The European Competitions Thread

[LAM09 7,051]

Disappointing to see only one academy graduate on Barca bench

All about quick fixes at Barca & it's been that way for a while. La Masia products have to thrive elsewhere.

[communicate 2,703]

2 hours ago, Vesper said:

so strange seeing Barca on the back foot

A good thing playing against pool. Either safe build up or let them have the ball 

[communicate 2,703]

Good game. Liverpool had the better game but Messi solve tons of problem. To beat Allison who is the best gk in epl right now (de Gea is having a nightmare period) from that distance is just brilliant 

[Johnnyeye 7,509]

Pool had the chances to score and they didnt, ball clearead of the line, hiting the post, also Ter Stegen made a couple of great saves, but at the end of the day if you dont score against Barca you usually pay the price and Barca was clinical when it mattered most, 3-0 doesnt reflect the true story of the game, Pool should have scored at least 2, but at this level it wont always go your way. Messi is simply amazing, no other way to put it, that freekick to beat Alisson was simply sublime. Pool have a very tough task at Anfield and you know Barca can score in any stadium. Cheers

[Henrique 9,133]

I still remember people in this forum years ago claiming that Messi wasn't really that good, because he had to prove himself in a cold rainy night against Stoke or he wasn't really that good, because Xavi and Iniesta were the real deal at Barcelona.

[coolhead23 1,147]

Damn!!! From having 4 teams (from the EPL) in the quarter-final to possibly have none in the final. 

[Special Juan 28,141]

If you watch SSN this morning they will have you believe that Liverpool dominated Barcelona and they were just very 'unlucky'

Someone pass me a tissue to wipe these tears of laughter off my face.

[coolhead23 1,147]

1 hour ago, Special Juan said:

If you watch SSN this morning they will have you believe that Liverpool dominated Barcelona and they were just very 'unlucky'

Not sure about dominating Barca but I did feel Liverpool played really well ... And had they taken the chances like Barca did on the first (third was just class) on the chances which feel to LIverpool, would had been a different scoreline. At of the day, it was the class of Messi which took it away. 

[Special Juan 28,141]

Just now, coolhead23 said:

Not sure about dominating Barca but I did feel Liverpool played really well ... And had they taken the chances like Barca did on the first (third was just class) on the chances which feel to LIverpool, would had been a different scoreline. At of the day, it was the class of Messi which took it away. 

They did play well but the scoreline was 3-0, but unfortunately the ball must hit the net.

I hope Barca score first at Anfield just to drain the fucking life out of that fucking hideous stadium and fans.

[Johnnyeye 7,509]

11 minutes ago, Special Juan said:

They did play well but the scoreline was 3-0, but unfortunately the ball must hit the net.

I hope Barca score first at Anfield just to drain the fucking life out of that fucking hideous stadium and fans.

amen to that, ffs pls no magical european night at Anfield bullshit

[coolhead23 1,147]

6 minutes ago, Special Juan said:

They did play well but the scoreline was 3-0, but unfortunately the ball must hit the net.

I hope Barca score first at Anfield just to drain the fucking life out of that fucking hideous stadium and fans.

I wouldnt argue on the scoreline and yes Barca won it convincing but Liverpool played well is what I was referring to. Honestly thats what u want to see in a semi final or final. 

Now as far as preferences goes, thats a different thing

[Special Juan 28,141]

I tell you what is ironic, the Liverpool fans on Twitter having a go at Suarez for goading their players and generally being Suarez...all the things he did when he played for them that they worshiped him for.

[Laylabelle 9,535]

2 hours ago, Johnnyeye said:

amen to that, ffs pls no magical european night at Anfield bullshit

Its already being sort of mentioned so hopefully not! Be so unbearble! 

[communicate 2,703]

2 hours ago, Special Juan said:

I tell you what is ironic, the Liverpool fans on Twitter having a go at Suarez for goading their players and generally being Suarez...all the things he did when he played for them that they worshiped him for.

That is how he play everywhere. He is an agitator and I honestly think we need some of that

 

[Special Juan 28,141]

5 minutes ago, communicate said:

That is how he play everywhere. He is an agitator and I honestly think we need some of that

 

I love him me, proper nasty workhorse. That first goal last night...the point and then the quick sharp movement was sublime.

[communicate 2,703]

16 hours ago, Magic Lamps said:

Messi might very well the reason Argentina never won a world cup recently IMO. Messi basically made the team selection himself resulting in them leaving Dybala and Icardi out of the team often not even featuring Agüero or just Higuain. With that strikeforce alone a good manager would make more of it that the few goals they scored at world cups. Messi choked it just as he did the Copa America finals they lost because of him.

But IMO international football is worthless assessing the quality of a player. Overall the quality in international football is just poor and the competitons are obviously corrupted. I regard world cups as some kind of holiday showcase tutorial. Entertaining but of no footballing value. 

Nah it does not matter if you have Dybala, aguero Messi, even if if I give you Ronaldo, Messi, hazard in one team. It means absolutely nothing in international football. 

International comes down to who has the better defense and can you knick goals. 

France won wc not because they have Griezmann or mbappe. It was because of kante, varane, umtiti, pavard and hernandez. 

Even when Portugal won euro, Ronaldo wasn't even the star of that team. They played ultra defensive and just try to knick goal at the other end.

[communicate 2,703]

1 minute ago, Special Juan said:

I love him me, proper nasty workhorse. That first goal last night...the point and then the quick sharp movement was sublime.

He is annoying, dirty but we need a bit of that. Our player are too nice. They are too honest. I miss Costa. He is a bit like Suarez just a bit crazier I think. 

[MoroccanBlue 5,382]

20 minutes ago, communicate said:

Nah it does not matter if you have Dybala, aguero Messi, even if if I give you Ronaldo, Messi, hazard in one team. It means absolutely nothing in international football. 

International comes down to who has the better defense and can you knick goals. 

France won wc not because they have Griezmann or mbappe. It was because of kante, varane, umtiti, pavard and hernandez. 

Even when Portugal won euro, Ronaldo wasn't even the star of that team. They played ultra defensive and just try to knick goal at the other end.

That Argentina team were nothing but bottlers who couldn't handle the pressure put forth on them by the federation. Messi and Mascherano were the only ones who could. So many under performers. 

If anything, Messi dragged that team to three consecutive finals (WC 2014, Copa 2015, Copa 2016). You need luck in cup competitions and Argentina had zero. Only Messi. 

Dybala has looked horrid for the national side. With or without Messi. Messi also isn't the reason why Icardi isn't in the team. It's because of his ego and lifestyle/baggage. NO ONE likes him and his wife is hated in Argentina. 

[Johnnyeye 7,509]

2 hours ago, Laylabelle said:

Its already being sort of mentioned so hopefully not! Be so unbearble! 

Barca fucked it up against Roma last season after the 4-1 win in the 1st leg, the difference this season is there is no away goal for Pool, and Barca have the personnel to score at Anfield, i just hope they finnish the job and no more stupid surprises.

[NikkiCFC 8,319]

I still don't understand fuss about Liverpool. Even among our fans here. They are closer to our, Tottenham, Arsenal level than City's. Luck and refs gave them at least 15 points in the PL. They lost four away games in CL.