Champions League 2012-13

**geysir** · 12/04/2013, 10:39 AM

UEFA couldn't even manage to do a proper alphabetical order draw

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** · 12/04/2013, 11:12 AM

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** · 12/04/2013, 11:14 AM

Originally Posted by 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** · 12/04/2013, 1:40 PM

Originally Posted by 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...

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

**Closed Account 2** · 12/04/2013, 4:15 PM

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** · 12/04/2013, 5:10 PM

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** · 12/04/2013, 6:24 PM

Originally Posted by 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.

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** · 12/04/2013, 7:43 PM

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** · 12/04/2013, 9:11 PM

Originally Posted by cfdh_edmundo

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** · 13/04/2013, 10:48 AM

Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

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** · 13/04/2013, 1:20 PM

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** · 15/04/2013, 10:16 AM

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.