Champions League Draw today

The other thing is of course Spurs are at home 1st in the Semi (if they get that far), this imo is a big disadvantage when playing the bigger teams

Good luck to them though, would love a Spurs vs Utd final
 
Ezyryder said:
Saying Marcelo is a liability could have been true last year but not this one. The bloke has really stepped up a notch this season and he has been good at defence and outstanding when attacking. Ramos is very good when he gets his head down and does as he is told, he has been inconsistent sometimes through the year but who knows what will happen
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Yes, to be fair to Marcelo he has improved in attack and also a little in defence, but he's never really tested in La Liga, I just imagine he'll have a torrid time vs attackers with pace and he's not the best positionally as I'm sure you know. Ramos is hit and miss, I suppose he can have a good game, but I think vs Bale he's far more likely to have a bad one.
 
Tom84 said:
Great draw tbh, after what has happened to us as Stamford Bridge over recent years I'm confident that luck will be with us this time around. Good semi final draw as well :)
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Didnt you say something similar before the recent EPL game there?:D

(apologies if it wasnt you, I know a regular Utd poster said something like that)

I really fancy Utd's chances against Chelsea over 2 legs (especially how shocking they were in the final 1/3 a few days ago) - but its far from a foregone conclusion
 
FrankJH said:
Didnt you say something similar before the recent EPL game there?:D

(apologies if it wasnt you, I know a regular Utd poster said something like that)

I really fancy Utd's chances against Chelsea over 2 legs (especially how shocking they were in the final 1/3 a few days ago) - but its far from a foregone conclusion
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I did yeah and had it not been for Atkinson we may well have won the game

Football throws up things like this, get screwed over at their place almost every season domestically but do the business in the one competition Chelsea really want to win!

Same case in Moscow I know we'd win that game following them beating us a year earlier in the FA Cup final.

It might all go pear shaped like it did a few weeks ago but I'm confident nonetheless :)
 
jakeke said:
Yes, to be fair to Marcelo he has improved in attack and also a little in defence, but he's never really tested in La Liga, I just imagine he'll have a torrid time vs attackers with pace and he's not the best positionally as I'm sure you know. Ramos is hit and miss, I suppose he can have a good game, but I think vs Bale he's far more likely to have a bad one.
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Not really, Marcelo is just doing a Bale, horrific in defence, like against Barca, he was epically awful, he still consistantly throws himself into lunging fast tackles that take him out the game while missing most and leaving whoever he was trying to tackle miles to run into. Take them out of defence and well, you minimise the worst part of their game hugely, push them forwards and the strongest part of their game gets easier. If you're running from left back you've often got further to run with more defenders to beat and more time for dm's and spare wingers to crowd out that right back position. Starting further up, with their pace they often only have the right back to beat, higher up the pitch with far more room in behind, as both of them love the kick it long and run after it with speed tactic, it just works hugely better from left wing than left back.

He's only better in attack as he's played quite often at left wing instead of left back, freed up of spending half the game making defensive mistakes he gets further forward more often and starts from higher up the pitch, that naturally improves you going forward.

Unfortunately he's inconsistant, for every game he bundles through and scores a wonder goal, theres 5 games he'll shoot consistantly from just about anywhere on the pitch with hugely better options he ignores all around him, in either situation he's rubbish defensively.

Infact, he really is very similar to Bale, he's just pure energy, and hugely strong which gives them both that run down the wing and have people bounce off you effect, kick ball, run after it, outmuscle people trying to stop you, and shoot a heck of a lot.
 
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I'm going to enjoy another two chances to stuff Chelsea! It's about time after having a number of ties with them get screwed over due to poor decisions.

Real v Spurs should be amazing, really looking forward to the all the quaters in fact.
 
The BBC are saying Utd and Real are the only teams to remain unbeaten at this point

While this is true, I think its a little harsh on Chelsea as they lost the last group game 1 - 0 away which I seem to recall was a dead rubber anyway (didnt a lot of youngsters play that night?)
 
The good thing with EPL teams playing each other is they forget its the CL and you always get away goals, i fancy UTD to score at the bridge and Chelsea are good enough to score at OT... i do predict a score draw over the two legs and away goals coming into the mixer
 
For us to win we will have:

Won a group with the current holder & serie a winners, the dutch champions and the german champions (the HARDEST group)
Beaten the current runaway serie a leaders
Beaten the most successful European club ever
Probably beat the best team in the world, possibly ever

THEN we get to the final

Unbelievably terrible luck for spurs

if we win we should be given an honourable discharge as a football club and be allowed to retire in glory
 
_Jimlad_ said:
The good thing with EPL teams playing each other is they forget its the CL and you always get away goals, i fancy UTD to score at the bridge and Chelsea are good enough to score at OT... i do predict a score draw over the two legs and away goals coming into the mixer
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thats why its an advantage playing 2nd game at home

Im not so sure Ancelotti or SAF will allow the players to forget its the CL, it means so much to both of them

I hope its a straight outright win either way (obviously prefer Utd lol) rather than it being down to away goals - which Ive always thought was a little meh to decide such a crucial game / tie
 
Spurs still have a chance, just not a great one, Real aren't great away from home and have a rubbish defence anywhere. Ozil/Di Maria literally disappeared in the crunch game against Barca, they don't win the ball back, you couldn't tell either was on the pitch in their biggest game of the season. Defensively, wind Pepe up at all and Pepe will do his best to get himself sent off, right and left backs, lol, they step up and create so much space , Lennon/Bale should rip those two apart. Real are very beatable away from home, and if you actually try to attack them away you could come away with a respectable score line.

Utd vs Chelsea, both playing so badly of late, yet still getting results, hard to call. Inter vs Schalke, Barca, should be easy games. Barca vs Inter final seems most likely at this point.
 
I hate playing english sides, it's so dull compared to getting a continental team, I'd have much rather faced Barca/Inter and co.


Only benefit I suppose is not too much travel at a busy time of season.
 
Decent draw.

I know Shaktar's home form is excellent, but we completely caned them at the Emirates in the group stages 5/6-1 wasn't it?), then switched off in the away leg (lost 2-1 IIRC). I can't see Barca being as forgiving, although they wouldn't even have to win away. Inter should beat Schalke. Chelsea and Man U should be a full blooded affair, either could win. Spurs can definitely beat Madrid, but if anyone knows how to set up a team to beat them tactically it's Jose. They don't play possession football so Spurs will probably see plenty of the ball, but equally they have a huge threat on the counter, in typical Special One tradition, and won't be as impotent in the final 1/3rd as Milan.
 
I am Spanish but I have lived in the UK for a while.

I think any team is beatable, even Barcelona, but under the right circumstances.

Our defence is not as weak as some of you point out but we shall see. Marcelo has gone leaps and bounds - he is miles better than Lennon. Real Madrid can play possesion football or not, but our attacking team has been amazing this season. Ozil is probably the bargain of the millenium, the depth of play he gives us is amazing. Such a talented lad, and only 22! Di Maria's has also shown his amazing shoy and his workrate is second to none. Even Ronaldo has been less selfish than previous seasons. That is the thing Madrid can score goals so easily and Spurs have such a weak defence. Dawson is about the only decent defender IMO they have. And their keeper, looks like a security guard, come on :)

Bale will be dealt with Arbeola... so do not need to worry about Ramos there.
 
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