The Real Football Thread

[pmcg76]

So we are now at Quarter finals stage in Europe and there is one team left from the self proclaimed greatest league in the world. Top two clubs knocked out by "lesser" clubs. Oh dear.

Spain now has the two favourites for the CL and 3 teams left in the Europa league. Real and Barcelona may be miles ahead of the rest but its clear the rest aint bad either.

 

[Froome19]

So we are now at Quarter finals stage in Europe and there is one team left from the self proclaimed greatest league in the world. Top two clubs knocked out by "lesser" clubs. Oh dear.

Spain now has the two favourites for the CL and 3 teams left in the Europa league. Real and Barcelona may be miles ahead of the rest but its clear the rest aint bad either.

The key to the greatness of the Premier league is that it has a level of competition which is totally incomparable in any other leagues.
Every single club can challenge, just look at birmingham, they are in the championship yet still managed to put up a very decent show in Europe this season. No other country has such strong teams in their 2nd division.
The quality of La LIga's top over Pl's top is undeniable but thats people forget that that is not everything.

 

[lejarreta]

That goal from Llorente was special. The finish was great, the pass from Aurtenetxe outright incredible.

Although Aurtenetxe is my cousin, I must say that the pass comes from Amorebieta (my fellow basque-venezuelan countryboy).
I'm still enjoying the match. Eskerrik asko, mutillak!

 

[pmcg76]

The key to the greatness of the Premier league is that it has a level of competition which is totally incomparable in any other leagues.
Every single club can challenge, just look at birmingham, they are in the championship yet still managed to put up a very decent show in Europe this season. No other country has such strong teams in their 2nd division.
The quality of La LIga's top over Pl's top is undeniable but thats people forget that that is not everything.

Actually Birmingham City are my team and they did do well and I agree the Championship is probably the best 2nd level league anywhere. However when you look at how English teams do in the Europa league in comparison to Spanish teams over the years then the Spaniards have it which would suggest the lesser lights in Spain are in fact better.

The only thing that has changed in the Premier league is how teams come across money to make them competitive i.e. City, Chelsea. For years there was the big 4 in England(Man U, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool) and everyone else was nowhere until Spurs gatecrashed the party and City got the money.

Spain used to be as competitive with teams like Valencia, Deportivo, Sevilla challenging the big two. Unfortunately as money has dried up, the big 2 have re-asserted their position in Spain. In the PL, it has evolved and there is more competition between the Top 5/6 now but nobody has won the Premier league outside of United/Chelsea since Arsenal in 03 or 04 was it. How is that a competitive league.

I really enjoy watching PL games but I dont go in for this self glorifying stuff that is quite frankly hard to prove. We have just seen Bilbao, a mid ranking Spanish team knock out the dominant English team of the last 20 years and City lose to a mediocre Sporting team(4th in Portugal). I think the PL is exciting now as the standards drop, making it more competitive than before.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Although Aurtenetxe is my cousin, I must say that the pass comes from Amorebieta (my fellow basque-venezuelan countryboy).
I'm still enjoying the match. Eskerrik asko, mutillak!

My bad, on the first live viewing we actually missed the pass being delivered because they were showing a replay, so we just saw the ball float over the top and Llorente finish on the volley. It looked from the initial distance replay that it was Aurtenetxe that delivered it, but when they showed it from a better angle at half time, that was shown to be incorrect. I posted my gushing praise of the pass before that, and named the wrong guy.

 

[Zam_Olyas]

1/4 finale CL: Apoel-Real Madrid; OM-Bayern; Benfica-Chelsea; Milan-Barcelona.

 

[bladerunner]

Total respect to all the teams involved BUT this draw shows that the football gods have decided it's time for a gigantic showdown Madrid Vs Barca final. Thank You. Bring It On

 

[The Hitch]

Total respect to all the teams involved BUT this draw shows that the football gods have decided it's time for a gigantic showdown Madrid Vs Barca final. Thank You. Bring It On

They decided that Madrid have to be in the final. Barca actually have it tough.

Apoel and bayern, what a joke compared to AC and then probably chelsea

 

[Parrulo]

They decided that Madrid have to be in the final. Barca actually have it tough.

Apoel and bayern, what a joke compared to AC and then probably chelsea

is you mental? yes apoel will be easy for madrid but bayern is a much better team then both milan and benfica (who will eliminate chelsea)

your madrid hate is showing lot hitch, neither of them has it easy with barça having an harder quarter final then semi final and madrid the other way around.

 

[Zam_Olyas]

my post deleted?

 

[DominicDecoco]

Awful pictures from White Hart Lane

 

[hatcher]

Horrible. Brings back so many awful memories.

 

[RedheadDane]

It's Muamba you're talking, right?
I got really worried there...

Got some good news though. He's stable!

 

[Parrulo]

Parrulo, what do you make of this video with Drogba where he is watching the draw and when it is announced Chelsea are drawn against Benfica he sarcastically pretends to be shaking as if he is scared of them.

I really hope yee can win and put them firmly back in their place.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...nfica-ready-make-Didier-Drogba-pay-dance.html

it didn't bother me at all, i am more bothered by the clearly hand by terry which would be a penalty and by chelsea winning a game that they didn't deserve. a draw would be a much more deserved result.

i hope benfica can turn this around in stanford bridge but i know it will be very hard

 

[Parrulo]

I know you are hurting after the defeat and i know how you feel but i thought it was a poor game of football.

I expected a lot more from Benfica and Emerson had a poor game at left back up against Ramires. Javi Garcia was anonymous in midfield and he is capable of a lot more as a player.

I dont think they have much chance now in Stamford Bridge i am afraid. I hope i am wrong though.

Having said all this i dont think it was this great performance from Chelsea either. Gary Neville on Sky said it was a great professional performance. What game was he watching? Benfica never got their game really going to test Chelsea fully and Chelsea gave the ball away far too easily on many occassions and at times just hit aimless long balls forward.

I didn't say it was a good game, it was a very poor game actually mostly the first half. And i never said benfica deserved the win, the draw was the fair result as neither of the teams deserved the win imo

 

[airstream]

I'm totally disappointed with Benfica perfomance. They couldn't do anything even against half-dead Chelsea. I watched both games at the same time. That was funny to observe an idiotic hypertrophied portuguese technique (a player outperforms 1-2 opponents in the middle of the field and it gives him so much courage that he already doesn't see partners at all and thinks only about 1 thing - how to do everything by himself) whereas Real are very rational in its technique - 2-3 passes and a shot right away.

 

[Zam_Olyas]

Athletic v shalke is a great game.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

End result's a bit unfair on Schalke I have to say, they deserved at least a draw from that. Athletic had all the moves going but only really managed to get the final ball working in the last 20 minutes; for the rest of the second half Schalke ran rings around them. Schalke being down to their fourth choice goalkeeper obviously hurt them, especially as Iraizoz had a pretty good game. Now, Papadopolous had a superb game at the back for Schalke too, and made at least two telling interventions that could have saved goals. Raúl was his usual self, the old master still has plenty left to give, but Huntelaar took a bit too long to get into the game.

Commentators all concerned about what will happen next week with Amorebieta out, but I would have thought San José will just start next to Javi Martínez like at Old Trafford; not sure it's exactly rocket science... still, Schalke will fancy a run at them with Huntelaar and Raúl up front and Farfán supporting - but a 2 goal deficit will be really hard to take back at San Mamés.

I just wish Athletic could duplicate this form in the league, because they've been pretty terrible since the Man Utd game.

 

[Zam_Olyas]

Iker Muniain ‏ @IkerMuniain19 Reply Retweet Favorite · Open
Y otra fotito!! Gran victoriaaaaa, pero aun queda trabajo!! Besos!!! http://pic.twitter.com/VsUIeHJF

 

[nvpacchi]

Do you guys think athletic plays a weaker lineup against barca on Saturday to rest for the second leg?

 

[The Hitch]

If Chelsea do go through they will get the rude awakening and the reality check that they deserve off Barca. They are no great side and have many average players and they play slow laboured football, the type of which i hate to watch.

Not neccesarily. Several teams have held barca this season, and the stamford bridge leg (thats first right?)wont be easy for barca as the pitch is narrow, the night probably cold and maybe damp and the players physical. CHelsea could sneak a win like they did in 99 and 2004. In the Camp nou leg of course you would expect barca to dominate but teams have held Barca this season and chelsea will probably play a very diffensive and physical game so its not going to be that simple.

 

[The Hitch]

First of all Chelsea played Barca in 2000 and Chelsea actually got knocked out. I remember them games well. Chelsea won the 1st leg 3-1 with Figo getting the all important goal but they got hammerred 5-1 in the Camp Nou where Bernard Lambourde had a disastrous game at the back for Chelsea.

barca only did at the Nou camp what Chelsea did at Stamford Bridge.

It was the extra time that gave Barca their final 2 goals causing people to rather unfairly say Chelsea got hammered.
Barca only managed to push the game into extra time late on.

Had the extra time been at the bridge I think chelsea might even have won.

Anyway my point was that chelsea were weaker than and even though so were Barca, anything can happen. Chealsea have a shot even if only a small one.

 

[pmcg76]

Anyone see that Dortmund v Stuttgart game, last half hour was an absolute belter, 6 goals during that period alone.

Dortmund were leading 2-0 and cruising, then Stuttgart hit 3 in the pace of 15 minutes to take the lead with 10 left, then Dortmund hit 2 to take the lead again only for Stuttgart to level in time added on. Best game of football I have seen in a long time. Some cracking goals as well.

 

[Amsterhammer]

Anyone see that Dortmund v Stuttgart game, last half hour was an absolute belter, 6 goals during that period alone.

Dortmund were leading 2-0 and cruising, then Stuttgart hit 3 in the pace of 15 minutes to take the lead with 10 left, then Dortmund hit 2 to take the lead again only for Stuttgart to level in time added on. Best game of football I have seen in a long time. Some cracking goals as well.

I was channel hopping when I came across this at around 75 mins, just after Stuttgart had scored their first. The rest of the game was one hysterical, mad, blast. Can't remember when I had so much fun. Of course, it helps when you have zero attachment to either team.

 

[palmerq]

Petrov has leukemia... what a shame... pray 4 petrov...