Champions League 2011/12

[Borgsta]

Great start to the group stages today with Milan stealing a point right at the death.

Was a good performance by Milan overall.

Looks like Chelsea struggled to score but got the job done

 

[Frankster177]

Great start to the group stages today with Milan stealing a point right at the death.

Was a good performance by Milan overall.

Looks like Chelsea struggled to score but got the job done

Was a good performance.
Nesta still has it. that tackle on messi.

 

[Raymond Rougeau]

Nesta is best cb since schirea... Shame not enough ppl see serie a and can appreciate him

 

[GrandBlue]

Nesta is best cb since schirea... Shame not enough ppl see serie a and can appreciate him

This guy disagrees

As for the CL, Shakhtar unlucky to lose (red cards to both CBs). Hoping they can recover as they're one of the most entertaining counter-attacking teams to watch.

 

[Coledinho]

Not enough Thiago Silva love I think. Guy is easily in the top 5 CBs in the world and has been for a few years now IMO. Barcelona tried to get a deal done but couldnt. Maybe in January it might be Man Citys turn although they do seem more interested in another DCM for some reason. Think they would be alot better off discarding Kolo Toure to the RPL/UAE and bringing Silva in

 

[Raymond Rougeau]

This guy disagrees

As for the CL, Shakhtar unlucky to lose (red cards to both CBs). Hoping they can recover as they're one of the most entertaining counter-attacking teams to watch.

Ok wc winning capitan... (acknowledge he was best player of wc tourney too...) But he went on to long... Pretty much they day after that tourney he was one step to slow....
Nestas only knock is he always got injured in the wc (02, 06) head to head game by game nesta was better...

On a side note I hope u don't rate matterazzi over nesta based on that tourney too (lol ). Does anyone remember Marcos classic og from 05-06 season?

 

[Kompany]

Not sure if I thought Milan was that good actually. The game should've been done and dusted half way through the 2nd half - we were all over them. Superb tackle by Nesta indeed, but Messi should've shot already.

Class goal by Pato though, very nice.

 

[Mr_Bojangles]

Great start to the group stages today with Milan stealing a point right at the death.

Was a good performance by Milan overall.

Looks like Chelsea struggled to score but got the job done

I had Milan at 11/1 to win, I knew they couldn't hold on to a 1-0 lead for 89 minutes.

 

[Tom Blue]

I think I read Milan only had 18% ball possession. Wow.

Still, hate Barca, so very happy with the result.

Looking forward to Napoli v Man City. Everyone is talking about Man City and their $tar studded team. Rightly so too. Aguero is one of my favourite players from an opposition club.

However, Napoli boasts some world class players aswell. Hamsik, Cavani and Lavezzi!

Cannot wait!

 

[Borgsta]

Napoli will get smashed

 

[apollo_creed]

the two 'best team in the world' drew. one scored an equaliser, the other conceded one.

good result from milan. regardless of the performance. two away goals with limited possession away at barca is notable. for them and for barca.
barca's defence looking their only weakness at present.
if.... and it's a big, huge, massive, unlikely if you can get enough of the ball and get at them without letting them dictate almost the entirety of the match then just maybe you can beat the scum.

city v napoli will be interesting.

 

[simione001]

lol at barcelona. too much passing not enough scoring. porto v shaktar was a very entertaining. dont think either club will be a serious contender however hulk might just elevate porto to the qtr's or semi's.

 

[kaiserchief13]

I think I read Milan only had 18% ball possession. Wow.

Still, hate Barca, so very happy with the result.

Looking forward to Napoli v Man City. Everyone is talking about Man City and their $tar studded team. Rightly so too. Aguero is one of my favourite players from an opposition club.

However, Napoli boasts some world class players aswell. Hamsik, Cavani and Lavezzi!

Cannot wait!

3-0 is worst case scenario for City. Will be something like 5-1 I reckon.

 

[apollo_creed]

Are you going Moomba?

Must be pretty exciting seeing your club playing in the Champions League?

 

[moomba]

Are you going Moomba?

Must be pretty exciting seeing your club playing in the Champions League?

Yeah, I'll be there, and I must admit I am getting a bit excited about it all, particularly when the teams come out to the champions league tune.

The good thing about this group is that there isn't a sure thing game in it. So I'll go into the game thinking theres as much chance of us getting beat as there is of us winning.

 

[trossa]

Cavani is a beast, expecting him to score.

And Nesta is a bona-fide legend. Probably the best defender of the past decade.

EDIT: Just rewatched the goals, and that was one of the worst dives I've seen from Busquets I can't believe the referee actually paid that as a free kick.

 

[apollo_creed]

Yeah, I'll be there, and I must admit I am getting a bit excited about it all, particularly when the teams come out to the champions league tune.

The good thing about this group is that there isn't a sure thing game in it. So I'll go into the game thinking theres as much chance of us getting beat as there is of us winning.

Considering the quality of the group home wins are near on essential. (probably 2/3)

any away points like gold, an away win priceless.

will be a great group to watch unfold from a neutral perspective.

 

[GrandBlue]

Napoli will get smashed

Bahaha, what a stupid call.

Cavani puts Napoli 1-0 up, and that was with Lavezzi off, who was absolutely smashing City. Kompany had single-handedly been keeping City in the game.

Gareth Barry is shit.

 

[GrandBlue]

1-1. Kolarov scores from a good free-kick after a Zabaleta dive. Pretty poor keeping though.

Hold on, Napoli!

 

[GrandBlue]

1-1 it finishes. City wait until there's 15 minutes left before they start playing well. Carlos Tevez is also looking worse than Fernando Torres.

Lol at Ned Zelic. Thinks City's CB pairing of Kompany & Lescott are the worst in the Champions League and that they're both terrible. Can understand Lescott, but he's obviously judging Kompany based on the one error he made late in the game.

 

[moomba]

Kompany had his worst game that I can remember since Mancini too over. Made one cracking goal lune clearance but apart from that was very shaky. Lescott on the other hand was very good, for me our best defender on the night.

We had 68% possession and 25 shots, that must have been some 15 minutes that we played for.

A bit disappointed not to get the win, but it could have been worse. Was impressed with Napoli and enjoyed the match. Noticeable step up in quality on the pitch and tension off it.

 

[Crhferrari]

Milan's performance was sensational.
They might be hang on with Barca had Boateng not been subbed off. He cut off the connection between Xavi and Iniesta. In the first 30 minutes Barca barely played team football and heavily relied on Messi's own break.
Nesta is just a phonomenon, argubly the best centre back in the past decade. He showed how to defend with art. Just fantastic. Pique has a long way to go.

 

[Crhferrari]

On the contrary, what a shocker this one Inter Milan is!

 

[GrandBlue]

Kompany had his worst game that I can remember since Mancini too over. Made one cracking goal lune clearance but apart from that was very shaky. Lescott on the other hand was very good, for me our best defender on the night.

We had 68% possession and 25 shots, that must have been some 15 minutes that we played for.

A bit disappointed not to get the win, but it could have been worse. Was impressed with Napoli and enjoyed the match. Noticeable step up in quality on the pitch and tension off it.

Care to enlighten me on how many of those shots were on target? As for possession, it's a useless stat. Napoli outclassed you on numerous occasions, and probably deserved the win more than you.

What's your excuse for Gareth Barry's back-heel that led to Napoli's goal?

 

[moomba]

Care to enlighten me on how many of those shots were on target?

I believe it was 4 to their 2. If you think that you need a shot on target to be playing decent football you are mistaken.

As for possession, it's a useless stat. Napoli outclassed you on numerous occasions, and probably deserved the win more than you.

What possession stats show is that we had plenty of the ball. It also shows that it wasn't Kompany single handedly keeping us in the game as you claim, it also shows that we didn't wait until the last 15 minutes until we starting playing as you claim. 68% possession and 25 shots shows that we had plenty of the ball, and we created scoring opportunities. What let us down on the night was the quality of our finishing, a bit of bad luck and some quality defending.

We were the better side in the first half, they were better at the start of the second half, we were better at the end. Even when we were on top they showed that they were capable of threatening, as we did when they were on top. Overall I would say we were the better side, but I can't argue with the draw.

What's your excuse for Gareth Barry's back-heel that led to Napoli's goal?

Why do I need an excuse, it was a bad (and costly) bit of play.