[EU] Champions League 2008/2009 (36 Viewers)

[bianconero]

Chelsea played a near perfect defensive game, because they have world class players to do it. Gus must now decide how to play the second leg at home. I think he is intelligent enough to recognise that he will have to keep it much the same as the first leg or he'll end up having another Liverpool 4-4, or worse on his hands. So I'll expect another solid (dull) performance from Chelsea. Who knows penalties might just be the dicission maker on this semi.

Let's hope for the beautiful game to win, or else we face another year with dull Chelsea in the final.

I predict: Chelsea 1 - Barça 4

 

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[Rollie]

Cech will deliver on the opportunity to screw up. Mark my words.

I really hope so, Greg. Another ManUre Vs Chelski final would be terrible for European football...

Not to mention that cable coverage here is like 4-1 for the EPL vs all the other leagues combined. Canadian fans have this EPL centric media constantly cramming biased Premiership overlord superiority down their throats, and then many of them mindlessly regurgitate that nonsense like it's fucking gospel...

It's so damn annoying...

 

[sateeh]

Chelsea played a near perfect defensive game, because they have world class players to do it. Gus must now decide how to play the second leg at home. I think he is intelligent enough to recognise that he will have to keep it much the same as the first leg or he'll end up having another Liverpool 4-4, or worse on his hands. So I'll expect another solid (dull) performance from Chelsea. Who knows penalties might just be the dicission maker on this semi.

Let's hope for the beautiful game to win, or else we face another year with dull Chelsea in the final.

I predict: Chelsea 1 - Barça 4

Great tactical game by Chelsea, you can see how much homework Guus did on barca by only giving the like of messi and henry space on the outside but nothing when cutting inside. They limited their little combinations outside the box to a bare minimum and that is imo how they got the result.

Also i give credit to Pep for having the balls to bench puyol for a better passer and header of the ball in Marquez. I know it almost blew up in his face but at least he tried something with good understanding of the game behind and i think he deserves credit for it.

finally, messi was contained by the whole Chelsea team rather than Bosingwa. He was exposed a couple of times with him mano e mano and Lio got past him on both times only to get hacked down. And oh, alves is not even half the player maicon is imo.

 

[JCK]

Chelsea played a near perfect defensive game, because they have world class players to do it. Gus must now decide how to play the second leg at home. I think he is intelligent enough to recognise that he will have to keep it much the same as the first leg or he'll end up having another Liverpool 4-4, or worse on his hands. So I'll expect another solid (dull) performance from Chelsea. Who knows penalties might just be the dicission maker on this semi.

Let's hope for the beautiful game to win, or else we face another year with dull Chelsea in the final.

I predict: Chelsea 1 - Barça 4

Decision.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

 

[Rollie]

Great tactical game by Chelsea, you can see how much homework Guus did on barca by only giving the like of messi and henry space on the outside but nothing when cutting inside. They limited their little combinations outside the box to a bare minimum and that is imo how they got the result.

For me, this is how any good manager would (try to) play Barca. You always want to keep Messi and Henri to the outside; obviously easier said than done. Chelsea has quality players, and it worked (in terms of the end result), but for me the chances were still there for the Catalans. This game could have easily gone Barca's way.

Also i give credit to Pep for having the balls to bench puyol for a better passer and header of the ball in Marquez. I know it almost blew up in his face but at least he tried something with good understanding of the game behind and i think he deserves credit for it.

Puyol was a yellow card away from suspension, which I think had a huge part in Pep's decision to rest him. Definitely would have been key to have Carlos at the bridge. Then Marquez got hurt, Puyol got a yellow anyways, and now Barca's got themselves a significant problem to deal with...

And oh, alves is not even half the player maicon is imo.

Alves played a pretty solid second half - I'd welcome him ANY day of the week to Juventus. I still have no idea how Bojan missed that header - Alves' cross was perfect. Oh, and Maicon is definitely the shiznit - best RB in the world IMO.

 

[bianconero]

Decision.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Don't be such a plonker Jack the Spliffer: I though it was only Seven who seached for spelling mistakes to highlight.

Yes it is in the eye of the beholder the beautiful game: to me it is played by Barca, and to you it is Chelsea.

I only hope that whoever comes to manage Juventus next is my of my viscion than yours.

 

[sateeh]

For me, this is how any good manager would (try to) play Barca. You always want to keep Messi and Henri to the outside; obviously easier said than done. Chelsea has quality players, and it worked (in terms of the end result), but for me the chances were still there for the Catalans. This game could have easily gone Barca's way.



Puyol was a yellow card away from suspension, which I think had a huge part in Pep's decision to rest him. Definitely would have been key to have Carlos at the bridge. Then Marquez got hurt, Puyol got a yellow anyways, and now Barca's got themselves a significant problem to deal with...



Alves played a pretty solid second half - I'd welcome him ANY day of the week to Juventus. I still have no idea how Bojan missed that header - Alves' cross was perfect. Oh, and Maicon is definitely the shiznit - best RB in the world IMO.

Yeah it is a game of chances and more often than not you will get yours them, and Barca didn't take them. It will be interesting to see what would be Chelsea's tactics in the 2nd game. They will need to expose themselves in some fashion and attack that barca defense which will be weaker.

Well If that was the case then it was the wrong decision imo. Puyol could have easily got a yellow card in the 2nd game and missed the final.

 

[BillyG]

Yeah it is a game of chances and more often than not you will get yours them, and Barca didn't take them. It will be interesting to see what would be Chelsea's tactics in the 2nd game. They will need to expose themselves in some fashion and attack that barca defense which will be weaker.

Well If that was the case then it was the wrong decision imo. Puyol could have easily got a yellow card in the 2nd game and missed the final.

no cuz they've changed the rule so what happened to nedved and scholes doesn't happen again. so if u accumulated yellows u are given a pardon to play the final. only if u get a direct red you will miss the final now.

that's wat i read somewhere i tink 1 or 2 years ago

 

[Alen]

not quite sure why everyone thinks Chelsea are through at this point

I don't think anyone thinks so. It's 50-50.
Just that most expected Barcelona to get a win in the first leg and start the 2nd match with a solid advantage.

 

[Red]

I can't understand why Barca didn't move the ball faster.

They were taking too long to switch play. When the finally started to hit long balls to Alves in the last few minutes, they created some of their best chances.

Also, while Messi wasn't up to his usual standards, I still don't see why Barca didn't try to involve him more. They almost sacrificed him to open up space for other players (Alves) last night.

 

[JCK]

Don't be such a plonker Jack the Spliffer: I though it was only Seven who seached for spelling mistakes to highlight.

Says the one who followed me a whole week correcting mistakes.

I can't understand why Barca didn't move the ball faster.

They were taking too long to switch play. When the finally started to hit long balls to Alves in the last few minutes, they created some of their best chances.

Also, while Messi wasn't up to his usual standards, I still don't see why Barca didn't try to involve him more. They almost sacrificed him to open up space for other players (Alves) last night.

I can! I definitely can!

 

[Red]

Care to enlighten me?

I assume you think the chokers choked.

 

[JCK]

I rarely think.

 

[king Ale]

Let's hope for the beautiful game to win, or else we face another year with dull Chelsea in the final.

I predict: Chelsea 1 - Barça 4

Beautiful game sucks if it can't win you something. Thing is that Barcelona wasn't even beautiful last night.

 

[JCK]

Beautiful game sucks if it can't win you something. Thing is that Barcelona wasn't even beautiful last night.

The question is, when where they beautiful?

Barcelona, such a disgusting team.

 

[bianconero]

Says the one who followed me a whole week correcting mistakes.

!

Sad and delusional.

 

[bianconero]

Beautiful game sucks if it can't win you something. Thing is that Barcelona wasn't even beautiful last night.

I think they'll win the league, the Spanish cup, and still have a good chance of winning the Champions league. Not too shabby.

Last night they were not beautiful, Chelsea did there homework and nullified the game. But one game does not make a season, and they have been splendid to watch this season.

 

[Bjerknes]

Let's hope for the beautiful game to win, or else we face another year with dull Chelsea in the final.

Hear hear.

Considering the game did end 0-0, it adds a different dynamic to the second leg. Most were probably expecting something like a 1-0 win for Barca, but now Chelsea might play a similar game to that yesterday, which could give their opponent a second chance to seek and destroy. And you don't want to give Barca a second chance.

 

[Bjerknes]

I was only able to get out of work for the second half, but really, Derek Rae and Tommy Smyth kill these games for me; ESPN's coverage is always so biased towards the EPL teams, that it makes listening to these matches almost unenjoyable. If an Italian team had played the way Chelsea did today with 10 men completely jammed behind the ball, it would have been "anti football" and "uninspired", but when it's Chelsea, it was described by the announcers as a "defensive masterclass."

Seriously. ESPN is such a swine sports network.

 

[Holdon]

Who'd thought it, an English team with a Dutch coach playing such dull negative football. According to the biased EPL press, only those dirty Italian teams did that.