2018 CL Semifinals

[Corto]

Evilo now calling me a closet Real fan. This place is hilarious.

You even closet bought the refs, as a closet Real fan.

Anyway, it was a anxious few minutes, but Liverpool were the better side and deserved to go through.
Roma can blame themselves for the horrid display at Anfield, but I'm sure we'll here about the ref mistakes before we hear any self-criticism from the Italian media.
Yeah, they should've had a penalty (well, two actually, Dzeko looked onside), but Florenzi's tackle on Mane was pretty bad, and a classic example of a scissor tackle and a red card.
I'm happy for Liverpool, most Croatians have a spot soft for them (and AC Milan and Celtic), and I'm glad for Lovren to get a chance in the CL final after all the crap he's been through.

Tie was won and lost in Liverpool. Last few minutes were dodgy, but overall, yeah... Better team won and deserved the spot in the final.

Gonna be pretty interesting in Kiev. Real plays a stupidly high line, which Salah/Firmino/Mane can butcher.... but they do have the world's fastest CB pairing - and Liverpool has simply not played a team like Real yet and is inferior on the wings and in the midfield.
Honestly, I think who scores the first goal will counter the other team to death... But we'll see.

 

[YNWA14]

I guess being delusional and ignoring the calls aren't exactly the same thing, but whatever floats your boat.

Not all of us can be as level headed and unbiased as you, obviously. The burden you must live with I suppose.

 

[KJS14]

Not all of us can be as level headed and unbiased as you, obviously. The burden you must live with I suppose.

Great counter-argument. Who said I'm unbiased? I wanted Roma to go through. I'm just not overly biased and emotional like you.

Florenzi should have been sent off for his scissor tackle, and the handball at the end was obviously not a penalty. However, the ref missed TAA's handball (penalty and possible red card) and Dzeko was wrongfully called offside and then taken out by Karius (penalty and possible red card). Also, while I don't think van Dijk's push on Wijnaldum's goal was a foul, the ref did call a foul on a very similar play when Dzeko pushed Lovren right before that.

The ref wasn't good in general today, but the calls certainly favored Liverpool in the end despite you whining about him the entire game.

 

[YNWA14]

Right, and Wijnaldum was absolutely taken out right on the box and Mane was pushed in the back in the box. Lovren was given a yellow and a dangerous free kick because El-Sha slipped, among other times Salah was mugged and Roma were given calls just for falling over. Oh and no yellow for multiple obvious dives and the ref was clearly baiting/challenging some Liverpool players as well. Refs are just bad and inconsistent in general but people only reference the examples that work in favour of their argument.

Don't delude yourself into believing you were any less biased in your anti-Liverpool agenda.

At the end of the day Liverpool are in the final and you guys have been more whiny than anyone has been in favor of Liverpool.

 

[BKIslandersFan]

Nothing is more sad than the dick measuring contest from North American supporters of big clubs.

 

[Theokritos]

I was rooting for Liverpool, but that wrong offside call on Džeko really saved Karius. Liverpool weren't good at all in the second half and a pen for Roma in the 49th minute plus a red card against the keeper would have hurt a lot.

Liverpool were the better side over two legs, but they're still very lucky to advance here.

 

[The Abusement Park]

Nothing is more sad than the dick measuring contest from North American supporters of big clubs.

*who the refs like more.

 

[Duchene2MacKinnon]

Nothing is more sad than the dick measuring contest from North American supporters of big clubs.

Yup, to be a true fan you have to support Norwich... or some other minnow. Get off your high horse.

 

[Savant]

I was rooting for Liverpool, but that wrong offside call on Džeko really saved Karius. Liverpool weren't good at all in the second half and a pen for Roma in the 49th minute plus a red card against the keeper would have hurt a lot.

Liverpool were the better side over two legs, but they're still very lucky to advance here.

Luck is that James Milner own goal let's not pretend Roma didnt have their fair share as well in both legs.

 

[Theokritos]

Luck is that James Milner own goal

There is a difference between a lucky goal and luckily escaping a textbook penalty due to a refereeing error though.

 

[Savant]

There is a difference between a lucky goal and luckily escaping a textbook penalty due to a refereeing error though.

Manolas shoved Mane with two hands in the box in the first half. Also Roma shouldn't have gotten a penalty at Anfield.

 

[BKIslandersFan]

Yup, to be a true fan you have to support Norwich... or some other minnow. Get off your high horse.

I didn’t even suggest that but ok.

 

[Power Man]

Let's destroy Liverpool

 

[Live in the Now]

Was finally able to break away from stuff to watch things.

I suppose Roma could feel hard done by, but they received two penalties in this tie they didn't deserve. Another one of their goals goes in off the face of our player on an otherwise great clearance.

While Liverpool undoubtedly benefited from the referee in this competition, they got absolutely bummed in the league repeatedly this season. Last two weeks were particularly egregious and they caused team decisions and fatigue Klopp shouldn't have had to deal with. So nothing against Roma here, but they did benefit from those decisions as they played a part in making the team weaker. If the official had gotten the West Brom game right, the entire team is rested this weekend, this game is different.

Good thing I didn't watch the game live as I would have been going extra ballistic, as well as gotten emotional at the end. Not only have I had a difficult few days but I'm also thinking of Sean Cox, who was nearly murdered over something so stupid. I'm thinking about all the seasons of being disappointed, the finals lost, the bad decisions, the manager changes. All of that is irrelevant by comparison, but naturally the mind wanders to those disappointments and hoping it will be better.

This final could be lost as well, but there's no way to be disappointed by this season at this point. The players and manager have gone so far beyond the call of duty to distract everyone, including myself from their problems, and lately I've had a lot of them. That's their job pretty much and they've succeeded massively, I almost don't care if they win the final at this point.

If I've learned anything though, this team can beat anyone, given one day to do it. All they need is the right thing to go their way. That they have better players will have little to do with the end result. It will be how the ball bounces, or the official.

 

[Edo]

Congratulations Liverpool for making it to the final. And on your successful, but trophyless season.

 

[Live in the Now]

Congratulations Liverpool for making it to the final. And on your successful, but trophyless season.

And congrats on not being in this final.

 

[Duchene2MacKinnon]

Congratulations Liverpool for making it to the final. And on your successful, but trophyless season.

This is actually quite sad. As it's meant to be troll/banter but given the state of the two teams and the sheer contras between them, it comes off as pitiful.

 

[les Habs]

So Barça going out to Roma, on the away goals rule, was big news but Liverpool going through while letting in six goals must be a fluke.

Curious some of the commentary on the refs. At least @Live in the Now admits bad calls went against the opponent, though the league reference is irrelevant. Anyway, it's just funny that someone can jump to Madrid's defense all the time when it comes to the refs (not a supporter thought! LOL) and also completely ignore the calls they get as well. I suppose it's all just "fake news".

Speaking of the refs, saw this graphic yesterday. Curious the idea that there wasn't a good view of the play.

I'll be lucky if I catch up on the week's action, but I'll definitely be watching the Final. I think.

 

[JianYang]

What the heck happened to this place? It used to be more civil and playful. Now it feels like the main boards.

 

[Vasilevskiy]

So Barça going out to Roma, on the away goals rule, was big news but Liverpool going through while letting in six goals must be a fluke.

Curious some of the commentary on the refs. At least @Live in the Now admits bad calls went against the opponent, though the league reference is irrelevant. Anyway, it's just funny that someone can jump to Madrid's defense all the time when it comes to the refs (not a supporter thought! LOL) and also completely ignore the calls they get as well. I suppose it's all just "fake news".

Speaking of the refs, saw this graphic yesterday. Curious the idea that there wasn't a good view of the play.

I'll be lucky if I catch up on the week's action, but I'll definitely be watching the Final. I think.

That ref on the goal line was the stupidest and most useless idea ever

 

[Edo]

This is actually quite sad. As it's meant to be troll/banter but given the state of the two teams and the sheer contras between them, it comes off as pitiful.

There's no fun in being civil. And let's be honest here, Liverpool ain't all that. A game apart last year. Liverpool are 20 points away from first this year.

City fans are the only ones in England that can talk trash.

 

[maclean]

City fans are the only ones in England that can talk trash.

But Liverpool beat them? In both the league and the CL?

 

[Corto]

There's no fun in being civil. And let's be honest here, Liverpool ain't all that. A game apart last year. Liverpool are 20 points away from first this year.

City fans are the only ones in England that can talk trash.

Yes and no.

City are a Pep-team that's running now. They're going to likely dominate the league again, but possibly struggle against big clubs in Europe.

Liverpool was a good team that took a step up after VVD came. Its not just him, the defense as a whole looks a lot better, Lovren is more consistent, etc.
Yes, they've had a good draw (both in groups and in KO rounds, their had one big tie vs City), but they took their chances and are deservedly in the semis. They were lucky with a couple of bad offside calls ruling out City goals in both legs, but sometimes you need luck to get to the final.
This is not the same Liverpool team as the one in October, IMO they'll be the biggest competition to City next season, and they'll always be a threat in Europe in current form.

 

[Evilo]

Yes, we've said a thousand times, ref tend to favor bigger clubs. It has nothing to do with a pre-arranged UEFA plan or something stupid like that.
People dismissing the obvious mistakes with that argument are just refusing to see the obvious.
Refs go the big clubs way and it is in their interest. The refs that helped Real in their 3 home KO games will be well marked at UEFA, that's about as far as UEFA will go. And thus will get a chance to ref big games later in the competition. The main part is psychological effect. Calling a penalty at Bernabeu at the 94th is possible, but only for one club.
Every 50/50 call will go the same way. Handballs like Marcelo aren't going to be called. Even less Ramos' (against PSG). They're extremely quick to signal offside for the other team (Mbappe), but it's much less obvious against Real or Barca.
What's funny is that PSG, Bayern, City and Juve get the calls in their respective leagues exactly for the same reasons. But are victims in european competitions.
Sometimes of course, it's just plain mistakes. Sometimes, mistakes happen because when hesitating, the pressure makes them decide one way of the 50/50 decisions.

 

[Theokritos]

Manolas shoved Mane with two hands in the box in the first half. Also Roma shouldn't have gotten a penalty at Anfield.

I don't agree about the Anfield penalty. When you've got your hand as far away from the body as Milner had it's always up to interpretation whether the act was deliberate or not. In the same situation the call has often been penalty and is often going to be penalty. At best (for Liverpool) it's a 50/50 decision.



I don't specifically remember the Mane thing, but I do remember there was something that looked like it should have been a penalty for Liverpool in the first half. Hopefully footage pops up soon.