2018 CL Semifinals

[bluesfan94]

Salah vs his exes. That's fun.

Hoping for Bayern - Roma

 

[KoozNetsOff 92]

As I said in another thread, that's not true.
Last year, they didn't draw the toughest team until the semis (and that's arguable with Atletico, and they also got ref help to beat Bayern).
This year, you can honestly say they had the toughest group, toughest KO opponent and one of the toughest in the QF, as well as the toughest in the semis.
That said, they had home return games against Juve and Bayern.

Stop crying about bayern and the ref last season. Without a clear offside goal Bayern don't even get to ET but, just like our perfectly legal goal that was disallowed vs Juve, people love to skip over when big decisions go against us.

And do you even know what a tough draw is? It doesn't mean getting the toughest opponent in every round, by that logic no team has ever had a tough draw. Group stage is irrelevant, R16 usually is too. I'd say that over the last 5 years, excluding 2016, Madrid have had some of the toughest QF draws (Dortmund, Atletico, Bayern, Juve). SF and final is obviously always going to be tough no matter what.

 

[KoozNetsOff 92]

Hopefully get some good football and a Madrid vs Liverpool final.

 

[Evilo]

Stop crying about bayern and the ref last season. Without a clear offside goal Bayern don't even get to ET but, just like our perfectly legal goal that was disallowed vs Juve, people love to skip over when big decisions go against us.

And do you even know what a tough draw is? It doesn't mean getting the toughest opponent in every round, by that logic no team has ever had a tough draw. Group stage is irrelevant, R16 usually is too. I'd say that over the last 5 years, excluding 2016, Madrid have had some of the toughest QF draws (Dortmund, Atletico, Bayern, Juve). SF and final is obviously always going to be tough no matter what.

OK, chief.

 

[Dr Pepper]

Would like Bayern v Roma.

 

[les Habs]

Looks like the majority here are going to be disappointed. It's going to be Madrid in the Final and they're going to win.

 

[maclean]

Looks like the majority here are going to be disappointed. It's going to be Madrid in the Final and they're going to win.

There'll be plenty of time for disappointment later, let us dream goddammit!

 

[Live in the Now]

Pfft Liverpool's midfielders will run past Casemiro so often that he won't even be able to try to foul. James Milner CL masterclass incoming over the next three games, but first de Rossi can score two more own goals.

 

[Power Man]

I'm glad we drew Bayern, because it means either LFC or Roma will be in the CL Final.
This is great for football tbh

 

[gary69]

I mean, for scheduling and getting charters alone, I could see where they tell everyone what the draw is and then play it up for cameras.

Yep, this is nothing new. As anybody who has played FM knows, that game is mimicking the reality and the draw is done a day or two in advance and just shown "in real time".

 

[Luigi Habs]

I expect RM to win it all. They’re peaking at the right moment.

 

[Duchene2MacKinnon]

Not that anyone thought Ramos would be suspended anyway. It looks like he won't receive any punishment for sneaking down.

 

[The Abusement Park]

Not that anyone thought Ramos would be suspended anyway. It looks like he won't receive any punishment for sneaking down.

I saw a tweet saying he couldn’t play leg 1? Did he get out of it?

 

[Wee Baby Seamus]

Gunnin' for Roma from here on out.

 

[Cassano]

Thoughts?

 

[les Habs]

Thoughts?

Self-professed United supporter and clear Ronaldo fan. I'd say it lacks obvious context. What's more though, why only the last seven seasons? (That was a rhetorical question).

 

[Mr Plow]

I feel like Roma are being overlooked here. As good as Liverpool's front three have been I can see them struggling to find cracks in Roma's defense if Roma decide to drop back and defend compactly, which they should. If Liverpool can't open up that defense in the first 30 minutes I think they will struggle the rest of the tie.

My prediction is an ugly 1-0 result for Liverpool in the first leg and a 2-1 win for Roma in the return leg, putting the Reds through on away goals.

I haven't watched as much Bayern this season as I have Madrid, Roma or Liverpool so I don't know what to expect in that tie. With that said I would not be at all surprised if Madrid go out without putting up the kind of fight you'd expect. They were outplayed by Juve for 80% of that tie, got enormous help from the refs against PSG, struggled in the qualifiers, and are underachieving domestically. People keep saying they look unbeatable in the UCL but I honestly haven't seen it thus far. Outside of Ronaldo they look noticably worse than last year at least.

 

[Deficient Mode]

Thoughts?

I mean, insofar as it's supposed to say Cristiano is more clutch than other top players... it's kind of flawed. His non-penalty goals per minute over that time are pretty consistent in both the final 8 and La Liga play at ~1 per 100 minutes. He played far more minutes than almost all of those guys due to the success of his team, and unlike the others, having played for easily the best team in this competition over that period - a team that never has had real off-years - his per minute scoring doesn't drop from playing matches in which his team was overmatched. Gap between him and everyone else is nowhere close to a magnitude of 3 even if you just account for minutes played and not also the strength of the opponent relative to a player's own team.

Neymar for instance scored 1 goal every 124 minutes in the CL quarterfinals and beyond in that period. Which is a significant improvement on his domestic scoring rate and not that far off Cristiano's...and is still hurt by the fact that Barca went out in the quarters to generally superior teams in 3 of his 4 years with them. It's a team sport.

 

[Chimaera]

I feel like Roma are being overlooked here. As good as Liverpool's front three have been I can see them struggling to find cracks in Roma's defense if Roma decide to drop back and defend compactly, which they should. If Liverpool can't open up that defense in the first 30 minutes I think they will struggle the rest of the tie.

My prediction is an ugly 1-0 result for Liverpool in the first leg and a 2-1 win for Roma in the return leg, putting the Reds through on away goals.

I haven't watched as much Bayern this season as I have Madrid, Roma or Liverpool so I don't know what to expect in that tie. With that said I would not be at all surprised if Madrid go out without putting up the kind of fight you'd expect. They were outplayed by Juve for 80% of that tie, got enormous help from the refs against PSG, struggled in the qualifiers, and are underachieving domestically. People keep saying they look unbeatable in the UCL but I honestly haven't seen it thus far. Outside of Ronaldo they look noticably worse than last year at least.

No match is easy at this stage. Rome is gonna be nuts anyway. Liverpool and Roma don’t have the best history. I just hope the supporters who go are safe.

It will be interesting, and I’m not completely sure after they beat Barca that Liverpool is a clear favorite.

 

[hatterson]

Yea I’d be interested to see non-pen goals as well as matches played for those goals.

 

[These Are The Days]

LFC is probably better off focusing on playing the smartest game possible in the opening contest against Roma. This is the last series they've got before its sudden death in Kiev. Play smart at Anfield and they can play any way they want to in Rome. I do think there's a mismatch in firepower but the Reds also can't afford to lose the series on something silly like penalties or away goal aggregate because they allowed goals that never should have happened on their own field. I didn't want Roma because I thought they were the best matchup of the 3 teams LFC could have played, I just think that a Roma matchup has an essence of unpredictability to it because it really can go either way between these teams. I trust they'll be able to play through it. It doesn't always come down to talent, execution is often the biggest factor and Klopp has them ready to win. Despite the fact I think City has a better lineup, it was the Reds familiarity with playing them that allowed them to persevere and get them this far. With that hurdle cleared I think they're in the right mindset to find themselves playing in Kiev.

Don't want RM in the final for obvious reasons but que sera sera

 

[Savant]

Seems Lovren and Manolas are both banged up

 

[spintheblackcircle]

Looks like the majority here are going to be disappointed. It's going to be Madrid in the Final and they're going to win.

I want to see Ronaldo win it. He's been amazing this year and deserves it.

 

[YNWA14]

Looks like the majority here are going to be disappointed. It's going to be Madrid in the Final and they're going to win.

I want to see Ronaldo win it. He's been amazing this year and deserves it.

 

[Deficient Mode]

I want to see Ronaldo win it. He's been amazing this year and deserves it.

oooooooooooof