Champions League 2016-17

[BonnieShels]

After that masterclass from Juve, all Eamonn can do is lament this "great" Barca team.

The hack of them. Good riddance.

[bennocelt]

Im with you Bonnie, delighted too, cant stand Barcelona

[DeLorean]

Referee was brilliant, not entertaining any of their guff. Barca seemed to lose their way midway through the first half, focussed their energy into feeling victimised instead of continuing to do what they were doing pretty well up until that point. Juve only coughed out one shot on target, some going.

[DeLorean]

Semi Final Draw:

Real Madrid v Atletico Madrid
Monaco v Juventus

[BonnieShels]

Of course. Cmon to feck Atleti.

[Stuttgart88]

I prefer Messi myself but Ronaldo is something else. There was a time when you'd be top scorer in Spain with 16 goals!

[DeLorean]

Messi is easier on the eye (in a footballing sense anyway) but in terms of output they can't really be separated I don't think. A friend of mine said Messi is twice the player not so long ago, I can't get my head around that sort of tunnel vision to be honest.

Ronaldo's second hat-trick against Atletico this season, probably the best or joint best defence in Europe. Eight goals against Bayern/Atletico combined in his last three CL games... it's actually insane what those two guys are doing.

Atletico were disappointing though, they were on the ropes from early on and I think 3-0 was a fair reflection overall, even if Real weren't quite as impressive in the second half as they were in the first. Bale will do well to dislodge Isco if he's back in time for his hometown final, assuming they see it through. They've got some squad in fairness, Nacho, Asensio and Vazquez all making real impacts for the bench, Kovacic a ready made replacement when Casemiro inevitably picks up his yellow card, Morata and James still surplus to requirements even in Bale's absence. Embarrassment of riches really.

And what a brilliant, understated job Zidane is doing there to keep the whole thing running so smoothly. He's even had the audacity to rest Ronaldo a few times recently without any signs of discontent.

[SkStu]

speaking of Zidane and the fact that this years final is in Cardiff, I got reminded of his last appearance in a Champions League final on British turf. Still one of my all time favourite cup winning goals. The technique in the shot is only matched by the pass from Santiago Solari to Carlos to set it up.

rFfomw-Z4uE

I agree by the way, Zidane really is doing a fantastic job there.

[DannyInvincible]

'Meet the Irish man working behind behind with Juventus as they aim for Champions League glory': https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2017/0531/879384-darragh-connolly/


An Irish man has played his part in helping Juventus climb back to the very top of the European football tree. Meet sports scientist Darragh Connolly, who is working away behind the scenes this week as the Grand Old Lady of Italian football gets ready for a Champions League final showdown with holders Real Madrid in Cardiff on Saturday. Juve are almost every neutral’s pick in this game as Massimiliano Allegre’s superbly organised and hard-working side look to wrestle the trophy of the Spanish club’s Galacticos inspired by Cristiano Ronaldo.

Connolly was actually born and bred in northern Italy, no far outside Milan, but he is a proud Irish man thanks to his upbringing. His father Richard is from Donegal and moved to the continent along with his wife Ruby, from Carlow, to take up a position as a scientist with the European Commission.

...

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Maybe, just maybe, better than Zidane's.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

A lot of talk about Dani Alves but what a player Marcelo has been throughout this competition.

[DannyInvincible]

Heh, Marcelo's son is called Liam.

[NeverFeltBetter]

Shocking the way Juve went to pieces in the second half, both in terms of stamina and discipline. Equally annoying hearing Dunphy write them off completely after the final whistle. Not like they've dominated Italian football for six straight years.