TBF the standard of a lot of the football I see these days even from Germany is pretty dire
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TBF the standard of a lot of the football I see these days even from Germany is pretty dire
I think you have to bear in mind that Schalke (and Leverkusen to an extent) are significantly weaker than Bayern and Dortmund. Schalke have generally sold (or lost due to contracts running down) their best players over the last few years (Neuer, Holtby, Westermann, Rakitic, Rafiniha, even Kuranyi going back a few years). You can probably add Draxler to that list as it looks certain he will go this summer. Even the big signings they make tend to be opportunistic and they will buy a good player who doesnt quite fit at his current club, for example Huntelaar didn't really start for Real Madrid and even when he joined Milan Leonardo was picking Borriello and even Inzaghi ahead of him, Schalke were able to buy him for around half of what Real had paid 18 months earlier (14 vs 27, although that 27 was including various addons).Quote:
Originally Posted by bennocelt
They have had a mixed season so far, and tend to stuggle against better sides. In the Bundesliga their record against strong sides isnt great, Wolfsburg (who have a degree of financial power in Germany) away lost 3-0, Gladbach away loast 2-1, Bayern Munich home lost 4-0, 3-1 defeat at home to Dortmund. They have had some impressive results doing the double over Leverkusen and beating Hertha in Berlin, but generally against the top teams domestically they havent really convinced. In Europe as well they haven't been that impressive, they made hard work of POAK (1-1 and 3-2) and I'm not convinced they would have beaten Metalist (which was the original tie before the Ukrainians were ejected). In the group stage they lost 3-0 home and away to Chelsea, beat Steaua home but only drew away, and beat Basel home and away, but you wouldnt say they were that impressive in Europe.
I was including Bayern and Dortmund in that as well!!! :)
I think Dortmund have been pretty good, they topped one of the hardest CL groups in years. They have had massive injury problems especially with Subotic and Hummels being injured more often then they've been fit (at one stage their whole back line was out), Gundogan has also hardly played. They have a very strong first team and were even able to replace high class departures by bringing in players like Abeymueyang and Mkhitarian, but they dont quite have the resources to bring the rest of the squad up to very top level.Quote:
Originally Posted by bennocelt
They play a very fluid game, and attack with a lot of pace and great support from midfielders, they instantly swarm the oppsitions defence with numbers, and Lewandoski's hold up play also lets them keep possession for a few seconds well these midfielders support him. They totally overwhelmed Zenit (who admittedly looked poor at the back and have since Denisov left) but to score 4 goals in St. Petersburg is a good achievement. The did conceed two, one was a bit of a weak penalty, the other may have been offside - although they still had time to clear the ball, but overall I was impressed with them espescially bouncing back after the bizzare defeat in Hamburg.
Anybody watching the Europa League? Reina just pulled off an absolutely worldy to almost certainly guide Napoli in the next round.
When so many of the ties are one sided, the last 16 set up is bit drawn out, with 2 games an evening over 2 weeks, though this evening the rte panel are all psyched up for a Man City comeback. No doubt Barca have lost a bit of glitter but have City anything more than a snowball's chance? I suspect they lost the tie in the first half in Manchester.
The B section next week has a couple of exciting 2nd leg games in prospect.
The Leverkusen fightback is on - 1-0 up in Paris.
Didn't last long, 1-1.
That Barcelona "goal" looked good to me in real time
It did to me too. Not sure what the linesman called it back for.
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.
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.
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?Quote:
Originally Posted by Stuttgart88
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
Well this is an enjoyable match.
Oh ****, Dunphy was right. We're not going to hear the end of this.
His makeup must be an inch thick.
I think he needs a bit extra to counter the glow from Kenny's scalp.
I think Kenny's hair is growing back, there's a sign of a crew cut coming.
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.Quote:
Originally Posted by geysir
On a side note, woof.
http://giant.gfycat.com/SpryLeadingF...ckedlizard.gif
Indeed, gifs are a great invention.
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.
A great quarter final line up awaits. Hard to pick a winner but will go for Madrid myself.
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.Quote:
Originally Posted by geysir
Would argue that Basel also show Germanic steel, they speak german here, sorry I mean Swiss German:p
Barcelona v Atletico
Real Madrid v Borussia Dortmund
PSG v Chelsea
Manchester United v Bayern Munich
And the B competition
- AZ v Benfica
- Lyon v Juventus
- Basel v Valencia
- FC Porto v Sevilla
Pep v Moyesy... the start of a great footballing rivalry!
Büttner to school Robben.
No English teams, must be rubbish. Who are Basel anyway?Quote:
Originally Posted by geysir
A team that's found its level in the Europa League. They are your buddy's favourite team.Quote:
Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin
Quote:
Originally Posted by KK77
Gives you a 1/4 chance at being right I suppose.
Atletico, Real, Chelsea and Munich to come through that.Quote:
Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin
:DQuote:
Originally Posted by cfdh_edmundo
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:
They are not unlike their national side who also seem to kick above their weight.
In delusions of grandeur news, Manchester United fans are booing their team for being passed around the pitch by Bayern Munich.
Diego Costa hamstring, oh dear.
United 1-0 up to Bayern and Atletico 1-0 up at Barca. Well now.
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.
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.