Champions League 2015/6

[DeLorean]

As a neutral though would you like to watch two Atletico type teams playing each other? I am not so sure. If the Atletico systems proves to be successful, will other coaches decide to follow it ? Good for Atletico. Not sure that will be great for football if the main object becomes to stop others scoring and hope to nick one. They've only scored something like 57 goals in 37 games in La Liga.

Wouldn't bother me at all. Defensively minded teams have come up against each other from day one really, it takes all sorts. They played against a Chelsea side that weren't overly expansive themselves a couple of years back and it was a good tie. Their relentless aggression makes it easier on the eye than just your average defensive team getting numbers back and sitting deep anyway I think. They pressed high up the pitch in the first half last night and retreated, or were forced to retreat, somewhat in the second half. They can mix it up.

[geysir]

That was some game, nicely embellished with two Barca-esque moments of brilliance from Saul and Torres. And that cxnt Alaba can certainly strike the ball sweetly from distance.
I don't think the one goal lead will be enough for Atletico.

[DeLorean]

And that cxnt Alaba can certainly strike the ball sweetly from distance.

Some strike, unfortunately for Alaba it was just lacking a lucky touch off Sean St. Ledger's arse.

[DeLorean]

Johnny Giles mentioned before the AM-BM game the last night that Mark Clattenburg referring the game may be a disadvantage to Atletico. He was saying that you get away with more on the continent than you do in England. I always thought they general consensus was that 'European' referees were far more fussy? It's possible he was talking specifically about yellow cards though, that you get away with more fouls without being booked on the continent, but maybe you get away with tougher challenges in England.

While I'm at it, I saw something a few weeks ago I found kind of strange. I was watching some of the Bundesliga derby between Schalke and Dortmund and as the game was moving into injury time the commentator was saying that we'll probably only have two additional minutes, despite there being four goals in that half, six substitutions and a sizeable delay for an injury. He was spot on and proceeded to mention that there's never much injury time in the German league.

[geysir]

I watched that Schalke Dortmund derby on my laptop while supervising a class. There was a german woman from Gelsenkirchen attending and a long time Schalke season ticket holder.
The class were doing a test of sorts. She had to put the game out of her mind. But at 1-2 Schalke were awarded a penalty late on, I put the game up on a screen that she could see and gave her the nod to watch the silent screen. The rest in the room were quietly distracted and totally oblivious to what was going on in this screen. In one second she grasped the score, the penalty, the entire drama and she was transported to another universe. As soon as the penalty hit the net, she leaped up out of the chair and let out this almighty roar of YESSSSSSS along with some choice words in german, frightening the cráp out of the rest in the room.

[BonnieShels]

Here we go. This will be a belter.

[BonnieShels]

BAH!!!!

EDIT: Double Bah!!!!

EDIT EDIT: Phew!

---

Lawro just said, genuinely, while commenting on a Lewandowski dive that he didn't think he "had it in him". Seriously!!!

[BonnieShels]

Goal.

Offside... YUSS!!!

[Stuttgart88]

Miles inside the box

[BonnieShels]

Can't believe he missed that! Had a feeling Atletico would regret Griezmann's exit. Torres has been brutal.

[BonnieShels]

Yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuussssssss ssssssssssssssssss!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[geysir]

Brilliant semi final over both games, could have gone either way, hardly a hair's breadth between them and that was one hell of an atmosphere in Munich.
Atletico are a world away from a Mourinho standard cynical team.
This side of the draw has been a ruthless roulette between the best teams left in the CL last 16, Atletico, Bayern, Barca, Juve and even PSV.

[BonnieShels]

The noise was deafening even through the crappy laptop speakers I had to use. Wonderful tie.

Part of me thinks that Atletico could take City handily enough... so I would be plumping for the English team in that regard. But you know, it's City.

[Stuttgart88]

Spanish clubs' record in European knock out ties against non-Spanish teams is amazing. Something like won 44 out of last 47?

[Stuttgart88]

I don’t know whether to laugh at Rummenigge over his pathetic “a little bit cheated” outburst, or feel really annoyed by it. Spoilt tw@t. Fractionally offside, if at all (I think he was just on) and well within bounds of an understandable error. Atletico missed their incorrectly awarded penalty. What a whinger.

[DeLorean]

I definitely feel more amused than annoyed, it's good to see clowns like that hurting. Here's what Vidal had say...

We were superior. We controlled the game, but we did not finish off the chances we had. Atletico did exactly what they have been doing all year in their league and took advantage of their chances.Today ugly football [Atletico] played against the best football in the world [Bayern]. The only time they saw the ball was for the goal.

They are going to be dreaming about us right up to the final. They did not have the ball, they took on the best team in the world, they took their chances and got to the final.

The best does not always win in football, like today. They are not deserved finalists.

Stay classy Bayern!

[BonnieShels]

Amazing. The cockles of my wee heart are warmed by them. They are such a despicable team. I'm raging Ancelloti is going there. Then again he was at Milan and Chelsea, so he has form!

[osarusan]

Saw a BBC stat that Atletico hadn't even touched the ball inside the Bayern penalty area before Griezmann scored their goal (or was it passed the ball).

When it comes to teams that defend so much and so doggedly, my argument always is that if the attacking team had all that possession and all that territory, and still couldn't get the goals they needed, they've nobody to blame except themselves.

[BonnieShels]

Saw a BBC stat that Atletico hadn't even touched the ball inside the Bayern penalty area before Griezmann scored their goal (or was it passed the ball).

When it comes to teams that defend so much and so doggedly, my argument always is that if the attacking team had all that possession and all that territory, and still couldn't get the goals they needed, they've nobody to blame except themselves.

Completely agree.

Last week the possession stats were 70/30. Atletico won that game.

Similar things were said of Leicester this year and can anyone, hand on heart say that Leicester haven't been great to watch?

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and I bloody hate the Guardiola style of play. Monotonous cack. Successful cack. But cack.

[geysir]

What's to hate?
Apart from Lewandowski's shameless blatant cheating, that was a magnificent semi final tie.
It takes 2 to tango and Bayern brought out the best in Atletico.