GWT: Champions League Quarterfinals

[Live in the Now]

Do Athleti play similar to Liverpool under Benitez?

When defending, yes. Similarly compact, very solid middle that was difficult to get the ball through. Defending fullbacks and wingers were necessary. However, Liverpool depended on their goalkeeper to make good/great saves more than Atleti requires Oblak to do that. Part of that is because teams aren't as used to playing against such quality defensive mindsets these days. All 11 players were required to contribute to defense, just like Atleti now.

When attacking, not really. Atleti has a more difficult time carrying the play (PSV tie is a notable example) whereas Liverpool in those days was very capable of controlling the game and possession if they had to do so to win. Liverpool's victories over RM, Inter, and Juventus were good examples of this.


The contrast is strange because football is fairly dissimilar these days. When Liverpool was making these long runs, there were quite a few teams that prioritized defense and the matchups were different. Sometimes you'd get two teams playing very cautious. Also, the talent was more spread out and there were more good teams. However, now more of the teams that make it this deep are attacking teams, but those teams have superior technical ability to those of the mid 00's era. The teams now are also better at hoarding talent.

 

[Pouchkine]

Couldn't agree more with your last paragraph.

 

[Live in the Now]

Football is also better now even though the money gap has led to a situation where the CL is dominated by a few teams. Defensive tactics had completely taken over the later stages of European competition as well as a few of the bigger leagues and even though many teams could get deep into Europe, the games at times became unwatchable.

 

[Pouchkine]

The cheating, diving, gamesmanship, dirty fouls that go unpunished are back on the rise again though.

 

[Cucumber]

Diego Simeone best coach in the world. What a guy.

If the Liga slips away from Barca too then I don't see how Lucho survives.

Who replaces him?


As a neutral to both Real/Barca, its rather disappointing that one year Ancelotti wins a CL and gets fired the next while still reaching the semi-finals. Lucho won a treble in his first year, made possibly the best attack ever to be seen and some are saying fire him if no la liga title.

 

[ProPAIN]

Wonder why he couldn't fit in with Chelsea.

Azpi. He and Ivanovic were great last season.

In hindsight, a dumb move to sell him.

 

[cgf]

So what you're saying is Lewandowski is better than Ronaldo?

I assumed that that went without saying...

 

[Cassano]

(Yes, I realize this is a fake account )

 

[Vasilevskiy]

Cant see Real or City beating Atletico, and I dont give Bayern a good chance of beating them in a single game.

Atletico deserved to go through. Dissapointing game by us

P.S: Ref was not going to send anyone off.. Iniesta and gabi should have been gone... neymar possibly too

 

[MarkStone]

If even MSN Barca can't repeat...tough to see a Club break that drought so to speak any time soon.

 

[Deficient Mode]

Club alliances aside and focusing only on the managers themselves, am I the only one that would love to see Pellegrini take down Guardiola in the CL final, right before Pep's switch to City?

No, Pep doesn't deserve that. I don't particularly like any of the teams remaining, but a Bayern-Atletico match would be interesting.

Ronaldo haters nowhere to be seen.

I'm still here. Big game but not really a good opponent. His record versus the latter is still very underwhelming relative to how many goals he scores against bad or average opponents, and there are obvious reasons why that is that have nothing to do with mentality and more to do with his skill set.

Who replaces him?

Sampaoli? Paco?

 

[Hadoop]

Cant see Real or City beating Atletico, and I dont give Bayern a good chance of beating them in a single game.

Hogwash. Even PSV almost beat Atletico over 2 legs, losing on PKs.

Anyone can beat anyone among this year's Final Four.

 

[Plato]

Wrong thread..

 

[Vipers31]

I'm still here. Big game but not really a good opponent. His record versus the latter is still very underwhelming relative to how many goals he scores against bad or average opponents, and there are obvious reasons why that is that have nothing to do with mentality and more to do with his skill set.

Agreed. Wolfsburg was being Wolfsburg, just 90 minutes and one dreadful Real performance later than everybody expected.

 

[les Habs]

Tough seeing the team go out, but hard to say Atleti didn't deserve it even if it was just barely. Haven't liked our form of late and like Evilo mentioned regarding PSG, timing is off. A month ago or so we were great and it's been a great season, but now the team will have to fight 'til the end and that's just domestically. I figured the team played worse than it did as I had to watch the match tonight, but they actually created some chances and looked better than they have in recent weeks. Messi was absent from this one, but saw something about how he's suffering from muscle issues. The club is denying it however. I wouldn't be surprised as he's not only been off, but he's basically been walking a lot out there of late. Eerily reminiscent of 2014. Either way I think he needs a rest and hopefully he can get to peak form for the final run in now.

Atleti work their socks off and play their hearts out, but they've essentially eclipsed Madrid and are akin to Mourinho's Madrid at this stage. Sure Neymar's reaction when he was carded was disgraceful, but he was fouled a couple of times by Juanfran and Atleti were disgraceful over both legs. (Suarez's "elbow" wasn't deliberate for me as if it was it was the greatest bit of acting I've ever seen anywhere). Always looking for calls that aren't there and embellishing all over the park. Simeone, Gabi, Godin, Felipe Luis, Carrasco and Hernandez were all awful.

If people are surprised by Trump's run they should have a read of this thread and it'll make a lot more sense. Amazing commentary on the match and even on other topics. Hilarious reading post after post about Iniesta's handball as if it was the apocalypse and he should have been red-carded. Yet when Gabi's was as bad and he should have been red-carded you basically get one post saying as much and pretty much no calls for a penalty when it was clear as day. All the UEFALONA nonsense and nothing about Godin's theatrics or the fact that Godin, Gabi and Koke all should have been sent off. Then again I don't recall reading many if any posts about Gabi's amazing interception to deny Pique either.

Lmao what a blatant dive by Messi

Like I said, some real gems, but this one really stood out. Not even close to a dive.

 

[Pouchkine]

Suarez Neymar Iniesta in that order yesterday should have been sent off with direct red cards. Then "your" team ahahaha would have been 8 on the field to finish the game. How many times did you go see them play for real? Yesterday's referee is the master of protecting the biggest team in any given match so your crybaby tactics are totally unfounded this time.
Like I said Barcelona was once a "real" club and a great club, now they have too many ultimate cheaters and piece of $hits on the team and it's good riddance that they are out early again. No to speak of that disgusting jersey.

I think after all we are going to have two good semis.

 

[maclean]

Ronaldo will never "silence the haters". He could carry his team to CL victory singlehandedly and it would only make his "I'm the best" personality worse, which is what rubs most people the wrong way (me included).

preferred semi match-ups: Bayern-Real, Atleti-City

 

[Power Man]

Ronaldo is amazing

Haters gonna hate

 

[Pouchkine]

Against lesser teams.

 

[Cassano]

I'm still here. Big game but not really a good opponent. His record versus the latter is still very underwhelming relative to how many goals he scores against bad or average opponents, and there are obvious reasons why that is that have nothing to do with mentality and more to do with his skill set.

Meh, Ronaldo has already proven to show up in big matches throughout his career. I suspect the strike rate of most players are better against worse teams, understandably. (Suarez and Norwich rings a bell)

 

[Pouchkine]

It's easy to look good when you play on all star teams and 95% of the time play against vastly inferior sides. His record in big games is poor and the same applies to when he plays for a good team like Portugal he can't deliver against good teams. That's the funny thing these days, everyone is siding for Messi or for Ronaldo but they have the same knocks against them really. Messi is a bit better for Barcelona against good teams and Ronaldo is better for Portugal than Messi for Argentina.

They are like great hockey players who can't deliver in the playoffs or in international play or like tennis players who can't win the big tournaments beating the other top guys...

 

[Cassano]

It's easy to look good when you play on all star teams and 95% of the time play against vastly inferior sides. His record in big games is poor and the same applies to when he plays for a good team like Portugal he can't deliver against good teams. That's the funny thing these days, everyone is siding for Messi or for Ronaldo but they have the same knocks against them really. Messi is a bet better for Barcelona against good teams and Ronaldo is better for Portugal than Messi for Argentina.

They are like great hockey players who can't deliver in the playoffs or in international play or like tennis players who can't win the big tournaments beating the other top guys...

One player does not equate to a team.

Portugal should've won Euro 2004 or 2006 WC and Argentina should've won the 2014 WC or the 2015 Copa America, I agree.

 

[cgf]

One player does not equate to a team.

Portugal should've won Euro 2004 or 2006 WC and Argentina should've won the 2014 WC or the 2015 Copa America, I agree.

...are we just ignoring that Germany was a stronger side than Argentina at that tourney and deservedly won?

 

[Cassano]

...are we just ignoring that Germany was a stronger side than Argentina at that tourney and deservedly won?

Meh, game could've gone the other way if Higuain didn't miss his sitter or Messi blew his 2 chances on Neuer.

Germany were far from juggernauts, I think Argentina could've even won if di Maria was healthy for the final.

 

[Pouchkine]

It proves that Argentina is a good team and that Messi doing nothing for them is all on him. What like 10 games without open play goals...

And I repeat for younger folks here, usually in history almost all great players were great or very good for both club AND country.