I am really not used to this optimistic side of you, BBZ. Can you be the old self please?
When we are crap, I am whining against all players, a coach, against everything.
But when we are good, I am quite optimistic.
Since post Cruijff's era (middle 90s, since I am watching Barca), the current Barca (in this moment, this Month), in terms of players+motivation of a team+momentum+level of injuries+mental strength+experience is one of the best Barca's since 1995.
Apart from Pep's team, which was out of this world, the only other Barcas which were this good were:
1. Barcelona 2005/06
2. Barcelona 2014/15
3. Barcelona 2004/05, lost to Chelsea. We were extremely good, but still too naive and inexperience to win a CL
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4. all other Barcas
Imo, a current Barca, from the last Month (and imo we will continue to be in an extremely hot form) is in my eyes the 3rd best Barca (not counting Pep's Barcas) in the last 20 years. We are only slightly weaker than Barca from 2006 or 2015.
I am usually quite pessimistic, but in this moment I am extremely optimistic about our CL campaign.
I do have only some minor fears regarding Bayern, and about any team in a final, because anything can happen in 90 minutes (unlike in 180 minutes).
We'll win against Juventus, don't worry.
It's the same Bayern whom they screwed pretty royally just recently. 13-14
That was Pep's Bayern.
Imo, Pep's Bayern was one of the weakest Bayerns in a CL in the last 20 years (except those few poor years 7-8 years ago).
Bayern was always extremely good team and tough to play against. A combination of technique, physical strength and typical German mental strength.
Pep turned them into a statpadding machine in Bundesliga and into a truly horrible and sterile Bayern in a CL.
** I remember a funny anecdote around early 00's, whenever Real (Galacticos) was drawn against Bayern, my friends Barca's fans and neutral football fans always laughed and say: Bayern and Barca are the only 2 teams in the world who can win against Galacticos.
And: this is a KO for Real.
Anyway, when Bayern plays against Real, in my eyes, it is always 60:40 for Bayern.
Regarding Pep, an interesting stat, all CL matches between Bayern and Real in Munchen:
2000' group: Bayern 4:1
2000' semis: Bayern 2:1
2001' semis: Bayern 2:1
2002' quarters: Bayern 2:1
2004' 1/8s: Bayern 1:1
2007' 1/8s: Bayern 2:1
2012' semis: Bayern 2:1
2014' semis: Real 0:4
So, Bayern WITHOUT Pep has 6 wins and 1 draw in 7 matches against Real in Champions league (in Munchen).
With Pep they managed to lose 0:4 at home.
In all 7 matches in Munchen, Real always scored 1 goal (never more than 1 goal).
Bayern, on the other hand, in 6 out of 7 home matches scored 2 or more goals, and never managed to finish a home match against Real without at least 1 goal scored.
Pep managed to break all records:
1. he lost with Bayern at home against Real, for the first time ever
2. he didn't score a goal at home at all
3. for the first time, Bayern conceded more than 1 goal at home (4 goals this time)
So, imo, we shouldn't look too much at Pep's Bayern while we talk about upcoming matches.
Current Bayern may lose again, but none Bayern's team will probably ever be as sterile as Pep's Bayern was in Europe in those 3 years against bigger teams (not counting teams like Arsenal).