie is over yet especially if Messi doesn't recover from his injury.

[Charlie Darwin]

It's certainly all to play for if Beckham can bump that 7 up to his usual 12 or 13.

[geysir]

That was some game at Malaga. The first 20 minutes was a question of just how many Dortmund would win by, then Malaga turned it on but Dortmund hung on.
Lewandowski did everything right except take his many chances, which I suppose means he failed in everything on the night. Willy the Malaga keeper certainly had his pecker up, Dortmund were clearly a team who could blow Malaga away. A scoreless draw gives Malaga a decent chance and keeps the tie alive.

[geysir]

I'm too patriotic to watch ITV. It's Tommy Martin or nothing for me.
I'll be going all patriotic this evening. Kudos to TV3 for going with the BD v Malaga game, meanwhile ITV are sticking with GAL v RM.

[BonnieShels]

I'll be going all patriotic this evening. Kudos to TV3 for going with the BD v Malaga game, meanwhile ITV are sticking with GAL v RM.

I was thinking the exact same thing. UTV showing a dead rubber for the next 70min

[geysir]

That stopped the Dortmund drum rolls dead in their tracks, eerie wasn't it?

[Charlie Darwin]

This is going to be very entertaining.

[Charlie Darwin]

Frustrated at not getting a response, BonnieShels posts the exact same comment 11 minutes later.

Super equaliser from Lewandowski.

[geysir]

The whole move for Lewandowski's goal was brilliant.

[Charlie Darwin]

They're a wonderful side when they click but they haven't shown enough of it tonight. They've been quite ragged, which surprised me, but I suppose pressure does that to you. The game lacks a couple of top quality finishers. Joaquin and Lewandowski are both good players but you always half expect them to miss.

[Charlie Darwin]

Game on in Istanbul...

[geysir]

Brilliant, simply brilliant.

[geysir]

There's a fierce amount of foam coming out of Klopp's mouth.

[geysir]

Joaquin puts a new meaning on the long goodbye.

[Charlie Darwin]

Good god, what a finish. And there's still time! Fittingly, Santana's winner was almost as offside as the Malaga goal.

[geysir]

Scottish referees:rolleyes: Just 4 Dortmund players offside for that goal.

[geysir]

I'm gutted Trevor.

[Charlie Darwin]

I'm over the moon, Clive.

[geysir]

Allowing that last goal to stand was one of the worst example of inept officiating at a high level game since ..... that Portuguese f'ecker in Belgium.
4 no less were offside when that ball was lumped into the box.
A travesty Tommy, a true travesty.

[BonnieShels]

The whole move for Lewandowski's goal was brilliant.

The way he let the ball beat him was sublime!

I jumped around like a loon after Santana's goal.

[Charlie Darwin]

Allowing that last goal to stand was one of the worst example of inept officiating at a high level game since ..... that Portuguese f'ecker in Belgium.
4 no less were offside when that ball was lumped into the box.
A travesty Tommy, a true travesty.
I'm going to speculate, based on no evidence at all, that he was "evening things up" after allowing Malaga's second to stand. This is something we know all referees do, Gary.

[geysir]

Marginal for Malaga's second and it was going in anyway, but 4 ducks in row, yards offside!!!
That can only be a blatant conspiracy to keep a third Spanish team out of the semis.

[Stuttgart88]

Are you sure about the offsides? On close look the Malaga guy was level with the ball and man when it was played.

The 4 Dortmund players were played on by the right back who was level with the most advanced of the 3. A 4th was offside but not active as tha ball was played way over him.

The goalscorer was offside but the ball was going in anyway so Dortmund got no advantage one could argue.

Happy to review again but that's what I think.

[geysir]

The way he let the ball beat him was sublime!

I jumped around like a loon after Santana's goal.

You know where you can shove your wet dream, long ball, lump it and hope merchants.

[Charlie Darwin]

If it was a conspiracy, it was a brilliant red herring plot-twist allowing the Malaga goal which about as marginal as the Grand Canyon and was probably going to hit the post and come out to the aforementioned straddler of said Yankee gorge.

[geysir]

Are you sure about the offsides? On close look the Malaga guy was level with the ball and man when it was played.

The 4 Dortmund players were played on by the right back who was level with the most advanced of the 3. A 4th was offside but not active as tha ball was played way over him.

The goalscorer was offside but the ball was going in anyway so Dortmund got no advantage one could argue.

Happy to review again but that's what I think.

Absolutely clear about the offside for Dortmund's last goal. One of them is blatantly offside and 3 of them are clearly offside, judging by the cut on the grass.

Martin Keown "there is a line of them offside, they get away with murder"
I wouldn't argue with Keown, he doesn't take prisoners.

[geysir]

If it was a conspiracy, it was a brilliant red herring plot-twist allowing the Malaga goal which about as marginal as the Grand Canyon and was probably going to hit the post and come out to the aforementioned straddler of said Yankee gorge.

Allowing the Malaga goal was just poor officiating, can happen any time, allowing the Dortmund goal was in Mr Magoo territory.

[Stuttgart88]

Absolutely clear about the offside for Dortmund's last goal. One of them is blatantly offside and 3 of them are clearly offside, judging by the cut on the grass.

Martin Keown "there is a line of them offside, they get away with murder"
I wouldn't argue with Keown, he doesn't take prisoners.
I'm still not convinced. Are you sure the Malaga guy in the right back position wasn't on the same line?

[geysir]

Jesus Stutts, this is as stonewall an offside as offside can be.

[BonnieShels]

You know where you can shove your wet dream, long ball, lump it and hope merchants.

Heh heh. :)

[geysir]

Guardain match report as it happened

Unbelievable! Incredible! Incomprehensible! Lewandowski crosses from the left – four Borussia players offside – and it ping-pongs around a bit before breaking to Santana – offside again – who taps in from a yard. What were those Scottish officials thinking there?

Obviously the ref just went into shock afterwards, froze solid and incredibly blew on the dot of 4mins to end his nightmare asap.

[Stuttgart88]

I've just been rewinding and pausing a few times having just caught it on sky news and yes it was offside but it's inches. I have the screen frozen in front of me right now with the dortmund guy just striking the ball. The furthest Dortmund guy forward is irrelevant as the ball sails over his head. The Malaga guy at the corner of the penalty box was very very close to playing the other 3 on at the moment the ball was struck.

Seriously!

It's not about how offside they look a moment after the ball is struck. Same applies to Malaga goal.

Worm, help me out here. Do your YouTube thing for me.

[geysir]

You can't be serious!

[Charlie Darwin]

I'm still not convinced. Are you sure the Malaga guy in the right back position wasn't on the same line?
This takes ages to load but it's conclusive. They are all offside, although Reus may be so far offside he's left the field of play so may in fact be onside.

http://i.minus.com/i82PM3LAVqlp4.gif


I've just been rewinding and pausing a few times having just caught it on sky news and yes it was offside but it's inches. I have the screen frozen in front of me right now with the dortmund guy just striking the ball. The furthest Dortmund guy forward is irrelevant as the ball sails over his head.
How is he irrelevant? The ball comes to him less than 2 seconds later!

[Stuttgart88]

Ok, I was so hung up on seeing if the other 3 were off, which wasn't as clear cut as is being said. I wasnt checking who the ball fell to!

[BonnieShels]

Who cares. Dortmund are through! Hon!

[geysir]

Who cares. Dortmund are through! Hon!

We want a replay!

[Stuttgart88]

It's on itv now.

Malaga goal a fraction offside alright. But isnt the offside rule mainly in place to prevent goal hanging? It was a super move and there was no advantage gained. He'd still have scored if he was a foot further back I reckon. His feet were actually level with the ball. I'm just trying to say that it was hardly a calamitous error, like my judgment on the winner was.

I could watch the Lewondowski goal all night.

[BonnieShels]

We want a replay!

Malaga to be the 5th team in the Semi-finals.

Yes, they asked for this!

[geysir]

Ah HD, so it should be even more obvious considering the pixel upgrade.