Champions League Thread

[Spike 12,049]

I'm not as confident as many of you.

Zlatan.

[Yeboii 1,844]

I'm not as confident as many of you.

Zlatan.

I'm pretty confident.

Hazard.

[Rmpr 8,977]

Nobody said it would be a piece of cake

Yes they did, just read the last few pages of this thread!

I am not saying we wont win, I actually think we will. However, we arent automaticaly through the semis like some are making out to be. They think just because PSG plays in France they are shit or not up to our level.

Sorry, we arent playing such a good football and PSG has finally clicked. They are not just a bunch of individual talented players, they are a team now. It will be very hard!

Again, they are not Bayern or Real and I am confident we will beat theam. But the massive underrating of PSG is blasphemy...

I'd much rather have drawn BvB or Manure!!!

[Rmpr 8,977]

Agree with everything (nearly) but saying Paris is the most beautiful city in the world?

Having travelled around a lot - I have to disagree

Really? What cities are prettier then? (I'm just curious, not criticizing)

[Yeboii 1,844]

Really? What cities are prettier then? (I'm just curious, not criticizing)

I think cities like Cannes and Nice are very nice. Never been there of course. Just something I think.

[Rmpr 8,977]

I think cities like Cannes and Nice are very nice. Never been there of course. Just something I think.

Despite being young, I've already been to many cities and the only one prettier than Paris was Madrid!

I agree there must be prettier cities than Paris, but it is still right up there with any other city, imo!

London and Chicago are the coolest ones I've ever been to, but definitely not as pretty as Paris...

[Yeboii 1,844]

Despite being young, I've already been to many cities and the only one prettier than Paris was Madrid!

I agree there must be prettier cities than Paris, but it is still right up there with any other city, imo!

London and Chicago are the coolest ones I've ever been to, but definitely not as pretty as Paris...

Lucky man

[Strike 7,489]

Their midfield is strong because they are 3 in a 4-3-3 formation but if you look at it twice, we can match them.

------ Motta ------ (Luiz / Mikel)

Matuidi - Cabaye (ramires - Lampard) it's as good for me. I don't think that Verratti is matured enough to play a big part in this tie.

on paper yes but ramires has been struggling with discipline, especially in passing and Lampard is slow. i give the edge to the PSG 3-man mid

[Strike 7,489]

Sirigu - VdW Alex T.Silva Maxwell - Matuidi Verratti Motta - Lavezzi Cavani Zlatan

this will be the team. maybe Lucas for Lavezzi but this is not an easy game. especially if PSG overpower in the midfield. Cavani on the wing is a misplace of talent but he still works hard tracking back. does not play like a striker asked to do a duty on the wing at all

[Peppen 934]

Despite being young, I've already been to many cities and the only one prettier than Paris was Madrid!

I agree there must be prettier cities than Paris, but it is still right up there with any other city, imo!

London and Chicago are the coolest ones I've ever been to, but definitely not as pretty as Paris...

Berlin is also top 5 IMO, although I was only there for 2 days, it was absolutely beautiful.

I've only been in Paris for a few hours, and it was right up there amongst the prettiest cities. Going to Amsterdam very soon, heard it is something special too.

[Muzchap 8,966]

Really? What cities are prettier then? (I'm just curious, not criticizing)

Slightly off topic

I have been to Paris about 20 times (not exactly an expert)

But - as I get the Eurostar - I always start in the worst area Gare du Nord...

At night - Dubai has to be up there - it looks amazing.

Budapest is also really lovely, as is Moscow (seriously!) - then you have many other places - like Prague (architecture is amazing) - Cannes is also amazing. You also cannot rule out Venice (except the smell sometimes). Or even Ljubljana (Slovenia).

It's all down to personal preference - I agree. Hence it's hard to claim an outright winner... Europe and EurAsia is blessed with many wonderful cities - we are all very lucky

[Beirut_Blues 306]

comparing dubai to paris? cough cough

[BlueLion. 21,491]

I'm delighted with this draw because I think it pitches the two most evenly-balanced sides in the competition against each other. Both us and PSG are nowhere near the finished article. But both teams are committed to playing attacking football - whichever way the tie goes, it'll be one to enjoy, with a lot of goals.

[Jase 43,479]

A view from the French perspective..

PSG land the glamour tie they needed in Chelsea

[cosmicway 1,333]

PSG played against my Greek team AEK Athens twice.

On both occasions the French beat us it but it was considered 50-50ish,

On the second occasion (2007 ?) the French won but there was a lot of booing by their fans because they were not doing well in la ligue.

Their gigantic budget made them go forward while we receded.

[Neuilly 10]

When I said most beautiful city, it was a matter of opinion, but the truth is that Paris is the most visited city, it is the facts... London and Paris are the two most important, richest, largest urban areas in the European Union, they are global cities. It was a shame for a city like Paris to have not a big football team. Btw, PSG is historically the club for rich people in France, the stadium of Paris is localised in 16th arrondissement, the richest corner of Paris. It is the same case for Chelsea according to Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/16th_arrondissement_of_Paris

And Marquinhos is a substitute, it is Alex who will play

Sirigu

Van der Wiel - Alex - Thiago Silva - Maxwell

Motta

Verratti - Matuidi

Cavani - Ibra - Lucas/Lavezzi

Strong points of Paris SG:

- Verratti has a incredible technical, for take the ball from his feet it is a hard job. He doesn't throw the ball far away, He loves play in the small spaces. He's like barça players.

- Motta is the air traffic control of the team.

- Call for the ball to Cavani. He plays in movement, he defends and run so much

- Ibra is in form of his life, he plays with his teamates

- Thiago Silva, he has almost none default, tackles, interception, throw the ball.. very excellent

- Matuidi is a different style that Verratti and Motta. He has not a gorgeous technical but he's at 200% in each game and he recuperates the ball often, he is important

- Possession of the ball, Paris wants to make the game, they want the ball and they make 500-600 passes per game for 85-95% succeeded, they have > 60% of possession etc. It will be an opposite style because these skills are not the characteristics of Chelsea

Weak points:

- Van der Wiel is not good

- Sirigu, good on his line but weak for the corners and long kick

- Not many experience together

- Laurent Blanc is not a great coach, he's in Paris because he speaks Italian

- Chelsea will be the stronger opponent to Paris since.... 1 year and the match against Barcelona. So we don't know the value of PSG against a top 8 European team... we'll see in 10 days.

- Lavezzi misses all his opportunities (example https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=NvZ1yXOaisE#t=24 )

- Lucas can't stay in the left, he goes always on the center.. but it is an explosive player like hazard (but hazard is better obviously)

It is not a mercenary team. They live in a great city, and they play like a group, not individually. It is not zenith saint petersbourg or makhachkala. Ligue 1 is widely inferior to the Premier League but it is not a hideous league.. the stadiums are better that Serie A, the games are sometimes good, there are educators to train french young players of quality, training centers are good etc... anyway their purpose is the Champions League, not Ligue 1.

That being said, I think it is the most interest quarter, definitely undecisive game. Before the draw, in France the opinion, basically say Bayern, Barcelona, Real and Chelsea are the 4 squad to avoid. I hope we'll see a great games.

ps : sorry for my english, he's not perfect

[Pacquiao 1,834]

I'm delighted with this draw because I think it pitches the two most evenly-balanced sides in the competition against each other. Both us and PSG are nowhere near the finished article. But both teams are committed to playing attacking football - whichever way the tie goes, it'll be one to enjoy, with a lot of goals.

i am not so sure about that, i think there will be very few goals scored maybe 4 at most over the 2 legs.

[Daleux Jan 0]

chelsea, this team ... sorry but who went in quarter-final last year ? Who made a draw against Barcelona, who has the one of the best player in the world, THE PSG.

The psg could buy any player, they made ​​a proposition to messi and ronaldo, so sorry but you are not able to win the psg who playing in one of the best league in the world: Monaco (falcao, rodriguez, mouthino, carvalho ...) paris (lavezzi, thiago silva, zlatan, Cabaye, Matuidi, cavani) and LENS they have been bought by wealthy owners, league 1 can concurencer the Bundesliga, They Have just the bayern (and dortmund fall ) , the ligue 1 can concurencer the seria a (who is in the Champions League in serie a?).

And you will see the next year when Monaco will be in the Champions League!

[Daleux Jan 0]

Ps : Drogba has almost to sign has Marseille

[iseah100 5,612]

I hate all of you.