EPL teams in the CL

What chances to the EPL teams realistically have in the CL this year? After two years of relative domination, a lot of people are yet again expecting the four EPL teams to excel.

However….

Things are going wrong at present.

Firstly, the draw has thrown up some tasty ties. Normally in the last 16 at least one of the EPL teams would be facing a relatively weak opposition almost guaranteeing progress. Not this time though. Inter, Real Madrid, Juve and Roma are not easy opposition.

Domestically there are also concerns.

Liverpool are currently embroiled in a title race, which may make them less concerned with the CL for this season.

Man Utd are still nowhere near top gear and seem to be really struggling in almost every game.

Arsenal and Chelsea, in contrast, are both having mini crises.

So what chances do the EPL teams realistically have?

I wouldn't be at all surprised that only one EPL team progresses to the last 16 to be honest.

I agree, someone will go out this stage. I've an inkling it'll be...Man Utd. But then they'll go on to win the league.

It's tough to say because like you said, this season all of them are showing some vulnerabilities. Arsenal look the most likely to go through, while the other 3 face basically 50-50 ties. I still don't think Madrid are good enough to knock Liverpool out, but if the latter are hit by injuries in February, then Benitez will have some tough decisions to make.

I predict 2 of them will go through, Arsenal and Liverpool. Hopefully Chelsea too because if Barcelona go through, I'd rather have the possibility of playing Chelsea than Juventus.

We'll go out and finish 4th as well.

IMO there is no way Chelsea will go through. For a decent opposition, they're far too easy to nullify.

I think the most likely to progress are ourselves and also Liverpool.

Man Utd have a chance if they play to potential

Our entire season could easily be derailed by a couple of injuries, so I'm certainly not counting any chickens against Real.

We are having alot of injuries, I am not sure that we have the tactics or chemistry right, not an optimistic here.

I think the injuries are at least partially due to the amount of football Man. utd. players have had to play in the past 2 seasons, and esp. over the last month or so.

DS wrote:We are having alot of injuries, I am not sure, we have the tactics or chemistry right, not an optimistic here.

Hoping Rooney and Evra will be back for the games. Rio's abit of a mystery even if he comes back this looks to be an ongoing problem and could flare up in the games against Inter.

Luckily Evans is playing like Baresi mark II at the moment.

Jose will have a field day against man utd like he normally does.

Liverpool will beat madridz.

i have said before that i think juve may win it this year, so they will beat chelsea

roma v arsenal is 50/50

could the United fans try and hype up Evans a bit more please, it's not quite hilarious yet.

He's better than Agger.

Any more?

Parks lives wrote:He's better than Agger at raping women in hotel rooms

Any more?

Batman says he's as good as Vidic. Beat THAT.

He's better than Rio and Vidic combined. In our next game we're thinking of giving a both a rest and playing him on his own.

Or next to O'Shea which in theory would be more difficult.

Cristiano Glennaldo wrote:could the United fans try and hype up Evans a bit more please, it's not quite hilarious yet.

He's shown alot of potential, slotted right in for Rio or Vidic when needed, at 21.
Remember, he was also very good for Sunderland.
I think it is fair, to be excited over his potential.

Time for some prediction I suppose. I have a "sneaky" feeling about winners of Inter/Man Utd and Juve/Chelsea tie(s), they will be eliminated the next game.

Inter will be Evans best test, I don't see United having too much trouble getting through as I believe the referee for the 2nd leg is Jason Ferguson.

zizoued wrote:Time for some prediction I suppose. I have a "sneaky" feeling about winners of Inter/Man Utd and Juve/Chelsea tie(s), they will be eliminated the next game.

I think the winners of the UTd - Inter game will, with Barca, be favourites.

IMO neither Juve nor Chelsea will get past the quarters

Of course Farca are favorites for now.

But me thinks Pep will struggle when he faces an experienced manager like Ferguson, Mourinho, Scolari, Ranieri, or what have you. It's a two-legged tie, and you basically put a defense-minded right-footed LB against Messi, or use two players, that's how the English teams have curbed the threat in previous years.

Hopefully unlike 2007 and 2008, this year Dani Alves and Iniesta will be available outlets to compensate for this, like Giuly (very underrated) was in 2006 when Ronaldinho was being double marked.

DS wrote:We are having alot of injuries, I am not sure that we have the tactics or chemistry right, not an optimistic here.

Evra and Rio will be back so not too much to worry on the injury front. Not like Inter havn't hit top gear either, plus their midfield is a bit problematic. They're not very good at holding possesion though the return of Chivu has helped a little. They're also having to rely on Adriano to be the regular partner for Ibra. ATM he still looks a little overweight and short of confidence.

Good morning mes amis! I think they're all 50/50 to be honest. Every club based in England may advance to next round, but every club based in England may get KO by their opponents as well. In fact, no football connoisseur will be surprised if that were to happen.

Personally the Mancs are most likely to get KO simply because Mourinho truly owns Fergie. Look out for Real Madrid too. I wouldn't like to face them in the second half of the season. Me thinks Juande will have them firing on all cylinders and then some.

I said earlier that the Roma-Arsenal tie looks spectacular on paper with the most promising football to be displayed. Roma may just edge them Gunners. The Blues against Juve, oh my! Too close to call, all of them are too close to call mes amis!

Watching Roma-Arsenal is like shagging the nr 50 and 51 from the miss world competition..both are good teams, but not even close of the best thing.

Bit overrated as well..since they are both poor in Europe.

Still think it will be a 3-0 for them fuckos from the EPL

Puro wrote:Good morning mes amis! I think they're all 50/50 to be honest. Every club based in England may advance to next round, but every club based in England may get KO by their opponents as well. In fact, no football connoisseur will be surprised if that were to happen.

Personally the Mancs are most likely to get KO simply because Mourinho truly owns Fergie. Look out for Real Madrid too. I wouldn't like to face them in the second half of the season. Me thinks Juande will have them firing on all cylinders and then some.

I said earlier that the Roma-Arsenal tie looks spectacular on paper with the most promising football to be displayed. Roma may just edge them Gunners. The Blues against Juve, oh my! Too close to call, all of them are too close to call mes amis!

I agree that they are all very close.

When the draw came out, that was my first reaction - that only Liverpool are clear favourites to advance amomg all EPL teams, rest are more or less 50-50 ties. Since then, Real have had changes, and Liverpool have had form/fitness issues. So even that game has started to look much closer than initially thought.

Don't agree re Mou owning SAF bit - these are different teams and times. I still think ManU are 55-45 favourites on that one. Mostly coz they have the benefit of playin the second leg at home. If they don't manage an away goal at San Siro, then I will agree that Inter are slight favourites.

IT depends if Man Utd hit form or not.

If they play like they have been for the last couple of months the Inter should progress.

Tweedle wrote:IT depends if Man Utd hit form or not.

If they play like they have been for the last couple of months the Inter should progress.

It depends on both teams form. Currently both are performing below par.

Inter had a rich vein back in November didn't they?

I don't think I've seen a performance from Utd this season that compares to, say, their best 10/15 performances of last season.

Nethertheless, its a month until the game so they may hit a bit of better form between now and then.

Tweedle wrote:Inter had a rich vein back in November didn't they?

I don't think I've seen a performance from Utd this season that compares to, say, their best 10/15 performances of last season.

Nethertheless, its a month until the game so they may hit a bit of better form between now and then.

We have churned out results in Nov-dec, but it was no run of top form - nothing compared to the same period last season or the season before that.

But I take it as a good sign... it could mean that Inter are yet to peak this season. Unlike the last 2 seasons when we peaked too early for CL...

I fancy Inter for this one. I'm probably one of the only ones who is not a fan of Berbs amd Rooney upfront. Both are No10s occupying the same space whereas last season they had 3 interchanging with a lot less predictability.

Even after the Chelsea game where most thought they would kick on they struggled to overcome Wigan. I personally think they lack a No9 but we shall see. United are always notoriously stronger in the second part of the season.

Ray Parlour wrote:I fancy Inter for this one. I'm probably one of the only ones who is not a fan of Berbs amd Rooney upfront. Both are No10s occupying the same space whereas last season they had 3 interchanging with a lot less predictability.

Even after the Chelsea game where most thought they would kick on they struggled to overcome Wigan. I personally think they lack a No9 but we shall see. United are always notoriously stronger in the second part of the season.

You and about half of Old Trafford. They have lost patience with Berbatov.