Re: - | UEFA Champions League Thread | - 2015 -

[DeviAngel]

Vidal trains with Juventus
Arturo Vidal appears to be fit for Juventus’ crucial clash with Monaco, after training with his teammates this afternoon.

[DeviAngel]

Allegri: 'Details decisive in Monaco'
By Football Italia staff
Max Allegri told Juventus “details will make the difference” in their Champions League showdown with Monaco.

The Bianconeri won the first leg of this quarter-final 1-0 and visit the Stade Louis II tomorrow evening.

“I don’t know what tactics Leonardo Jardim will adopt tomorrow. The tie is open and we only have a small advantage,” insisted the Coach in his Press conference.

“In order to qualify tomorrow we need to score at least one goal and play the right performance with both our heads and our feet.

“Monaco are a tough team to play against and we know them a little better after the first leg. It’s going to be a difficult and very long game. This team defends well, has good technique and very physical strikers.

“The details will make the difference and we must never let our minds wander from the issue at hand.”

There have been reports Allegri will scrap the 4-3-1-2 system and go back to 3-5-2 for this match.

“I haven’t decided the line-up yet. The players we have on the bench are going to be fundamental too.”

Allegri had reached the quarter-final with Milan before, but never gone beyond that stage, so is the pressure weighing on him?

“It would be an important result to reach the semi-final and another step forward that this Juventus team can and must make.

“We should be very proud to be taking part in this game. These lads are doing something very important and we should enjoy the moment rather than think about what could happen in future.

“When I arrived the primary objective was to still be competitive in March on all fronts. It’s April, in Serie A we are in a strong position, we reached the Coppa Italia Final after overturning a home defeat to Fiorentina and now we hope for another wonderful evening to reach the Champions League semi-final.

“This squad has a great deal of potential. It can still improve and tomorrow we must be not just stronger, but better.

“I firmly believe tomorrow night we will put in a great performance and reach the Champions League semi-final.”

Arturo Vidal had skipped training this week due to tonsillitis, but is included in the squad.

“He trained today and is at our disposal. He had a temperature on Monday, but was already feeling better yesterday.”

Juve CL seeds in new system
By Football Italia staff


Good news for Juventus, as next season they’ll be Champions League seeds in the draw.

The rules are changing for the 2015-18 cycle and were formally unveiled by UEFA this evening.

The most important development is the seeding process, as from now on the domestic League winners from the top seven nations will automatically be placed into Pot 1 for the group phase draw.

Until now it had been decided by the often controversial UEFA ranking.

The Champions League title holders are guaranteed a place in the group stage as seeds, while the Europa League holders will be sent through the play-offs.

If there was a ‘Double’ – a team winning both the Champions League and their domestic title – the eighth place would go to the winner of the eighth top domestic League in the UEFA ranking.

“Exceptionally, an association may be represented by five clubs in the competition if the Champions League and/or Europa League titleholder does not also qualify through its domestic championship.”

Buffon: 'I want Champions League'
By Football Italia staff

Gigi Buffon hopes to win the Champions League “sooner rather than later” as Juventus visit Monaco for the quarter-final.

The Bianconeri won the first leg 1-0 and visit the Stade Louis II tomorrow night for a place in the semi-final.

“I know full well this is a very important game for me, my teammates and the whole club,” said the goalkeeper in a Press conference.

“I think this proves that, if we get past this round, Juve are growing and would place an important marker on a European level to prove – in case anyone had any remaining doubts – that we are back.

“It would therefore help put pressure on opponents and build our own pride.

“Of course I hope to try and win this trophy along with our fans, because it’s missing from my trophy cabinet and has been missing from Juve’s for too long.

“When will we win? I have no idea, but seeing as I’m nearing my use-by date, I’d be happy if it were sooner rather than later!” joked the 37-year-old.

“I’ve been around this tournament for 20 years. At some times I really hoped to win, at others the pressure of hoping had become too much.

“This year we started out aware we could do great things, above all in the Champions League, and in my view the mistakes of last season were still with us. We didn’t want to get the approach wrong again,” he said referring to their group stage exit to Galatasaray.

“Clearly to win a trophy you need a bit of good luck, but they do say fortune favours the brave. It’s early to start flying towards the sun, but we are certainly in a good position. Unfortunately, that’s not enough.”

Monaco have tended to do better away from home than on their own turf in the Champions League this season, so do Juve have a double advantage?

“Seeing as they concede very few goals and score few, I don’t think we’re going to need too many goals tomorrow to secure qualification.

“They have everything needed to get a result, but we are not here to be sacrificial lambs or to see how good Monaco are. We know all this and have self-belief.

“We want to play football and put our qualities to the fore.”

Monaco were furious after the first leg was decided by an Arturo Vidal penalty, as the foul appeared to be outside the box.

Considering the constant controversy in Italy over refereeing decisions, is it the ‘alibi of losers’ in Europe too?

“We didn’t get that impression,” shrugged Buffon. “The way of rationalising what happens on the pitch is very different in Europe to in Italy and so is the way of expressing it.

“It can happen that a person expresses their opinion. It can be constructive if behind it there aren’t other issues that cast shadows or discredit football.

[salmano9]

Great news for us This means that we would SHOULD qualify for the next rounds in the next years of Champions League... However, this still puts us in danger of facing the likes of Man UTD, City, RM/Barca (the one that becomes 2nd) etc...

[salmano9]

Probable line-ups:
Juventus: Buffon; Bonucci, Barzagli, Chiellini; Lichtsteiner, Marchisio, Pirlo, Vidal, Evra; Morata, Tevez

Monaco: Subasic; Fabinho, Carvalho, Abdennour, Kurzawa; Kondogbia, Toulalan; Silva, Moutinho, Carrasco; Martial

[salmano9]

OFFICIAL line ups:

Juventus: Buffon; Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini; Lichtsteiner, Vidal, Pirlo, Marchisio, Evra; Tevez, Morata

Juventus bench: Storari, Ogbonna, Padoin, Sturaro, Pereyra, Llorente, Matri

Monaco: Subasic; Fabinho, Raggi, Abdennour, Kurzawa; Joao Moutinho, Toulalan, Kondogbia; Bernardo Silva, Martial, Ferreira-Carrasco

Monaco bench: Stekelenburg, Wallace, Elderson, Dirar, Matheus Carvalho, Berbatov, Germain

[elm_baraja_shaman]

hopefully we win 2-1 tonight (afternoon my time tho :p )

avoiding Bayern (should we make it, would be pure gold)

[DeviAngel]

Pirlo

Chiellini is by far our worst defender for an year and a half.

We neutralized Monaco so far. We'll be better in the second half I'm sure of it.

[elm_baraja_shaman]

we were very disappointing today, had it not been for inexperience on the part of Monaco's young players we would have gone down by 3-0,

with Madrid Bayern and Barca, i fear playing like this and we will be knocked out by leg 1....

[DeviAngel]

12 years guys, 12 years !!! FINALLY !!!


congratz to us.


When you see that Chiellini, Vidal, Morata, Licht had yellow cards it was logical to see this kind of display of us.


MoM - Marchisio

P.S. Did anyone saw Allegri with that face in the last minutes ?

[elm_baraja_shaman]

12 years guys, 12 years !!! FINALLY !!!


congratz to us.


When you see that Chiellini, Vidal, Morata, Licht had yellow cards it was logical to see this kind of display of us.


MoM - Marchisio

P.S. Did anyone saw Allegri with that face in the last minutes ?

the only player on our side who played well were Evra, Bonucci and Barzagli, the rest were all thrash honestly....

[S]

No standout performer in this game.We came here to defend the lead.It was a total team effort in that respect.

[elm_baraja_shaman]

No standout performer in this game.We came here to defend the lead.It was a total team effort in that respect.

thing is we were even poor playing a sh*t Monaco team, playing like this vs Bayern, Madrid or Barca and we will be knocked out even before we started....

we should look at scrapping that 3-5-2 counterattacking game in the semis,

drop Chiellini play a back 4 and actually look to attack and be clinical at it (we were very poor attack wise today) cos the semis, a loose game like today and those 3 will look to end game 1 by giving us a smashing we won't like....

[DeviAngel]

https://instagram.com/p/1yH1MwihLe/

Our team's wife's

[johniet]

How can you judge Chiellini after one mistake, do you prefer Ogbonna or what...Yes It was frustrating to see us playing like this, but I find your attitude quite ungratefull with the players who stick with an strategy and suceeded. What do the coaches always say "Each match at a time", you are already thinking of other teams and predicting a huge failure based on this match...It seems you have not watched enough football games huh?

[djfawnz]

guys, we have been playing a lot of games in a few days and our midfield is thin right now. Pogba, Asamoah and Caceres are injured, and Pirlo and Barzagli recently just got back to the team. It was imperative to play a 3-5-2 and try to contain the lead. Was it a scrappy game? Of course. Are we going to play like this in then next 2 CL games? I don't think so.

We are in the big leagues now.

[elm_baraja_shaman]

How can you judge Chiellini after one mistake, do you prefer Ogbonna or what...Yes It was frustrating to see us playing like this, but I find your attitude quite ungratefull with the players who stick with an strategy and suceeded. What do the coaches always say "Each match at a time", you are already thinking of other teams and predicting a huge failure based on this match...It seems you have not watched enough football games huh?

i said the approach not the players, and yes most of our players were poor (not sure the law that states that we cannot criticize poor play).....

and if you fail to see that putting in a display like we did today would guarantee a sound whipping from those 3 then I cannot help you here, we are clearly the underdog in the last 4 and all the remaining 3 are praying they get us.... its not hard to see....

[DeviAngel]

Allegri: 'Tactics dictated by conditions'
By Football Italia staff

Max Allegri reveals Carlos Tevez almost didn’t play in Monaco and these problems prompted his change of system.

The Bianconeri had won the first leg 1-0 and seemed to rely rather too heavily on that fact, surviving under pressure at the Stade Louis II for a goalless draw.

It was their third consecutive Champions League clean sheet and books their spot in the Champions League semi-finals for the first time since 2003.

“Tonight the objective was to reach the semi-final. We might not have played very attractive football, but it’s difficult to take on Monaco and we made many technical errors,” the Coach told Sport Mediaset.

“I think it was a good performance defensively, as we allowed little or nothing to Monaco. At the end of the day, the result counts for more than the performance tonight.

“We knew that we had to score to be sure and had two chances before the break where we could’ve done better. We didn’t make the most of other opportunities either, but we also ran very few risks at the back.”

Juventus are through to the semi-finals along with Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich.

“I am pleased for the lads, as I think they deserved this semi-final for all they’ve done in the Champions League. We only lost twice by 1-0, undeservedly in my view, and we always did well in the other games.

“These are the three biggest clubs in Europe. I can certainly guarantee it will be a completely different game against these sides than with Monaco.”

Allegri used a 4-3-1-2 system in the first leg, but moved to a 3-5-2 for the second leg and defended this switch.

“I decided this system because I saw the players every day in training. Tevez until two hours beforehand was in doubt to play at all because he was vomiting for two days straight. Vidal had fever and Pirlo had played two games in a row after being out for two months.

“I had to take into account the need for changes from the bench if we had gone behind. Considering the situation of the players going in, I thought it was the best choice.

“I knew full well this could mean a bad performance, but the objective was to reach the semi-final in these conditions.”

Allegri has taken Juve beyond where Antonio Conte had reached in the Champions League, so has he finally won the supporters over?

“I think it’s normal for Juventus fans to be wary after replacing a Coach who had won three straight Scudetti, especially as it all happened in a day.

“Not many Coaches have gone from Milan to Juventus. I’d already won the Scudetto and Super Cup. Work is the only way forward.

“This team has to keep going and above all improving, as we are in the Champions League semi-finals and the Coppa Italia Final. At the moment I am very happy.”

[johniet]

Now I understand why Tevez was not as good as always...my point is, every match is a different history withing a different context...why you drop salt to our team , are they playing the semi-final tomorrow..no...have some patience ffs.

[johniet]

Allegri, who pays attention to little details. For Conte It was all about brute force and intensity.

[DeviAngel]

[McAgger]

Who would you guys prefer from Madrid, Bayern, Barca?

[djfawnz]

do you have a link of that vine?!

[DeviAngel]

Who would you guys prefer from Madrid, Bayern, Barca?

Madrid tbh because of their injuries and form crises.

@dj I don't have it sorry.

[salmano9]

We did well in qualifying and defending, but not in attacking. Allegri almost killed me... how many shots in target was that? 2? Allegri says that tevez wasn't feeling well... But morata? He seemed as if he was told not to go for the goal.

Dat pirlo free kick dough... Wow... almost in. Simple class! Reminded me of the cross bar fk vs England in the WC.

[DeviAngel]

Juve players ill before Monaco
By Football Italia staff


Carlos Tevez, Arturo Vidal and Alvaro Morata were all ill before Juventus faced Monaco, it’s revealed.

Vidal had already been in doubt after suffering from tonsillitis earlier this week, skipping Monday’s training session with a high temperature.

However, it’s been confirmed another bug has been going through the Juve squad and debilitated the players ahead of their Champions League quarter-final.

“Tevez until two hours beforehand was in doubt to play at all because he was vomiting for two days straight,” explained Coach Max Allegri.

It seems that illness spread to team-mate Morata, as Sport Mediaset report the Spaniard was physically sick straight after his substitution.

“It’s a virus and it is spreading. Vidal started, then Tevez and Morata was sick on the bench,” added Allegri in his Press conference.

“This proves what fantastic lads they are, as even during difficulties they still managed to do well.”

This could go some way to explain the sluggish performance from the Bianconeri in Monaco.

[salmano9]

Wow, I see why Morata was struggling a bit as well... They looked very shaky together. Llorente actually did well... He moved a lot. Now I understand why Morata was subbed out.

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