Champions League 12/13

[darthvader7888]

You think Madrid have a better chance of beating Barca than Dortmund? I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. I'm not going to base Barca's performance off a horrible period where Milan also dicked Barca 2-0.

Madrid have been the worst of those 4 teams in the CL this season. They barely got out alive against a very good but not great United team and the scoreline have flattered them in both legs against the weakest team left in the competition (Gala).

I wouldn't have them as favourites against any of Barca, Bayern or Dortmund. Their success against Barca is giving a false illusion IMO.

Our defense is meh, but I agree that we can beat Real IF we play at our best, like we did in the second leg against Milan. I still think they're the ones with the best chance of knocking us out though.

 

[DonAndres]

Madrid are only in the conversation because everything is going their way. We can all thank Cakir for starting the ball rolling.

Overall their season has not been great but they are finding their best form right now and a lot of players are stepping up in the areas where they need it most. Higuain is becoming much more reliable, along with even Benzema. Ronaldo is in a great run right now. Varane has stepped up greatly to help fix any defensive problems they had and now they are pretty solid in the back too. It's horrible that they are finding their best form right now right when we are in a horrible spell so that's made us look much worse, but honestly they do look like possible champions. They've walked past Gala into the semis and in current form, they could get past us or Dortmund. Bayern would be their only problems and they could even overcome them.

 

[ceefoo]

Borussia Dortmund vs Malaga

What a finish! I was going to turn off to watch the final minutes of Galatasaray vs RM when I saw the score.... luckily I didn't.

I just knew that RM would draw Malaga if the had gone through, which would have meant a bye for MouDrid. So happy Dortmund won as they have beaten RM already.

BD had so many chances over both legs and Willy was having a worldy (MotM for me). It was reminiscent of Barca vs Chel$ki last season.

Only THREE offsides leading up to Dortmunds winner. Nevermind!

Malaga can't complain as they also benefited from an offside goal.

 

[big_man]

Our defense is meh, but I agree that we can beat Real IF we play at our best, like we did in the second leg against Milan. I still think they're the ones with the best chance of knocking us out though.

I agree with the bit in bold, but that is countered by the fact that I think Barca are better equipped to beat the German teams. Provided all the CB's aren't dead by the time the Semi's are here!

 

[darthvader7888]

Overall their season has not been great but they are finding their best form right now and a lot of players are stepping up in the areas where they need it most. Higuain is becoming much more reliable, along with even Benzema. Ronaldo is in a great run right now. Varane has stepped up greatly to help fix any defensive problems they had and now they are pretty solid in the back too. It's horrible that they are finding their best form right now right when we are in a horrible spell so that's made us look much worse, but honestly they do look like possible champions. They've walked past Gala into the semis and in current form, they could get past us or Dortmund. Bayern would be their only problems and they could even overcome them.

Eh, they weren't too impressive against Gala IMO. They did get a bit lucky with the ref, especially in the first leg. I reckon Bayern would beat them. Dortmund, maybe.

As for us, I think we could beat them, or anyone, for that matter, if we play like we did against Milan in the second leg. I can honestly still see us winning the CL, even with the current state of our defense, if our remaining games are anything like the second leg against Milan. Though this defense will cause us problems and could very well be our downfall.

 

[big_man]

Overall their season has not been great but they are finding their best form right now and a lot of players are stepping up in the areas where they need it most. Higuain is becoming much more reliable, along with even Benzema. Ronaldo is in a great run right now. Varane has stepped up greatly to help fix any defensive problems they had and now they are pretty solid in the back too. It's horrible that they are finding their best form right now right when we are in a horrible spell so that's made us look much worse, but honestly they do look like possible champions. They've walked past Gala into the semis and in current form, they could get past us or Dortmund. Bayern would be their only problems and they could even overcome them.

Madrid haven't looked any better than Barca (or Bayern, or Dortmund) in the CL KO. How has varane fixed anything when they have conceded 5 goals over the past 4 games, three of them against the worst team of the QF? That is anything but a solid defence. If Barca and Bayern qualify tomorrow, I don't see them (Madrid) beating two of the remaning 3 teams to win it, I just don't.

 

[Barcaman]

Terrible refereeing. Malaga were also offside on their 2nd goal.

 

[DonAndres]

Eh, they weren't too impressive against Gala IMO. They did get a bit lucky with the ref, especially in the first leg. I reckon Bayern would beat them. Dortmund, maybe.

As for us, I think we could beat them, or anyone, for that matter, if we play like we did against Milan in the second leg. I can honestly still see us winning the CL, even with the current state of our defense, if our remaining games are anything like the second leg against Milan. Though this defense will cause us problems and could very well be our downfall.

That's a big if. Not trying to be pessimistic or anything but you can't judge our ability to go through based on one game. We've not been great at all aside from that one game, whereas Real have been in great form, even against Gala. Considering how things are right now, there is little chance of us being able to best Bayern or Real if we were to face them in the CL. And yea I know the Milan game was great but you can't always compare our best form to the oppositions worst form.

 

[Flavia]

Offside calls have gotten worse lately, either by incompetence or design but either way its embarrassing on this level...The close/marginal decisions are part & parcel of the game, IMHO, but the obvious ones are inexcusable - these refs should never see a big match again

The offsides on the dortmund-malaga game were clear live on tv(not replays), so it's incompetence.

 

[DonAndres]

Madrid haven't looked any better than Barca (or Bayern, or Dortmund) in the CL KO. How has varane fixed anything when they have conceded 5 goals over the past 4 games, three of them against the worst team of the QF? That is anything but a solid defence. If Barca and Bayern qualify tomorrow, I don't see them (Madrid) beating two of the remaning 3 teams to win it, I just don't.

Varane didn't have a good game today so they conceded 3 goals (plus Gala were always destined to do extremely well at home). Other than that they kept a clean sheet in the last game and conceding against a team as attack minded as United doesn't make their defense so vulnerable, Varane was great against them if you don't remember.

 

[darthvader7888]

That's a big if. Not trying to be pessimistic or anything but you can't judge our ability to go through based on one game. We've not been great at all aside from that one game, whereas Real have been in great form, even against Gala. Considering how things are right now, there is little chance of us being able to best Bayern or Real if we were to face them in the CL. And yea I know the Milan game was great but you can't always compare our best form to the oppositions worst form.

I think we've done all right recently, especially considering La Liga is basically done (so we are bound to be meh in some Liga games, like the Celta one). We certainly haven't been as bad as we were in February. Last week's game was disappointing though (then again, we hardly ever do too well in away knockout games in the CL).

We stepped up when we needed to before, and I can see it happening again. Like you said, it's a pretty big if, but I can see it happening.

 

[big_man]

That's a big if. Not trying to be pessimistic or anything but you can't judge our ability to go through based on one game. We've not been great at all aside from that one game, whereas Real have been in great form, even against Gala. Considering how things are right now, there is little chance of us being able to best Bayern or Real if we were to face them in the CL. And yea I know the Milan game was great but you can't always compare our best form to the oppositions worst form.

I don't understand this, you keep banging on about Madrid being in great form and trying to downplay Barca's trashing of Milan which was arguably the best performance of the round of 16. Madrid have been anything but great. The only good game they've played is against Gala (the worst team of the last 8) at home, even then, Barca's performance against Milan was much more impressive, and against a more well drilled team.

Varane didn't have a good game today so they conceded 3 goals (plus Gala were always destined to do extremely well at home). Other than that they kept a clean sheet in the last game and conceding against a team as attack minded as United doesn't make their defense so vulnerable, Varane was great against them if you don't remember.

Right, so we are so supposed to ignore the fact that Varane didn't have a good game because?

 

[darthvader7888]

I don't understand this, you keep banging on about Madrid being in great form and trying to downplay Barca's trashing of Milan which was arguably the best performance of the round of 16. Madrid have been anything but great. The only good game they've played is against Gala (the worst team of the last 8) at home, even then, Barca's performance against Milan was much more impressive, and against a more well drilled team.



Right, so we are so supposed to ignore the fact that Varane didn't have a good game because?

Tbh, I think our 4-0 against Milan was the best performance of the CL. Especially considering we went into the game 2-0 down.

 

[Stric]

The refereeing in the CL this season has been appalling. It's never perfect, but this season it's really something else. Especially in the QFs. And the amount of help that RM have been getting from referees this time around is astonishing. It's been incredibly helpful, to say the least, if not even decisive. Many other teams haven't exactly been impressive (Barca included) overall, but most of them had occasions when they had to pull off their best performances (like Barca against Milan, 2nd leg) to advance, whereas I don't remember a single brilliant effort or game from RM so far. I do remember them sucking thoroughly and being blatantly helped by the refs to make it up.

 

[Pepe Silvia]

absolutely gutted for malaga. can't believe it. demichelis and especially caballero were heroic. isco was quiet but then turned it on in the last half of 2nd and sliced up bd. in the end though, bd quality came rising to the top and to the challenge. well done to them. the guy with the mask though should have been sent off. the offsides goals cancelled eachother out.