Champions League quarters

[rurikbird]

I think this is the most interesting lineup of quarter-final fixtures in a few years. Battles of the heavyweights Juve-Barca and Real-Bayern, dark horses Atletico-Leicester, and every scout's dream match-up Dortmund-Monaco. I'll try to watch all the games if possible.

 

[rurikbird]

Juve up 2:0 at half-time, both goals by Dybala. Barca didn't hit their stride yet, only one chance for Iniesta brilliantly repelled by Buffon. Juve is playing the "Leicester formation": 4-4-2 with striker Mandzukic on the RW, but very athletic and quick flanks with Alex Sandro on the left and Dani Alves and Cuadrado on the right. Barca's flanks are very pedestrian in comparison with Mathieu a particular vulnerability on the left.

 

[manwithnoname]

Mathieu is fucking dogshit

Juve playing well, Dybala looks quite good. Never heard of him before

 

[dantes]

All the more reason for us to stop playing Coutinho on the left.

 

[rurikbird]

Mathieu is fucking dogshit

Juve playing well, Dybala looks quite good. Never heard of him before

Seriously? Don't mean to be a dick, just surprising since he's a pretty high-profile player, hailed as Messi's successor in Argentina and we've been linked with him as well before he came to Juve from Palermo.

 

[rurikbird]

Enrique replaced Mathieu with Andre Gomes at half-time in an attempt to regain control in midfield. Higuain misses an 1 on 1 with Mandzukic open for a tap-in. Barca are awful.

UPD: 3:0, Chiellini from a corner.

 

[willby]

Barca getting humped..

 

[Hansern]

Dybala was linked to us wasnt he, when he was at Palermo?

Barca look shocking defensivly.

 

[Le Chacal]

Another Remontada?

 

[Rosco]

Barca will be fine

 

[keniget]

Barca are having a very strange season.

 

[Ryan]

Mathieu is fucking dogshit

Juve playing well, Dybala looks quite good. Never heard of him before

Not sure if serious?

 

[manwithnoname]

Not sure if serious?

No, not serious.

Although I will admit that I've not seen him actually play more than three or four times. If that.

 

[Jack D Rips]

Meanwhile on a street in Madrid.

 

[LeTallecWiz]

Bayern without Lewandoski tonight.

 

[rurikbird]

Anyone watching Dortmund-Monaco? Fabinho missed a penalty for Sokratis's foul on Mbappe (rather soft), then a quick Monaco counter led to a Mbappe goal, just bounced off his thigh. Dortmund are nowhere to be found so far. The psychological impact of the attack yesterday is a convenient excuse, but I wonder if it also has to do with Tuchel overcomplicating his tactics and playing 3 or 4 players out of position.

Dortmund is playing this asymmetrical system that I can't quite describe numerically:

-------------Aubameyang---------------
Dembele--Kagawa--Guerrero-------
Schmelzer-----Weigl------------Ginter
-----Bender--Sokratis--Piszczek-----

Monaco on the contrary is going with a very conventional 4-4-2:

---------------Mbappe----Falcao-----------
Lemar---Fabinho--Moutinho-------Silva
Raggi------Jemerson-----Glik------Toure

 

[Hansern]

Yeah, been watching it. Seems like Tuchel has tried to be to clever and its not working so far.
Mbappes goal was a clear offside aswell.

 

[Hansern]

0-2 own goal Sven Bender. This will be tough for Dortmund

 

[rurikbird]

0:2 Monaco, Sven Bender with a bizarre own goal. Both goals came from Dortmund's unprotected right flank. Tuchel's idea was to play with a 3-man midfield, Dembele on the left and no one on the right, except for occasional raids by wing-back Ginter. This have backfired spectacularly as for both goals Lemar and than Raggi were in acres of space and with plenty of time to pick out the cross.

By 3-4 players out of position I mean Ginter is CB playing at right wing-back, Piszczek is a right wing-back (one of the best in Germany), for some reason playing at CB, Bender is a midfielder playing CB (probably forced by Bartra injury) and Dembele, while technically not out of position, is much more used to playing on the right, but he was moved to the left to accommodate Ginter, who once again is a CB playing at RWB. Sometimes a clever coach can be a curse.

Now he had to make 2 changes at half-time (Pulisic and Sahin for Schmelzer and Bender) which means yet another reshuffle.

 

[Spionkop69]

Meanwhile on a street in Madrid.

That's Plaça Major.

Remember it well from 2009 and our visit there. Now we made a mess of that place but the police didn't step in, although the guardia civil were in close attention with that look that said they wouldn't need a seconds notice to get the batons out.

 

[Spionkop69]

I also think people suggesting that Leicester will meet their match in this tie, are more than slightly underestimating them - again.

If they can get a draw or a one goal defeat, then I'd be on them to qualify.

 

[Bradley]

Hope those nasty fellows from Madrid kick 7 shades out of Vardy and co. Two reasons, If they go any further it's too close for comfort on an unlikely champions league win. United are a dead cert for Europa and we would need 3rd place to get in next season.

And the second, fuck Leicester.

 

[rurikbird]

Dembele 1:2. Much, much better from Dortmund now. Why didn't they start with this team? Pulisic looks amazing since coming on.

 

[Spionkop69]

Hope those nasty fellows from Madrid kick 7 shades out of Vardy and co. Two reasons, If they go any further it's too close for comfort on an unlikely champions league win. United are a dead cert for Europa and we would need 3rd place to get in next season.

And the second, fuck Leicester.

I see what you're doing there with Utd....

 

[Bradley]

I see what you're doing there with Utd....

It's hard to see them fucking it up, they are literally the only team left in it.

 

[Bradley]

Not literally of course.

 

[rurikbird]

Pulisic is so wonderfully direct. Every time he has the ball at his feet he beats a player and makes something happen. You know how some wingers "hide" for most of the game? Pulisic is the opposite of that, he wants the ball all the time and always does something with it.

 

[rurikbird]

1:3, Mbappe

 

[Leo]

Mbappe>> Aubameyang
What a talent.
I can see why he's being compared to Henry already.

 

[rurikbird]

Kagawa 2:3. Lovely goal.