Regarding UCL Quarter Final Draw

So friends, who do you want to face? Here are my thoughts.


Real Madrid - Just bring it because I want redemption

Borussia Dortmund - My second favorite team. So I would like to see them against someone else.

Juventus - One of the teams that worry me. The defense is really strong and the midfield has good balance - can be both creative and combative.

Paris Saint Germain - Look like one of the weakest teams left to me. No harm giving Ibra some more cause for writing another book to take out his angst.

Galatasaray - Something about this team worries me. Turkish pride and determination is something. Fatih Terim tends to make a team over-perform as with Turkey in Euro 2008.

Bayern Munich - Somehow I think this is one of the teams playing which will really suit us. The last thing I want to do is sound arrogant but this is one of the teams even a pessimist like me would be really confident against.

Malaga - Immense respect for what they have done in spite of everything but I think us would be a bridge too far for them.

Mostly want to avoid Bayern, Dortmund and Real Madrid. On paper Galatasaray and Malaga would be the weakest possible opponents.

Europe wants to see Barca vs. Bayern. They are not going to park the bus or keep their pitch dry. Should be a futbol spectacle.

Gala, Malaga or PSG would be boring.

In order of preference:

1. Galatasaray
2. PSG
3. Malaga
4. Dortmund
5. Bayern
6. Juventus
7. Real Madrid

Would really like to avoid Madrid this round as I'd like a bit more momentum going up against them. They play against us almost 6 times a year consistently and thus know our game better than anyone else. Really the only team who seems to back themselves against us these days. They are also clearly the most threatening to us left in the comp on their day.

Juventus, like JD said, are well organised and I'm sure they could put up a big fight.

Bayern, Dortmund and Malaga are all on a similar level for me. Malaga have a bit of an edge being from La Liga, Dortmund are extremely swift on the break and could definitely hurt us and Bayern are just a superb team. That being said, Bayern don't really scare me because I can't see them parking the bus effectively and we can outscore them.

PSG have good players, but can't see them holding up against real quality. They can't even hold it together in Ligue 1 and are yet to face a decent team in UCL.

Gala... well they've done well to get this far, but they're out of their depth.

I dont think Madrid are "clearly" the best team beside us at all.

I would rather not face them next, but I still dont think they are the next best, and certaintly not clearly.

Who have they ever beat besides us after 200 different games to figure it out?

Lost to Dortmund, lost to Bayern and lost to Man Utd (yeah they did).

True, I more meant most threatening to us. I think if we lose, they'd be the team to knock us out.

Changed it a couple of times... too tired to think lol

In order of preference:

1. Galatasaray
2. PSG
3. Malaga
4. Dortmund
5. Bayern
6. Juventus
7. Real Madrid

I wouldn't want to face teams 4-7 unless Tito is back.

My preference:

1. Galatasaray
2. Malaga
3. PSG
4. Dortmund
5. Real Madrid
6. Juventus
7. Bayern

Juventus and Bayern really scare me. Dortmund through Gala are all opponents I fancy an easy win against (except Dortmund definitely have the quality to upset us).

Real Madrid I think are one of the worst teams left in the competition right now but due to obvious factors they are still one of the most menacing to us. I agree that I'd rather face them later in the competition if possible. The second reason? Unless they get one of PSG, Gala, or Malaga, I don't see them going through to the next round. I really don't.

Bayern simply because of pure quality. I think stylistically it's good for us to face them. But through the pure strength of the side, I fear them the most. I can't see us not conceding time and time again vs them, and their defense is very very good.

Juventus...I'm not sure what scares me so much about them but I could easily see them parking a bus and playing on the counter and being very effective if they faced us. That's a game I don't want to be playing, because that's one Barca will concede to and struggle to score against. We've seen this game before.

BarcaKizz wrote:In order of preference:
1. Galatasaray
2. PSG
3. Malaga
4. Dortmund
5. Bayern
6. Juventus
7. Real Madrid

I mainly agree with Kizz's list and explanations, although perhaps I would prefer Malaga before PSG.

Also, I think the gap between those four (Malaga, PSG, Gala and Dortmund) to Bayern, Juve and Madrid is quite big, so I would be happy with any of the first four, and unhappy with any of the rest.

Not sure that the gap to Dortmund is so big... I think they've proven they are as good as Bayern, Madrid and Juve. Only thing that separates them for me is Madrid (experience), Bayern (pedigree) and Juve (defence, tactics).

Malaga are better than PSG for me... PSG haven't proven anything imo... They are like the spoilt kid with all the good gear but can't play. They topped an easy group, narrowly beat Valencia who aren't in good form and haven't even been that convincing in a league they should be walking all over. Personally I think we'd flog them senseless.

Bring one of the weaker sides. Build on Milan victory momentum.
Get some key players in form and then at a later stage bring anyone.
I just want the team to leave the recent dip of form well behind them

Basically in order of how easily they could park the bus, from least to most.

1. Gala
2. Malaga
3. Dortmund
4. Bayern
5. Real
6. PSG
7. Juve

Also on the question of which is the best team besides us it's clearly Bayern. Real struggle to beat Granada and somehow they're 2nd best in Europe?

BarrileteCosmico wrote:Basically in order of how easily they could park the bus, from least to most.

BarcaKizz wrote:Malaga are better than PSG for me... PSG haven't proven anything imo... They are like the spoilt kid with all the good gear but can't play. They topped an easy group, narrowly beat Valencia who aren't in good form and haven't even been that convincing in a league they should be walking all over. Personally I think we'd flog them senseless.

kizz, let's hope your words prove prophetic.

I agree with BarcaKizz. Although Barca's shaky defense will have to worry about the likes of Lucas Moura, Lavezzi, and Pastore, and Thiago Silva and Thiago Motta are great defensively, PSG is a team of individuals. Couple that with them not being used to have a team go at them from the get go, and Barca have an easy tie.

messixaviesta wrote:

BarcaKizz wrote:Malaga are better than PSG for me... PSG haven't proven anything imo... They are like the spoilt kid with all the good gear but can't play. They topped an easy group, narrowly beat Valencia who aren't in good form and haven't even been that convincing in a league they should be walking all over. Personally I think we'd flog them senseless.

kizz, let's hope your words prove prophetic.

Well I've put my foot in my mouth now haven't I.

Tbh I'll simply state what I've always believed. If we play at our best we can walk all over them, like we can against anyone. Our biggest enemy is ourselves. Issue is if we don't turn up again like in Milan.

No easy groups:

Madrid have us figured out
Dortmund have lightning quick counters that would expose our slow CBs and high line
Bayern would be the first team in a long time to dispossess us

Not confident at all about our chances, let's just pray Messi will be back to 100% fitness by then

I would prefer to avoid a 2 legged clasico if possible, because on top of the hardship of the game we also have to deal with the added drama that always surrounds that.

with Messi fit, anything is possible we saw his magic half fit.

I fancy our chances against Madrid more than Bayern tbh

The sheer quality of Bayern as opposed to the lack of quality in Madrid is what scares me...despite Madrid having figured us out.

And it's not like Bayern are bad at pressing and keeping the ball. If we don't have the ball the majority of the time, I'm already scared, and their pressing- while likely to not be as good as Madrid's against us for aforementioned reasons- is still more than good enough to unsettle us.

To me they just have a far better team as a whole and their my pick to win the whole thing.

Dortmund is best case scenario obviously.

Realistically I’d pick Dortmund. Not that they are inferior or anything, but their players lack experience in these stages and this might prove good for us. On the other hand we saw what they did to Madrid in the group stage.
Anyway if we manage to go through the semis, then the final is one game where everything

CBarca wrote:
The sheer quality of Bayern as opposed to the lack of quality in Madrid is what scares me...

I don't think Madrid has any lack of quality compared to Bayern. In my opinion they have more quality, but BAyern seems to be the better unit right now.

I obviously want Dortmund. I'm not scared at all of them although Alfred seems they can hurt us. They barely managed to go through vs Malaga, a team that is miles under us.

If we can't get Dortmund, I would prefere Madrid than Bayern, for the simple reason that a final vs. Madrid scares me to no end.

Bayern dispossess us? BC you cant be serious?

We would dominate possession against them like we do anyone else.

Hope we get Dortmund, and let Real deal with Bayern

I actually think Dortmunds style plays right in to Barcas favor. Kind of like playing vs Arsenal (of past not of today lol)

The Franchise wrote:Bayern dispossess us? BC you cant be serious?

We would dominate possession against them like we do anyone else.

Why not? They're a possession based team, 2nd in average possession in all of europe, and one of the best pressing sides right now. If we press like we did vs PSG I think it's possible we might end with a possession of below or at 50%.

windkick wrote:Hope we get Dortmund, and let Real deal with Bayern

I actually think Dortmunds style plays right in to Barcas favor. Kind of like playing vs Arsenal (of past not of today lol)

Dortmund press better than Arsenal ever did, they are not a possession team they counter attack.... they average around 40% in this CL.

You will not enjoy playing against Dortmund i can guarantee this, the press so high and squeeze the lines so well and spring forward so quickly.

Barca will not enjoy that match what so ever.

I actually think Dortmund is the worst match up for Barca purely due to styles.