[Archived] Champions League/europa League

[philipl]

Crikey, we once played in this and now we cannot even be bothered to discuss it!

Anyway I see I have been selected to play for the Mancs tonight so I'd better get my skates on to get to Moscow in time. Toodlepip...

[DE.]

The problem with the CL is that it doesn't really get interesting until February.

[sambo]

City investigated by Uefa because their fans booed the CL song.

Bizarre.

[speeeeeeedie]

What differing fortunes in Manchester.

City won it late on and top their group. Utd conceded late and are out.

I'm torn on Man U's exit. I want English teams to progress but am no fan of theirs.

I'd love to know what van Gaal is thinking. He has blown countless millions on dross, then relies on no name trainees in his biggest game of the season. Very odd. He must be trying to assert his ego over the club. I don't think that it will work.

Both London clubs have similar big games tomorrow. I expect a Chelsea win and the usual Arsenal capitulation when it matters.

[philipl]

Both London clubs through very comfortably in the end.

England's allocation of four places looks a lot safer too with three Spanish and English qualifiers, two each German and Italian and one each French, Portuguese, Belgian, Dutch, Russian and Ukrainian.

There are nightmare draws lurking for all three English clubs but also some potentially very winnable draws in the round of 16. With City and Chelsea both winning their groups, neither will get Bayern or Spanish opposition.

So can appreciate United's demise without worrying that 4th place in the Premier next season won't get us into the Champions League...

[Mattyblue]

So can appreciate United's demise without worrying that 4th place in the Premier next season won't get us into the Champions League...

So what if it didn't?

[onlyonejackwalker]

Cracking result for Arsenal. Chuffed for them.

[Steve Kean's Hypnotoad]

So can appreciate United's demise without worrying that 4th place in the Premier next season won't get us into the Champions League...

Heart-wise I'm a patriotic person and as such can't help but instinctively route for English clubs in Europe (except ManUre).

Head-wise, I'm not sure its bad for the domestic game having less teams in the Champions League. The Champions League makes a decent contribution to the gloryhunter effect, which is what has produced such massive inequality in English football. One less English club playing in it every season means one less club financially and fanbase-wise pulling away from the other 88 in the league. But then again the other 3 will still be doing that and is there any difference to having 3 rich kids making the PL title race depressingly predictable or 4.

[speeeeeeedie]

I was bang wrong on Arsenal. They battered the Greeks. A great performance. I'm not too bothered about Man U being out now as the other 3 got through.

The knockout draw is on Monday. He are teams in the pot;

Group winners: Real Madrid, Wolfsburg, Atlético Madrid, Manchester City, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Zenit

Group runners-up: PSG, PSV Eindhoven, Benfica, Juventus, Roma, Arsenal, Dynamo Kiev, Ghent

Teams can't be drawn against a team they have already played in the group stage, or a team from the same country.

Chelsea can play any of the runners up except Arsenal and Kiev.

City can play any of the runners up except Arsenal and Juventus.

Arsenal can play Real Madrid, Wolfsburg, Atlético, Barcelona, or Zenit.

[Commondore]

Real Madrid - Roma

Wolfsburg - Gent

Atletico Madrid - PSV Eindhoven

Man City - Dynamo Kiev

Barcelona - Arsenal

Chelsea - Paris Saint Germain

Bayern Münich - Juventus

Zenit St. Petersburg - Benfica

I'm usually very critical towards the Champions League and what it represents, but it's hard to deny the excitement of the early knockout stages. So many mouthwatering ties, especially Bayern against Juventus will be titanic.

[K-Hod]

City have done very well out of that draw, no excuses for them not getting through that. But yeah, as you say Commondore, some very good ties there.

[philipl]

Good luck Arsenal and Chelsea - you will need it and some more!

[K-Hod]

Chelsea seem to have done well (when compared to the league) in the CL and might well get a result out of PSG. Arsenal though, I'm less optimistic about!

[speeeeeeedie]

It couldn't have gone worse for Arsenal. They've made it to the knockout stages 16 years in a row. It looks like they'll fall at the first hurdle for the 6th(?) time in a row.

Chelsea can beat PSG, City should go through.

A few samller teams have a good shot at the last 8 too.

[philipl]

All three English clubs in the Europa have potential banana skins (ask West Ham) with Spurs V Fiorentina particularly tasty.

[speeeeeeedie]

Champs League knock out round has started.

Benfica beat Zenit 1-0 with a late goal in a complete bore fest.

PSG beat Chelsea 2-1. It was a good game. PSG are a good side 2-1 is a good result for Chelsea, it could have been a lot worse.

Real Madrid outclassed Roma and won 2-0 in Rome.

Wolfsburg beat Ghent 3-2 away. They were 3-0 up.

I have to say I enjoyed watching PSG and Real. They are a class above Premier League teams.

Roll on Barcelona next week.

[speeeeeeedie]

Champs League knock out round has started.

Benfica beat Zenit 1-0 with a late goal in a complete bore fest.

PSG beat Chelsea 2-1. It was a good game. PSG are a good side 2-1 is a good result for Chelsea, it could have been a lot worse.

Real Madrid outclassed Roma and won 2-0 in Rome.

Wolfsburg beat Ghent 3-2 away. They were 3-0 up.

I have to say I enjoyed watching PSG and Real. They are a class above Premier League teams.

Roll on Barcelona next week.

The same teams all won again this week.

Benfica, PSG, Wolfsburg, and Real are through to the last 8.

The only none group stage winner out at the moment are Chelsea. They were thoroughly outclassed by PSG who played some excellent football. Fabregas and Hazard are shadows of what they were last year.

I can see PSG getting to the semis then being mauled by Barcelona. Although any team struggles against them, playing against Sideshow Bob Luiz will make it easier.

Arsenal will go out next week. City will go through. Bayern should take care of Juventus at home, and Atletico should beat PSV.

Spurs - Dortmund and Man U - Liverpool in the Europa League today. I'll be watching those too.

[Commondore]

PSG scored a total of four goals against Chelsea over two ties, Ibrahimovic made two of them and scored the other two himself. Absolute beast, even at 34.

[Claytons Left Boot]

Just one Englishman (Hart) playing for Manchester 'League of Nations' City tonight.

Foreign players, foreign manager, foreign owners, foreign sponsors. They just happen to be situated in an English city.

[Proudtobeblue&white]

Do like Robby's comments tonight, awful game, which Citeh don't need to do anything unless DK score - very poor standard at this stage, but Citeh doing the job.

[donnermeat]

I was at the City game last night and it was absolutely dire. Like already mentioned, City didn't need to up a gear as Kiev didn't even have a go. I'd be upset as a Kiev fan travelling across Europe to see a team that didn't even bother to try and win the game. They were doing quite a bit of play acting and time wasting, quite bizarre actually.

[Norbert Rassragr]

The Champions League is boring. It's just a vanity project for Arabs, Spaniards and Russians, and gives Ronaldo fanboys from India and New York something to bore everyone with on facebook.

[Lancaster Rover]

The CL started to go down the pan when they began relaxing the rules of what constituted a 'champion', I think it's interest levels have taken a hit this year with it being televised on BT. I read somewhere last week that the average viewing figures were 200k per game. I have BT sport yet can count on one hand the amount of CL games I've sat through this season.

[speeeeeeedie]

I was at the City game last night and it was absolutely dire. Like already mentioned, City didn't need to up a gear as Kiev didn't even have a go. I'd be upset as a Kiev fan travelling across Europe to see a team that didn't even bother to try and win the game. They were doing quite a bit of play acting and time wasting, quite bizarre actually.

It was painful. I switched over to Atletico v. PSV. That was just as bad.

Atletico won 8-7 on pens.

I like the Champs League. It's a different class of football. Both Bayern and Barcelona are playing today. They are both very enjoyable to watch.

[Husky]

I agree that the Champions League is dull as.

It's supposed to be entertainment - yet the vast majority of games are simply appalling to watch.

But "The Arabs" will pay regardless and most of the rest seem to be too engrossed in their prawn sandwiches to notice.