Chelsea 2-0 Bayer Leverkusen

[Guest justin_3d]

I like the German league. Teams all beat each other, the fans are exceptional and they give their own a chance and it really reaps rewards for the national side. They have the model example of how to run a league.

Hope Dortmund beat Arsenal.

Does Ballack take penalties for Leverkusen? Last 2 times we've had a German team at the bridge, Ballack has scored a pen. He scored against us for Bayern in 05 and for us against Werder in 2006. Maybe he'll go for the Hattrick

While Bayern – Manchester City's Champions League group bedfellows – have taken five domestic titles over the past 10 seasons, their dominance has been interrupted by Borussia Dortmund (twice), Werder Bremen, Stuttgart and Wolfsburg.

Seifert maintains such variety comes courtesy of 50+1. "It keeps us entertaining," he says. "To excite fans you need unpredictable competition."

Despite his Wolfsburg adventure ending in tears, McClaren remains a Bundesliga believer. "It's a very tough league," he says. "Several teams have a chance of winning it and each game feels like a cup final."

This is why the Bundesliga is attracting my attention a lot.

Here in the EPL it has been Chelsea or United for the past few years....and that gets boring for me!

If Chelsea does not win it, i rather see a new team win it.

Today this is possible because City has also spend a lot of money.

Now, if Chelsea had not spend money back then, then this league would have been a one horse race, as United would have won most of them.

After that money invested by Chelsea it turn into a 2 horse race.

Today, thanks to Sheik money for City, it has add another equation to this variable.

The way the Bundesliga is run, makes it more fun for the neutral to watch. Cause a lot of teams have a chance at winning the league, not the just the super elite.

It's like NFL. The way it runs also makes it possible for different teams to win the competition.

[Rubber bullets 1,183]

You obviously don't recognise class when you see it . Ballack though a world class midfielder was willing to give stability to our midfield

and allow Lampard to flourish in an attacking role . I would also remind you how he dealt so brilliantly with Drogbas strop over not

taking the penalty. Almost worth legendary status for that act alone

Paul Sharner could have done that for us. Also, wasn't the point of having either Essien or Mikel playing in a holding role was to do exaxctly what you say Ballack was used for? Face it, he often gave us a slow and uncreative midfield (especialy if Mikel was in the hlding role).

People say we should have kept him for another year. He would obviously have been (along with Lamprd, Essien, Malouda, and Drogba) one of Carlo's untouchables and we would of had a midfield of Essien, Lampard and Ballack. And with Essien and Lampard hving the seasons they had last year the midfield would have been stillwater and arse gravy of the worse kind, and we would not get a top four spot.

[SeB 1,281]

Paul Sharner could have done that for us. Also, wasn't the point of having either Essien or Mikel playing in a holding role was to do exaxctly what you say Ballack was used for? Face it, he often gave us a slow and uncreative midfield (especialy if Mikel was in the hlding role).

People say we should have kept him for another year. He would obviously have been (along with Lamprd, Essien, Malouda, and Drogba) one of Carlo's untouchables and we would of had a midfield of Essien, Lampard and Ballack. And with Essien and Lampard hving the seasons they had last year the midfield would have been stillwater and arse gravy of the worse kind, and we would not get a top four spot.

You must be joking, Ballack had one of the greatest tactical understanding I have ever seen of a player, he was the only one player able to stabilize the midfield when we used to play in the diamond shape, his movements were absolutely brilliant to cover the full backs by example. Don't insult him by comparing him to this cunt

Dont you remember that every time he wasn't there in the double season, the team had a huge counter performance because nobody was able to play well on the right flank of the midfield ? Essien by example was aspirated by his willing to go to the axis and unbalanced then the team.

Ballack was excellent at several roles, in front of the defence, beside Lampard or on the right of the midfield. I'm surprised to see how some people can't see how important he was in the double season.

And of course he was also an excellent footballer, two footed midfielder with charisma and experience. He really is a true Chelsea Legend

[Kostas 1,468]

I hear we also have a game to play, looking forward to observe whether we're capable of being in absolute control against European opposition or not.

[zolayes 14,489]

Paul Sharner could have done that for us. Also, wasn't the point of having either Essien or Mikel playing in a holding role was to do exaxctly what you say Ballack was used for? Face it, he often gave us a slow and uncreative midfield (especialy if Mikel was in the hlding role).

People say we should have kept him for another year. He would obviously have been (along with Lamprd, Essien, Malouda, and Drogba) one of Carlo's untouchables and we would of had a midfield of Essien, Lampard and Ballack. And with Essien and Lampard hving the seasons they had last year the midfield would have been stillwater and arse gravy of the worse kind, and we would not get a top four spot.

I will leave you with your misguided opinions

[bababoom 4,478]

He is not a Chelsea Legend, i'm confused in why people are calling him this. He may be a legend of the game, but not for us.

[Rubber bullets 1,183]

You must be joking, Ballack had one of the greatest tactical understanding I have ever seen of a player, he was the only one player able to stabilize the midfield when we used to play in the diamond shape, his movements were absolutely brilliant to cover the full backs by example. Don't insult him by comparing him to this cunt

Dont you remember that every time he wasn't there in the double season, the team had a huge counter performance because nobody was able to play well on the right flank of the midfield ? Essien by example was aspirated by his willing to go to the axis and unbalanced then the team.

Ballack was excellent at several roles, in front of the defence, beside Lampard or on the right of the midfield. I'm surprised to see how some people can't see how important he was in the double season.

And of course he was also an excellent footballer, two footed midfielder with charisma and experience. He really is a true Chelsea Legend

The reason we played woefully last season was not becuase Ballck's "awe-inspiring grace" was no longer with us. It was becuase we let many players go without replacing them, coupled with the fact that Lampard got a long term injuy and he came back performing shit and Essien was a shadow of his former self, plus Ramires was still learning the ins and outs of the PL. We got him when he was 30, past his peak and was too slow to be a central midfielder with us, he only was abit more useful when he was in the holding role (a place that also had Mikel and Esien that could do it).

Apart from a few moments, he really didn't do a lot to achive legend status. Sure he had a great career before he joined us, but so did Petit but no one remembers him at his time at Chelsea. The only thing that he did for us was marketing, nothing more.

[Randall 315]

I'll be going to this one! Get to a game before I go back to uni! So we'd better fucking win!! :blue scalf:

[Guest justin_3d]

I would like to see Torres and David Luiz get some time.

Cause if they are going to play against United in the weekend, then we have to see how well they are doing in this game.

Ideally play them from the beginning, and take them out after 60 mins or so, that way they won't overexert themselves.

[LDN Blue 7,903]

I hear we also have a game to play, looking forward to observe whether we're capable of being in absolute control against European opposition or not.

Yup.

AVB's debut Champions League game.. Will be quite interesting to see how he handles it.

[warnie_666 1,081]

Id Start with:

-----------------Cech---------------------

Bos------------Luiz--Terry--------------Cole

-----------------Meireles--------------------

------Ramirez------------Lampard-------

-Studge------Torres-----------Mata

I will take off Mata and Studge at 60 and Lampard at 70mins.

[DanAdibi! 106]

Yh we need to start Luiz for this game so we can have them ready for the big match on Sunday.

[NiclasCFC 2,582]

Id Start with:

-----------------Cech---------------------

Bos------------Luiz--Terry--------------Cole

-----------------Meireles--------------------

------Ramirez------------Lampard-------

-Studge------Torres-----------Mata

I will take off Mata and Studge at 60 and Lampard at 70mins.

Ramires is suspended for this game

[SeB 1,281]

The reason we played woefully last season was not becuase Ballck's "awe-inspiring grace" was no longer with us. It was becuase we let many players go without replacing them, coupled with the fact that Lampard got a long term injuy and he came back performing shit and Essien was a shadow of his former self, plus Ramires was still learning the ins and outs of the PL. We got him when he was 30, past his peak and was too slow to be a central midfielder with us, he only was abit more useful when he was in the holding role (a place that also had Mikel and Esien that could do it).

Apart from a few moments, he really didn't do a lot to achive legend status. Sure he had a great career before he joined us, but so did Petit but no one remembers him at his time at Chelsea. The only thing that he did for us was marketing, nothing more.

But my point wasn't about last season, I just did hit the roof when you spoke about Scharner who is as much a cunt as a average/mediocre footballer that cannot be subject to compare Ballack with. For me he was instrumental and far much decisive than a lot of people think (like Deco) at Chelsea, we owe him some fantastic periods such as the end of the 2008 season and we can only admire his versatility which was capital and without which we would not have won the PL/FA Cup in 2010.

You may be right when you say that he had already a reputation before and he was a "name" but this takes nothing away from what he did at Chelsea and the what he helped the club to achieve.

To be frank it's very difficult to have an opinion about his departure... Some people may say that he was going to do the season over and would be out of form when not injured... Some other may say that his tactical strength and experience could not have penalize Chelsea... We can think that if Boateng the bitch (shame because he is a good footballer otherwise, I was impressed by him at Portsmouth) hasn't injured Bally, the negociations about a contract may not have stopped such suddently because of financial matters.

[Waterfall 893]

He is not a Chelsea Legend, i'm confused in why people are calling him this. He may be a legend of the game, but not for us.

Picture of the decade:

[whinni09 37]

-----------------Cech---------------------

Bos----------Luiz---Terry---------Cole

-----------------Romeu-------------------

------Meireles----------Lampard-------

--Sturridge----Torres-----------Mata--

I would like to see this formation on thuesday, don't ask me why

[The Rising Sun 696]

-------------------------------------------------------------Cech---------------------------------------------------------------------

-

-------Bos-----------------------------Luiz---------------------------------------Terry-------------------------------Cole-------

------------------------------------------------------------Ballack-------------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------Meireles--------------------------------------------------McEachran------------------------------

----------Sturridge--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Mata----------------]

-------------------------------------------------------------Torres-------------------------------------------------------------------

:eyebrows:

[Nachtblut 2]