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AM had the players with more talent and ability but Cocu won the tactical plaudits with the way he had PSV set up, quite a stunning performance from a dutch team... considering.
But any sympathy one might have for PSV can disappear as fast a burning euro note.
http://deportes.elpais.com/deportes/...56_705557.html
Looks like Bayern are still resting their key players. Great stuff from Juve so far.
The lads on Setanta are making out that these Italian lads are some sort of minnows about to have a "famous victory".
if only Pirlo was out there, Bayern would be pulped by now.
That was a bad mistake by the juve player to lose possession outside the box for Bayern's equaliser.
Criminal from Evra.
There is nothing redeeming about Bayern. Nothing. Horrible team.
Lichsteiner should have buried this tie. As should have Morata around 70'.
Obviously Pogba being fouled is fine. This last 8 is going to be heart breaking. Only Atletico left to soothe the soul.
Thiago should've gone there. And Juve get a throw. Mother of...
Huge anti climax in Munich.
Bonnie, you always have the EL.
I do? That's the one with more than one English club in it right?
No chance of watching Dortmund tonight though.
I thought you were a certified dortmund fanboy.
Perhaps it's a seasonal thing?
Some average enough sides remain but it was always going to be that way after the last 16 pairings were made... Benfica, Wolfsburg and Manchester City in particular. If these three avoid each other I think we'll have three fairly predictable quarter finals. Juventus were unlucky but overall they can only blame themselves, not topping their group given they beat Manchester City twice was borderline criminal, but reflective of their sloppy early season domestic form. Sitting so deep in the first leg until they needed to chase the game was the wrong move also, I think their first half performance last night emphasised this even further. A gallant effort all the same given their injuries and the position they found themselves in the first leg.
Are Juve blaming anyone? It's more likely they are taking responsibility for their shortcomings and can appreciate their honest efforts over the 2 legs which made this a contest of epic proportions. Allegri said as much in the post match interviews, didn't mention the injured players or their goal being disallowed, unlike Wenger or Jose or Fergie or a host of other managers with less class than Allegri. Exhaustion got to them in the end, the Bayern subs added so much to their efforts, Juve's subs didn't have that impact. I thought Evra had a very good game but was running on fumes in the end, legless.
Not what I was implying at all, more speaking as a general frustration of how much easier they could have made it for themselves. Agree re-substitituons, I suppose Juve's were made with a 2-0 lead in mind though whereas Bayern needed game changers.Quote:
Originally Posted by geysir
Champions League quarter-final draw...
Wolfsburg (Germany) v Real Madrid (Spain)
Bayern Munich (Germany) v Benfica (Portugal)
Barcelona (Spain) v Atletico Madrid (Spain)
Paris St-Germain (France) v Manchester City (England)
The quarter-finals will take place on 5-6 April and 12-13 April.
As someone on Twitter said, it couldn't have been more seeded if it was seeded :)
YEah it is seasonal. From August to May.Quote:
Originally Posted by geysir
But more in reference to the difficulty watching anything in my other half's house given the technologies present rather than my lack of will to.
I had a similar thought myself. I wan't even surprised when I saw the draw on clicking into the Grauniad app.Quote:
Originally Posted by DeLorean
So in an ideal world we will have Benfica v Wolfsburg and PSG v Atletico...
Good news that the two top games, Barca v AM and PSG v MC are on different nights.
PSG v MC is probably only a top game by default. PSG and Bayern will win easily. Wolfsburg-Real may turn out to be the best game of the lot.
Wolfsburg might put it up to RM but I seriously doubt it. In the Bundesliga there's a big gap in quality between Bayern and Dortmund and then Dortmund are a county mile ahead of the rest. Wolfsburg are much more likely to be hammered by Madrid.
PSG v MC is an attractive tie on merit. Pellegrini has form in these situations.
I think Roma and last year's Schalke are a similar level to Wolfsburg and they put it up to Real, Schalke in particular. You're right in that Wolfsburg are probably way too loose and defensively suspect, which even a misfiring Real will pick off, but they have the capacity to score enough to keep it interesting. PSG v Man City, as with all games involving Man City, will be puke to watch.
Real Madrid will be as good a through after the 1st Leg I think.
I'd be surprised if PSG weren't well on their way by half time in the 2nd Leg. Pellegrini has been tactically inept in a lot of big games in his time at Manchester City. PSG are just better at the moment anyway. I'm not sure why you say Man. City are puke to watch though Charlie? If anything they're too open which can lead to decent spectacles? Not that I enjoy watching them too much myself, having said that.
I think Benfica could be competitive enough against Bayern but you'd have to fancy Bayern to have enough over two legs. It might have actually been better for Benfica to have the home leg first though I feel, giving themselves a better chance of having something to hang on to. Then again, Basel and Porto both took very positive 1st Leg results to Munich in recent seasons but were ripped apart in the 2nd Legs.
Atletico really need to stay in the tie at the Nou Camp, avoid a two goal plus defeat and it's really game on for the 2nd Leg, but Barcelona seem to beat beating them fairly regularly in the last year or two.
Edit- came across this shortly after posting. Possibly answers the question I asked CD to some extent. I was thinking more generally over the past few years really.