So we'll likely have all the English sides out of the Champions League come the quarters. Watch Irish TV stations flounder as they struggle to figure out which games between superior European sides will attract moderate interest.
Think it will be pretty straight forward, especially if the winners of Galatasaray/Schalke and Porto/Malaga are kept apart and play on different nights. Also, if United have Vidic back playing regularly by then I reckon they would have a pretty decent chance against Real.
Last edited by DeLorean; 20/12/2012 at 2:37 PM.
Darren O'Dea according to Trap.Originally Posted by BonnieShels
A lot of the bigger names drawn together early, could lead to a smaller team in the final this year. Some good ties there. I fancy Celtic for an upset against Juve. Is who the winners face in the next round already decided or do they do another draw?
Adriano was pretty poor against the Danish team, he shouldn't have done that and when he did Stepanenko should have let the Danes walk in a cancelling goal. Although the Danish player went down easily after minimal contact with the Shakhtar midfielder to start the whole thing, either way the storm over that has pretty much blown over and luckily it was against the weakest team in the group and in a match that was an easy victory for Shakhtar so it didnt materially affect the group in the end.
I havent read exacty what the Zenit fans were saying about the make up of the team, but sadly they have a very miliant section of "ultras" who are racist and bad behaviour does happen occasionally with these fans. Porto have similar problems with a group of "ultras" fans that heckle opposition players of different races. There is also a big section of the Zenit fans who want to see more Russian and, specifically, more St. Petersburg born players playing for them. I don't know if this "memorandum" the fans issued was the former or the latter. Racism is an issue in Russia's big cities (especially against central asians from places like Krygizstan, Uzbeckistan etc), but I think most fans who go to the World Cup games over there will be a mix of families and foreign fans - there havent been major racial issues in Russia's national team home games (as opposed to the club games) which have been played in places like St Petersburg, Moscow and Voronezh. Remember there where a lot of people saying there would be issues in the Ukraine in the summer but in the end it was largely without incident.
I think that match will be a great one as both Shakhtar and Dortmund play superb attacking football. They are dynamic in the sense that they can mix up their games in a way other teams (like Barcelona, Arsenal, Man City) etc cannot. Both have gifted midfielders (like Gotze, Willian, Mkhitaryan, Reus) who can play a short passing game, but they also have the pace on the wings (Błaszczykowski, Grosskreutz, Douglas Costa) and the aerial threat to go more direct and in players like Fernandinho, Srna, Schmelzer and Gundogan have players who can hit an accurate defense splitting ball.
No, it's only the Europa League where they drew two rounds in one go. The next round of CL is not drawn yet - that draw will happen after the games in March. And also there is no country or group protection, so Schalke can draw Dortmund, and Celtic could face Barca again if they all get through this round.
Just googling Celtics path to the final for the Lisbon Lions year. they played FC Zurich, FC Nantes, FK Vojvodina(Yugoslavia), Dukla Prague & Inter Milan. That looks more like a path to qualifying for the group stages these days.
Yeah, I suppose the likes of Nantes would have a lot of the top French players and Vojvodina the top Yugoslavs, etc. but these players are just sold to the top leagues the second they show a bit of potential these days. Pretty sad state of affairs really but that's the way it goes.
Zenit St Petersburg want black and gay players excluded
The BBC left out the most mental part of the statement for some reason.
They quote this: "The absence of black Zenit players is just an important tradition that underlines the team's identity and nothing more."
But they leave out the part immediately before: "We are not racists, and for us..."
I'm not making this up.
Yeah, well spotted. The BBC leaving these few words out is almost as bizarre as the Zenit fans claiming they're not actually racist.
It's an exciting last 16 draw, no doubt. But an unfortunate draw for Milan, who have got their season together and have been on a roll since they beat Juve last month with the help of a fortunate penalty.
Hasta la vista for Man U and Arsenal.
Celtic, no matter who they drew were going to be the outsiders. The last time they were in Turin for a CL game, they should have got the draw but for a late atrocious penalty decision.
Ironically, the same ref who was so just and honourable to us against the Netherlands 2001.
haha very true, can't wait to see Giles stumbling and struggling over the players from the non-english teams.
Havin a weekend away is quite frankly,lettin ur team mates down!
I remember him referring to Kagawa as the 'Asian lad' when he was at Dortmund.
In fairness to John, despite him mumbling through players names, a lot of what he has to say is pretty pertinent.
DID YOU NOTICE A SIGN OUTSIDE MY HOUSE...?
Giles might not know the players' names or have done any research on the teams, but he could analyse a 7-a-side game between Mount Merrion and Fatima Mansions C team and do a better job than most professional pundits on a Premier League game.
Another big performance needed at parkhead tonight, bring it!
Havin a weekend away is quite frankly,lettin ur team mates down!
It's all about the big one tomorrow, Dortmund v Donetsk.
DID YOU NOTICE A SIGN OUTSIDE MY HOUSE...?
In Dortmund, maybe...
I pop out for 10 minutes to do the lotto and it's 1-0 Juve...
A fool and their lotto dream cannot be separated.
Not bad (apart for the obvious) at Celtic Park.
Pity Samaras is missing, this is his type of game. Ambrose playing is bit of a shock, in more ways than one.
The lotto was for the missus. I swear.
Celtic's build-up play is very good but they have no spark in the box. Attention Trap supporters: this is what real catenaccio looks like.
it's a cracking game all the same.
DID YOU NOTICE A SIGN OUTSIDE MY HOUSE...?
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