UEFA Champions League Discussion

Re: UEFA Champions League Quarter Finals Discussion

I think we've done well this year in europe but only underformed in 1 match which was the home game to Lyon so we've done ok but definetly need to improve, we look very cautious in the Champions league like its a mental issue
 
Re: UEFA Champions League Quarter Finals Discussion

Great result last night!
 
Re: UEFA Champions League Quarter Finals Discussion

Yes Plan M.
I enjoyed Roma in the second half, but Man Utd was super effective before goal...a team where Park Ji Sung is an unusual first team player, is a very, very good team...

Man utd are favourites to win this year's CL.
 
Re: UEFA Champions League Quarter Finals Discussion

Schalke deserve to win last night,at least draw,Barca had 1 attack only and they score,but this is football dont have any justice
 
Re: UEFA Champions League Quarter Finals Discussion

Barça played horrible as we usually do this year. We need a new coach. And then there's the injuries... when barça recovers messi, deco and marquez (and even ronaldinho) then it's another team, one that actually can beat even Man Utd. Without them, no chance.
 
Re: UEFA Champions League Quarter Finals Discussion

Can someone explain to me why Bendtner was ruled offside on that goal he blocked? It looks like both Hyppia and Carragher keep him on.
 
Re: UEFA Champions League Quarter Finals Discussion

Deivid's spectacular long-range effort nine minutes from time gave Fenerbahçe SK a UEFA Champions League quarter-final first-leg win against Chelsea FC that had seemed most unlikely when the same player scored an early own goal.

Tie turned
Chelsea, who have won three ties at this stage in the past four seasons, looked in control after that opening gift. But after being under pressure for much of the first half, the knockout phase debutants responded after the break and London-born substitute Kazım Kazım turned the tie with a neat left-footed finish before Deivid's moment of redemption left next Tuesday's return at Stamford Bridge perfectly poised.

Wide men
The anticipation of the biggest European match in their 100-year history had Fenerbahçe fans thronging outside the Sükrü Saraçoglu Stadium from early afternoon and by the kick-off fervent would be a severe understatement of the atmosphere. With regular full-backs Gökhan Gönül and Roberto Carlos absent through suspension and injury respectively, Chelsea manager Avram Grant opted to test replacements Önder Turacı and Gökçek Vederson by deploying Florent Malouda and Joe Cole in advanced wide roles. The Englishman had an early chance but Volkan Demirel was wise to his chip.

Own goal
However it was Malouda, making his first start since 8 March, who created the opening goal. The French international, chasing a clever Frank Lampard back-heel, cut back in the box and Deivid turned the ball inside his own near post, the third consecutive UEFA Champions League game here in which the visitors' opening goal has come from a home player. Michael Essien, starting at right-back for Chelsea, then advanced forward and his powerful drive skimmed the crossbar.

Drogba threat
Former Chelsea forward Mateja Kežman cut an isolated figure as Fenerbahçe's lone striker, though a Mehmet Aurélio pass flew just behind him in the box. By contrast, his busy counterpart Didier Drogba headed Essien's cross just wide and stung Volkan Demirel's hands with an angled shot. Home midfielder Claudio Maldonado was having to spend much of his UEFA competition debut in defence, while Carlo Cudicini, continuing in the Chelsea goal for the injured Petr Čech, had a more straightforward first half.

Revamp
Fenerbahçe did threaten early in the second period as a testing Önder Turacı centre only just eluded captain Alex. Drogba responded, again forcing Volkan Demirel to save, and Zico decided to revamp the home attack with the introduction of Kazım Kazım. A well-worked corner ended with Kežman's overhead effort being blocked by Cudicini, but again Chelsea moved forward and Lampard's teasing free-kick was headed over by Ricardo Carvalho.

Equaliser
Volkan Demirel dived to stop Michael Ballack's attempt from distance, and in similar circumstances Alex made Cudicini work. And soon after the Italian was beaten as a superb Mehmet Aurélio pass from halfway sent Kazım Kazım clear, who coolly controlled and shot in to level the tie. Ballack nearly restored the visitors' lead, but again Volkan Demirel was in the right place.

Winner
Unsurprisingly the volume inside the arena was now ear-splitting and Deivid was unlucky not to turn it up further as he just misjudged an acrobatic attempt similar to the one that stunned FC Internazionale Milano on Matchday 1. But something more spectacular was coming, a strike from 30 metres out that swerved beyond Cudicini's dive to give the home side their fifth successive home win in this season's competition and the edge in the tie.
 
Re: UEFA Champions League Quarter Finals Discussion

StayingPower said:
Can someone explain to me why Bendtner was ruled offside on that goal he blocked? It looks like both Hyppia and Carragher keep him on.
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haven't you heard, the Ref is dutch and Liverpool had two dutch players playing to Arsenal's one!;))
 
Re: UEFA Champions League Quarter Finals Discussion

Well done Fenerbahçe. They really rubished Chelsea at the second half of the match and they really suprised me. Second Turkish football revolution is coming, I guess.

And Mehmet Aurelio. He should be at the top on transfer list for bigger clubs like Real Madrid, Manchester United, etc. He is perfect and he was really without mistake. And he defeated Essien and Lampard from the game.

:applause::applause:
 
Re: UEFA Champions League Quarter Finals Discussion

what a strike by Deivid, he just won't stop scoring... He scored all the best goals in Champions League this season.

forza Fenerbahce!!! wait for us Stamford Bridge!
 
Re: UEFA Champions League Quarter Finals Discussion

Saw the Arsenal-Liverpool match.
Liverpool were very lucky...but they have a good result.
Still i think Arsenal are the better team.
 
Re: UEFA Champions League Quarter Finals Discussion

gerd said:
Saw the Arsenal-Liverpool match.
Liverpool were very lucky...but they have a good result.
Still i think Arsenal are the better team.
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Of course you do:-pp
 
Re: UEFA Champions League Quarter Finals Discussion

And judged by what i saw yesterday and the ranking in the Premiership...i have every right to think Arsenal are the better team...you are exagerating...
 
Re: UEFA Champions League Quarter Finals Discussion

I wont congratulate Fener yettt! They still have to finish the job in England, which will be VERY difficult. I hope Schalke can upset Barcelona...

Also, why does Benitez hate good soccer?
 
Re: UEFA Champions League Quarter Finals Discussion

Lizarazu77 said:
Schalke deserve to win last night,at least draw,Barca had 1 attack only and they score,but this is football dont have any justice
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Looks like Porto. Complete domination, but Schalke still went trough. Deserved might I had.
 
Re: UEFA Champions League Quarter Finals Discussion

AK.Rabona said:
Also, why does Benitez hate good soccer?
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Because he wants to win? And he knows are playing staff is limited in how it can play football.

Arsenal play beautiful football but its won them fuck all for 4 years now
 
Re: UEFA Champions League Quarter Finals Discussion

Moscow 2008 FINAL ball

004g6tsz


http://sportsphoto.livejournal.com/103291.html#cutid1
 
Re: UEFA Champions League Quarter Finals Discussion

I've never been a fan of the CL balls, but that one is especially bad.
 
Re: UEFA Champions League Quarter Finals Discussion

Peter Eyres said:
Because he wants to win? And he knows are playing staff is limited in how it can play football.

Arsenal play beautiful football but its won them fuck all for 4 years now
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That is true. Arsenal try to play beautiful football but relatively they have not been so succesful. This is the same case for Sevilla. Even though they won the Uefa Cup back to back, they missed the La Liga Championship last season and got eliminated this year to Fenerbahce. Teams like these usually suffer the same fate. The same arguement can be made for the Argentinian National Team last summer against Brazil.

BUT this is in part of people like Rafa Benitez or other teams that just try to kill the game and win or however you want to describe what this is. I don't want to say Arsenal plays "beautiful" football, because I feel that what Rafa tries to do can hardly be considered playing football. It seems to me that the teams like Arsenal come to play, and the opposition knows that they will be demolished if they try to beat Arsenal at their game. So instead of trying that, they just defend, defend, and defend, and pile pressure with defensive midfielders. I mean just look at the stats. 61% Arsenal 39% Liverpool in possesion. This is definitely not illegal or against the rules, and I respect Rafa for trying his own philosophy and actually suceeding. But it just doesn't seem like to right thing to do and even seems a little cowardly to me. I just wish that both sides could play like "Arsenal" so that fans of "beautiful" soccer would not always be sad because they're practically destined to lose to teams that play "Rafa football" :DD But thereis also a fact that teams like this should know how to win games like this, instead of always being stupid and losing.

Also, I am not a Arsenal fan or a Liverpool hater, or I am not even talking about that last game specifically. he reason why I kept using Arsenal and Liverpool as examples was only for hypothetical purposes. I am commenting about soccer in general.

I think by staff you meant the players on the team. If so, Rafa definitely has the required staff to play another style of football instead of what he is famous for. Fernando Torres, Ryan Babel, Gerrard, Kewell, Pennant. I can't even imagine the football that we would be seeing if these players were with Arsenal or Sevilla. This is my other concern. There is such a high concentration of talent in the team, but Rafa keeps playing the team like he has a roster of talentless players, and that the only way his team can win was if they play like the way they do
 
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Re: UEFA Champions League Quarter Finals Discussion

AK.Rabona said:
I think by staff you meant the players on the team. If so, Rafa definitely has the required staff to play another style of football instead of what he is famous for. Fernando Torres, Ryan Babel, Gerrard, Kewell, Pennant. I can't even imagine the football that we would be seeing if these players were with Arsenal or Sevilla. This is my other concern. There is such a high concentration of talent in the team, but Rafa keeps playing the team like he has a roster of talentless players, and that the only way his team can win was if they play like the way they do
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:LOL:

Btw, watch the game at Anfield, and then we can form an opinion ;)

And you could also do with watching the 03/04 Valencia side.

And you could also find out who the highest scoring team in the CL is this year.

And you can also find out which English team has scored the most goals this season.
 
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Re: UEFA Champions League Quarter Finals Discussion

Yep, we play effective football, we've scored for fun this year but our normally rigid defence has been poor, which has only really zipped up once Skrtel came in.

Agger= 9 more points this season and in the title race.
 
Re: UEFA Champions League Quarter Finals Discussion

Well I don't know about the rest, but most goals in CL is thanks to Besiktas. :DD
 
Re: UEFA Champions League Quarter Finals Discussion

c'mon Liverpool fans don't argue with them!!here Most people think because you don't play one touch passing football ala Arsenal so you don't play good football:roll:
I like Liverpool style of play,they played some really good football this year ,i remember the game against Chelsea in Anfield this year(when the ref gave us a pen..)Liverpool played very well
 
Re: UEFA Champions League Quarter Finals Discussion

At least one English team is guaranteed to make an appearance in the final for the FOURTH year running. That sums up the quality of the Premiership for me. :shock:
 
Twas a great match yesterday.
 
Re: UEFA Champions League Quarter Finals Discussion

Plan M said:
At least one English team is guaranteed to make an appearance in the final for the FOURTH year running. That sums up the quality of the Premiership for me. :shock:
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that sums up the quality of premiership's top 4 teams....not the quality of the whole league....:))
 
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