Champions League 14/15 group stage matchday 2 (09/30 + 10/01)

Blackwidow

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Oct 8, 2011
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Tuesday
ZSKA Moskau - Bayern Munich (17:00)
BATE Baryssau - Athletic Bilbao
Man City - Roma
Sporting Lissabon - Chelsea
Schachtar Donezk - FC Porto
Paris SG - Barcelona
Schalke 04 - NK Maribor
APOEL Nikosia - Ajax Amsterdam

Wednesday
Zenit St Petersburg - AS Monaco (17:00)
FC Basel - Liverpool
Anderlecht - Bor. Dortmund
Leverkusen - SL Benfica Lissabon
Malmö - Olympiacos Piräus
Atlético Madrid - Juventus Turin
Ludogorets - Real Madrid
Arsenal - Galatasaray
 
Roma get a draw and City are in the shits.

Liverpool to struggle in Switzerland.

Arsenal to get their first win, but in an unconvincing manner.

And Manchester United to watch at home.
 
I like when the Russian teams play at home, it's great being able to watch 2 CL games on the same day :D

Think I'll watch PSG against Barça later but the City game sounds good too.
 
First real test for Barca under the new regime, interesting to see how they get on because they don't play well at all in this type of fixture for the past 2 seasons.
 
BigDunc9 said:
First real test for Barca under the new regime, interesting to see how they get on because they don't play well at all in this type of fixture for the past 2 seasons.
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Thiago Silva, Ibrahimovic and Lavezzi are out.Barcelona are massive favorites imo.
 
Bob Loblaw said:
I like when the Russian teams play at home, it's great being able to watch 2 CL games on the same day :D

Think I'll watch PSG against Barça later but the City game sounds good too.
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The match in Russia is without visitors. There is about 100 Bayern fans that have visited each match since 10 or even 25 years - and it will be the first match they miss. Some of them are even in Moscow trying to get in somehow...

There was somebody calling in a bomb alarm in the Bayern hotel yesterday night so the players got evacuated - if you look at the pictures they look more like "the evening was boring anyhow and like this there is some action" and spent the time in a nearby Irish pub.
 
Even if we were in the Champions League this season we'd get dicked because of the injuries, if it's any constellation.
 
PSG are kind of in a rut aren't they and there is a fair bit of pressure on Blanc. I think it is fair to say European success is more imperative than domestic success for PSG as you get the impression that the Qatari owners desperately want success in the Champions League. I even remember Ancelotti alluding to something like that in an interview

Ancelotti - ‘When I went there (PSG) it was supposed to be about creating something. But after one year that had changed and it was just about the next result.

‘When we went out in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, they started to complain. I decided it was time to go.’

If I'm not mistaken PSG won the domestic double that year. So you can see the pressure on Blanc here. An early exit might just seal his fate.
 
Bayern XI vs Moscow: Neuer - Lahm, Benatia, Dante, Bernat - Alonso, Alaba - Robben, Muller, Gotze - Lewandowski

That line-up you might see only some minutes in the match. It will be sometimes three - sometimes four in the back. Lahm or Bernat drifting forward and making triangles with Robben/Müller or Alaba/Götze/Lewandowski. Müller and Lewa will probably play both as strikers. So it might be more of a 3-5-2.

Boateng has recently had problems with his adductors and missed matches because of this or got subbed early. But he is on the bench. Bayern subs: Reina, Rafinha, Boateng, Hojbjerg, Rode, Shaqiri, Pizarro
 
Line up FCB: Neuer - Alonso, Dante, Benatia, Lewandowski, Robben, Bernat, Götze, Lahm (C), Müller, Alaba

I hate that we play so early. fecking nightmare to plan the day at work so that I can watch the game :mad:
 
Blackwidow said:
Bayern XI vs Moscow: Neuer - Lahm, Benatia, Dante, Bernat - Alonso, Alaba - Robben, Muller, Gotze - Lewandowski

That line-up you might see only some minutes in the match. It will be sometimes three - sometimes four in the back. Lahm or Bernat drifting forward and making triangles with Robben/Müller or Alaba/Götze/Lewandowski. Müller and Lewa will probably play both as strikers. So it might be more of a 3-5-2.

Boateng has recently had problems with his adductors and missed matches because of this or got subbed early. But he is on the bench. Bayern subs: Reina, Rafinha, Boateng, Hojbjerg, Rode, Shaqiri, Pizarro
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I gave up on putting the names from the line-up into a formation :lol: . It's simply not possible anymore. Alaba will probably play a hybrid centerback/box to box midfielder role. Lahm most likely cover more out wide and Alonso won't drop as deep as last time with 2 centerbacks in the team, still expect it to be more of a 334 than a 4231.
 
Probably even more a 3-5-2...

Bayern fans are not allowed - not even Bayern's U19 who has played in the Youth League today. But - UEFA let's 400 fans of their sponsors club in... no comment...
 
Going for us to beat Sporting Lisbon 1-3 Remy, Hazard and Drogba.
 
Joga Bonito said:
PSG are kind of in a rut aren't they and there is a fair bit of pressure on Blanc. I think it is fair to say European success is more imperative than domestic success for PSG as you get the impression that the Qatari owners desperately want success in the Champions League. I even remember Ancelotti alluding to something like that in an interview

Ancelotti - ‘When I went there (PSG) it was supposed to be about creating something. But after one year that had changed and it was just about the next result.

‘When we went out in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, they started to complain. I decided it was time to go.’

If I'm not mistaken PSG won the domestic double that year. So you can see the pressure on Blanc here. An early exit might just seal his fate.
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Very true, they aspire to be the biggest club in Europe and it cannot happen without success in the CL, consistent success even. Blanc is under massive pressure, if there is a defeat and it's a heavy one, he might actually get the boot.
 
Blackwidow said:
Tuesday
ZSKA Moskau - Bayern Munich (17:00)
BATE Baryssau - Athletic Bilbao
Man City - Roma
Sporting Lissabon - Chelsea
Schachtar Donezk - FC Porto
Paris SG - Barcelona
Schalke 04 - NK Maribor
APOEL Nikosia - Ajax Amsterdam
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Not sure what game to watch out of the three highlighted. :wenger:
 
saivet said:
How has Alaba done in CM for Bayern this season?
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Difficult to say. I think he looked very good in an attacking box to box role and surprisingly great in that left sided centerback role in our back three. The few times he actually played as a CM, he struggled a bit. He benefits from Alonso keeping the game ticking in midfield now, so that he can be more direct.

He played so many different roles in the 8 games he started so far this season, that the most impressing thing clearly is how easily he adapts and how brilliant his tactical understanding is. Truely impressive from a 22 year old.
 
Terrific atmosphere, is this played at the Emirates?

Oh God what have I done?
 
ItsEssexRob said:
Munich are here for the taking tonight.
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you must watch another match.

@saivet
Alaba´s role is often unique. I have never seen this mix of centerhalf and b2b midfielder. He is not a natural holding player, so playing him as dm/cm doesnt suit him, he looks very good as offensive midfielder. He is well rounded but his biggest strength is his pace and athleticism. He must be able to burst forward to show his best. Thats why he is such a good fullback, but accelerates in many different roles.
 
ItsEssexRob said:
You guys can feck them over any day, they cant handle Lukaku.
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It's tough playing teams like City over 2 legs though. Not saying Roma would be anything but a hard game like but I know all about how good City are. I also think Lukaku would thrive against an Italian team with his physicality, although I may be basing this on a misconception.
 
From what I've seen in the portuguese derby, Chelsea will have lots of difficulties today against Sporting. Tactically well oiled, loads of pressure and speed, plus the pitch kind of sucks which makes it more difficult for the more technical sides like Chelsea.
 
Shame that's offside (correct call) because it's a great goal.
 
ItsEssexRob said:
Going for us to beat Sporting Lisbon 1-3 Remy, Hazard and Drogba.
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Is Costa going to play? Our defense isn´t in great shape, i just hope we keep the score at a respectable level. Off to the stadium in a few mins. Looking forward to booing Mourinho.
 
Sly said:
Is Costa going to play? Our defense isn´t in great shape, i just hope we keep the score at a respectable level. Off to the stadium in a few mins. Looking forward to booing Mourinho.
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Doubt it, think we can cope without him in these group stages hes needed more for the league. I;d be happy with any kind of win but a draw wouldnt be terrible.
 
fontaine said:
From what I've seen in the portuguese derby, Chelsea will have lots of difficulties today against Sporting. Tactically well oiled, loads of pressure and speed, plus the pitch kind of sucks which makes it more difficult for the more technical sides like Chelsea.
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It wasn´t a derby. It´s called a classic. Derby is between two teams from the same city (Sporting vs Benfica). I wish i was this optmistic. Chelsea clearly aren´t Porto and their somewhat inept (so far) manager. i´m dreading the prospect of our struggling defence going against Hazard and Costa. Looking forward to the Matic vs Carvalho duel and specially our pacy and tricky wingers (Nani and Carrillo) against Chelsea´s full backs. I´m not particulary worried about the midfield battles but our defence has been rather shaky since Leonardo Jardim (our previous manager) and Marcos Rojo left.
 
Sly said:
Is Costa going to play? Our defense isn´t in great shape, i just hope we keep the score at a respectable level. Off to the stadium in a few mins. Looking forward to booing Mourinho.
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Mourinho said Costa will start.
 
ItsEssexRob said:
Doubt it, think we can cope without him in these group stages hes needed more for the league. I;d be happy with any kind of win but a draw wouldnt be terrible.
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Our press has been saying that he´s going to play, that´s why i was asking you. What i hope is that Chelsea enters with the same over confidence Manchester City had when we beat them. But with Mourinho, i doubt that will happen.
 
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