Champions League Semi Finals (30th April - 8th May)

I don't get why many underestimate Valverde. He is very pragmatic. Barca could easily play on counter attacks and win this tie. Also, with Messi in team, Barca don't need many chances to score.

Liverpool didn't play such a good football in CL group stage. Against proper team that plays football they will struggle.

They will do best in keeping this tie with less goals and playing on counter attacks.
Pool played much better against mid-table and minor teams. Against Napoli, City, Barca, they had and will have problems.
 
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Gonna go with an optimistic one:

Spurs vs Ajax 1-3
Barcelona vs Liverpool 2-2
 
John_Dooh said:
Was worried about the same, but judging by the quarter finals, Barca struggled, especially DM/RB, whenever utd managed to apply any kind of pressure, and I dont see them going for long balls like Pep does now against us. I guess we'll see soon enough!:wenger::D

My prediction is that we win at the Camp Nou, with a really tight and nervous 2nd leg at Anfield - similar to last time when Bellamy decided to use Riise as a golf ball...

Edit: Oh, and Ajax is overhyped now; Don't know when Son is back, but 0-0 first leg, and 2-0 Spurs 2nd leg if he is back for that.
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Talk about bullish. :lol:
 
oggy boy said:
I don't get why many underestimate Valverde. He is very pragmatic. Barca could easily play on counter attacks and win this tie. Also, with Messi in team, Barca don't need many chances to score.

Liverpool didn't play such a good football in CL group stage. Against proper team that plays football they will struggle.

They will do best in keeping this tie with less goals and playing on counter attacks.
Pool played much better against mid-table and minor teams. Against Napoli, City, Barca, they had and will have problems.
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Neither did Real in a few of the years they won the whole thing. I don't get why people keep rambling on about the group stages which is an eternity ago in footballing terms. Did we struggle against a "proper team" like Bayern? Or against Chelsea (4/6), United (4/6), Arsenal (4/6) and Spurs (6/6)?

We can be as pragmatic as anyone if we want to and I'm sure Klopp won't be naive tomorrow night. Sure, Barça will cause us problems, like they would do to any team in the world as long as they have Messi.
 
Spurs 0 - 2 Ajax: Spurs aren’t scoring without two of their best goal scorers, and Ajax will unlock that Spurs defense.
Barcelona 2 - 2 Liverpool: It will be like the battle of Winterfell, with a surprise killing blow at the end from Liverpool.
 
Pep Guardiola said :-

"If you play an open game at Anfield against Liverpool, you don't have 1% chance. They have maybe the best team in the world in these transitions."
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The majority of Barça's best chances of progressing into the final depend on winning tomorrow. I have no doubt that Valverde will go all out for the win.

A lot has been written about Barça's ability to deal with Liverpool's press, but arguably they've faced an even more aggressive press in Real Betis who press you even in your own box.
 
Sarni said:
Barcelona already trying to put pressure on referee to give them calls. Is there any other team who would be so obsessed about refs? Literally every time things don’t go their way they are trying to force red cards and penalties to win.
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They are serial cheats. They've been that way for over a decade like it's ingrained in them. Diving to get cards, penalties, etc; strategic crowding of the ref and often talking conspiracies etc;
 
Hoof The Ball said:
Pep Guardiola said :-



The majority of Barça's best chances of progressing into the final depend on winning tomorrow. I have no doubt that Valverde will go all out for the win.

A lot has been written about Barça's ability to deal with Liverpool's press, but arguably they've faced an even more aggressive press in Real Betis who press you even in your own box.
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I don't see why Barcelona are incapable of utilizing the tactics City used at Anfield earlier in the season. Liverpool had no answers for that and escaped with a draw due to Mahrez.
 
RobinLFC said:
Neither did Real in a few of the years they won the whole thing. I don't get why people keep rambling on about the group stages which is an eternity ago in footballing terms. Did we struggle against a "proper team" like Bayern? Or against Chelsea (4/6), United (4/6), Arsenal (4/6) and Spurs (6/6)?

We can be as pragmatic as anyone if we want to and I'm sure Klopp won't be naive tomorrow night. Sure, Barça will cause us problems, like they would do to any team in the world as long as they have Messi.
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Bayern bizarrely turned up to Anfield playing for a 0-0 and yeah you did struggle v United and Spurs. A very costly draw against a crap and injury plagued United squad and should have dropped points to Spurs if not for the utter incompetence of Sissoko and Lloris.

The group stages are relevant because when you played against top teams you were beaten and didn't look like the unstoppable force you look like when you're playing dross like Huddersfield.
 
Inter Yer Nan said:
They are serial cheats. They've been that way for over a decade like it's ingrained in them. Diving to get cards, penalties, etc; strategic crowding of the ref and often talking conspiracies etc;
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Inter Yer Nan said:
Which points to Barca's record not being as good reffing their games. No wonder they are complaining. He ref's their games fair and square and they hate that.
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Man, those CL finals must've really stuck in your craw :lol:
 
Inter Yer Nan said:
Which points to Barca's record not being as good reffing their games. No wonder they are complaining. He ref's their games fair and square and they hate that.
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It's been 10 years and some people are going on this stupid narrative that was pushed by English press. It was dumb from the start, but 10 years later, really? Considering the fact that there were decisions for and against them (they literally went out in 2010 due to multiple wrong decisions), it is even more baffling. While at the same time there was a Madrid side that had really benefited from decisions in their winning campaigns, and no one was that much bothered.

I have my theory on this, though. Aside from being a random phenomenon of collectively induced hysteria, there was logic to that team being targeted by internet lynch mobs. Their way of playing exposed how bland and dull all other teams were in comparison. There was grace, with an element arrogance in the way they played. It seemed to rile up certain people.
 
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Pink Moon said:
Man, those CL finals must've really stuck in your craw :lol:
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I have no complaints about the finals. We were outplayed but they had no business getting there in 2009 because the semi was a joke and even in 2011 Arsenal got the shaft in the quarters and then a soft red for Real Madrid in the semi opened it up for them.
 
Stocar said:
It's been 10 years and some people are going on this stupid narrative that was pushed by English press. It was dumb from the start, but 10 years later, really? Considering the fact that there were decisions for and against them (they literally went out in 2010 due to multiple wrong decisions), it is even more baffling. While at the same time there was a Madrid side that had really benefited from decisions in their winning campaigns, and no one was that much bothered.

I have my theory on this, though. Aside from being a random phenomenon of collectively induced hysteria, there was logic to that team being targeted by internet lynch mobs. Their way of playing exposed how bland and dull all other teams were in comparison. There was grace, with an element arrogance in the way they played. It seemed to rile up certain people.
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In 2010 they scored an offside goal IIRC to go 1-0 and there was a bogus early red card (the one where Busquets peeped through his hands) to give them a huge advantage. At worst whatever you feel Inter got that evened itself out. Barca have been involved in the most ridiculously one-sided refereeing displays in CL history - think Chelsea 2009, PSG 2017, even games like Atletico 2016, Arsenal 2011 were farcical too.
 
Predictions:
I like the underdog role for Ajax much more than Ajax being favorite/50-50according to loads of people and press.
Spurs-Ajax: 2-1
Barca-LFC: 2-1
 
Inter Yer Nan said:
In 2010 they scored an offside goal IIRC to go 1-0 and there was a bogus early red card (the one where Busquets peeped through his hands) to give them a huge advantage. At worst whatever you feel Inter got that evened itself out. Barca have been involved in the most ridiculously one-sided refereeing displays in CL history - think Chelsea 2009, PSG 2017, even games like Atletico 2016, Arsenal 2011 were farcical too.
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By all means, watch those matches again, and you'll see there were also numerous decisions that went against them. Especially in those 2009 and 2010 ties. It was a ridiculous case of manufactured outrage. Those matches were nervous and difficult to officiate, but more than anything a large number of people were simply looking for reasons to hate a football team. It was a perplexing phenomenon, and it didn't have much to do with football. Also pay attention to which team is constantly trying to drag the game into the mud and to provoke incidents. All professional teams are cynical, but if anything, that Barca team was always more interested in actually playing football than their opposition.
 
It would be a huge surprise to me if Spurs get anything out of tonight's game. Ajax are relentless and buzzing with creativity, while Spurs have their best forwards out.
 
Ajax will beat us tonight imo. We have two many key injuries/suspensions and they're an exceptional side.

Only spanner in the works is how they deal with being marginal favourites for the first time or even at the very least even, whereas they were widely dismissed against Real Madrid and Juventus.

A 0-0 would be an absolutely great result for us.
 
It makes me uncomfortable that Barca second leg is away at Anfield.
 
Can't wait for tonight. Semi finals of the CL again!! :drool::drool: My recent old friend. :D
 
Hoof The Ball said:
Ffs. BT Sport

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1 mickey mouse cup in 13 years = unstoppable force

Go figure!
 
If there was ever a time to chant : Are you watching, Manchester?

:p
 
Samid said:
1 mickey mouse cup in 13 years = unstoppable force

Go figure!
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I know those stuff can be annoying, but I don't think that them being good now has anything to do with their trophy cabinet from the last years.
 
Hoof The Ball said:
Pep Guardiola said :-



The majority of Barça's best chances of progressing into the final depend on winning tomorrow. I have no doubt that Valverde will go all out for the win.

A lot has been written about Barça's ability to deal with Liverpool's press, but arguably they've faced an even more aggressive press in Real Betis who press you even in your own box.
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It took Pep multiple games to figure this out while everyone else already knew it #baldfraud
 
duffer said:
2-0 to Spurs tonight. Ajax are overrated.
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Too many players out. Our bench tonight genuinely makes my eyes bleed.

We'll be doing well to come away with a draw tonight imo.
 
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