Champions League 2024-25

Who will win?


  • Total voters
    45
  • This poll will close: .

Birdy

Senior Member
To beat Madrid you need to be confident in your technical ability and don't give up on your game plan. The issue is 1-2 teams may have that kind of elite ability on the ball to implement that type of game plan on full 90 mins.

Likes of Liverpool, Bayern, are good teams, but their style of play is rather direct and similar to Madrid, while having lesser players compared to those of Madrid.

You are obviously referring to previous iterations of Liverpool and Bayern

- To beat Madrid you need to have first of all good pressing, as they suffer when teams press them in coordinated and intense way
- Then you need to take control of md, which I have no doubt we will do with Pedri-Casado
- You need your attackers to take the (many) chances Madrid's defense let go through. Obviously that applies to any game
- Finally you need good 1v1 defence on Vini. I don't know if we have that now without Araujo
 

serghei

Senior Member
I see it also as a match-up issue, not only a pedigree issue.

For example, parking the bus against Pep Barca produced the best results.

Vs Madrid parking the bus is simply bad. Has been a bad approach for almost a decade.

The favorable conditions that give Madrid such a big edge in CL, beyond just pedigree, is that most of the top teams around are right up their alley in terms of match-up.
 

Maradona37

Well-known member
I see it also as a match-up issue than a pedigree issue.

For example, parking the bus against Pep Barca functioned produced the best results.

Vs Madrid parking the bus is simply bad.

The favorable conditions that give Madrid such a big edge in CL, beyond just pedigree, is that most of the top teams around are right up their alley in terms of match-up.
That's a fair point too.

You'd think if you were more open against RM they would destroy you on the counter. But it does seem like their younger midfielders lack the press resistance that Kroos and Modric had, so going after them and pressing them relentlessly will yield chances high up the pitch. It's high risk and high reward.

Maybe the worst thing for Dortmund tonight was going two up so early. They thought they could hold on and 'afford' to lose one, but as Real have proved many times they score goals quickly in succession - once they get one their tails are up and the opposition (especially a weak mentally one like Dortmund) might collapse.

So I would agree the best way to play against Real is to be in their face and go at them with coordinated pressing. The issue is it is very very difficult to maintain that over 90 minutes, especially in their own fortress of a stadium.

In general though, and in theory, you are likely right. But as we see it's very difficult to implement in practice. To be fair teams in La Liga are getting chances against Real, they're just missing them.
 

serghei

Senior Member
You are obviously referring to previous iterations of Liverpool and Bayern

- To beat Madrid you need to have first of all good pressing, as they suffer when teams press them in coordinated and intense way
- Then you need to take control of md, which I have no doubt we will do with Pedri-Casado
- You need your attackers to take the (many) chances Madrid's defense let go through. Obviously that applies to any game
- Finally you need good 1v1 defence on Vini. I don't know if we have that now without Araujo

Pressing yes, but you can't press for full 90. You need more than just efficient pressing.

Midfield control and managing the tempo to cut their attempts to box you in is key. None of the elite teams bar City rank high in this area.
 

DonAK

President of FC Barcelona
The French turtle went to the wrong club. He's going to get overshadowed there most of the time.
 

Ter Stature

Active member
Pressing yes, but you can't press for full 90. You need more than just efficient pressing.

Midfield control and managing the tempo to cut their attempts to box you in is key. None of the elite teams bar City rank high in this area.
And some actual defenders that are fast strong and go in to the 1 on 1 s with confidence and aggressiveness.

Dortmund players just waited for Madrid. Like a sheep to the slaughter.
Chiellini class defenders are really dead, aren't they? He wouldn't just watch, at least try something.
 

serghei

Senior Member
They generally beat you if you go toe to toe on transitions vs them. Madrid been the best side in the game on the counter since ages, since Mourinho days. There's no proper possession team since Barcelona had financial problems except City. So they basically need to take City out or have someone else do it, and they become favorites for the title time and time again.

Another option to beat them is a Milan level side. Elite defensive side but having magicians like prime Kaka and elite strikers like Crespo, Inzaghi that score from nothing. That profile of a team has disappeared since Milan and old Chelsea.
 

Maradona37

Well-known member
So a pretty good night in the end prediction-wise. Sure most of these outcomes were predictable but still not bad. Girona were the least fancied outcome of the 7 I got right, with 68 percent backing them to win. Interestingly, and surprisingly, there was a lot of hope for Dortmund - Real Madrid were 'only' backed by 69 percent of players. That surprised me as they are normally one of the most fancied teams on Superbru in most games

I still have a red arrow instead of green so it was obviously a very predictable evening. But I hope those who didn't back Real Madrid will have lost ground.

Predictions.jpg
 

Porque

Senior Member
Got to admit, the toilet bowl was well and truly ringing last night.

That was some spicy vindaloo.

It would have only been more buzzing, if Franco had emerged to tell everyone he had faked his death.
 

Fati_Future_BallonDor

Well-known member
Watched Juve Stuttgart a bit yesterday, Stuttgart had completely dominated Juve.

I never thought i would say that but Allegri was better than Motta so far, you see nothing of the brilliant offense football he played with Bologna.

But have to say Juve's squad is crap, 80% of the players are not top level or even great.
 

Fati_Future_BallonDor

Well-known member
So a pretty good night in the end prediction-wise. Sure most of these outcomes were predictable but still not bad. Girona were the least fancied outcome of the 7 I got right, with 68 percent backing them to win. Interestingly, and surprisingly, there was a lot of hope for Dortmund - Real Madrid were 'only' backed by 69 percent of players. That surprised me as they are normally one of the most fancied teams on Superbru in most games

I still have a red arrow instead of green so it was obviously a very predictable evening. But I hope those who didn't back Real Madrid will have lost ground.

View attachment 11215

Post your predictions for today, i will need some inspirations for my betting sheet 🧐🧐
 

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