Semi final draw for Champions League

First topic message reminder :

Bayern Munich v Barcelona
Borussia Dortmund v Real Madrid

Come on Dortmund

The people that love him being the English media.

You can't expect people that pay Andy Townsend to talk about football, or Adrian Chiles in general, to make smart business decisions.

Glad Dortmund are through, they were the better team over two legs.

I utterly can't stand the Spanish teams throwing their hand's up and rolling around all the time. Awful attitude. Dortmund won with dignity and Barca will be joining Real in the European waste tomorrow.

kingraf wrote:But does he take CR7 with? Us bandwagoners need to know which jersey we buying next season

Might be one of my favourite ever posts. I am 99% sure Ronaldo will stay.

Lahm, schweinsteiger, Martinez, Dante, Luis Gustavo, Gomez all one booking away tonight. Think if messi & co turn up, then Bayern will be missing a few for the final which suits dortmund. Still expect Bayern through but will be closer than people think.

Have to say that when Dortmund miss one or two players then they do look much weaker, proven over the domestic campaign in Germany and the 20 pts difference. Goetze for grosskeutz was like losing Rooney and replacing him with bebe......truly dreadful player.

I wish they would rest those players, in the final you want to see both fielding their strongest elevens, so it will be a real shame if the likes of Lahm, Schweinsteiger, Martinez and Dante are all suspended. He's already said he's playing a full strength side, so it's probable that at least one will be missing for the final.

I've got to say a Dortmund-Munich final doesn't particularly excite me, I'm not a fan of finals where both teams are from the same country.

You don't rest players in the Nou Camp. Imagine if Bayern rested Lahm and Dante and Barca go 2-0 up in 20 minutes. Make sure you're in the final before you prepare for it.

Dante has been benched but so is Messi. This could get messy.

GSC wrote:You don't rest players in the Nou Camp. Imagine if Bayern rested Lahm and Dante and Barca go 2-0 up in 20 minutes. Make sure you're in the final before you prepare for it.

Well he's rested Dante.

I don't want know what Messi is being rested for though? Fair enough if he isn't 100% fit but even a 80% fit Messi is worth more on the pitch. I can see them bringing him off the bench but leaving it too late similar to Madrid.

I think Barca have given up. They're not the same without Messi these days, Sanchez, Fabregas, Pedro, even Villa aren't really good enough to replace him.

Alex Song starts...

Barca's players are that petty I imagine they'll do their best to get as many Bayern players on a yellow as possible suspended for the final.

Song adds power to the Barca team which they really need, Messi should be playing but there's probably a reason for that.
Bayern just need an early goal then Barca need 6.

Messi on the bench you say? Barca have surrendered!

Don`t understand Messi on the bench. A quick fire start with a couple of early goals could of rattled Bayern in that atmosphere. Fully expect Bayern to be comfortable now and bringing on Messi in the second half, who let's face it, is fit, just seems pointless. Dante was feeling unwell, hence being benched.

Song simply isn't good enough, he wasn't even that good at Arsenal!

Is Ballack retired these days?

Yeah, went to Leverkusen for a couple of years and retired at the end of last season

It was clear Messi wasn't fit first leg, and not being funny but whats the point of risking him?

He was fairly useless in that first leg when non fit so i dont think its too much of a loss if he isnt fit

Cheers trebs. He was a good player but I get the feeling we never saw the best of him.

Olly wrote:It was clear Messi wasn't fit first leg, and not being funny but whats the point of risking him?

He was fairly useless in that first leg when non fit so i dont think its too much of a loss if he isnt fit

What are you risking? If they're out of the CL, season is pretty much over anyway, the league is all but sewn up. They needed to take big risks to go through, and while Messi's performance with him injured was poor, I honestly think that without him, even without a half fit Messi is a worse team. Van Buyten isn't a great defender either, so he might have been able to take advantage of that.

I didn't realise Tito was back. That's good to see.

Barca are so flat its unbelievable. Astonishing how poor and predictable they are without Messi.

Messi isn't fit so no point wasting him at the start.

Stick him on with 30 to go if Barca are in it when he can have an impact or not at all if its over

Crimey wrote:

Olly wrote:It was clear Messi wasn't fit first leg, and not being funny but whats the point of risking him?

He was fairly useless in that first leg when non fit so i dont think its too much of a loss if he isnt fit

What are you risking?

Messi's long term fitness

ROBENNNNNNNNNNN

See you later Barca

R.I.P Barcelona

I think I will support Dortmund in the final.......can't stand that Robben so would be good to see him cry again.

2-0 Bayern - Pique OG

6-0 on Agg

Heck I wouldn't bet against 4-0.

German football > Spanish Football

could be onto somethere there TSJ

Maybe. I was sorely tempted to stick a quid or two on it as well

by The Special Juan Today at 9:58 am
kingraf wrote:
“
But does he take CR7 with? Us bandwagoners
need to know which jersey we buying next
season
”
Might be one of my favourite ever posts. I am 99%
sure Ronaldo will stay.
------------------

I was only half joking, mate. If he joins Utd, Im staying put haha.

This years UEFA player of the year has to be between CR7 and Bastian, Gotze is very good, but I think its these two.

I put 20 on Bayern two weeks ago

And I put nothing on Real because I never bet against my team

The Special Juan wrote: Maybe. I was sorely tempted to stick a quid or two on it as well

What were the odds id expect reasonably high

kingraf wrote:by The Special Juan Today at 9:58 am
kingraf wrote:
“
But does he take CR7 with? Us bandwagoners
need to know which jersey we buying next
season
”
Might be one of my favourite ever posts. I am 99%
sure Ronaldo will stay.
------------------

I was only half joking, mate. If he joins Utd, Im staying put haha.

This years UEFA player of the year has to be between CR7 and Bastian, Gotze is very good, but I think its these two.

I know, I got the joke I didn't think you were serious (well, I hoped not!!)

Fernando wrote:

The Special Juan wrote: Maybe. I was sorely tempted to stick a quid or two on it as well

What were the odds id expect reasonably high

I didn't even check as I though "nah, don't be silly, it won't happen!" From a quick search apparently there were wide ranging odds.

1 minute added time

The Special Juan wrote:

Fernando wrote:

The Special Juan wrote: Maybe. I was sorely tempted to stick a quid or two on it as well

What were the odds id expect reasonably high

I didn't even check as I though "nah, don't be silly, it won't happen!" From a quick search apparently there were wide ranging odds.

between 80-200/1 i saw

Wow that's really wide ranging. Bullet dodged though. Phew.

i wonder if duty still thinks we could win the world cup....

Pathetic by Barca, and I can't be any happier. Anticipating a rather one-sided final, 2-0 Munich.

JamesLincs wrote:i wonder if duty still thinks we could win the world cup....

Yes James, I'd put money on it. Only real competition for the crowning glory is the Germans, beyond that, not much.

On a separate note, I wonder how Lewandowski is feeling?

Haha, alls good mate. If Bayern win CL Im making £1000, all from a 60 quid bet I made when they started the season with 10 straight wins, or something (bookies can be quite thick at times)

Why do these German teams do this embarrassing dancing at the end of matches?

Forget Lewandowski, I wonder how Gotze's feeling. I wouldn't surprise me if he was still injured by the time the final came around.

kingraf wrote:Haha, alls good mate. If Bayern win CL Im making £1000, all from a 60 quid bet I made when they started the season with 10 straight wins, or something (bookies can be quite thick at times)

I would wish you well but I think I'm in the Dortmund camp for this final.

Sorry TSJ, I cannot allow myself to love that band of hipsters