Real Madrid vs Bayern Munich(Clash of the Titans)

Bayern sure are on a run now, though. Müller in incredible form.

Then you better watch the highlights tonight, Samourai.

Se7en wrote:I think we will play our game, which means press as hard as we can and push Bayerns wingers back.

Dangerous as well though, opens up space for the Bayern wingers to run into, if they ever get behind your FBs.

I consider our wingers better than Bayern (IMO Di Maria is the best winger in the world and Ronaldo is Ronaldo, nothing here to say) but their advantage is the midfield, and we're also better in the AM area (Özil starts for the NT, not Müller or Kroos, and the team is built around him. That tells me he is better IMO.) and CB department.

I heavily disagree in this department. Ronaldo might be the best out of the four wingers, but Ribéry and Robben together edge out CR7 and di Maria, maybe I haven't been watching Real enough, though I have seen the majority of their matches this season I think - but I just don't think di Maria is on the same level as CR7, Robben and Ribéry.

Özil and Kroos, well, that's difficult to say. Özil certainly is better at what he does best, his final pass is better than Kroos' (though Kroos is excellent), he's faster, has better close control - all in all Özil is just more attacking, and better at it. Kroos makes up for it by being more complete, Özil just suits counter-attacking better, so he's a perfect fit for Real and Germany, while Kroos would need to sit deeper in counter-attacking teams, he's better suited for possession-based playing styles.

So my point is: while I also think that Özil probably is the better player, if Germany played primarily for possession, Kroos would start over Özil, or Özil would be a winger.

BTW Müller IS a starter for the German NT, he just starts on the wing there. And there have been precious few Bayern matches he didn't play in. Don't count out the WC golden shoe winner just because he looks awkward when he runs or shoots.

At DM/CM, Khedira easily edges Tymo or Gustavo, while I think that Xabi and Piggy are probably roughly equal, Schweinsteiger is just played for more impact. But that's not because he's better at directing play than Xavi, it is because Bayern build up from deep, because they favor possession. So it's hard to tell who's actually better of the two.

Your CBs are comfortably better though, Badstuber and Boateng are both great talents, and will probably be world class in a couple years. They aren't now. They are very promising, but not rock-solid in any way, shape, or form.

We've a weak RB but Di Maria's workrate should help if we have him, and we might possibly play either Altintop or Lass there becouse Arbeloa has been very, very poor lately... Maybe Ramos too and Varane as CB.

Coentrao will most likely play LB if fit becouse Marcelo hasn't shown lately that he should start. I also consider Benz a better all around player but Gomez the better goalscorer. Can't really compare becouse they're so different but I'd take Benz over Gomez anyday.

Bayern are weak at whatever FB position Lahm isn't covering. Alaba has been great as of recent though, so Alaba at LB and Lahm at RB might actually give Bayern a solid back-four from right to left flank, all in all. They mostly depend on how good the cover from midfield is, though, but at least the CBs are tall, that could be important at some point.

Gomez v Benz... Interesting again. I actually think Gomez would be better for Real than Benz since I consider Gomez the better counter-attacking striker, and Benz much better at hold-up play, so they should probably just switch out the two and both teams would benefit from the switch, lol.

I prefer Gomez simply because he gives you something that's gotten very rare these days - he's a pure goalscorer, then again, neither Bayern nor Real really need one of those with those wingers and AMs they got.

Neuer v Casillas... I prefer Neuer, but I think we can all agree that the difference in GK quality will not decide this tie.