Champions' League 2013/4

[geysir]

I thought it was pulled back because the other 2 Barca players were in an offside position when Neymar received the pass and they remained in an offside position during the whole move.

[geysir]

I enjoyed that game, if only Man City weren't so petrified in the first 45 minutes in Manchester, this tie could have gone to the wire.
Overall, there were no valid maybes for City, they were outplayed in every area, Barca were more than worthy winners with some scintillating play.

[OwlsFan]

That Barcelona "goal" looked good to me in real time

I am not sure if I totally understand the offside rule. According to all the pundits and commentators, the goal should have stood because the player running on to the ball was not offside. Yet the other two players, both of whom were offside by a mile must have been interfering with play as they started to head in towards the goal from the offside position once they saw they team mate was going to get on to the ball and cross it. They gained a huge advantage by being offside when the through ball to their team mate was played. Did the linesman flag them (one of whom scored) or mistakenly flag the crosser of the ball?

[geysir]

I think it was pretty much as I wrote earlier except I got the names mixed up :)
Neymar was the player who hit it into the net, he was in an offside position when when the pass was delivered by Fabregas? to Alba? on the the left.
Alba was onside but Neymar nr 11 was in an offside position all the time and he became actively offside when he received the pass from Alba.

Those 2 Barca players in the box who were in an offside position would need to have waited to be played onside before getting actively involved in the move.

I might have got it totally wrong but at least Pellegrini would agree.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4Xk-YSB-84

[BonnieShels]

Well this is an enjoyable match.

[Charlie Darwin]

Oh ****, Dunphy was right. We're not going to hear the end of this.

[geysir]

His makeup must be an inch thick.

[Charlie Darwin]

I think he needs a bit extra to counter the glow from Kenny's scalp.

[geysir]

I think Kenny's hair is growing back, there's a sign of a crew cut coming.

[geysir]

Olympiakos missed a golden chance to get through to the last 8. It doesn't take much to make Man U look generally agricultural and workmanlike.

Though in his first season, Moyes has brought Manu to the last 8 after 2 dismal failures to do so by the previous manager :)

[Charlie Darwin]

Olympiakos missed a golden chance to get through to the last 8. It doesn't take much to make Man U look generally agricultural and workmanlike.

Though in his first season, Moyes has brought Manu to the last 8 after 2 dismal failures to do so by the previous manager :)
They missed a clutch of chances. If they'd gone 1-0 up I think United would have **** the bed.

On a side note, woof.

http://giant.gfycat.com/SpryLeadingFrillneckedlizard.gif

[geysir]

Indeed, gifs are a great invention.

[DeLorean]

Olympiakos should have scored three or four. They looked ragged at the point that United had gone three up though but United just retreated into their brittle shell for the remaining forty minutes. They really were inviting a Sunderland/Swansea type finish instead of kicking on. In a weird way the pressure's kind of off now though, they're very much in bonusland in this competition given there are seven top sides that will be expected to beat them in the quarters. I don't think they've the tactics, players or confidence to take advantage of that though.

[KK77]

A great quarter final line up awaits. Hard to pick a winner but will go for Madrid myself.

[geysir]

There's a half decent europa league 1/4 finals in prospect as well, just Betis and Seville going down to the wire to a penalty shoot out, which peaked with some quality top corner shots and petered out with some jelly efforts. Basel would have to be candidates for performance of the evening, going down to to 10 men after 10 minutes to a germanic hustle and bustle side Salzburg, conceding a goal, then coming back in the 2nd half to score 2 with some tasty football technique on display.
The ref hadn't impressed me at all until late on when right in front of the his nose, a Basel player's head moved forward to make a contact of sorts with an aggressive Salzburg player's face, the Salzburg player spent 5 minutes rolling around the grass, the ref gave them both a yellow.
For that decision, the ref should get automatic absolution for whatever he's done over the past 5 years.

[bennocelt]

There's a half decent europa league 1/4 finals in prospect as well, just Betis and Seville going down to the wire to a penalty shoot out, which peaked with some quality top corner shots and petered out with some jelly efforts. Basel would have to be candidates for performance of the evening, going down to to 10 men after 10 minutes to a germanic hustle and bustle side Salzburg, conceding a goal, then coming back in the 2nd half to score 2 with some tasty football technique on display.
The ref hadn't impressed me at all until late on when right in front of the his nose, a Basel player's head moved forward to make a contact of sorts with an aggressive Salzburg player's face, the Salzburg player spent 5 minutes rolling around the grass, the ref gave them both a yellow.
For that decision, the ref should get automatic absolution for whatever he's done over the past 5 years.

Ha yeah was a great decision and that took the sting out of Salzburg.
Would argue that Basel also show Germanic steel, they speak german here, sorry I mean Swiss German:p

[Charlie Darwin]

Barcelona v Atletico
Real Madrid v Borussia Dortmund
PSG v Chelsea
Manchester United v Bayern Munich

[geysir]

And the B competition


AZ v Benfica
Lyon v Juventus
Basel v Valencia
FC Porto v Sevilla

[DeLorean]

Pep v Moyesy... the start of a great footballing rivalry!

Büttner to school Robben.

[Charlie Darwin]

And the B competition


AZ v Benfica
Lyon v Juventus
Basel v Valencia
FC Porto v Sevilla


No English teams, must be rubbish. Who are Basel anyway?

[Closed Account 2]

No English teams, must be rubbish. Who are Basel anyway?

A team that's found its level in the Europa League. They are your buddy's favourite team.

[BonnieShels]

A great quarter final line up awaits. Hard to pick a winner but will go for Madrid myself.


Gives you a 1/4 chance at being right I suppose.

[BonnieShels]

Barcelona v Atletico
Real Madrid v Borussia Dortmund
PSG v Chelsea
Manchester United v Bayern Munich

Atletico, Real, Chelsea and Munich to come through that.

[geysir]

A team that's found its level in the Europa League. They are your buddy's favourite team.
:D
Not bad progress for the Swiss club who have risen from about 50th place in Europe a couple of years ago, to breaking into the top 20 after this season with an attractive style of football under the very active direction of Yakin, their promising coach.
But in case anyone should get carried away with their return to the dizzy heights of the EL 1/4 finals, alongside much more illustrious rivals, I suspect we might need another dossier on why Basel are really just a paltry sum of their mostly mediocre parts, having the temerity to think they can do anything more than dabble around for a while in the vicinity where the big teams congregate.:rolleyes:

[OwlsFan]

They are not unlike their national side who also seem to kick above their weight.

[Charlie Darwin]

In delusions of grandeur news, Manchester United fans are booing their team for being passed around the pitch by Bayern Munich.

[Charlie Darwin]

Diego Costa hamstring, oh dear.

[Charlie Darwin]

United 1-0 up to Bayern and Atletico 1-0 up at Barca. Well now.

[geysir]

Bayern struggled badly against the poorest Man U team ever to appear at the CL knockout stage and considering Man U even had a grandfather in midfield.
Game of the night was in Spain.

[Stuttgart88]

Itv commentary team is so biased it's unreal. Vidic gets Mandukic booked for eff all, holding his face when he wasn't hit, and they say right decision and then Rooney makes a meal of a tackle by Schweinsteiger - a foul, nor more no less - to get him sent off and commentary team say fair enough. Had it gone the other way they'd be citing Johnny Foreigner cheating disgrace.

[Charlie Darwin]

Regardless of Rooney making a meal of the Schweinsteiger tackle, it was a clear yellow and he had to go. I was watching on TV3 and Lawrenson was on the warpath about Valencia not being sent off for being late in an otherwise completely cleanly-contested 50/50.

[Charlie Darwin]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_lZQzpbDBs

[Stuttgart88]

Regardless of Rooney making a meal of the Schweinsteiger tackle, it was a clear yellow and he had to go. I was watching on TV3 and Lawrenson was on the warpath about Valencia not being sent off for being late in an otherwise completely cleanly-contested 50/50.
I thought Valencia's was worse. He launched himself at the ball but withdrew his foot just before the collision, which saved him. Had he kept his studs facing he'd have been in trouble.

[geysir]

I wouldn't worry so much over Bayern getting done on simulation, they themselves have some players who are the worst cry babies in the game today.


But I wasn't listening to ITV.

[Charlie Darwin]

I thought Valencia's was worse. He launched himself at the ball but withdrew his foot just before the collision, which saved him. Had he kept his studs facing he'd have been in trouble.
I'd have to see it again but I don't think he ever had his studs showing? It looked like a pretty honest 50/50 from both players for me, not dangerous in the least. Schwensteiger's wasn't dangerous either but it halted a counter which is a clear yellow for me.

[geysir]

Valencia's was close to being a 50/50, and that's how the well placed ref saw it.
Typical Bayern player's response was to react as if his balls had been squashed to a pulp.

[BonnieShels]

Seems that Bayern have inherited that Guardiola thing where they crap themselves and become petulant when things aren't going the way they expected.

United played very well for the most part. Held their shape impeccably.

Fellaini was caught badly ball-watching for that goal. Ciaran Clark could teach him a thing or two.

Looking forward to the second leg very much.

[BonnieShels]

I'd have to see it again but I don't think he ever had his studs showing? It looked like a pretty honest 50/50 from both players for me, not dangerous in the least. Schwensteiger's wasn't dangerous either but it halted a counter which is a clear yellow for me.


Valencia's was close to being a 50/50, and that's how the well placed ref saw it.
Typical Bayern player's response was to react as if his balls had been squashed to a pulp.


50/50 for me as well. To be honest both payers looked like they launched themselves at the ball. Neither were in control. If Valencia had been sent off it would have been a travesty.

Schweinsteiger's was a yellow. I would have given him the benefit of "one more chance" but I think there's no real reason to complain for what it was.

[Charlie Darwin]

Bayern were petulant long before Guardiola got there to be fair. I think it's just a tactic the top teams use to put pressure on referees. Moyes could probably learn from Ferguson in that regard.

[BonnieShels]

They of course were. But there's a noticeable difference in the childishness of it now.

Not just tonight but all season.

[Charlie Darwin]

Are they any more childish than they were getting Rafael sent off (deservedly) in 2011?

[BonnieShels]

How does that work?

[Charlie Darwin]

They surrounded the ref.

[Neish]

Rooney made a meal of falling but Schweinistiger did go in hard and made contact with Rooney, and in todays game that is stupid. Thought Valencia should of went when frist I saw the tackle but in replays after he did seen to withdraw his foot just before contact agree though he could of easily went on another night

[BonnieShels]

They surrounded the ref.

That wasn't the petulance I was getting at.

[geysir]

They of course were. But there's a noticeable difference in the childishness of it now.

Not just tonight but all season.
It's inbred with Bayern, an arrogant petulance, who do you think (chronic diver) Ballack was with before he went to Chelsea?
An embarrassed Chelsea had to send him to a detox clinic to mend the worst of his habits.
There's something extra corny about a supposed hard man rolling around in fake agony.

[geysir]

The other 1/4 was just superb with 2 differently brilliant goals.
Atletico were not shy to foul and pick up the yellow cards, but a far cry away from the team of spitting axe murderers in the mid 1970's

http://s3.amazonaws.com/br-cdn/temp_images/2014/04/01/b5f89598b2f12e184da71621a3ee2a13.gif?1396386917


http://s3.amazonaws.com/br-cdn/temp_images/2014/04/01/41149bad33f50f8a24fe0da90040a1ae.gif?1396386944

[Stuttgart88]

I like Bayern, especially when they're playing United or Chelsea.

Lahm is a joy to watch. And I loved the short goal kick routines even when players were marked.

[geysir]

I though United's pressing game disturbed Neuer and the short kick-out routine, more than usual. And for the most part of the game, they had Bayern's attacking ploy worked out and neutralised, ball from out wide, into front man, who knocks it into the path of inrushing player.
i.e. until eventually Bayern's ploy reaped a reward, the ball was knocked back into the path of player on edge of box, who struck it home.

But you'd expect Bayern to win the 2nd leg comfortably, it would be a blunder of catastrophic proportions if they let this tie slip.

[Charlie Darwin]

RTE have opted not to show the clash of minnows Real Madrid and Dortmund and instead opted for the heavyweight clash between Ibrahimovic and Chelsea's big blue bus. Interesting.