UEFA Champions League 22/23 November *** Spoilers ***

Cosimo

Cosimo

Cosimo

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Champions League Matchday 5

Tuesday 22​

Man Utd v Benfica, GpC, 19:45, Sky Sports 4
Napoli v Man City, GpA, 19:45, Sky Sports 2 and Radio Five Live
CSKA Moscow v Lille, GpB, 17:00, Sky Sports 4
Bayern Munich v Villarreal, GpA, 19:45
Lyon v Ajax, GpD, 19:45
Otelul Galati v FC Basel, GpC, 19:45
Real Madrid v Dinamo Zagreb, GpD, 19:45
Trabzonspor v Inter Milan, GpB, 19:45
​

Wednesday 23​

Arsenal v Borussia Dortmund, GpF, 19:45, Sky Sports 2
Bayer Leverkusen v Chelsea, GpE, 19:45, ITV 1 and Radio Five Live
Zenit St Petersburg v Apoel Nicosia, GpG, 17:00, Sky Sports 4
BATE Borisov v Plzen, GpH, 18:00
AC Milan v Barcelona, GpH, 19:45, Sky Sports 4
Marseille v Olympiakos, GpF, 19:45
Shakhtar Donetsk v FC Porto, GpG, 19:45
Valencia v Genk, GpE, 19:45

​
 
I can see all EPL sides winning and making it through. Napoli are on a bad spell in seria a right now. Napoli haven't won a game in seria a for nearly a month now.

Dortmund just beat Bayern, so that'll be tough for Arsenal.

Man UTD at home so it should be a win, a struggle, shacky win but a win.

and who knows what to expect from Chelsea.
 
We have kept 5 clean sheets in a row since that game against Man City.

10 clean sheets in all comps these season. Not bad considering we concede the most amount of shots in the prem.
 
The clean sheet stat just goes to show just how important to our defence Vidic is, against Swansea I'd say it also goes to show how important Carrick is to our defence also as apart from the Sinclair miss (which was massively fortuitous for them as it was) they really didn't create anything

As for Benfica I'm expecting another unconvincing performance and as we've lucked our way to the top of the group after the last set of fixtures I'll go for a score draw (had we been behind them in the group I'd of gone with a home win)
 
Shamikebab said:
Shows you how good De Gea is really.
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Lindegaard too surely?:confused:

Im going for an unconvinving win on Tuesday night

Evra is said to have a virus, so probably (and I think Fergie was expecting Smalling to be ready for Tuesday)

Smalling - Jones - Vidic - Fabio

....(cant see Rio playing 3 games in a week, so I would guess he would play next weekend, or Fergie could choose to rest Jones after two international games and the away game to Swansea)
 
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He's got more interceptions and a better pass accuracy (Fabio has slightly better but has played far less) then every other defender apparently, I was surprised by that.
 
Tom84 said:
Vidic is suspended
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of course he is sorry - so I guess Rio will probably be missing for Newcastle game dont you think?

Shamikebab said:
Well yes but De Gea has played more matches and far bigger matches so I went with praising him :p
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Im amazed Lindegaard has only played 4 matches this season - I thought it was a lot more

Robert1986 said:
Evans will be playing.

God save us.

Actually, Evans has been much better this season over last.
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To be fair he has you are right - but with Smalling potentialy back, Jones could partner Rio in the centre (depending on how SAF feels Jones is after the last two weeks)

The problem is, swapping too many faces at once yet again will produce a very sloppy back line just when it was starting to get reasonably good (potentially 3 changes from the weekend)

Shamikebab said:
He's got more interceptions and a better pass accuracy (Fabio has slightly better but has played far less) then every other defender apparently, I was surprised by that.
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Great to see Fabio playing again on Sat (although it wasnt for that long).

Very surprised at that Evans stat but good for him
 
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Shamikebab said:
He's got more interceptions and a better pass accuracy (Fabio has slightly better but has played far less) then every other defender apparently, I was surprised by that.
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He's also got the second best pass completion in the entire squad as well (behind Carrick)

As for the team tomorrow news is that Rooney, Anderson and Evans missed training so with that in mind I think we'll see

---------------De Gea---------------
Fabio---Ferdinand---Jones---Evra
Valencia--Carrick--Fletcher--Young
---------------Berbatov
------------------Hernandez
Squad looking a little thin if Smalling and Welbeck also miss the game though I suspect that one of Smalling or Evans will probably make it
 
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Evra trained, he went off against Swansea as he was suffering from a virus, just realised I put Welbeck in my team by mistake meant to stick Hernandez in there

An update from Fergie is that although they missed training both Rooney and Evans should be fit, Smalling wont play but he should be okay for the weekend.
 
Tom84 said:
Evra trained, he went off against Swansea as he was suffering from a virus, just realised I put Welbeck in my team by mistake meant to stick Hernandez in there

An update from Fergie is that although they missed training both Rooney and Evans should be fit, Smalling wont play but he should be okay for the weekend.
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Apologies, Evra did train - I wish I could find the link from News Now from early Monday saying he wasnt at training - hey ho

Really a must win tonight imo - given how close the table could be if Utd and Benfica draw and Basel win (as they should) - wouldnt want to HAVE to win against Basel away, especially if some of the current injuries dont clear up
 
I hope we get someone like Barcalona or Real Madrid in the next roud just so we can have an early exit and focus on the league. No point even thinking about reaching the final with the crappy form utd are in right now. Even last year we got lucky to reach the final. Easy draws all the way. Chelsea were our toughest opponents and they were in a slump at the time. Barcelona put us firmly in our place.

and it would be nice to keep the same back 4 for more than 1 game. Look at newcastle, best defence in the league.
 
Robert1986 said:
I hope we get someone like Barcalona or Real Madrid in the next roud just so we can have an early exit and focus on the league. No point even thinking about reaching the final with the crappy form utd are in right now. Even last year we got lucky to reach the final. Easy draws all the way. Chelsea were our toughest opponents and they were in a slump at the time. Barcelona put us firmly in our place.

and it would be nice to keep the same back 4 for more than 1 game. Look at newcastle, best defence in the league.
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I understand your point - but then you read the lil ****** from down the road saying " we can win the CL in our first year in the competition" and it makes your blood boil - it does mine anyway

You also have to look at the (I believe) massive income loss compared to last year from CL tv revenue etc if Utd were to go out this early and with the club debt still pretty large...... any additional revenue is sorely needed

Barca would put most teams firmly in their place though (not sure whats happening in the Spanish league though, Barca havent been so imperious for some reason this year / also helped by Ronaldo's incredible form for RM of course) - every team should aim to be that good of course, but just because any team cant beat them doesnt mean they are necessarily as bad as all that either)

PS RM have already won their group and Barca will probably top theirs (although its a lot closer), so as long as Utd win tonight (and at least a point away to Basel) Utd will top the group too and there for cant meet either RM or Barca anyway ....draw tonight would be a disaster imo and probably cement Utd in 2nd after last group game
 
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Robert1986 said:
I hope we get someone like Barcalona or Real Madrid in the next roud just so we can have an early exit and focus on the league. No point even thinking about reaching the final with the crappy form utd are in right now. Even last year we got lucky to reach the final. Easy draws all the way. Chelsea were our toughest opponents and they were in a slump at the time. Barcelona put us firmly in our place.

and it would be nice to keep the same back 4 for more than 1 game. Look at newcastle, best defence in the league.
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Jesus whept

Firstly you want us to go out of the competition based on the form we're in now? Stupid just stupid :o

Secondly you think Fergies been changing the back 4 just for kicks? Never occurred to you that injuries are playing their part in all the changes?

I'm embarrassed for you I really am :o

EDIT: Oh and easy draws last year? marseille who had beaten Chelsea in the group stage? Schalke that scored 5 in the San Siro against the current holders? What constitutes a hard draw in your naive little world? Again really embarrassed for you.
 
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It's a debate that goes on at Caf quite a lot about the group stage that it seems we just don't bother and 'do enough' to get through and then try in the latter stages, and if so, does this effect our form going into the end because we haven't been revved up for it the whole way?

I do think that sometimes the players look like they can't be bothered against some of these group stage teams.
 
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