Champions League 2022/2023
- Thread starter Barcaman
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fergus90
Senior Member
Players know the important of the Champions League to Real Madrid. Modric did an interview with Rio Ferdinand before the Liverpool game and said it was an absolute obsession at the club, especially as La Decima was 12 years in the making.
Their ability to face adversity shows the strength of team spirit. Benzema last year and Rodrygo too, Courtois in the final. Bale was clutch when he needed to be, Ronaldo a goal machine, Navas vs Bayern in the Allianz basically stopped an onslaught.
Yes it's fantastic if you're team is playing another team off the park, but quality is also being able to remain calm under pressure and never give up.
Big players pull out big performances when they're needed, that's what separates the elite from the rest in these big moments.
Their ability to face adversity shows the strength of team spirit. Benzema last year and Rodrygo too, Courtois in the final. Bale was clutch when he needed to be, Ronaldo a goal machine, Navas vs Bayern in the Allianz basically stopped an onslaught.
Yes it's fantastic if you're team is playing another team off the park, but quality is also being able to remain calm under pressure and never give up.
Big players pull out big performances when they're needed, that's what separates the elite from the rest in these big moments.
Respekt_III
Anti-everything
Mentality makes a huge diff. Our team are fucking losers just sucking the club dry in comparison (when it comes to facing adversity) and that stemmed from the top. Barto was the worst thing to ever happen to Barcelona.
soul24rage
Senior Member
Madrid has a variety of ways to attack different types of team setup.
They can play either pressure high of the opponent, play possession based, have the speed and physicality to play counter attacks, and can also cross and inshallah.
Also helps that they were trained in dark magic and have great self-belief in unfavorable situations.
They can play either pressure high of the opponent, play possession based, have the speed and physicality to play counter attacks, and can also cross and inshallah.
Also helps that they were trained in dark magic and have great self-belief in unfavorable situations.
The good old mentality argument, which certainly played a part, but we had still had too many freaking players that weren't good enough even for EL clubs (Lenglet, Semedo, Coutinho..). Put literally any defender from Madrid into Barca 18/19 instead of Lenglet and we have a CL more.
Real has performed amazingly in the CL for almost a decade now but lets take a closer look at the surroundings. Before 2013-14 season, they had underachieved for more than a decade. For several years, after thei last win in 2002, they were routinely knocked out in the round of 16. Then Perez took over, brought a number of top-class players + Mourinho. Jose improved everything. With him in charge, Madrid made to the semis in three consecutive years but were always knocked out (somewhat deservingly too). The Mourinho period also included two all-time super teams: Bayern of 2012-13 and of course Guardiola`s Barcelona of 2008-2012 which is probably the greatest club side of all time. 2013-14 Madrid were dominant in the CL. They faced three German teams in knockout stages. Schalke whom they smashed. Dortmund whom they defeated, thanks to a strong Bernabeu showing. Then of course came Bayern Munich. Bayern had just won the treble and the one, Pep Guardiola was charge there. They were the big favourites to repeat the CL title as well as many believed that they might build a several-year dominant legacy, similar to what Barca had previously. That didnt exactly happen. Peps Bayern was always way too idealistic, playing high-line and being vulnerable to counter-attacks. Madrid easily won in a dominant fashion. In the final they played the real sensation of the season, Atletico Madrid. Atletico (true to their style) scored an early goal from a set-piece and the parked the bus, which in the end didnt help. Real, deservedly won the match as well as the whole title. Real Madrid won the Champions league in 2013-14 and was the best team.
2015-16. Barca, who had won the treble last year was the team to beat that season. No doubts. While the midfield wasnt as great as it once was, the MSN attack was at its peak. Madrid faced in the knockout rounds Roma, Wolfsburg and Man City. They managed to beat a poor Roma side comfortably but were in a big-time trouble against Wolfsburg but managed to win, just. Man City at that time was coached by Manuel Pellegrini and while squad-quality -wise they probably were the best team in England, they were nothing like the juggernaut they are now. Real beat them 1-0. Then another final against Atletico, who managed to beat a competent Bayern side. After a pretty even 120 minutes, Real won it with penalties. Real Madrid won the 2015-16 Champions league without facing either of the two truely great teams, Bayern and Barcelona. Their route to the final was ridiculously easy and they really werent the best team that season
2016-17. Real faced Napoli, Bayern, Atletico and then Juve at the final. Real easily dispatched a somewhat competent Maurizio Sarri-inspired Napoli. Then they faced Bayern, coached by their former boss Ancelotti. After very even bouts in Munich and Madrid, Real Madrid won but not without controversy. In the second leg, Arturo Vidal was somewhat controversially sent off, while Casemiro (who himself should have been red-carded) stayed on the pitch. After this, Real took over and won in the extra time, after two offside goals from CR7. Had it played now, with VAR it would have been a thoroughly different game, with Bayern probably having the edge. Real then somewhat comfortably beat Atletico before destroying an over-achieving Juventus side. Real was the 2017 CL and was the most dominant team but the Bayern clash provokes some questions. Still, they did deserve it.
2017-18. With this season the classical symptoms of the champion`s hangover were on full display. After winning back to back CLs (as well as three in four years) they clearly lacked hunger. In the knockout rounds they faced PSG, Juventus, Bayern and Liverpool in the final. Boy! PSG was the better side in Bernabeu for long periods in time. They lead, then Real levelled with penalty and won in the end thanks to two-quickfire goals. Neymar got also injured after the match and PSG didnt really get their shits together in Paris. Real advanced comfortably. Then Juventus. Real won in Turin 3-0 but in reality the game was much tighter and on another day might have ended up like 1-1. Then in Bernabeu things happened. They played horribly. They basically just went through motions and Juve got a deserved 3-0 -lead after which Real finally manned-up a bit and got a penalty and got through. Just like against PSG, they werent really in any way dominant here. In the semis they faced Bayern now coached by their old maestro, Jupp Heynckes. Bayern were the better team in both legs but because of the screw-ups of their deputy goalkeeper Ulreich + a marvellous Keylor Navas second-leg display, they survived. Then they played Liverpool in the final. After a fairly even final, one player stepped in. Lloris Karius. He gifted Real not one but two goals. Real won 3-1. In spite of playing against the absolute top-opposition of the continent, Real were rarely in any way dominant and were rarely the better team in the bigger picture. Bayern or Liverpool should have won the 2018 CL.
2021-22. They faced PSG, Chelsea, Man City and finally Liverpool again. Against PSG they were completely dominated by the first 150 or so minutes. Then Donnaruma fucked up, Benzema got a clever pass and a PSG defender fucked up. All of this happened in like what, 15 minutes. You cant make this up. Real got through. Chelsea? Chelsea lost at home 1-3 even though the game was much more even and yet again there was a goalkeeper fuck-up. At Bernabeu, Chelsea dominated an led 0-3 before Real got one back. Then in the extra time Benzema headed home the winner. It is of course worth mentioning that Benzema was in an absolute red-hot form during this period. Still, both Chelsea and especially PSG played much better overall. Man City. You cant make this up. Man City won their home game 4-3 even though they dominated to whole game and should have won like 5-1. At Bernabeu they dominated the whole 90 minutes and got one goal even though they should have gotten at least three. Then... Rodrygo gets two quick-fire goals in the space of 90 seconds, game goals to extra time, Real gets a penalty and advances to the final. This is just.... I dont know. In the final they play against Liverpool. Liverpool dominated the whole game but Real win with an offside-goal. Real won the CL even though they were completely outplayed in every single of their knockout ties. How did they manage to win the damned thing, I have absolutely no idea.
So.... Out of 5 titles, 2 were unquestionably deserved. 2014 and 2017. All the others were somewhat dodgy. They werent really the standout team, they just somehow got the job done. Of course, it should be said that in football there is rarely (if ever) a side that has endured a 100%, bulletproof domination. Barca vs Chelsea 2009, vs Arsenal 2011. Bayern vs Arsenal 2013. But it is what it is. All Im saying is.... Real Madrid are the luckiest team on Earth.
2015-16. Barca, who had won the treble last year was the team to beat that season. No doubts. While the midfield wasnt as great as it once was, the MSN attack was at its peak. Madrid faced in the knockout rounds Roma, Wolfsburg and Man City. They managed to beat a poor Roma side comfortably but were in a big-time trouble against Wolfsburg but managed to win, just. Man City at that time was coached by Manuel Pellegrini and while squad-quality -wise they probably were the best team in England, they were nothing like the juggernaut they are now. Real beat them 1-0. Then another final against Atletico, who managed to beat a competent Bayern side. After a pretty even 120 minutes, Real won it with penalties. Real Madrid won the 2015-16 Champions league without facing either of the two truely great teams, Bayern and Barcelona. Their route to the final was ridiculously easy and they really werent the best team that season
2016-17. Real faced Napoli, Bayern, Atletico and then Juve at the final. Real easily dispatched a somewhat competent Maurizio Sarri-inspired Napoli. Then they faced Bayern, coached by their former boss Ancelotti. After very even bouts in Munich and Madrid, Real Madrid won but not without controversy. In the second leg, Arturo Vidal was somewhat controversially sent off, while Casemiro (who himself should have been red-carded) stayed on the pitch. After this, Real took over and won in the extra time, after two offside goals from CR7. Had it played now, with VAR it would have been a thoroughly different game, with Bayern probably having the edge. Real then somewhat comfortably beat Atletico before destroying an over-achieving Juventus side. Real was the 2017 CL and was the most dominant team but the Bayern clash provokes some questions. Still, they did deserve it.
2017-18. With this season the classical symptoms of the champion`s hangover were on full display. After winning back to back CLs (as well as three in four years) they clearly lacked hunger. In the knockout rounds they faced PSG, Juventus, Bayern and Liverpool in the final. Boy! PSG was the better side in Bernabeu for long periods in time. They lead, then Real levelled with penalty and won in the end thanks to two-quickfire goals. Neymar got also injured after the match and PSG didnt really get their shits together in Paris. Real advanced comfortably. Then Juventus. Real won in Turin 3-0 but in reality the game was much tighter and on another day might have ended up like 1-1. Then in Bernabeu things happened. They played horribly. They basically just went through motions and Juve got a deserved 3-0 -lead after which Real finally manned-up a bit and got a penalty and got through. Just like against PSG, they werent really in any way dominant here. In the semis they faced Bayern now coached by their old maestro, Jupp Heynckes. Bayern were the better team in both legs but because of the screw-ups of their deputy goalkeeper Ulreich + a marvellous Keylor Navas second-leg display, they survived. Then they played Liverpool in the final. After a fairly even final, one player stepped in. Lloris Karius. He gifted Real not one but two goals. Real won 3-1. In spite of playing against the absolute top-opposition of the continent, Real were rarely in any way dominant and were rarely the better team in the bigger picture. Bayern or Liverpool should have won the 2018 CL.
2021-22. They faced PSG, Chelsea, Man City and finally Liverpool again. Against PSG they were completely dominated by the first 150 or so minutes. Then Donnaruma fucked up, Benzema got a clever pass and a PSG defender fucked up. All of this happened in like what, 15 minutes. You cant make this up. Real got through. Chelsea? Chelsea lost at home 1-3 even though the game was much more even and yet again there was a goalkeeper fuck-up. At Bernabeu, Chelsea dominated an led 0-3 before Real got one back. Then in the extra time Benzema headed home the winner. It is of course worth mentioning that Benzema was in an absolute red-hot form during this period. Still, both Chelsea and especially PSG played much better overall. Man City. You cant make this up. Man City won their home game 4-3 even though they dominated to whole game and should have won like 5-1. At Bernabeu they dominated the whole 90 minutes and got one goal even though they should have gotten at least three. Then... Rodrygo gets two quick-fire goals in the space of 90 seconds, game goals to extra time, Real gets a penalty and advances to the final. This is just.... I dont know. In the final they play against Liverpool. Liverpool dominated the whole game but Real win with an offside-goal. Real won the CL even though they were completely outplayed in every single of their knockout ties. How did they manage to win the damned thing, I have absolutely no idea.
So.... Out of 5 titles, 2 were unquestionably deserved. 2014 and 2017. All the others were somewhat dodgy. They werent really the standout team, they just somehow got the job done. Of course, it should be said that in football there is rarely (if ever) a side that has endured a 100%, bulletproof domination. Barca vs Chelsea 2009, vs Arsenal 2011. Bayern vs Arsenal 2013. But it is what it is. All Im saying is.... Real Madrid are the luckiest team on Earth.
malvolio
Senior Member
Yes and no. As in mentality is tied in with the raw ability of players. Let's be honest, Real had some legendary or great players, just as we had. What they did different is getting lucky with more signings(we got lucky with La Masia golden gen) and better managers for the squads they had.
For example, people rave about mentality after yesterday's result, but everyone knew Real had the better players/squad quality. It was just a matter of turning it on. On the opposite side, Liverpool were always a squad of over achievers under Klopp. Their midfield is trash when compared with what Real had, for example.
Iniesta Ultra
Senior Member
Both matches boring.
Luftstalag14
Culé de Celestial Empire
Boring game from City as usual, pathetic effort from Leipzig in the first half.
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