Champions League 2012-13

[Charlie Darwin]

Manchester City are dreadful. Ajax have torn them apart for the entire half, despite being caught on the counter attack for City's one shot.

[BonnieShels]

Thoroughly enjoyed that. City are woeful.

Anyone see Dortmund and Real?

[Closed Account 2]

Fabulously disciplined performance from Celtic and we even looked dangerous on the counter attack. Just exhaustion I think in the end. 2nd half Barca were relentless but they were not carving us open at will. The keeper had a stomer as did the defence and midfield. BBC had stats as 28%/72%. - Id be inclined to believe it was closer to 80/20 though based on the on screen graphics during the game. Wanyama had a stormer as did Ambrose. I tihnk it was just down to physical and mental exhaustion in the end. Heartbreaking stuff. 94th minute though.....ffs

They were very unlucky, not least because Samaras had to go off before half time. In an ideal world he would have stayed on and Brown (who can only seem to last about an hour with his dodgy hips) would have been the first sub. As it was, using all three subs by around 75 mins left them with nearly 20 mins (inc injury time) to hold out. If they could have brought on someone like Rogne or Matthews with fresh legs at the back they might have been able to come away with the draw. Credit should go to Lennon for observing how other teams had outwitted Barca in Europe (two defensive lines, counter attacks where the ball can be held up, and making the most of their weakness in the air at set pieces), he set the Celtic team out in the best way possible and nearly caused a massive shock, the British (mainly English) press and was full of stuff about how Celtic were undertaking damage limitation, and that if they could escape a 5-6 goal hiding it would be great - but Lennon's team far exceeded those expectations.

[BonnieShels]

Bernd Schuster being very critical of Celtic.
Selective memory...
m.rte.ie/sport/touch/soccer/champions-league/2012/1026/343233-schuster-celtic-shouldnt-be-in-champions-league/

[Junior]

They were very unlucky, not least because Samaras had to go off before half time. In an ideal world he would have stayed on and Brown (who can only seem to last about an hour with his dodgy hips) would have been the first sub. As it was, using all three subs by around 75 mins left them with nearly 20 mins (inc injury time) to hold out. If they could have brought on someone like Rogne or Matthews with fresh legs at the back they might have been able to come away with the draw. Credit should go to Lennon for observing how other teams had outwitted Barca in Europe (two defensive lines, counter attacks where the ball can be held up, and making the most of their weakness in the air at set pieces), he set the Celtic team out in the best way possible and nearly caused a massive shock, the British (mainly English) press and was full of stuff about how Celtic were undertaking damage limitation, and that if they could escape a 5-6 goal hiding it would be great - but Lennon's team far exceeded those expectations.

Yeah it was effectively a 4-4-2 with Sammy and Hooper up top which was brave but once Sammy went off, It was more 4-5-1 with Brown ( who as you say cannot seem to last 90 these days due to his hips) supporting Hooper. It just didn't work as well.

[Junior]

Bernd Schuster being very critical of Celtic.
Selective memory...
m.rte.ie/sport/touch/soccer/champions-league/2012/1026/343233-schuster-celtic-shouldnt-be-in-champions-league/

The ramblings of a failed coach says Lennon
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/20102973

[pineapple stu]

I like this -

"I was sitting there 60 minutes into the game thinking 'God, what is Bernd Schuster thinking of our performance here, I better change it',"

Schuster reminds me of Rico whining after UCD sneaking another point from his Barca-like Cork team back in the day.

[BonnieShels]

Irish wit eh.

I love when Barca get hit with results like this and there's ramblings of "not fair"!

Loving Group D. I just wish I could watch all of Dortmund's games and at least make up for my bravado of last year when I said they would **** it!

[geysir]

I'm glad you keep reminding us about your Dortmund tip for last years CL when they played like a bunch of pussies, saves me the task of reminding you.

[Charlie Darwin]

Dortmund are 2-1 up at half time at the Bernabeu. Serious team.

[geysir]

Not bad from the Dortmund boys, they just might make Bonnie's day yet.
I was more watching the Ajax game though, I really like their midfielder Poulsen, he's at the heart of everything they do.

[BonnieShels]

Was playing a match tonight so missed all the matches bar the results.

Heard Mancini was acting the pr1ck as well...?

[Charlie Darwin]

Was playing a match tonight so missed all the matches bar the results.

Heard Mancini was acting the pr1ck as well...?

Actually he was very magnanimous in defeat. Only blamed two of the six officials for cheating his team out of a win.

[pineapple stu]

Enjoyed the TV3 coverage of it.

Presenter - "Well now we're going to take a look at Roberto Mancini's reaction post match. We would advise that if you have any young children, maybe send them out of the room; there is some inappropriate language."
Cuts to Mancini shouting the ref - "It was a goal. It was a goal."
Presenter - "Again, we apologise for the inappropriate language there."

Looked a bad decision to rule out the goal to me, but City's woes are their own making by and large. Amazing how bad they've been.

[Charlie Darwin]

Enjoyed the TV3 coverage of it.

Presenter - "Well now we're going to take a look at Roberto Mancini's reaction post match. We would advise that if you have any young children, maybe send them out of the room; there is some inappropriate language."
Cuts to Mancini shouting the ref - "It was a goal. It was a goal."
Presenter - "Again, we apologise for the inappropriate language there."

Looked a bad decision to rule out the goal to me, but City's woes are their own making by and large. Amazing how bad they've been.

Definitely offside, but he moved so fast the official arguably just guessed. Still the right call.

Didn't see the TV3 coverage but that is fantastic.

[pineapple stu]

There was another player shouting something as well; maybe he was effing and blinding, but I heard nothing anyway. Certainly nothing compared to Aldo against the Mexicans, which is what I'd been expecting!

[BonnieShels]

I've still only seen stills of it but it's offside for me. Charlie is right though it seems so marginal that the linesman just guessed.

To be honest normally I would have sympathy for a team who are hard done by generally but as Stu says City shouldn't be in this position. The draw last night should've been okay for them to qualify based on the initial group draw but they've been wojus beyond belief.
In fact, Dortmund should've beaten them in their first game anyway. They should have capitalized on the luck they got in that game but they didn't.

Can't say I'll miss them.

[BonnieShels]

I'm glad you keep reminding us about your Dortmund tip for last years CL when they played like a bunch of pussies, saves me the task of reminding you.

Of course. The evidence is there for all to see. :-)

[geysir]

City did well in the 2nd half and in one sense they did do enough to win the game.
I thought the City player receiving the pass was marginally level and onside for that fraction of time, i.e. after having a look at the slow motion replay,
In real time, Balotelli looked like he just tumbled over in the last piece of action.

http://videa.hu/videok/hirek-politik...yBLmd4UUTtWfcE

With Ajax's first goal I never imagined that he could get the ball into the net from that angle.

[Charlie Darwin]

Second time lucky for Celtic. Not a bitten nail in sight either.