Football autism

[Bronn1]

Good read about the topic we are discussing :
https://amp.theguardian.com/football/blog/2019/mar/07/psg-demise-a-lesson-in-the-corrupting-effect-of-money-and-arrogance-champions-league-football

[TheGamingBull]

Liverpool is good, but arguably the best team in the world right now? I don't know. I'd have ManCity and Barca in front of them. Even though I hate both of them with a passion.

Liverpool is not the best team in the world right now. During the autumn maybe, but lately they have been mediocre in attack

[Marliini]

Juve-Atletico might be a nice game, the first one was at least so definitely watching this pair. Even though the first one was a bit of a Atletico show I wouldn't discount Juve.
I'm a bit surprised Schalke is still even playing, let alone getting 2 goals in the first, but I guess City should have it

Barca should win, but the history in the Champions League in the recent years doesn't give confidence.
But of course watching Bayern-Liverpool who managed to loll a tie. Now someone has to win it.

[McMokka]

Atletico, Barca, ManCity, Bayern is my guess.

But I would be amazed if Lyon and/or Schalke would manage a lucky punch. Not because I dislike Barca(kind of dislike ManCity though) but because seeing the underdog win like Ajax and ManU is always nice

[McMokka]

Small rant after I made my girlfriend sit through 2 hours of me cursing at the TV:
First half was fairly balanced allthough I would say Bayern had a small edge in the overall impression. Genius move by Mané doing the 0:1, but to be fair, no one knows what lunatic shit Neuer was doing there ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Was impressed how Bayern came back, even though it was Matip being unlucky, Lewandowski was right behind him. After that I was fairly optimistic for the second half.
But I gotta say, as diehard fan of Bayern, Liverpool was brilliant in the second half. Not so much with their goals. The 1:2 was stupid of Bayern, not having anyone at the goalpost at a corner when Liverpool has the aerial advantage. What was so damn impressive was their pressing. It was even two levels higher as their pressing at Anfield a few weeks ago and in the first half. Klopp must have given a hell of a speech in halftime.
Bayern was a bit unlucky with Lewandowski missing the cross of Gnabry in the second half by centimeters. Game could have gone a whole different way if that would have been in, but as the cookie crumbled Liverpool really deserved that win. and the 1:3 was just a display of how well Mané and Salah work together.
All in all a bit sad about the outcome, but losing against Liverpool in that kind of form(in the second half) is understandable.

[Bronn1]

So, in the end, we have 4 teams from england in the quarter finals and none from france and germany.
The obvious favourites would be, in my opinion: Manchester City, Liverpool, Juventus and Barcelona.
I don't think Ajax can make it all the way through, especially if they meet Juventus on the way, because i think the way they play seems the most uncomfortable for a team like Ajax.
Since i'm a Barcelona fan for 2 decades now, i would, off course, like them to win, and they have the players to do it, but they seem so inconsistent at times so it all depends on their form.
I would like a Liverpool - Barcelona draw for the quarter finals since it would probably be a goal fest and a pleasure to watch for any football fan.

[Gotma]

Why would one like to have the real thrillers in the quarters already? Would be a shame if they drew Manu vs Porto for example, I hope for ManU, Ajax, Porto and Tott to get one of bronn's favorites to have awesome awesome potential semis.

To Bayern: the away game was great no doubt. Holding this attacking 3 at zero goals is an achievement. The home game was where it all went to shite.
The midfield was bad, Thiago and James being a tiny touch to slow or inaccurate in most situations when a good counter attacking chance presented. Javi was good at collecting balls but to then carry it on and distributing was never his strong suit. The loss of Kimmich was huge imo because the play out of the own half was way better with him. Rafinha is a decent defender but not as creative and precise with the game in front of him. Lewandowski stumbled over the ball twice with a 1vs1 with the last defender at hand, atrocious. And let's not talk about Neuer trying to pick flowers in front of his box. All things considered Liverpool deserved it because they won one half in dominant fashion. And I am not taking that away from them, the last goal was perfection.
I am sad.

[Bronn1]

Why would one like to have the real thrillers in the quarters already? Would be a shame if they drew Manu vs Porto for example, I hope for ManU, Ajax, Porto and Tott to get one of bronn's favorites to have awesome awesome potential semis.

Some people just want to watch the world burn.

[Bronn1]

And there they are, all the favourites avoided one another:

Ajax - Juventus
Liverpool - FC Porto
Tottenham - Manchester City
Manchester United - Barcelona

[Marliini]

And there they are, all the favourites avoided one another:

Ajax - Juventus
Liverpool - FC Porto
Tottenham - Manchester City
Manchester United - Barcelona

So,
Ajax(one can hope)
Pool
City
Barca

[Gotma]

Additionally to that the Euroleague quarters read like a who is who of the last decade. Frankfurt drawing an amazing opponent once again

[Marliini]

Nice hat trick from Messi, and a nice reaction by the home crowd to give a standing ovation.

But Suarez's goal and the defending before it had me laughing

[McMokka]

So, bayern did the thing and bought Hernández. Thoughts?

[Marliini]

So, bayern did the thing and bought Hernández. Thoughts?

Probably not bad idea to get some younger guys in. If they can fix his knee.
Option for Alaba or what? Replacement for Hummels? He should have few more years, right

[McMokka]

So, bayern did the thing and bought Hernández. Thoughts?

Probably not bad idea to get some younger guys in. If they can fix his knee.
Option for Alaba or what? Replacement for Hummels? He should have few more years, right

Guess a big part why they got him is to be flexible. I think they plan with Süle and Hernández as CBs and with Alaba and Kimmich. Hernández can be backup on the left while Pavard is backup for both CB and right. They might rotate and let Kimmich play as DM, or play with 3 CBs and alaba and Kimmich further forward. Hummels will probably be the third CB while I am almost certain that they will sell Boateng.
They might bring in Mai from the youth team as well, who seems to be a big talent

[Marliini]

In case someone missed Barcelona-Athletico, the lat chance for Athletico to challenge for the league win, yesterday here's what happened:

About half an hour played Diego Costa took a straight red card for dissenting and insulting the ref. Apparently said something along the lines of ’Me cago en la puta madre que te parió’, translating along the lines of ’I shit on the whore who birthed you.’ Couple other Athletico players took yellow cards protesting.

Oblak kept Madrid in the game until 85min when Suarez's beautiful shot went in right next to the post.
Minute or two later Messi finished the game with another goal.
Barca looks to win the title

What's next for Athletico? Already lost young Hernandez, the rest of the squad is ageing. Clearance sale and try to find some new rough diamonds to weld into a squad capable of challenging? Good luck with that

[Bronn1]

Maybe it's time to put an end to the simeone age, for them.

[McMokka]

They could go the same path as Dortmund, just a level higher. They still got real stars at good or best age who probably stay at the club (griezmann for example), they got and get shitloads of money for the leaving players, they should have earned some serious money the last couple of years while getting good players rather cheap and selling them for a lot of money.
The money and standing are there to attract high level talents and strong players from second tier clubs (or rather 1b clubs)

[Gotma]

Why would Athletico change anything. They are in the Spanish top3 constantly and perform internationally as well if not cucked by CR7. Simeone is the best payed coach in world football afaik and even though I despise his style of play you can't discuss what he made out of a mediocre Spanish club within a few years.

Dutch league getting closer, German is close, PL will be as well. CL and EL this week, great times having DAZN

[Marliini]

Hernandez was lost
Godin (33) is out of contract in the summer and could move to Inter Milan for free and ManU has been interested as well.
Juanfran (34) and Filipe Luis (33) also out of contract

Griezmann turned down Barca last summer but could change his mind.
Man City interest in Saul
Partey linked to every major Premier League club
Savic having a confrontation with the fitness coach Oscar Ortega

And Oscar Ortega then. Atletico has had 45 injuries over the season. Pretty high
Also some of the players were complaining after the Juve loss, that Ortega's training the day before had been a toil, unnecessarily hard, and the players tired in the game.