Champions League 2012-13

[BonnieShels]

RTE Way Superior to ITV...

'Tis.

[geysir]

RTE Way Superior to ITV...
Sinne Fianna Fáil A tá fé gheall ag Éirinn....

[Charlie Darwin]

When was the last time we had four teams this good in the semi finals?

[geysir]

You mean 3 good teams plus Borussia Dortmund?

[Charlie Darwin]

No I meant 4 non-English teams :)

Seriously, Dortmund aren't far behind any of the others. And Barcelona are probably third best.

[geysir]

Bonnie must be passed out on his kitchen floor, surrounded by 20 empty cans of Dortmunder Export.

[Stuttgart88]

The semi finalists arent without their flaws though, are they? Only Bayern look close to fully functional in my view. Real might have lost to United and had a wobble in Turkey. Both Barca and Dortmund shipped a shed load of gilt edged chances to their QF opponents.

I'm not complaining mind you. The only flaw in the plot line for me is that we don't have a strong Serie A team in the mix, but I do like the 'Germany and Spain good, EPL bad' narrative, even if the Spanish go-it-alone revenue distribution model is far from my liking. Despite being a Barcelona admirer I want a German winner.

[geysir]

Bayern were very impressive against Juve and don't have much to distract them this year, if you accept the theory that they were just burnt out by the time of last year's final, then they look the team, also considering the detail that they have a better team this year.
Dortmund might and they mightn't, who knows, they are a devastating team at times.
I think the 2 German teams have the beating of Madrid.
I'll go for Barca, not on tonights performance but if they get through the semis they are the team who can pull a magnificent final performance out of the fire.

[Charlie Darwin]

I'd say Bayern definitely have a better team than last year and are obviously a year further down the road. For the first time in a long time, I think any semi-final permutation would have no nailed-on winner, although I think at the moment it does rank Bayern-Real-Barcelona-Dortmund.

My worry about Dortmund, which I expressed at the time they were stomping on Real and City in the group stages, was that the best teams peak at the right times of the season and Real were bound to be a different proposition in March/April than in November. I think Dortmund have possibly just got their preparation for this season wrong and they peaked far too early, whereas Real haven't been playing well but they still look like they have an extra level they can hit in the coming weeks.

And yes, absolutely, if Barca make the final they win it. Although I would be fascinated to see if Bayern could become the first side to impose their possession game on Barca rather than vice-versa, or if they'd just Arsenal it.

[geysir]

RTE panelists each pick a different team,
Eamo goes with Madrid, Brady with Bayern and Giles with Barca.

I suppose that must mean Dortmund.

[geysir]

Barca are the nr.1 team by default imo, the others are challenging. This year though the challenge is way stronger than at any time previous, no longer will teams think they have to do an Inter or a Chelsea and aim to get a breakaway goal.

[Charlie Darwin]

Agree with that, my rankings are for the semis. I think Barca have been really rattled by two teams who aren't anywhere near the level of the remaining sides, and out of four games have only really performed once. I think Mourninho as finally got their number and I think Hoeness must think they can outplay Barca.

It's interesting that a couple of months ago, these probably would have been the four sides most would have ranked as the top four (maybe some would have United instead of Dortmund), but they've all had hiccups on the way.

[Stuttgart88]

Barca are the nr.1 team by default imo, the others are challenging. This year though the challenge is way stronger than at any time previous, no longer will teams think they have to do an Inter or a Chelsea and aim to get a breakaway goal.
Yes, whoever wins will have done so by way of proper engagement rather than last years successful formula, which was interesting to some degree but not you want to see being successful on a regular basis. It's a mouth watering lineup but my only fears are rank bad officiating affecting the outcome or a girlie bitchfest between the two Spanish sides. This is an almost unique shop window opportunity for European club football but I worry that it has the potential to show the worst rather than the best of it.

[geysir]

For sure don't want an outbreak of Mourinhoitis. Barca also have problems with their central defenders, Puyol is out again after another knee operation and Mascherano is almost definitely out of the semi finals. That leaves Pique as the main man to plug the rearguard. The search for the perfect (Barcaesque) centre half signing is becoming a millstone for them.
It's too simple to say Barca are a one Messi team. He's the catalyst for the rest of the team to play superb football. Before he came on last night, most of Barca's play was predictable, unusually you could predict where the next pass would go, as soon as Messi came on, every players' game upped a notch.

Hard to credit the betting to win the Europa league, Tottenham are 5/1 whilst Basel are 10/1, going into tonight's game.

[geysir]

Strange enough, Basel are now 5/1 and Spurs are nowhere to be found.
What happened??

[Charlie Darwin]

Penalty shoot outs are a lottery, Clive.

[geysir]

Predictive Europa semi final pairing.
Basel v Chelsea
Benfica v Fenerbahce.
or
Benfica V Basel
Chelsea v Fenerbahce.

[geysir]

Penalty shoot outs are a lottery, Clive.
;)
Not that one, it was always going to be Basel, they speak German in Basel.
Though I was quietly reassured with the Icelander burying his one for Spurs.

[Charlie Darwin]

What are you suggesting geysir, that there is a 67% chance that either of those line-ups will be drawn? :)

Yeah, Sigurdsson's penalty was excellent, as I predicted it to be in the Conor Sammon thread.

[geysir]

The Basel goalie did a Van De Saar for Spurs' first penalty, grinning like a monkey, pointing to his right side, diving that way and saving it. Once you saw that being pulled off, then you knew the shoot-out was only going one way.

Of course VDS did it better in the CL shoot out, nerves of steel, waited 'til the last one and didn't even have to dive.

[geysir]

UEFA couldn't even manage to do a proper alphabetical order draw :rolleyes:
Bayern v Barcelona
Dortmund v Madrid
Much better pairings than 'derby' semi finals.
One from each country in the final would be my desired outcome.
,

[BonnieShels]

Or anyone except Barcelona in the final would be my desired outcome.

I think that Bayern are probably the best team to beat Barca.

All I can say is I haven't looked forward to a set of semi-finals like this in years.

Well since the Inter v Barca destruction in 2010...

[DeLorean]

I'm hoping for Dortmund v Madrid and Barca v Bayern.

Excellent.

I really fancy Barca against Bayern for some reason*. Can we take it that the two German sides are at home in the 1st legs?


Europa:
Fenerbahce v Benfica
Basel v Chelsea


*Edit: Just realised that statement sounds a bit obvious. I mean I fancy Barca to beat them quite comfortably over the two legs.

[geysir]

Or anyone except Barcelona in the final would be my desired outcome.

I think that Bayern are probably the best team to beat Barca.

All I can say is I haven't looked forward to a set of semi-finals like this in years.

Well since the Inter v Barca destruction in 2010...

"God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,"

[Closed Account 2]

I'm hoping for an all German final as, in my opinion, its the best league in Europe at the moment and those two offer potentially the best match up in terms of a free flowing game. The Spanish League has, behind the English League, a lot of exposure here anyway - you can see 4-5 matches a week - whereas the German League only has occasional weekly matches on a niche TV station and even it's highlights are shunted out to the graveyard shift on a forgotten channel.

[geysir]

The thing is we can't trust Bayern at the final, they might be too tired like last time.
It's a bummer when one team doesn't turn up at a prestige final, it's disrespectful to the competition, the fans and everybody else.

For the sake of football and for sake of the final, let's hope Bayern get not only beaten but humiliated into the bargain, like Germany were by Italy at the Euro 2012 and we get 2 teams at the final who will turn up on the day and give their all.

[Closed Account 2]

The thing is we can't trust Bayern at the final, they might be too tired like last time.
It's a bummer when one team doesn't turn up at a prestige final, it's disrespectful to the competition, the fans and everybody else.

For the sake of football and for sake of the final, let's hope Bayern get not only beaten but humiliated into the bargain, like Germany were by Italy at the Euro 2012 and we get 2 teams at the final who will turn up on the day and give their all.

They should be ok this time, they've already won the Bundesliga so could play the reserve or youth them in the rest of those matches. In Germany they have a one important match left domestically the cup semi home Wolfsburg on Wednesday it's a single leg no replay. Even if they win that then the final is after the CL on 1st June in Berlin, so it shoudnt affect them. Last year they had the final against Dortmund (the lost 5-2) just before the CL final. A fear for them in a possible final would be racking up the yellow cards over two legs against Barca and having players out, but this is a worry for any team that plays Barca.

[DeLorean]

They should have beaten Chelsea fairly comfortably last year anyway in fairness, one of those nights and one of those years for Chelsea, bit like United in 99 and Liverpool in 05.

[Stuttgart88]

Those two offer potentially the best match up in terms of a free flowing game.
Is "match up" really an acceptable term to use these days? Only a year ago it'd have drawn sniggers, now it's flipping ubiquitous.

[geysir]

Is "match up" really an acceptable term to use these days? Only a year ago it'd have drawn sniggers, now it's flipping ubiquitous.
You need a hyphen to make it halfway tolerable, but the unhyphenated 'match up' is still a few degrees less ubiquitous than 'matchup'.

Already the Germans are mooning for a 'Magical Night' at Wembley. Ultimate dominance of European club football.

Though a serious analysis of 2013 CL semi finals shouldn't be concerned with anti-agendas. There are enough of them already.
We saw Italy's humiliation of Germany at Euro 2012 with Pirlo as grand architect, lording it in midfield, in stark comparison the sluggish Pirlo in 2013 v Bayern M, moving around as if he was carrying an oxygen cylinder. It was sad to see the genius, misplacing passes and being harried out of the game by the Bayern hordes. One of the telling factors in Bayern's dominance of Juve was Pirlo's (natural) degeneration to be an influence at the top competitive level.
Bayern won't gain midfield dominance against Barca.
I suppose eventually Barca will be beaten by a German team, Barca have humped (7 times in a row) every German team they've met in the CL, including Bayern.

[DeLorean]

My biggest fear for Bayern is that I don't think home advantage will count for much in Munich. The home leg is obviously vital in two legged ties but, if anything, I think Bayern's strengths would have made them more of a threat in the Nou Camp (it feels wrong calling it Camp Nou even if it is correct!). The problem is that the away leg is second and I think they'll be chasing the tie by then as I fancy Barca to score at least twice but I predict three times at the Allianz Arena.

With regards Dortmund Madrid, I agree with whoever said Dortmund peaked earlier in the season. I fancy Madrid but it will very very tight.

Barca to beat Madrid at Wembley in the final but I'd be shouting for Real should it happen.

[geysir]

Playing away first didn't help Barca in the CL semi finals they lost.
If Barca beat yet another German team in the CL, I have little doubt that it will be totally merited.

[Closed Account 2]

Playing away first didn't help Barca in the CL semi finals they lost.

Yeah, let's hope the Bayern squad don't forget these (http://kitsluxe.com/bayern-munchen-fc-umbrella-black-gold-kitsluxe) in case it's sprinkler time again. :D

[geysir]

The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plains .....except .....

[Charlie Darwin]

Robben fluffed a chance to put Bayern 1-0 up within a minute.

[geysir]

Crafty Germans, flooded the pitch beforehand, taking a leaf out of Brian Clough's book.

[Charlie Darwin]

The rain in Spain falls mainly on the Allianz Arena.

[geysir]

Bayern are boring.

[BonnieShels]

Barca not really handling any of those Bayern attacks down their left flank.

*insert typical effusive comment about Phillip Lahm*

Swoon!

[BonnieShels]

Bayern are boring.

*must avoid bite*

Mmmmmmmmmmueller!

[Charlie Darwin]

Game on, Wayne.

[BonnieShels]

There's another couple in this for Bayern.

[geysir]

That Bayern goal should get at least 10 hits on You Tube.

[BonnieShels]

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Our pre-semi final draw chats seem to be on the button.

[BonnieShels]

How many views will that get?

[Charlie Darwin]

Game on, Wayne.
Game over, Garth.

[BonnieShels]

Eh the inevitable third will be game over

[Charlie Darwin]

Eh the inevitable third will be game over
Well predicted. What a block from Mueller, world class.

[BonnieShels]

Well predicted. What a block from Mueller, world class.


That was heartening.

[BonnieShels]

Damn. I wanted that fourth.

Edit: Come on no. 5