Football (real)

[betiko]

i don't want to talk about last night nor that cup and i will pretend it never happened.

regarding the champion s league:

Barça - Atletico
Real - Dortmund
Paris - Chelsea
Bayern - Man U

paris chelsea seems like the closest call (even if I'm not that sure about barcelona vs atletico). Can't wait to see those games!

[Trevor33]

I think Chelsea will just edge PSG. The other 3, 2 in Bayern and Real are easy wins and the other... well Barce by a goal or on away goals but I wouldn't be surprised if Madrid won.

No way Real can make the same mistake two years running, plus they have improved while Dortmund have gotten worse... still say Real should have beaten them last season though.

[betiko]

I think Chelsea will just edge PSG. The other 3, 2 in Bayern and Real are easy wins and the other... well Barce by a goal or on away goals but I wouldn't be surprised if Madrid won.

No way Real can make the same mistake two years running, plus they have improved while Dortmund have gotten worse... still say Real should have beaten them last season though.

Paris has a better team but chelsea has mourinho. I give it 53-47 for paris.
And yeah, the atletico can perfectly beat the barça, tough call. 55-45 barça

[Trevor33]

I think Chelsea will just edge PSG. The other 3, 2 in Bayern and Real are easy wins and the other... well Barce by a goal or on away goals but I wouldn't be surprised if Madrid won.

No way Real can make the same mistake two years running, plus they have improved while Dortmund have gotten worse... still say Real should have beaten them last season though.

Paris has a better team but chelsea has mourinho. I give it 53-47 for paris.
And yeah, the atletico can perfectly beat the barça, tough call. 55-45 barça

PSG have a better attack but they don't have a better team... both teams have their flaws and with PSG it's their defense. Chelsea have one of the best defenses in Europe, left in the CL I would say that only Bayern have a stronger one.

Of course no one has a better defense than the mighty Benfica in world football. And yes I'm smoking crack again

Should be a couple of good games though, looking forward to that and the Barce tie more than the other two. As a Utd fan I fear a result which makes Bayerns result against Barce last year appear like a close game.

[nietzsche]

Atletico de Madrid
Real Madrid
Chelsea
Bayern

those advance

[betiko]

I think Chelsea will just edge PSG. The other 3, 2 in Bayern and Real are easy wins and the other... well Barce by a goal or on away goals but I wouldn't be surprised if Madrid won.

No way Real can make the same mistake two years running, plus they have improved while Dortmund have gotten worse... still say Real should have beaten them last season though.

Paris has a better team but chelsea has mourinho. I give it 53-47 for paris.
And yeah, the atletico can perfectly beat the barça, tough call. 55-45 barça

PSG have a better attack but they don't have a better team... both teams have their flaws and with PSG it's their defense. Chelsea have one of the best defenses in Europe, left in the CL I would say that only Bayern have a stronger one.

Of course no one has a better defense than the mighty Benfica in world football. And yes I'm smoking crack again

Should be a couple of good games though, looking forward to that and the Barce tie more than the other two. As a Utd fan I fear a result which makes Bayerns result against Barce last year appear like a close game.

I don t know how you can call PSG's defense a flaw. In ligue1 they received 18 goals in 30 games.
In champion s league 6 goals in 8 games (2 against benfica for their 6th group game that they didn't take seriously with a B team as they had clinched the first place and benfica was playing its neck, 1 against leverkusen after winning 0-4 the away game also playing with their B team).

Chelsea is at 23 goals received in 30 games of EPL and in champion s league 4 goals in 8 games. Basically, it s all pretty comparable. The difference is that for chelsea you count it as their main asset and for the PSG as their flaw.... Kind of says it all
There is not a defender playing for chelsea half as good as thiago silva, who is the best defense in the world, and like it or not paris has one of the best defenses in europe too.

If I look at chelsea's starting 11 there is probably just Hazard in his position who is much better.

How about a little avatar wager on the winner? Winner gets to chose an avatar for the loser for a month.

[Trevor33]

I think Chelsea will just edge PSG. The other 3, 2 in Bayern and Real are easy wins and the other... well Barce by a goal or on away goals but I wouldn't be surprised if Madrid won.

No way Real can make the same mistake two years running, plus they have improved while Dortmund have gotten worse... still say Real should have beaten them last season though.

Paris has a better team but chelsea has mourinho. I give it 53-47 for paris.
And yeah, the atletico can perfectly beat the barça, tough call. 55-45 barça

PSG have a better attack but they don't have a better team... both teams have their flaws and with PSG it's their defense. Chelsea have one of the best defenses in Europe, left in the CL I would say that only Bayern have a stronger one.

Of course no one has a better defense than the mighty Benfica in world football. And yes I'm smoking crack again

Should be a couple of good games though, looking forward to that and the Barce tie more than the other two. As a Utd fan I fear a result which makes Bayerns result against Barce last year appear like a close game.

I don t know how you can call PSG's defense a flaw. In ligue1 they received 18 goals in 30 games.
In champion s league 6 goals in 8 games (2 against benfica for their 6th group game that they didn't take seriously with a B team as they had clinched the first place and benfica was playing its neck, 1 against leverkusen after winning 0-4 the away game also playing with their B team).

Chelsea is at 23 goals received in 30 games of EPL and in champion s league 4 goals in 8 games. Basically, it s all pretty comparable. The difference is that for chelsea you count it as their main asset and for the PSG as their flaw.... Kind of says it all
There is not a defender playing for chelsea half as good as thiago silva, who is the best defense in the world, and like it or not paris has one of the best defenses in europe too.

If I look at chelsea's starting 11 there is probably just Hazard in his position who is much better.

How about a little avatar wager on the winner? Winner gets to chose an avatar for the loser for a month.

Ok, i'm down for that bet. Also as many changes as we like?

I'm basing my estimation of PSG's defenses on a cup game I watched against I think it was Nantes where they won 2-1 but looked a bit shaky. Chelsea will trouble them at corners and free kicks, wouldn't be shocked if they got a couple of goals in the tie because of that.

[betiko]

Just looked and yeah there was a semifinal of league cup against nantes that they won 2-1, i guess you re talking about that game and I didn't watch it. As you can imagine the motivation and performance is not the same in league cup compared to champion s league. I remember now the media criticizing them after that game that was quite poor.
Anyway, the only thing that would surprise me would be one of the teams finishing with 2+ goals overall.

Regarding the bet, i don t get it, you mean choosing different things throughout the month of punishment? I don t really mind. Only thing is that it has to be appropriate enough not to get into trouble with mods.

[Trevor33]

Of course, if in doubt we could ask the mods... a month is a long time, figure we'll get bored and want to give the other person a different avatar.

yes, that was the game. Fair point about motivation, especially when I think they had beaten Nantes something like 6-0 in the league a week or so previous to that game. Still though they were lucky to win that game.

[nietzsche]

Arsene will hate Mourinho for the rest of his life.

6-0.


Back when everyone was praising Arsenal's game, Didn't I say that Arsenal was to fragile? That they would never compete against the intensity that Mou gives to his teams?

[iAmCaffeine]

My votes are on AM, RM, C and BM. As much as I hate Chelsea, I think they'll beat PSG.

More importantly, Leeds beat Milwall 2-1.

[nietzsche]

Real Madrid 3-4 Barcelona

The game was 2-2 and it had excellent. Then the referee started to make mistakes.


I'm very pissed at Benzema, he had 8 chances (I was counting them, after the first 2) and in only 1 he did good. The other goal was a mistake by Valdes.

Di Maria is a fucking genius, after the first goal he has to receive medical attention because he was out of air, he had fever, and minutes later he assists Benzema again. Before the two assists, he had made a beutiful play, leaving three behind, passing the ball between the legs of the second, to leave Benzema alone to score, and Benzema failed.

[betiko]

Real Madrid 3-4 Barcelona

The game was 2-2 and it had excellent. Then the referee started to make mistakes.


I'm very pissed at Benzema, he had 8 chances (I was counting them, after the first 2) and in only 1 he did good. The other goal was a mistake by Valdes.

Di Maria is a fucking genius, after the first goal he has to receive medical attention because he was out of air, he had fever, and minutes later he assists Benzema again. Before the two assists, he had made a beutiful play, leaving three behind, passing the ball between the legs of the second, to leave Benzema alone to score, and Benzema failed.

well i was out and when we managed to get to see the game with a friend it was the second half just when cristiano got his penalty. Both cristiano and neymar had BS penalties, the last one on iniesta was a clear one though. Still, that's a red card on ramos that shouldn't have existed if you balance things.

good thing is how the top 3 are now within 1 point difference! pretty exciting. This barça atletico in champions league is promissing... there is also the madrid-barça in copa del rey final in a few weeks. very exciting stuff in spain (except for my team that can't possibly be more miserable than it is right now... worse moment in the 20+season I've been supporting them)

[Symmetry]

Does that take Ramos to a record with 19 red cards? Not sure if any other major player has had more.

[JoshyBoy]

Chelsea 6-0 Arsenal

Even 11v11 we would have still lost by 3 or 4. That being said, the officiating was the worst I've seen for a long time, just error after error after error after error after error.

Real Madrid 3-4 Barcelona

Messi > Ronaldo

Loved that game, it had everything. Should have been at least 3 red cards though

[betiko]

Chelsea 6-0 Arsenal

Even 11v11 we would have still lost by 3 or 4. That being said, the officiating was the worst I've seen for a long time, just error after error after error after error after error.

Real Madrid 3-4 Barcelona

Messi > Ronaldo

Loved that game, it had everything. Should have been at least 3 red cards though

Bah this wasn t about messi and ronaldo this time. If benzema and iniesta had taken care of shooting the penaltys they would ve scored a hat trick each.
Atletico is leading now lol.

[JoshyBoy]

Bah this wasn t about messi and ronaldo this time. If benzema and iniesta had taken care of shooting the penaltys they would ve scored a hat trick each.
Atletico is leading now lol.

I wasn't being serious.

I hope Atletico go all the way

[iAmCaffeine]

Leeds are shit.

[betiko]

Bah this wasn t about messi and ronaldo this time. If benzema and iniesta had taken care of shooting the penaltys they would ve scored a hat trick each.
Atletico is leading now lol.

I wasn't being serious.

I hope Atletico go all the way

i've seen some forecasts done by the internet users on marca for the last games, and the calendar isn't looking good for atletico. Forecasts said that atletico ends with 90; barça 96 and madrid either 95 or 97, depending if they win or draw in Anoeta (real sociedad). And I wouldpretty much agree with the forecasts, but then you never know. By the way... on day 38 there is a barça vs atletico!

@caff: only (some) brits know what you're talking about so if you don't explain what's going on... no more chance to go back to epl i guess? told you that this italian guy from calgari has the reputiation of being a cancer.

[betiko]

oh my god! didn't know that some games were played this week in spain... and madrid lost vs sevilla???? lol. that wasn't part of the plan and probably just cost them the league... this really looked theirsless than a week ago!

atletico 73
barça 72
real 70

8 more games to go!

[iAmCaffeine]

The Italian dude has been told he can't buy LUFC, so that's not a worry. Although he had already put a lot of money into the club, so we'll have to see what happens there. In general we're just not consistent enough, nowhere near. We beat a top team 2-0 and then lose to a relegation fighting team 4-1, repeat repeat repeat. It's ridiculous. I'll be happy to finish in the play-offs. We don't have a good enough manager or enough money to survive in the EPL, so I don't want promotion. I'd rather build 2014-15 and then go up, but we need a new manager, need to keep McCormack and get some better players. Considering we've had non-stop takeover talks for the past 2 years doesn't help because it just leaves us fans in a total state of confusion.

[betiko]

The Italian dude has been told he can't buy LUFC, so that's not a worry. Although he had already put a lot of money into the club, so we'll have to see what happens there. In general we're just not consistent enough, nowhere near. We beat a top team 2-0 and then lose to a relegation fighting team 4-1, repeat repeat repeat. It's ridiculous. I'll be happy to finish in the play-offs. We don't have a good enough manager or enough money to survive in the EPL, so I don't want promotion. I'd rather build 2014-15 and then go up, but we need a new manager, need to keep McCormack and get some better players. Considering we've had non-stop takeover talks for the past 2 years doesn't help because it just leaves us fans in a total state of confusion.

english second division has 24 clubs or something like that right? how is the promotion relegations, top 4 make it to a playoff?
and at this stage of the season teams fighting to stay in the league are super dangerous; the actual easy games are the ones against the mid table clubs, not the bottom ones.

In Spain the betis won yesterday and is now 7 points away from salvation, still last of the liga... and 8 games left. This is mission impossible, but let's see... we've been stolen over 10 points clearly so far with valid goals not counted and goals in offsideof the opponents not counted; too many wrong penalty decision always against us... this season really sucks. add the biggest humiliations possible against sevilla this year.... what a shit season really.

[iAmCaffeine]

Correct. The top 2 get automatic promotion then 3rd to 6th are in the play-offs. The bottom 3 get relegated. Of course it's the lower teams that are going to be tough because they're fighting to stay in the league, but it's a constant inconsistency at LUFC to beat the big teams and get smashed by the teams we should easily win against.

[nietzsche]

Bah this wasn t about messi and ronaldo this time. If benzema and iniesta had taken care of shooting the penaltys they would ve scored a hat trick each.
Atletico is leading now lol.

I wasn't being serious.

I hope Atletico go all the way

i've seen some forecasts done by the internet users on marca for the last games, and the calendar isn't looking good for atletico. Forecasts said that atletico ends with 90; barça 96 and madrid either 95 or 97, depending if they win or draw in Anoeta (real sociedad). And I wouldpretty much agree with the forecasts, but then you never know. By the way... on day 38 there is a barça vs atletico!

@caff: only (some) brits know what you're talking about so if you don't explain what's going on... no more chance to go back to epl i guess? told you that this italian guy from calgari has the reputiation of being a cancer.

Anoeta will be easy, difficult will be Valencia and Espanyol. Real Sociedad is like Arsenal, they can play very good some times, but they lack intensity. If you had asked me before the game in Sevilla, I would've said Sevilla and Espanyol would be the hard games.

Atletico's only problem will be his depth of players. THey will play with an intensity and hunger almost impossible to beat. Maybe it would be smart for Atletico to give up the Champions League and focus on La Liga.

Barcelona is the strongest candidate for La Liga IMO, although they have tough matches, Espanyol, Atlethic, Villareal and Atletico. (Atletico will play those 4 too)

[betiko]

Athletic not atlethic, as an english speaker you should know better

And Last year in anoeta 3-3. A draw was enough to make madrid lose the league. Sorry but madrid is always excellent at the pizjuan and always scores insane amounts of goals versus the piglets. So if you really though that the pizjuan was an easier game than anoeta for the real, next time chip in and say so, because I can assure you that it s not the general opinion and you missed a good chance to look smart and tell us " i told you so"

This liga is for the barça. It would really be awesome if the barça atletico could decide the winner with the rest of the stadium pending on the madrid game on day 38. So far the suspense is great.

I have to say it can be in the EPL too but all those match played difference is shite and no one sees where we re at..