Champions League QFs (11th - 19th April)

[Mihai]

Today Bale does not play, so will be Isco or Asensio. It will not be easy but I am optimistic.Bayern have to attack and hopefully we will catch them in some counter. I usually support the Spanish teams but I'm tired of playing against Atlético. Better a semifinal against Leicester or Monaco

You will get Juve again

 

[berbatrick]

Hmm... What does he base that on? That the other top PL teams underperformed which lead to an 'easier' win for Leicester? I've forgotten the season Atletico Madrid won - how good/bad were Barcelona and Real Madrid?

Barca and Real had 87 points, a level lower than the Guardiola-Mourinho peak but still plenty. Atletico had 90.

 

[Lay]

Juventus hopefully will win the whole thing. Buffon deserves a CL title.

 

[Xivon]

That's our best line-up. Let's hope Hummels and Boateng are up for it.

 

[GhastlyHun]

That's our best line-up. Let's hope Hummels and Boateng are up for it.

What? Are they playing? Don't leave us hanging here!

 

[Xivon]

What? Are they playing? Don't leave us hanging here!

They do. And Lewandowski.

Neuer
Alaba-Boateng-Hummels-Lahm
Alonso
Thiago-Vidal
Robben-Lewy-Ribéry

 

[VorZakone]

Robben with a cut inside goal today?

 

[GhastlyHun]

I knew he'd start Alonso instead of Müller.
Don't know what to think of Hummels and Boateng starting... read today that Hummels could hardly walk normally in training.

 

[schwalbe]

Not happy with Alonso because we need to attack but maybe ancelotti wants to take a more cautious approach and thinks that 90 minutes are plenty of time to score two goals. Most players couldn't play a single accurate pass last wednesday, so maybe having alonso start isn't that bad. I just don't know if only bringing Lewandowski adds enough firepower, we looked completely toothless last week.

 

[carvajal]

Tweet

— Twitter API (@user) date

Tweet

— Twitter API (@user) date

 

[van der star]

 

[van der star]

Starting without Muller might turn out to be the deciding factor today. Hope for a goal until 60 odd minutes and then send Muller on to do his thing against a relatively tired Madrid defence?

 

[strongwalker]

Interesting graph:

Shit Thomas Müller still as good as best ever Modeste Also as good as Griezmann and Dembele.
Messi amazing, Ronaldo not so much.

From a Bayern standpoint: Old man Ribery still up there with the best and more efficient than Lewandowski, Robben in Zlatan-range

 

[JamesB__]

Bayern will go through.

 

[Santi_Mesut_Alexis_87]

Tweet

— Twitter API (@user) date

Tweet

— Twitter API (@user) date

Tweet

— Twitter API (@user) date

Tweet

— Twitter API (@user) date

 

[VorZakone]

Atletico with a back 5?

 

[George Owen]

Atletico with a back 5?

with their typical 4-5-1

 

[Blackwidow]

Starting without Muller might turn out to be the deciding factor today. Hope for a goal until 60 odd minutes and then send Muller on to do his thing against a relatively tired Madrid defence?

Müller is not a player that is really good as sub because of his strenghts - but it does not help when time is running away and Real will even sit more back when they have a lead in the last 30 minutes.... He can bring a lot fresh air and movement - but Bayern has scored only one winger- or striker goal in the final stages for the recent 4 or 5 years (bar Arsenal matches) with 3 midfielders. No matter who was striker or winger...

Now all hope is up to Vidal to score - and Alonso will be the defensive shield... - that is not even the best idea defensively but I ask myself how we want to score goals... and if the problem in the first leg was not that Vidal ran out of steam...

 

[Android1974]

Renato Sanches doesn't even make Bayern's bench? Perhaps he should have joined United instead.

Regarding Leicester, is Slimani injured or suspended? Can't understand why he's also not on the bench.

 

[strongwalker]

Renato Sanches doesn't even make Bayern's bench? Perhaps he should have joined United instead.

gonna need Bernat, Rafinha and Kimmich in case one of the bruised CBs has to go, and Coman/Müller/Costa for tactical options in attack. Compared to these, Sanches is the most dispensable and least reliable atm. Only six are allowed on the bench, so Kimmich was put before him. I'd have done the same, Kimmich delivered even in big matches so far, Sanches didn't even in smaller ones.

 

[Peyroteo]

Bayern need to aim at scoring 3 goals. Ancelotti is a cautious manager so that eleven isn't unexpected but I think Alonso ahead of Muller wasn't the right move for today. Bayern will need to be clinical now knowing that an early goal changes everything. If Bayern takes the lead this game will be a nightmare for Real fans.

As for a prediction, I'll go with a 2-1 win for Real.

 

[VorZakone]

Honestly I thought Sanches' energy and physicality could have been useful for Bayern in the last 30minutes or so. Like a wild card option.

 

[GhastlyHun]

Honestly I thought Sanches' energy and physicality could have been useful for Bayern in the last 30minutes or so. Like a wild card option.

He can't play a straight ball some of the days. Not an option against Real no matter what.

 

[Balu]

I expect Ramos to score the first goal and us to lose 3-1 without ever looking threatening. Something like that will happen, there's no way Boateng and Hummels are fit enough to start together and I'm still not convinced that the 433 gets the best out of Thiago while Alonso will again be a liability when we have to defend counterattacks.

 

[Blackwidow]

gonna need Bernat, Rafinha and Kimmich in case one of the bruised CBs has to go, and Coman/Müller/Costa for tactical options in attack. Compared to these, Sanches is the most dispensable and least reliable atm. Only six are allowed on the bench, so Kimmich was put before him. I'd have done the same, Kimmich delivered even in big matches so far, Sanches didn't even in smaller ones.

He can put Lahm in midfield, too - and sub in Rafinha to play fullback - as Ancelotti trusts the geriatric department more than everything else it seems.

 

[Red Pavan]

He can't play a straight ball some of the days. Not an option against Real no matter what.

I think Renato Sanches will prove to be a knee jerk buy ala Anderson was for United.

 

[OutlawGER]

I think that Real, Juve and Atletico won`t have too many Problems to go through.

Not sure about Dortmund. With Reus back and hopefully the awful Events from last week out of their heads I can see them turning things around.

Yeah it's not likely that Dortmund can go through. They lost it (ridiculously) in the first leg. However i also think that this is the most open leg out of the 4.

 

[strongwalker]

He can put Lahm in midfield, too - and sub in Rafinha to play fullback - as Ancelotti trusts the geriatric department more than everything else it seems.

i wish he would play him more (even if i see more potential in Kimmich than him), but a CL second leg is hardly the best time to give a developing player with confidence issues playtime.

 

[dbs235]

Leicester really needed an away goal last week. Losing 1-0 away in Spain isn't actually a bad result, but in the context of a two-legged tie where away goals count, it's a terrible result. Think both Madrids will go through tonight.

 

[OutlawGER]

This could very well be Lahm's farewell to european football btw

 

[GhastlyHun]

This could very well be Lahm's farewell to european football btw

Stop it, there's enough at stake already

 

[Crossie]

Renato Sanches doesn't even make Bayern's bench? Perhaps he should have joined United instead.

You're seriously expecting an unfinished youngster who struggled yet to adapt to Bayern and a new league to be in the squad for the by far most important game of the current season? Wow.

 

[Balu]

This could very well be Lahm's farewell to european football btw

 

[OutlawGER]

Stop it, there's enough at stake already

I obviously hope there will be 3 more games for him in europe. But it will be tough to even get 2 more.

 

[Crossie]

I expect Ramos to score the first goal and us to lose 3-1 without ever looking threatening. Something like that will happen, there's no way Boateng and Hummels are fit enough to start together and I'm still not convinced that the 433 gets the best out of Thiago while Alonso will again be a liability when we have to defend counterattacks.

Admit it, that's an attempt to jinx it.

 

[Android1974]

You're seriously expecting an unfinished youngster who struggled yet to adapt to Bayern and a new league to be in the squad for the by far most important game of the current season? Wow.

No, I was saying perhaps he wouldn't be an unfinished youngster struggling yet to adapt if he had joined United instead.

 

[GhastlyHun]

No, I was saying perhaps he wouldn't be an unfinished youngster struggling yet to adapt if he had joined United instead.

Just like Martial, right?

 

[Eddy_JukeZ]

Think Madrid will get them on the counter. Going 2-1 Real.

I really hope Bayern score 1st. Would make it very interesting.

 

[WalkerTheRed]

Last time Real was eliminated from a European competition, after winning the away leg, was in December 1994.

Won 3-2 away against Denmark's Odense Boldklub, the proceeded to lose 2-0 at home.

 

[Vato]

I'm nervous as feck, wouldn't surprise me if we still make a mess of this.