Champions League Round of 16 (13th Feb - 14th Mar)

salford_

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I thought Rudiger was excellent tonight. Azpilicueta is like the defensive version of de Bruyne. He's quality but he's the media sweetheart and is the one the commentators were drooling over but Rudiger was great.
Azpilicueta is the best 1 on 1 defender in the league by some distance IMO, followed by Alderweireld
 

Pink Moon

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The midfield has dropped so far from what it was. Just goes to show how many top players are needed to make a game like this flow and end up favourably for the team with majority possession.
Pity they didn't get Verratti. Such a good player and would fit that system perfectly.

Andre Gomes and Paulinho aren't quite up to it.

And whoever decided letting Thiago go was a good idea should be jailed for life.
 

Sandikan

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It's amazing how just having someone who can run very fast holding the ball like William can cut through even the giant club's midfields!

Willian had a great game!

Chelsea have got to be utterly gutted with that awful defending that gave Barcelona a rare chance.

Don't pass across your own box is one of those rules you learn as a kid alongside play to the whistle.
 

Classical Mechanic

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And Jordi Alba should suffer an injury that keeps him sidelined for a few months, just to see what it's like. Might stop him from feigning injuries in the future. Pathetic excuse of a human being.
Honestly, watching those two grown men rolling around on the floor like that turned my stomach. Absolutely pathetic.
 

Pink Moon

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Azpilicueta is the best 1 on 1 defender in the league by some distance IMO, followed by Alderweireld
He's class but much like KDB it gets tiresome when the commentators point that out after every touch of the ball.
 

Fortitude

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Pity they didn't get Verratti. Such a good player and would fit that system perfectly.

Andre Gomes and Paulinho aren't quite up to it.

And whoever decided letting Thiago go was a good idea should be jailed for life.
Yeah, they have to work backwards so much more now that they can't make the ball do all the work as they used to. Barca aren't made to be a two-way team and even if they get through, that weakness will ultimately prove costly, I think.
 

Classical Mechanic

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He's class but much like KDB it gets tiresome when the commentators point that out after every touch of the ball.
You had it with Buffon against Spurs, he made a routine save from Kane and they were up his backside like he saved a kitten from a burning building. He was clearly at fault for both goals and they say next to nothing.
 

Tincanalley

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It’s basically a suicide mission at the Camp Nou according to Hazard
 

Raees

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The midfield has dropped so far from what it was. Just goes to show how many top players are needed to make a game like this flow and end up favourably for the team with majority possession.
They need to integrate Dembele asap otherwise that team looks too one-paced to all the way IMO.

That midfield is lacking some zip.
 

Pink Moon

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Bayern should win it all this year. They have by far the best squad and you just know the Heynckes memes write themselves.
 

Daysleeper

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How can anyone like Barcelona. Their theatrics takes away anything good they do.

The likes of Buquets will dive and roll on the floor and then lunge an awful tactical tackle against Hazard.

How after over 10 years of the same thing by the same players do referees still fall for it.
BS, hazard was diving like a fish out there
 

xMaravilla

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Lucky barca, willian deserved two goals, best player on the pitch!! Please get them at camp nou, pleasseee!!!
 

Tincanalley

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Chelsea's is 103 x 67 metres (112.6 x 73.2 yards) while the Nou Camp is 105 m × 68 m (115 yd × 74 yd). It actually looks quite bigger when I was at the Nou Camp
But another big factor here is the space between sideline and supporters- the bridge seems very tight compared to the ones where there’s like a race track - it gives the illusion, the feeling of space, and I think players feel it too. Besides, two meters is quite a bit.
 

Daysleeper

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Chelsea aren’t gonna be able to park the bus at Camp Nou, Barca should win comfortably.

Messi bailed them out and iniesta was fantastic.

Barca was dominant after Chelsea scored
 

cyberman

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God Barca were so slow but they weren't getting the criticism they deserved.
It was all fluff about patience and wanting to lull Chelsea for a killer ball but the truth is they couldn't move the defence line of Chelsea and every move ended with a stupid dribble attempt that was easily cleared.