Champions League Last 16 discussion

Barcelona - Manchester City: 2-0
PSG- Leverkusen: 4-0
Munich - Arsenal: 2-0
Atletico - Milan: 1-0
United - Olympiacos: 0-2
Dotrmund - Zenit: 4-2
Madrid -Schalke: 6-1
Chelsea - Galatasaray: 1-1

OK, PSG and Madrid are through. Considering they have a hefty lead in their home leg, Barcelona, Munich and Dortmund are as good as through. Do you suppose Milan, United or Galatasaray can revive their respective CL prospect!!!

If City go to Barcelona with their usual attacking style, that could still be a good game, although they should've done that in Manchester and play their Manchester game in Barcelona.

I just hope Olympiacos score in the first half in Manchester.

Galatasaray need to score in London, I don't know if they can do that.

I guess Atletico v Milan is still close, but can't see Atletico losing at home to this Milan team.


Promises to be a pretty boring return-leg round.

S wrote:Alaba supports Gala

Galaba?

rwo power wrote:

S wrote:Alaba supports Gala

Galaba?

     This was too perfect. Kudos

Alonso > Di Maria imo.

Arsene Wenger has tipped Real Madrid as potential Champions League winners and believes that Bayern Munich are "less dangerous" this year.

Champions League holders Bayern beat Wenger's Arsenal side 2-0 last month in the first-leg of their last-16 tie at the Emirates Stadium.

Bavarian giants Bayern won an historic treble last season under Jupp Heynckes and are also sweeping all before them in the current campaign.

The defending champions are 20 points clear at the top of the Bundesliga, as well as having one foot in the quarter-finals of Europe's premier club competition and already being crowned FIFA Club World Cup champions.

But despite their ominous form, Wenger believes that Bayern carry less of a threat under Pep Guardiola than they did in the 2012-13 campaign - particularly with key men Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben having been troubled by injuries.

He told Eurosport: "Last year, Ribery and Robben were playing together and they were in great shape, so Bayern were really powerful going forward,

"This year they still have an awful lot of possession, but I think they're less dangerous - I think we saw that at Arsenal. Even though we were playing with 10 players (following the sending off of Wojciech Szczesny) they didn't really create an awful lot."

Real hammered Schalke 6-1 last week, are top of La Liga and in the Copa del Rey final in Carlo Ancelotti's first season at the Spanish club

And Wenger has seen enough of the Spanish side to think of them as contenders to win the Champions League trophy for the first time since 2002.

The Frenchman said: "Real Madrid right now are on a par with anything. For me, this is the team with the best balance."

I don't think we're the best, there's things we need to improve on. The same could be said for every top team though. Bayern are slightly better than the others, however it's still close.

lol, Wenger going full-blown Mourinho on us AGAIN.
Why?!

Also, Robben and Ribery are playing together THIS year and they're the best they've ever been, last year against Arsenal Robben was on the bench.

Hapless_Hans wrote:lol, Wenger going full-blown Mourinho on us AGAIN.

Just be happy that Wenger does the pep talk for Pep

Ill defend Wenger in most situations, but not here.

The reason Bayern "didnt create an awful lot" was because Arsenal HAD to do defend with all 10 or they would end up destroyed.

If there is 11 on the pitch, Arsenal would of ended up coming forward and thus opening more space at the back.

The Franchise wrote:Ill defend Wenger in most situations, but not here.

The reason Bayern "didnt create an awful lot" was because Arsenal HAD to do defend with all 10 or they would end up destroyed.

If there is 11 on the pitch, Arsenal would of ended up coming forward and thus opening more space at the back.

I dont agree with Wenger and I dont agree with you also.

11 vs 11 the game would have ended a draw or even maybe an Arsenal win.

I cant predict the result, I dont see how anyone can.

But I think its quite clear that if you had your full 11 players, you wouldnt of let Bayern have 89% of the ball in the 2nd half.

With more of the ball, you would of got more players into attack and therefore likely left more spaces and likely given Bayern more opportunities to create chances. If they score them or not, if they make the final pass or not, I dont know but I am fairly sure with more space Bayern would do more.

Arsenal in the first 10 minutes or so were really dangerous and you'd think they were going to win. However Pep was right when he said the turning point for Bayern did happen after Ozil PK miss as I though Arsenal was giving Bayern too much time on the ball hence leading to that red/PK. I also believed Pep and Bayern were giving Arsenal too much respect. Similar to what City did to us till the the red card.

Arsenal were strong, but being bad in the first 10-15 minutes has been our problem in every game this year, up until the Schalke game on Saturday.

So who knows how the game might've ended, but in every game this year we let the opponent have great opportunities at the beginning while we started slow, and only got stronger from there, and that's what was happening at Arsenal as well.

Anyway, whatever one thinks how strong we are, and I don't really care about people's ratings, it still is strange for Wenger to say stuff like that in public.

halamadrid2 wrote:Farfan sustained a knee injury so will not be available for the second leg next week

rip Schalke

As if Farfan playing would have given Schalke chances to win

M99 wrote:

halamadrid2 wrote:Farfan sustained a knee injury so will not be available for the second leg next week

rip Schalke

As if Farfan playing would have given Schalke chances to win

This.

They would get ripped apart again with or without Farfan, the problem is their defense.

The Hunter said after the 1:6 in the first leg: "Well, then we have to win 6:0 in the second match..."

rwo power wrote:The Hunter said after the 1:6 in the first leg: "Well, then we have to win 6:0 in the second match..."

"And we need pigs to fly."

Zenit St Petersburg have never scored more than two goals in their 13 away Champions League games. [opta]