Predict your country's progress in the Champions League

How far in the CL do you think the representatives from your country will go next year?

These are my estimates:

1) Inter- Semi-finals
2) Roma- Quarter-finals
3) Lazio- Round of 16
4) Milan- Semi-finals+

Ajax + PSV for Holland

1 needs to get into the 'group stage' ...

the other is already involved

at best

Ajax - last 16 +
PSV - last 16 +

at times like this , you wonder if the 'spirit of van Gaal' (for the Amsterdam side) will ever return

quattuordecim wrote:Ajax + PSV for Holland

1 needs to get into the 'group stage' ...

the other is already involved

at best

Ajax - last 16 +
PSV - last 16 +

at times like this , you wonder if the 'spirit of van Gaal' (for the Amsterdam side) will ever return

What about England? I know you support Man U.

PSV always look like they could go far. They did reach the semis in 2005, and, let's face it, embarrassed us.

PSV have lost their inspirational leader Cocu , plus some key figures i.e. Alex .. lets see how they do in the league + Europe

I might aswell do England


Arsenal - QF +
Chelsea - Semi Final +
Liverpool - QF +
Manchester United - QF +

all English sides will be strong next season , Chelsea for sure will get to the semis .. the 2nd phase begins in Feb , im not sure if the Chelsea African players who are in duty in the Cup of Nations will be playing ? (the same could be said for Toure , Adebayor & Eboue for Arsenal)

Liverpool , Arsenal and Manchester United on their day .. the same , but lets play it safe .. all 3 teams target the League , the toll will it be too much ??

quattuordecim wrote:PSV have lost their inspirational leader Cocu , plus some key figures i.e. Alex .. lets see how they do in the league + Europe

I might aswell do England


Arsenal - QF +
Chelsea - Semi Final +
Liverpool - QF +
Manchester United - QF +

all English sides will be strong next season , Chelsea for sure will get to the semis .. the 2nd phase begins in Feb , im not sure if the Chelsea African players who are in duty in the Cup of Nations will be playing ? (the same could be said for Toure , Adebayor & Eboue for Arsenal)

Liverpool , Arsenal and Manchester United on their day .. the same , but lets play it safe .. all 3 teams target the League , the toll will it be too much ??

I think Chelsea will go far again. I think Liverpool and Arsenal won't. I reckon Chelsea will probably win it next year, and Man U will get to the semis.

The confidence Manchester United received from the past season plus the signing of Owen Hargreaves IMO will help their campaign , the problem still remains their 'away' performances

last season ; 6 away games ... 2 wins and 4 defeats

that problem must be addressed and relying on home wins may not be enough (last season: 6 home games , 6 wins)

I won't bother, too difficult with the way Round of 16 matches can now have some very lopsided or very tough fixtures.

Steaua + Dinamo for Romania. Very hard to say. For Steaua I would say GS and then a 3rd place and continue in the UEFA Cup. For Dinamo it's all up to the draw as they are Unseeded in the QR. If they can stay clear of teams like Liverpool or Arsenal they might have a chance.

EPL:

Chelsea: final - they'll finally do it IMO

Liverpool: Q/F - I think they'll have an improved squad but will try and really go for the league this season so will slip up in the CL

Man Utd - Could go out in the last 16, could get to the final - I'm honestly not sure how it'll go for them

Arsenal - Quarter final this season - I can't see us having the injury problems in attack that we had this year.

Feyenoord-Final

I agree, except you put the "+" on the wrong team from Milan

Forza Italia!Forza Milan! wrote:How far in the CL do you think the representatives from your country will go next year?

These are my estimates:

1) Inter- Semi-finals
2) Roma- Quarter-finals
3) Lazio- Round of 16
4) Milan- Semi-finals+

Maximus XIV wrote: Chelsea for sure will get to the semis .. the 2nd phase begins in Feb , im not sure if the Chelsea African players who are in duty in the Cup of Nations will be playing ?

ACN finishes in January I believe, so they'll be back.

Final against Feijenoord

Man United - QF : As Tweeds said, it could be anything with United really. They could have an awful campaign and go out in the group stages/2nd round, or they could have an awesome campaign and reach the semis/final. Too unpredictable, which is why I went for Quarters.

Arsenal - QF : Shouldn't have the injury problems they had this year, and can take anyone apart on their day. My only worry for them is their lack of depth at the highest level.

Liverpool - QF : Depends on their progress in the league. If they're having a poor campaign, Rafa will rest players and they could go far. If they're having a good campaign, they won't be able to do this.

Chelsea - Final : For us, it's all about keeping the key players fit. We have the best level of depth (not in terms of numbers in the squad, but in terms of class coming off the bench) out of every team in the competition. 1 or 2 injuries however to key players (especially those playing in the ACN such as Essien, Drogba and possibly Mikel) will hinder our chances of course.

United: semi's
Chelsea: Final
Arsenal: out in the group stage
Liverpool: quarters

Luis wrote:United: semi's
Chelsea: Final
Arsenal: out in the group stage
Liverpool: quarters

i know you only posted this as a wind up.

schalke, stuttgart: both 1/8 would be great, both teams with not much experience in CL, both not top seeded, so the group stages can be very taff for both teams

bremen 1/4 final, on good days bremen can beat any team, especially at home, 1/2 final is possible with draw luck

Luis wrote:United: semi's
Chelsea: Final
Arsenal: out in the group stage
Liverpool: quarters

fair enough...

Rosicky wrote:

Luis wrote:United: semi's
Chelsea: Final
Arsenal: out in the group stage
Liverpool: quarters

i know you only posted this as a wind up.

No Rosicky, all four aren't guranteed a piss easy group every year, nor are they guranteed a definate place in the last 16, I think Arsenal have the weakest European ability to be honest

Arsenal: Last 16
Chelsea: Final
Liverpool: Wont Qualify, Group stages of UEFA
United: Quaters/Semi's.

Sound, win the league and a Uefa cup final in manchester against Everton, pretty exciting stuff

no sorry, bayern will be in uefa cup final

Deisler wrote:no sorry, bayern will be in uefa cup final

quite some pressure, because if Bayern achieved anything less than reaching the final, it would be a disgrace.

One Dutch team will reach at least the Quarter Finals!

could be the worst EVER season for Bundesliga clubs in the Cl

Stuttgart: young , inexperienced, newly crowned Bundesliga Champs; have to defend title with everybody chasing them; CL is a distraction; not seeded either

Schalke: Bundesligatitle is THE priority; Europe , again, a distraction; just lost play-maker Lincoln; two teenagers are likely replacement; tend to choke; not seeded

Bremen: will Klose's presence unsettle the team; have their hands full challenging for the league considering Bayern's reinforcements; entertain but have no killer instinct; dreadful on the road; Schaaf is no tactical genius either

prediction: no Semi-Finalists; with luck : one QF; with extreme luck: two

Darling wrote:could be the worst EVER season for Bundesliga clubs in the Cl

Stuttgart: young , inexperienced, newly crowned Bundesliga Champs; have to defend title with everybody chasing them; CL is a distraction; not seeded either

Schalke: Bundesligatitle is THE priority; Europe , again, a distraction; just lost play-maker Lincoln; two teenagers are likely replacement; tend to choke; not seeded

Bremen: will Klose's presence unsettle the team; have their hands full challenging for the league considering Bayern's reinforcements; entertain but have no killer instinct; dreadful on the road; Schaaf is no tactical genius either

prediction: no Semi-Finalists; with luck : one QF; with extreme luck: two

A very honest assesment, Otto.

The same way I feel that Netherlands will at best have one team reaching the second round.
PSV will go through big changes + the loss of Alex (at the very least).
Ajax have the better team on paper, but will they choke again?

Real Madrid - SF is possible, let's see what they do on the transfer market first.

Barcelona - winners. possibly. hopefully. let's see. Maybe out in quarters.

Sevilla - dark horse of the tournament I think. Last 16 for me.

Valencia - last 16 or QF.

Johannes XIV wrote:The confidence Manchester United received from the past season plus the signing of Owen Hargreaves IMO will help their campaign , the problem still remains their 'away' performances

last season ; 6 away games ... 2 wins and 4 defeats

that problem must be addressed and relying on home wins may not be enough (last season: 6 home games , 6 wins)

This season we only scored 3 goals away from home in the CL (incidently we scored 20 goals at home). The dreaded 4-5-1 formation tactic used to make us more competitve away from home, doesnt work. As we dont score, our strengths have always been attacking, not defending. So we are essentially playing not our strenghts but our weaknesses.

Hopefully with the aquisition of Hargreaves, Fergie will set our attack free, so the team can concentrate on scoring, rather than not conceding. If he does this and Ronaldo and rooney continue to build on their recent European form and we dont have another injury crisis, we could win it.

Lyon: 1/4
Marseille: 1/8 or group stage
To lose: Best they can do, is 3rd in the group stage.

Porto: as always a dark horse, it will depend on how the reeinforcements will perform. 1/4 would be great, more than that it will depend on the day.

Sporting: somehow they always choke in europe but i think they have a good chance of making it to the 1/8

Benfica: unlike Sporting they overperform in europe comparing with the domestic league. 1/8 probably, 1/4 if things go well for them on the draw.