Champions League - Round of 16 - 1st Legs 13/14/20/21 Feb

[TheGame]

Tuesday 13th February 2024

• FC Copenhagen v Manchester City (8pm)
• RB Leipzig v Real Madrid (8pm)

Wednesday 14th February 2024

• Lazio v Bayern Munich (8pm)
• Paris Saint Germain v Real Sociedad (8pm)

Tuesday 20th February 2024

• Inter Milan v Atlético Madrid (8pm)
• PSV Eindhoven v Borussia Dortmund (8pm)

Wednesday 21st February 2024

• FC Porto v Arsenal (8pm)
• Napoli v Barcelona (8pm)

 

[dejans]

Real and Bayern the ones to watch this week?

 

[Josh 76]

So pissed off we are out. It's so open this year, Utd could have done well with a bit of luck as we are just picking up form now.

 

[Frank Grimes]

So pissed off we are out. It's so open this year, Utd could have done well with a bit of luck as we are just picking up form now.

Onana killed us. Don't think we had a hope in hell of winning it though.

 

[Raw]

So pissed off we are out. It's so open this year, Utd could have done well with a bit of luck as we are just picking up form now.

Still can't believe how we utterly fecked it in the groups. Really miss those CL nights.

 

[WeePat]

Not really any interesting games here.

 

[Abhinav]

Tuesday 13th February 2024

• FC Copenhagen v Manchester City (8pm)
• RB Leipzig v Real Madrid (8pm)

Wednesday 14th February 2024

• Lazio v Bayern Munich (8pm)
• Paris Saint Germain v Real Sociedad (8pm)

Tuesday 20th February 2024

• Inter Milan v Atlético Madrid (8pm)
• PSV Eindhoven v Borussia Dortmund (8pm)

Wednesday 21st February 2024

• FC Porto v Arsenal (8pm)
• Napoli v Barcelona (8pm)

Looking at this, the lineup looks so weak. In mid to late 2000s, you would have 4 strong PL teams (Us, Chelsea, Pool & Arsenal), a strong Madrid & Barca, plus one more La liga (Villareal/Atletico), Inter/Milan/Juve, Bayern and then 1-2 other continental teams regularly in the knock-out stages.
Is it nostalgia or does it seem easier to win the CL the past couple of years than when we were regularly challenging?

 

[Josh 76]

Onana killed us. Don't think we had a hope in hell of winning it though.

You can go along way in this competition with the luck of the draw. Who would have thought Inter would get to the final last year. They should have actually won it.

 

[Lay]

Looking at this, the lineup looks so weak. In mid to late 2000s, you would have 4 strong PL teams (Us, Chelsea, Pool & Arsenal), a strong Madrid & Barca, plus one more La liga (Villareal/Atletico), Inter/Milan/Juve, Bayern and then 1-2 other continental teams regularly in the knock-out stages.
Is it nostalgia or does it seem easier to win the CL the past couple of years than when we were regularly challenging?

Europe is at a weak point.

Eastern European football used to have some good teams but even before the war they were being phased out. Spanish clubs are weaker than usual, Portuguese clubs won't come close. Italians are doing better but only Inter are a threat.

I can't see it improving much in the near future

 

[Frank Grimes]

You can go along way in this competition with the luck of the draw. Who would have thought Inter would get to the final last year. They should have actually won it.

Inter played Liverpool off the park a couple seasons back though and had a midfield triumvirate of Brozovic, Barella and Calhanoglu. I wasn't surprised to see them do well, although in retrospect to do it with Onana as keeper was a minor miracle.

 

[SilentWitness]

Looking at this, the lineup looks so weak. In mid to late 2000s, you would have 4 strong PL teams (Us, Chelsea, Pool & Arsenal), a strong Madrid & Barca, plus one more La liga (Villareal/Atletico), Inter/Milan/Juve, Bayern and then 1-2 other continental teams regularly in the knock-out stages.
Is it nostalgia or does it seem easier to win the CL the past couple of years than when we were regularly challenging?

The only top European sides right now I'd say are Madrid and City. Everyone else is in that zone of needing to prove themselves with their current side.

 

[(...)]

Looking at this, the lineup looks so weak. In mid to late 2000s, you would have 4 strong PL teams (Us, Chelsea, Pool & Arsenal), a strong Madrid & Barca, plus one more La liga (Villareal/Atletico), Inter/Milan/Juve, Bayern and then 1-2 other continental teams regularly in the knock-out stages.
Is it nostalgia or does it seem easier to win the CL the past couple of years than when we were regularly challenging?

Teams that reach at least 1 CL final since 2010 : Barcelona, Chelsea, Bayern, Real Madrid, Man City, Liverpool, Man United, Borussia Dortmund, Atletico Madrid, Juventus, Tottenham, PSG, Inter
So yeah, this year seems a bit weaker than previous years with Chelsea, Man United, Liverpool and Juventus missing. But you still have most of the usual suspects in the running.

 

[Acrobat7]

The only top European sides right now I'd say are Madrid and City. Everyone else is in that zone of needing to prove themselves with their current side.

And Madrid mostly on (deserved) merit. They haven't been too great either this season.

 

[SilentWitness]

And Madrid mostly on (deserved) merit. They haven't been too great either this season.

Only lost two games all season against the same side (Atletico). Won every CL game, top of La Liga, still pretty formidable despite maybe subpar performances.

 

[Acrobat7]

Only lost two games all season against the same side (Atletico). Won every CL game, top of La Liga, still pretty formidable despite maybe subpar performances.

Oh, absolutely! I was aiming at those subpar performances since it feels like they were rescued by some late game heroics a couple of times. And their defense is a mess right now.

 

[giorno]

Looking at this, the lineup looks so weak. In mid to late 2000s, you would have 4 strong PL teams (Us, Chelsea, Pool & Arsenal), a strong Madrid & Barca, plus one more La liga (Villareal/Atletico), Inter/Milan/Juve, Bayern and then 1-2 other continental teams regularly in the knock-out stages.
Is it nostalgia or does it seem easier to win the CL the past couple of years than when we were regularly challenging?

It is mostly nostalgia

You are looking at this season and comparing against an era instead of a season. By the same token this era has seen incredibly strong PL sides in City, Liverpool and Chelsea, Bayern, Madrid, Atletico, PSG and now a resurgent serie A, plus Dortmund and 1 or 2 strong "oursiders" like Ajax or Benfica

 

[DJ_21]

Can see Arsenal getting to at least the semis. It’s city’s to lose though… with everyone fit there the strongest by far. No one comes close except maybe Madrid.

 

[KiD MoYeS]

Don’t see any team that’s really strong this year. Can see Arsenal getting to at least the semis. It’s city’s to lose though… with everyone fit there the strongest.

Arsenal have a genuine chance this season I think. City will power through any of the other teams.

 

[Acrobat7]

Can see Arsenal getting to at least the semis. It’s city’s to lose though… with everyone fit there the strongest by far. No one comes close except maybe Madrid.

According to the bookies it currently is City > Bayern > Madrid > Arsenal (bigger gap) > PSG > Barca

 

[Powderfinger]

It is mostly nostalgia

You are looking at this season and comparing against an era instead of a season. By the same token this era has seen incredibly strong PL sides in City, Liverpool and Chelsea, Bayern, Madrid, Atletico, PSG and now a resurgent serie A, plus Dortmund and 1 or 2 strong "oursiders" like Ajax or Benfica

Exactly right and a very common mistake.

Take the 2006-7 season, for example, right in the middle of the supposed golden age of mid-late 2000s football. Both Madrid and Barca were in a relatively poor period, Liverpool and Arsenal were both mediocre in England, Bayern had their worst domestic seasons in ages. Ultimately, the CL final was contested between a Liverpool side that had finished on 68 points in England and a Milan side that finished on 69 points (pre-penalty) in Italy.

 

[DJ_21]

According to the bookies it currently is City > Bayern > Madrid > Arsenal (bigger gap) > PSG > Barca

Madrid are better than Bayern I’d say.

 

[DJ_21]

Arsenal have a genuine chance this season I think. City will power through any of the other teams.

Ye I think there good underdogs. They’ve already shown they can beat city this season.

 

[Josh 76]

Inter played Liverpool off the park a couple seasons back though and had a midfield triumvirate of Brozovic, Barella and Calhanoglu. I wasn't surprised to see them do well, although in retrospect to do it with Onana as keeper was a minor miracle.

Haha

 

[giorno]

Onana was the best gk in the CL last season, by a lot

Don't confuse mancunian red stink-curse for actual lack of ability

 

[Camara]

We are in a terrible state atm, our team has been dire in the last few years but now we're starting to break apart mentally too. We really need the elections in April to get rid of this leeching board that has been destroying the club.
Against Arsenal we just have to try to cling to our current strength which is play defensive and fight hard but I don't think that'll be enough unless Arsenal chooses this as the bottling moment of their season (sorry for the joke ).

 

[Rojofiam]

So pissed off we are out. It's so open this year, Utd could have done well with a bit of luck as we are just picking up form now.

Same as 20/21 and even 21/22.

 

[Acrobat7]

Madrid are better than Bayern I’d say.

I will not disagree since I only quoted betting odds and not my personal opinion.

 

[FerociousCorgis]

also had forgotten about our UCL campaign until i saw FC copenhagen. What a joke group stage we had with our players. Id make every single one of them sit down and watch as punishment as City steamroll copenhagen.

 

[stefan92]

also had forgotten about our UCL campaign until i saw FC copenhagen. What a joke group stage we had with our players. Id make every single one of them sit down and watch as punishment as City steamroll copenhagen.

Don't forget to also show them Galatasaray play Prag on Thursday "Look, you could at least have played for that cup now"

 

[Shane88]

State of that last 16. What a crap competition. Sick of the big boys getting handed easy draw through to the semi finals by being kept apart from each other.

 

[Telsim]

Those are some dull games for RO16

 

[kaiser1]

State of that last 16. What a crap competition. Sick of the big boys getting handed easy draw through to the semi finals by being kept apart from each other.

City played Leipzig Bayern Madrid before the finals last season

Having the big teams knock themselves out led to having a piss easy pathway for Inter Milan

 

[hasanejaz88]

Looking at this, the lineup looks so weak. In mid to late 2000s, you would have 4 strong PL teams (Us, Chelsea, Pool & Arsenal), a strong Madrid & Barca, plus one more La liga (Villareal/Atletico), Inter/Milan/Juve, Bayern and then 1-2 other continental teams regularly in the knock-out stages.
Is it nostalgia or does it seem easier to win the CL the past couple of years than when we were regularly challenging?

Nostalgia. Bayern and Madrid were not good teams from the mid to the late 00's. Barca as well from 06 to 08 were pretty weak, before Pep came in, so Madrid were able to win a couple of La Liga titles without being great themselves. As for the Italian clubs, AC Milan did well with their experienced line up but no other Italian team did well. I still remember Bremen outplaying Juve in 2006 and losing from a horrible keeping error in the last minute.

From 2004 to 2011 it was basically EPL top 4 versus one club from the rest of Europe who would put up a great fight.

 

[red_dt]

The calibre of attacking players spread out throughout the teams have declined which has made the ties less appealing. Even if you were expecting one side to win you were never really sure because the other team had some quality players too.

Forwards 10 years ago: Ronaldo, Van Persie, Rooney, Messi, Villa, Neymar, Bale, Suarez, Benzema, Higuain, Gomez, Ibrahimovic, Cavani, Falcao, Costa, Lewandowski, Robben, Di Maria, Lavezzi, Reus, Tevez, Aguero, Dzeko, Hazard, Muller, Alexis Sanchez

Forwards today: Haaland, Osimhen, Kane, Mbappe, Dembele, Rashford, Leao, Kvaratskhelia, Sane, Coman, Lautauro Martinez, Alverez, Thuram, Hojlund, Salah, Nunez, Vini, Rodrygo, Raphinha, Lemal, Griezmann, Morata, Saka, Martinelli, Jesus, Isak

Some world class players in today’s list sure but compared to what we had it doesn’t compare. You could do a similar comparison for the midfielders too.

 

[DJ_21]

I will not disagree since I only quoted betting odds and not my personal opinion.

At the start of the tournament I’d of had you down to win it. Looking at how you played against Leverkusen, can’t see it. Anything can happen in a knockout game though.

 

[Rojofiam]

Madrid are better than Bayern I’d say.

Madrid have a marginally tougher matchup in Leipzig compared to Bayern facing Lazio, that's why. Madrid were probably 2nd favorites pre-draw.

 

[DJ_21]

Madrid have a marginally tougher matchup in Leipzig compared to Bayern facing Lazio, that's why. Madrid were probably 2nd favorites pre-draw.

True. Fancy them both to get through though

 

[Chicharo]

Hate that we are out. We've only reached the knockout stage four times since SAF left...

 

[BayernFan87]

I have a feeling Leipzig will win today.

 

[DJ_21]

Hate that we are out. We've only reached the knockout stage four times since SAF left...

It’s more annoying that we’ve finally got into form aswell when the CL knockout games arrive.