QuoteYour cockles didn't get warmed then?
So after all the pre-qualifying games, group stages, knock out rounds, the 4 best teams at the start of the tournament are in the semi-finals.
The tournament begins.
And 3-1 in the end. Stupid work got in the way again last night.
The dismissal of Bayern from the Champions League would warm the cockles
DID YOU NOTICE A SIGN OUTSIDE MY HOUSE...?
Your cockles didn't get warmed then?
So after all the pre-qualifying games, group stages, knock out rounds, the 4 best teams at the start of the tournament are in the semi-finals.
The tournament begins.
Forget about the performance or entertainment. It's only the result that matters.
Semi Final Draw
Barcelona v Bayern Munich
Juventus v Real Madrid
Nope. I left work with no clue how it was transpiring and then Off the Ball ruined my evening.Originally Posted by OwlsFan
As the lesser of 2 evils I really would want a Barca-Juve final.
DID YOU NOTICE A SIGN OUTSIDE MY HOUSE...?
I think Juve might edge past Madrid.
Lets talk about six baby
Juve are seriously good at the back, plus Pogba and Vidal will get rightly stuck into Madrid's middle 3, and have the legs to work them both ways on the pitch. It's whether or not Tevez and Morata (on his return home) can take it to the back four..Madrid for me over two legs, 5-3 on Agg..
I'd say Pogba is out for the first leg at least, unless he returns early from injury. It was reported as being seven weeks on the 20th March. Real will be down Modric, for sure, and possibly Bale, who might just make the second leg.
Last edited by DeLorean; 27/04/2015 at 10:46 AM.
No goals yet but this Barcelona v Bayern tie is a seriously high standard of football. I hope Mayweather and Pacquiao are watching. Both teams equally looking to have a go but defending capably when needed.
Edit: Messi, what a genius!
Last edited by Stuttgart88; 06/05/2015 at 8:24 PM.
That Bayern defence is laughably bad. Ribery & Robben can't bail them out now. Guardiola and that high line..
Suarez has been a bit ****e tonight. Poor decision making.
Only you could watch that match and only pick out negatives.
That was my type of a brilliant game and that was before Messi managed to score the first. Until then, Bayern were magnificent but Barca, once they scored, just entered that flow, the mother lode of 21C football. I don't think I have seen Messi unleash so much wired up celebration after scoring.
It's a good year when you can witness a match like that, between such adversaries.
Thought it was a bit silly of Bayern to be over committed looking for the "away goal" and get caught out. At 2-0 they were still in the tie. Were they really expecting to win the home leg 1-0?
Forget about the performance or entertainment. It's only the result that matters.
Remember how Messi was banned from drinking coke and he defied Guardiola and had a can of coke during a team meal.
Now half of the squad are defying Luis Enrique.
Something that I think will always hold back Spanish football is the fact - certainly at the high end - that there seems to be less affinity from players towards their clubs and fans and there seems to be less respect shown from the bigger clubs towards the smaller clubs. It reflects in how much of a monopoly Real & Barca have when it comes to TV money distribution. There is no way the English would let the Premier League become the playground of just two clubs. It's in the best interest of their League I suppose, but Barca & Real aren't complaining when they are sustaining momentum in Europe.
Look at Evra two nights ago like. Juventus just beat Real in front of a fervent support and practically the first thing out of his mouth is how Man Utd is in his (and Tevez) blood. That's what I am on about when it comes to affinity and respect. But Utd, Arsenal & Liverpool build dynasties under long-serving managers and organisational and institutional respect is demanded and reciprocated. At Real & Barca it's a constant revolving door and you have nonsense like Ancelotti's job being in doubt and Bale being harangued by teammates and fans.
Pirlo was sh*te the other day BTW. I thought taking Morata & Tevez off, bringing on Llorente and leaving on an exhausted Pirlo would come back to bite them, but they live another day, despite Pirlo conceding possession in vital places.
I don't think they should have done a lap of honor after the match.... I would still fancy Real.
Which is it? with 10 minutes to play, Bayern "at 2-0 they were still in the tie" OR "were they really expecting to win the home leg 1-0"?
Of course Bayern would have fancied their chances going into the 2nd leg, just 2-1 down.
The Spanish are now finally ending the way TV money is being distributed and are moving towards a more collective distribution model. The English model of TV distribution is better, but not perfect as relatively little goes downstream to grassroots etc. Parachute payments distort the distribution picture which makes it look like the EPL is benevolent which it isn't. But other institutional arrangements in English football stink too. It's a playground for oligarchs, and all kinds of spivs and miscreants.
Spanish football is really being held back at the high end? Two teams in the CL final last year, very possibly two again this year'. Three major tournament wins in a row and a string of highly successful national youth teams.
As for Spanish football and the revolving door I thought Barcelona in particular are a good example of an organic club, developing its own players and coaches from within. It's not exactly the club's fault if a coach dies in his 40s. Their governance is far from perfect but football with its kudos and its finances will never be a model of deep integrity. Bayern, again with its problems lime Hoeness and his tax affairs, are a dynastic club too, by and large. Nobody is perfect.
No argument as it relates to Real Madrid though. If your point was that Spanish football is facing a deep solvency crisis then I'd offer no argument there either, but I think it's hard to argue that the quality of their game is suffering or the game is being held back.
I was at Atletico V Elche two weeks ago and was struck by how community rooted the club was and how close the fans and players are to each other.
I think the Juventus lap of honour was less a victory parade and more recognition that come what may they have just finished their European home campaign with a win.
I'm not sure I have ever heard anything as daft as saying that Tevez has Man United in his blood. He has followed the money at every juncture in his career, ably assisted if not outright driven by the gang of spivs that used to own his economic rights. Or did I misunderstand you, you're actually saying both are mercenaries?
Bayern were naive alright but that's part of what made it a great game. Like Geysir I was loving it even at 0-0. There was so much quality on display it was unreal.
I fear that a Barcelona V Real final could be marred by the histrionics of bell ends like Ramos. I thought last night's game was played in good spirit.
Great result for Barca but i dont think that tie is over yet.
I think Juve's lap of honour was more about them winning the scudetto on saturday, away to Sampdoria.
Fair enough. Either way not a tie-specific victory parade.
Most definitely not a tie specific victory parade, that's a certainty. Juve might throw the odd brown envelope a ref's way but never, in anyone's sane imagination, would they indulge in anything so crass as a 1st leg victory parade.
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