*If* Milan knock out Barcelona...

[ItsEssexRob]

Please dont let us go to extra time and then win it on ET or pens that would just take the piss. Knackered for the City game and still in this shithouse competition.

Lets just concede a second and be done with it.

 

[Shimo]

Please dont let us go to extra time and then win it on ET or pens that would just take the piss. Knackered for the City game and still in this shithouse competition.

Lets just concede a second and be done with it.

My incredible deductive powers tell me .... Wrong thread there Bob !

 

[Cantona'sCollar]

Bayern and Us/Madrid as joint favourites I'd say. I don't even think Bayern are anything particularly special but I'd fancy us over two legs rather than a 90 minute final against them. I just think their defence is no where near good enough.

Dante looks a bit of a clown and Van Buyten well... he's big?

Going forward, Kroos & Ribery will give anyone a fair bit of trouble. Defense wise, they are better than any other side in the competition off paper - this from the build up to the Arsenal game 2 days ago:

- Bayern has won the last 5 league games by a combined score of 13-0.
- The club has conceded just seven goals in the Bundesliga through 22 games this season, putting it firmly on pace to break the German record of 21 goals conceded in a 34-game campaign.
- Bayern has been so solid defensively that goalkeeper Manuel Neuer joked yesterday that sometimes, he didn’t even have to shower after games.


It's fair to say Dante has been the very best defender in the Bundesliga this season - something that the vast majority of watchers will agree to. He has been praised left & right recently, and didn't get the Brasil call up for nothing. Excellent defender.

Podolski's goal against them on Tuesday was the first time they conceded in 2013, if I am correct.

 

[NoLogo]

Not necessarily. Milan did play the game almost perfectly yesterday and come Camp Nou they might just do enough to go on through but, beating Barca won't automatically make them an excellent team.

Teams like Bayern, United and Juventus who have played consistently well through out the season - those are the teams I'd say become the favorites.

Real should they best us (hope to God not) - would end up being one as well - not just becasue consistently been good but, they've got Ronaldo.

Anyway - after watching Bayern play the other day, to me they are the team to beat. Even if Barca stay in the competition - Bayern to me have it all. They can go out wide or play through the middle, they are defensively sound and have a bench they can call upon to change the game from now till the final.

I think if they really manage to knock out Barca they would at least belong to the third group of having an outsider chance of winning it especially if they go on an play defensively like they did yesterday.

It might not be pretty but we have seen it a few times that good defending and some luck can sometimes be enough to go through so ruling them out of the possible winners of the CL would be a bit premature after yesterdays quality performance.

 

[Shimo]

Not ruling them out. Can't rule anyone out in the last 8. Just wouldn't consider them favorites.

Edit: The last non-Barca winner of the cl, the team that has won over the last 5 years has knocked out Barca. United, Inter and Chelsea. Am sure someone has already pointed it out, I just realized it. So maybe Milan should be faves.

 

[NoLogo]

Not ruling them out. Can't rule anyone out in the last 8. Just wouldn't consider them favorites.

Edit: The last non-Barca winner of the cl, the team that has won over the last 5 years has knocked out Barca. United, Inter and Chelsea. Am sure someone has already pointed it out, I just realized it. So maybe Milan should be faves.

And if you consider the Ibrahimovic cruse that any team he left over the last couple of years won the CL, well I'd say they are dead set to win it if they knock out Barca.

 

[Claymore]

Far too early to be one of the top few favs with this team IMO. Borussia, Bayern are definitely ahead. Maybe others.

Last season we didn't qualify from the group, this season we've had the easiest group. Its our first tough test v Madrid and at 1-1 could go either way. Has to be a win or 0-0 really and if they get one early ish then we'll see long balls and shaky passing. The advantage we have is not letting them capitalise on the theirs and it being at OT.

Hope Barca lose it and we win but still no given.

 

[Feeky Magee]

Dortmund are not "definitely ahead" of us. They had a good group stage but they have *23* points fewer than us domestically, with 4 games fewer played. Last year we went out at the group stage because we thought we'd piss it and played misshapen teams.

EDIT: I assume this conversation is assuming we both make the last 8, in the same vein as the OP.

 

[coolredwine]

*If* Milan knock out Barcelona...

The shit and the giggles would be amazing!

 

[Claymore]

Dortmund are not "definitely ahead" of us. They had a good group stage but they have *23* points fewer than us domestically, with 4 games fewer played. Last year we went out at the group stage because we thought we'd piss it and played misshapen teams.

Was basing it purely on UEFA CL form, the only competition that both teams are in together, they've faced the better teams and played the better stuff so far. Besides, Liverpool, Milan and Chelsea proved that domestic form doesn't always matter and Dortmund were flying high on the home fronts last season anyway.

Been lots of changes from 2008 ish when we were one of the favourites, too early for this team to labeled that so far IMO, obviously we are a pot 1 team though over several years. They'll probably get knocked out now I've said that.

 

[Revan]

If Milan knock out Barca (which now I think that it will happen, bar a string of strange events like last year), IMO Bayern will be the new favourites, followed by Madrid/United, Juventus and Dortmund.

So, basically I think that there will be 4 teams that are favorites to won it, and 4 'outsiders'. Can't see Milan winning it, even if they eliminate Barca.

 

[Red Pavan]

Barca will score at least 2 at Nou camp anyway. I am guessing something like 4-0.

 

[Claymore]

If Milan knock out Barca (which now I think that it will happen, bar a string of strange events like last year), IMO Bayern will be the new favourites, followed by Madrid/United, Juventus and Dortmund.

Hope so. A 2-0 advantage with no away goals against you is a cracking advantage. Barca will be up for it at home but they are AC Milan not Fulham. Would laugh if they got an early pen and then Barcelona need 4.

 

[MichaelS]

It's funny with Barca. In many ways they are usually virtually unstoppable, but then when a few teams manage to get right tactics like Inter, Chelsea and Milan they look completely clueless and have no ability to adapt. Basicly they turn into Arsenal.

 

[Balu]

It's funny with Barca. In many ways they are usually virtually unstoppable, but then when a few teams manage to get right tactics like Inter, Chelsea and Milan they look completely clueless and have no ability to adapt. Basicly they turn into Arsenal.

It's not like it works every time someone plays that way. Pretty sure Milan tried it last season as well and didn't manage to win one of the 4 games. And I stronly disagree that Barca looked clueless against Chelsea. They hit the post several times, if I remember correctly and Messi missed a penalty.

 

[Claymore]

It's not like it works every time someone plays that way. Pretty sure Milan tried it last season as well and didn't manage to win one of the 4 games. And I stronly disagree that Barca looked clueless against Chelsea. They hit the post several times, if I remember correctly and Messi missed a penalty.

Yeah, think it was said on the Sky Sports coverage how Chelsea got caught out quite a few times, lucky in ways but Milan never gave them a single sniff. Actually It was Gullit who said it, he played for both.

United in 2008 semi final, Inter and Chelsea got lucky at times. Milan were just awesome none stop. Took their chances like we did but shut them out all day.

 

[Revan]

It's not like it works every time someone plays that way. Pretty sure Milan tried it last season as well and didn't manage to win one of the 4 games. And I stronly disagree that Barca looked clueless against Chelsea. They hit the post several times, if I remember correctly and Messi missed a penalty.

To be fair, Milan could have eliminated Barca last season if that Dutch referee didn't decide to give that stupid second penalty to Barca, and denying a pen to Milan when Mascherano fouled Ibra.

With ultra-defensive teams Barca has all kind of problems. In last game against Milan their best opportunity to score was a shoot from Iniesta which was off the goal. Couldn't defeat Chelsea with 10 players last season. Barca are best if the other team try to play an open game and virtually unstoppable but if the other team decide to only defend and block Messi (like Milan did and Messi had to go to right side to get the ball often) they became pretty clueless.

Knowing Italian football, I really can't see Barca winning the tie now.