CL: Round of 16 Draw

[Power Man]

Madrid will draw Besiktas or Roma.

Good call

 

[Savant]

Harsh..

I mean it’s probably the only thing that could have kept them away from each other.

 

[Savant]

Updated Front page for fixture dates.

Liverpool and Man City lost and Man Utd was the big winner

 

[Havre]

This seasons Juve looks to be a shell of the teams it’s been the past few years.

That is why I say it is 50/50. Juventus at their best from the last couple of seasons would be clear favorites. Obviously a risk that they will raise their level come early spring.

 

[maclean]

Liverpool and Man City lost and Man Utd was the big winner

You mean in terms of being the more or less attractive match on the given nights?

 

[Vipers31]

Nice draw. Glad to not face a giant early, so that the likes of Thiago and Neuer can - hopefully - come back in time.

Especially good to see either Real or PSG go out.

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

Feel bad for Emery.

 

[maclean]

Feel bad for Emery.

Honestly I feel bad for the Qatari princes before him of all people.

 

[Savant]

You mean in terms of being the more or less attractive match on the given nights?

Yeah. Just in terms of being televised with priority. LFC isn’t going to get airtime over Madrid and PSG, and I do t know if you have had to deal with the secondary coverage yet, but its not great.

 

[East Coast Bias]

That is why I say it is 50/50. Juventus at their best from the last couple of seasons would be clear favorites. Obviously a risk that they will raise their level come early spring.

I have no idea what to expect from Spurs. Will we see the EPL team, or CL Group team?

Should be interesting.

 

[Incubajerks]

I don't mind Juventus. At least we got a much cooler logo (which is not something Spurs can say too often).

Juventus got Fiorentina away before the first leg. And Lazio away before the second. Spurs got home games before both matches - even if one of them are against Arsenal.

Fairly 50/50 if you ask me - assuming Spurs can start playing some proper football soon.

Juve won't go out with the Spurs, too much difference.

 

[maclean]

Yeah. Just in terms of being televised with priority. LFC isn’t going to get airtime over Madrid and PSG, and I do t know if you have had to deal with the secondary coverage yet, but its not great.

Unfortunately due to disputes between different TV providers here, having PL and La Liga for me means not having CL on TV (unless I wanted to pay two different providers), save the one game a week that Czech Television shows. Always one of the Tuesday games, sometimes the "most attractive" but not always necessarily. So otherwise I'm reliant on streams, which occassionally are good and occassionally hopeless.

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

Juve won't go out with the Spurs, too much difference.

We'll see buddy.

 

[Havre]

Juve won't go out with the Spurs, too much difference.

Solid analysis. Difficult to disagree.

I remember similar statements being made when I said it was 50/50 between Spurs and Dortmund in the group stages.

Spurs are more vulnerable to injuries and players out of form than Juventus though. If Alli is still crap and a guy like Dembele continuing being average after all those injuries it will be very difficult for Spurs to go through. To say that Juventus will just go through is close to ignorant (of course Juventus can go through, but it certainly isn't a given).

 

[Wee Baby Seamus]

Honestly, I'm obviously fazed that we got Barca, but I'm excited for two fun matches. Let's do to them what we did in 2012, eh?

 

[Evilo]

Here's a message from UEFA:

Actually I called Real/PSG before thinking UEFA would protect Real.

 

[Evilo]

So 3 EPL teams got the easiest opponents.

 

[Baxterman]

Well that sucks. We had a good run in Champions League sucks that will a likely chance to get a weak team we get Juve instead.

Liverpool, United and City with sweetheart draws makes it that much worse.

 

[maclean]

So 3 EPL teams got the easiest opponents.

Have to get that league back on track. Ronaldo got his BdO instead

 

[YNWA14]

The scenes when all 5 EPL teams make it to the next round. It's very possible. Spurs aren't being given enough credit in that match against Juve. They're inexperienced and maybe facing a big opponent on the grand stage will get to them but if they play like they did against RM they can certainly progress and it's closer to a 50/50 split than people will be willing to admit. On paper is Juve really better? They have an aging backline, Sandro is out of form and will be relying heavily on Pjanic, Dybala and Higuain to carry them. I think Tottenham have a good chance.

Chelsea vs. Barcelona will be interesting also. Sometimes Chelsea looks fantastic and sometimes they look lost. They've been very inconsistent but if they show up in top form I think that Hazard especially will give Barcelona's defence a hard time.

None of Liverpool, City or United should be overlooking their opponents either. While obviously the favourites better teams have lost to worse ones than these ties. Porto isn't the worst draw but I was hoping for a bigger team ala Madrid, Bayern or Juve but it's still a decent draw. Can't wait!

 

[Pouchkine]

Fantastic Draw. Perfect. Go Shakhtar!

 

[maclean]

Spurs aren't being given enough credit in that match against Juve. They're inexperienced and maybe facing a big opponent on the grand stage will get to them but if they play like they did against RM they can certainly progress and it's closer to a 50/50 split than people will be willing to admit. On paper is Juve really better? They have an aging backline, Sandro is out of form and will be relying heavily on Pjanic, Dybala and Higuain to carry them. I think Tottenham have a good chance.

I think you're doing your argument a disservice by appealing to the teams "on paper" and if every poster starts going through which player they would take over which one, I swear I'm going to tear my hair out. The fact is Tottenham showed against Real that they can compete at the top level. Juve has also showed many moments of weakness this year. It will certainly come down to form, tiredness, injuries, etc. But "on paper"? On paper I think you have to take Juventus. But I realllly don't want to argue that point

 

[YNWA14]

I didn't take either team on paper. It was just a question of whether one was really better than the other or not on paper. I think it's debatable; I can certainly see the side of either argument but when you account for form I don't see why Spurs wouldn't have a good enough chance.

 

[Ivan13]

So 3 EPL teams got the easiest opponents.

Rigged!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

jk

 

[Theokritos]

Actually I called Real/PSG before thinking UEFA would protect Real.

True, but you changed your mind and it was a funny string of posts in the light of how the actual draw turned out.