We don't even have a word like 'quarterfinal' but ours are decent enough anyway.
I agree though. Needs a better word than 'last 16'. It's often called first round of knock-out or something similar as well. Needs to be more universal.
Champions League Round of 16 fixtures
- Thread starter Sojiro
- Start date
I agree though. Needs a better word than 'last 16'. It's often called first round of knock-out or something similar as well. Needs to be more universal.
The match at Parkhead won't be a pushover by any means, plus the support will be fantastic, so I can see Celtic getting a narrow win there. I'm not sure if they can win the overall tie though.
Celtic also scored from all their half chances and Barca they don't cross the ball until the 90 minute mark. Juventus, whilst not as good of a passing team as Barca or keeping the ball, will throw different kinds of attack at them. Also, Celtic don't expect to only have 20% possession against Juventus. The mindset will be different although they will park the bus completely in both games.
Celtic will win or draw the home game. I wouldn't put money or Juve but they could well win it because they've got a cracking defense.
The Europa League plays round of 32 and round of 16 in this five weeks. The first leg of the round of 32 this week - the return next. Then there is one week off for European matches (in Germany there is the cup quarter final then) - and then there is the round of 16 in the Europa League and the return leg of the CL matches.
I'm not saying it'll be a push over. Celtic have done great so far in the CL, but Juve post a similar threat to what Barca did in terms of passing and possession while also having a much better defensive unit and a few different tactics going forward (their wide game with the likes of Asamoah and Litch for example). Celtic's real hope is getting a victory at home, because mark my words on it, Juve will dominate the game in Turin.
It's up there though and Barca are the only team that can claim they've got a better midfield. Pirlo is as good as pretty much any midfielder, Marchisio is fantastic and Vidal is the complete midfielder. As good work rate as any midfield too.
Celtic need to hope that the problem of no world class striker haunts Juve yet again. If Vucinic is passed fit and Matri, Giovinco or Quag are anywhere near on form, Celtic are in trouble even at home.
How does Juve post a similar thread to Barca in terms of passing and possession? Pirlo's passing won't help when Celtic defends with 10 men in the box. They have no one to turn possession into quality chances if the opponent parks the bus. If Celtic plays like they did against Barca, Juve's midfield isn't an important factor, cause they win the battle anyway and Celtic doesn't really care. Celtic won't care about crosses, as well. Easy to defend against Juve's forwards. So there's no real threat from playing wide. I really think Celtic got lucky with the draw, Juve is a much better fit for them than the other top teams. Of course Juve is still the huge favorite and should win the tie, but I think a 0-0 draw at home is possible for Celtic and then the return leg will be a hell of ride for Juventus.
Let's wait until Juve play a quality midfield. I'd rate Bayern's higher as well (Martinez, Schweinsteiger, Kroos) and don't think Dortmund is far off with that 5man midfield formation they played against Real. Along with that I think that 352 formation will struggle against teams with quick wingers and strong fullbacks. They never face teams like United, Bayern or Real with quality wing play in Italy. Will be interesting to see, how they defend against those teams, because one wingback is in serious trouble if he doesn't get a lot of help against Ronaldo/Marcelo, Ribery/Alaba, Valencia/Rafael, for example. Playing two strikers might cost them the battle out wide or the battle in midfield.
It's nice to see something different, though. Hopefully they do well. I love it when different formations clash, much more fun than the usual 4231 vs 4231 cancelling each other out you see so often these days.
I'm really looking forward to the Celtic game, will be good to see Hooper as I haven't seen much of him... I think Celtic will either hold their own and it will be a low scoring draw, or Juve will school them.
There is a term for it in the English language, Octofinals
Schmelzer and Gündogan are out because of injuries. Bad news for Dortmund, imo. Two very important players. They don't have a backup for that left back position, Sahin didn't play very well in midfield against Hamburg last saturday. No idea who's going to play. Maybe Grosskreutz as left back, Bender and Kehl in midfield or Bender leftback and Sahin with Kehl in midfield. Both doesn't sound good to me, lack of quality squad players might cost them a lot this season.
Don't know why but it annoys me the way that its split over two weeks
A 0-0 draw at home is an absolute disaster. Gab Marcotti said it best, this style doesn't really suit Celtic what so ever and Celtic have to come into this game at home with a completely different mindset to when they hosted Barcelona. Juve wont play into their hands what so ever and if you think they will, then no offence mate but it doesn't seem you've watched Juve much. Honest question, how much have you watched them? It's a pretty bizarre statement to claim they have nobody to turn possession into quality chances when they have fecking Pirlo, Marchisio and Vidal. Actually, that's one of the worst statements in a while on here and that's saying something.
Bayern and Dortmund have great midfields, Juve's is a different level though. Pirlo, Marchisio and Vidal is a match made in heaven that possesses pretty much every single tool that a midfield needs. It baffles me why you're underrating them like you are. This midfield took them to producing the best defensive record last season and going unbeaten.
They've conceded 16 goals in 24 games in the league, that's while also missing their key defender Chiellini. They conceded just 4 goals in the group stages in a group that consisted of a bloody good Shakhtar side and the team that won the trophy last season, a group where they didn't lose a single game and finished top. So I don't want to hear this bollocks about Serie A not being great or "they never face wing play like this and that in Italy" (and then mentioning our wing play which has been fecking dire this season for a good part of it). I'm not sure where you get this idea that if they play two strikers it'll cost them in midfield or out wide. They play with wing backs, you think Asamoah and Litchsteiner are just going to be anonymous? And that when Chiellini returns that he wont be dealing with threats coming in from the right? And that a three man midfield of Marchisio, Pirlo and Vidal are ever going to get overrun? Dear oh dear.
Hey, we'll see though. Feel free to laugh at me and say you told me so if I'm proven wrong. As I said, the key for Celtic is tonight, because I'm confident that they'll get dominated in Turin so they have to take away a win tonight. I'm not going to say they cant win tonight either, but if they don't, they're in big shit and have an even bigger mountain to climb.
I think Celtic will do ok tonight - as soon as the draw was made we switched to playing a 4-3-3 formation with Juve's 3-5-2 in mind, and I think Samaras will cause them problems if he's fit. He's our only injury doubt. We've played really well all through our CL campaign - people who talk about us parking the bus obviously haven't been watching closely.
We consistently punch way above our weight at home. I'm going for 2-1 Celtic with Sami scoring a last-gasp winner.
We consistently punch way above our weight at home. I'm going for 2-1 Celtic with Sami scoring a last-gasp winner.
Why should I? What's wrong with different opinions? I've seen quite a bit of Juve, more last season than this year to be fair but I've seen all 4 games in the CL against Chelsea and Donezk. So yes, I think I know a bit about Juve. I wouldn't read to much into the CL group, though. They struggled early on and Chelsea handed them the group with one of the biggest tactical feck ups in recent history in that 3-0 home win.
I think they're best in attack when they work hard in midfield, rush at opposing defenses before they are well organised, much more comparable to Dortmund than to Barca. Pirlo is best when he's protected by 2 hard working midfield players and he's allowed to influence the game from deep, not when he's moving the ball around the opponent's penalty box in a possession game. Juventus will destroy Celtic if they try to attack, that's when Vidal's workrate and Pirlo's passing will influence the game a lot. But they don't have players who can break down defenses with individual moments of brillance like Barca have in Iniesta, Messi or Sanchez. That's why I don't buy that "similar threat to Barca in terms of passing and possession". It's a totally different setup. I never said that a midfield of Marchisio, Pirlo and Vidal isn't a wonderful three men midfield, perfectly balanced with individual quality, of course it is, without a doubt. Still rate Bayern's above, though. I don't think that's such a controversial opinion.
I don't really get your idea of Lichtensteiner, Asamoah influencing the game when up against a team like Real or Bayern? Who's going to defend against the wingers and fullbacks? It's constantly 2 vs 1 on the wings, which leads to one of the midfielders helping out or one of the wingback in serious trouble. They basically are one man short on the wing or in midfield everytime they have to defend. That's because they play a second striker who won't contribute much in midfield. It's a general tactical problem with that formation. Of course it can work, when played perfectly against 433, 4231 formations but it's very difficult to play and against teams with similar or even higher individual quality most of the time not the best choice. But yeah, we'll see.
What are the early impressions of Sahin 2.0?
Looks more like a Liverpool player than a Dortmund player.
Ouch.Champions league - knock one out
The Octo-Final
Dortmund has not one any match that Gündogan missed this season. Gündogan stayed in Dortmund because of an injury...
2-1 to Celtic or 1-1 , Juve to go through after a 3-0 win in Torino, sadly
Champions league? Meh.
According to Raphael Honigstein on twitter all three of Schmelzer, Piszczek and Grosskreutz are major doubts - might have to turn to some youth players like Lowe or Koch?
They sold Löwe to Kaiserslautern in january. Idiotic move with the lack of squad depth, imo. Same with Perisic.
If all 3 miss out on the game, I really have no idea how they line up. Kuba can play right back as well, if I remember correctly. Maybe Leitner in midfield? Kirch played right back a few times. Klopp usually prefers more experience out of position to young unexperienced talent in these games.
So maybe:
Lewandowski
Reus Götze Kuba
Sahin Kehl
Bender Hummels Subotic Kirch
Weidenfeller
Reus Götze Kuba
Sahin Kehl
Bender Hummels Subotic Kirch
Weidenfeller
or
Lewandowski
Reus ---------- Götze
Leitner
Sahin Kehl
Bender Hummels Subotic Kuba
Weidenfeller
Reus ---------- Götze
Leitner
Sahin Kehl
Bender Hummels Subotic Kuba
Weidenfeller
Interesting sale of Lowe - though he was rated but I guess not. I know Perisic was demanding more playing time and with Reus available and players like Scheiber, Leitner and Bittencourt he wasn't going get that.
I know they played 3 at the back in one of their games this season - cant remember vs who or if it was successfull - think it was a back line of Subotic, Hummels and Bender
100 % for Valencia tonight, I hope they knock out PSG and their stinking corrupt money.It would be good for football that a real club defeats a plastic one.Zlatan to (hopefully) continue his terrible knock out stage record
That test pretty backfired. And with their latest problems in the defense they certainly will not repeat it.
Yeah, they lost at home to Schalke in that game. I don't think Klopp will try that again, though it would make a lot of sense on paper. But it's way to difficult to play without intensely training that formation.
It's all about the second place cup right!!
They should drop the left footed Kehl in there. It's a bit like when they attempted to use Bender as a sweeper when Kehl would've probably been more suited to that role.
That's an awfully big loss
A bit off-topic, but not thread worthy (I think we could use a random football chat thread).
Paços de Ferreira is third in the Portuguese league, 4 points ahead of Braga. They only have two defeats, against Benfica and Porto, and won both games against Braga - which makes their advantage in practice 4.5 points since head-to-head comes before goal difference here.
This means it's plausible they reach the Champions League last qualifying round next season. How cool is that? A club that plays in a 5k seater, and from a town with 8k inhabitants. Our own Nordsjaellend, I'd love that to happen
Paços de Ferreira is third in the Portuguese league, 4 points ahead of Braga. They only have two defeats, against Benfica and Porto, and won both games against Braga - which makes their advantage in practice 4.5 points since head-to-head comes before goal difference here.
This means it's plausible they reach the Champions League last qualifying round next season. How cool is that? A club that plays in a 5k seater, and from a town with 8k inhabitants. Our own Nordsjaellend, I'd love that to happen
Haedo "Barça crusher" Valdez as supersub to score the 90+2' winner for Valencia!
He's only gone and done that 4 or 5 times so far this season... (he's even scored 3 goals on 3 seperate occasions when he was on the pitch for less than 2 minutes I believe
)edit: of his 6 goals so far this season, 5 have come after the 88' mark and 2 of those have turned draws into wins... what a guy!
That would be great to see, although the chances of them overcoming a 3rd placed team from another top league are slim. They'd drop into the Europa league regardless, right?A bit off-topic, but not thread worthy (I think we could use a random football chat thread).
Paços de Ferreira is third in the Portuguese league, 4 points ahead of Braga. They only have two defeats, against Benfica and Porto, and won both games against Braga - which makes their advantage in practice 4.5 points since head-to-head comes before goal difference here.
This means it's plausible they reach the Champions League last qualifying round next season. How cool is that? A club that plays in a 5k seater, and from a town with 8k inhabitants. Our own Nordsjaellend, I'd love that to happen
Celtic to beat Juventus and Paris to score two at Valencia.
Ye I fancy Celtic to beat Juve, their away form isn't great and Celtic's a tough place to go. I'm going for 2-1. Valencia and PSG will be a draw.
'Mon then Celtic, keep the second leg interesting at least.
Cant wait for the game tonight will be a great atmosphere as usual at celtic park, come on the celts!
Surprised at the amount of people backing Celtic tonight. Juve are a fantastic team. Think they'll have too much for Celtic.
My dad could leave us any hour now, but I told him last night he has to hang in there two more days to see Chicharito -- also from Guadalajara -- one last time. He made it overnight and we shall we see whether he's got one more night left in him.
Great man, he. Chicharito, too!
Great man, he. Chicharito, too!