Champions League Semi Finals Thread

TEUTONIC STEEL LIVES ON... Mueller was indeed man of the match, followed closely by Schweinsteiger, who was an absolute demon in midfield... Martinez was similarly excellent.

Gomez was frustrating... Mandzukic, with his ability to press, track back, and make a decent pass to a comrade, would have been a huge improvement in this game.

Best game Robben has played all season, too

Barça played with only ten men. Messi walked the entire match, clearly not fit at all. Is it just me who saw three illegal Bayern goals?

It's a shame that Messi's injured and unable to play today. The only thing left for Barça...REMONTADA! They can do it!

At least it puts the Arsenal results into perspective, perhaps we arnt quite as shit after all (wait, yes we are)

Puro, what did you make of Valdes not coming to claim the ball in his 6 yard box for 3 of the goals?

Sieg Heil 2013 remix

Very impressed with Bayern and Barcelona was completely destroyed like I have never seen. This was bound to happen thought they met a good team because they have been looking weak for several games now. Only the return game against Milan that stood out.

Bayern are playing like a real machine and everything looks perfect. However one must remember that when you actually break down their goals in both the Juve and Barca game you end up with a goal that was deflected, an offside goal, another offside against Barca and a goal where Muller fouled Alba. Nonetheless one can't put a finger on their performances in both. I'm quite happy that if we go through to the final we won't have to go to Germany.

Suddenly Juventus's performance against Bayern doesn't look that bad, especially when you consider how much impact that deflected goal had.

Bayern are frightening, in general, however.

there is NO substitute for true GERMAN GRIT, CHARACTER, WINNING MENTALITY and BALLS

I'm buzzing for kroos, effenberg and antarion. What a fucking DOMILIATION! Jesus I wish I were German

Disco Benny wrote:I'm buzzing for kroos, effenberg and antarion. What a fucking DOMILIATION! Jesus I wish I were German

UTTER CONTROL

omg 4:0 think about it, never mess with germans, this was the revenge for 2009

NEXT IS LA ROJA

where will it end, we are close before GLOBAL DOMINATION starts, and we still have KIDS

we are tactically so good, and i believe that will give dortmund the edge too


i thought we would win, but this was a RAPE

but i have so much fear, if schweinsteiger, martinez, dante and lahm get a yellow in camp nou, then they will miss the final, i don`t think that we can win the final without those players, thats my biggest FEAR


Schweinsteiger has to be called the BEST CM in the world right NOW


STATS, most efficient striker since start of the CL:

1. suuper mario gomez, he scores every 103 min
2. messi
3. van the man ruud

and me wonders, how many would we have conceded with mandukic

bring on jupp and sack löw, löw is tactical INEPT

Brilliant body-check/hard screen by Muller on the 3rd goal. NBA & NHL coaches would have been proud.

Bayern were brilliant and it was confirmation of their status as the strongest team in Europe (all whilst playing in a ruthless style with varied tactics which I adore) but there's no way they would have been allowed to impose their will so early had Guardiola still been about.


If Barca were up against it already going in, their coaching did not help. Vilanova reminded me so much of Redknapp in that FA Cup semi last year - no plan B whatsoever. Over 80 mins before he made a single change. Messi clearly wasn't fit yet they've become more dependent on him than ever. The warning signs were there before with Milan & PSG in the earlier rounds and Madrid in the Copa del Rey. They can still bully weaker teams with their superior talent (like Mancini) but the games against equal-ish teams is where Pep more often than not came up with the goods.

That and their ridiculous refusal to acknowledge that Puyol can't be relied on to stay fit and not bite the bullet and buy his long-term replacement

@Kroos: Gomez being static cost you about 4 great opportunities in the 1st half - you would have won regardless of what striker was playing. You'll need Mandzukic for the Final.

Love Bayern! Finally a good & proper German machine. Football needed this.

S4P wrote:Puro, what did you make of Valdes not coming to claim the ball in his 6 yard box for 3 of the goals?

Barca need a better GK and a top CB. That is where they should focus their transfer budget this summer. But they will probably buy a striker...

bluenine wrote:Love Bayern! Finally a good & proper German machine. Football needed this.

bluenine wrote:Love Bayern! Finally a good & proper German machine. Football needed this.

agree, die Mannschaft is no machine thx to LÖW

The end of a era for barca. And what an era it was i don't think bayrrn will be this dominant over the next 5 years as barca were. We need hummels and ter stegan and sell song and valdes.

Kroos wrote:

bluenine wrote:Love Bayern! Finally a good & proper German machine. Football needed this.

agree, die Mannschaft is no machine thx to LÖW

True but Germany doesn't have Ribery,Robben,Martinez, Dante which makes a big difference. So I agree that Heynckes would probably be able to turn this Germany into a more traditional side but even then I still think they will fall short.

I have calmed down now and my reaction was a bit over the top yesterday, however without going into detail like I have done in the Barca thread I am still pissed off with that refereeing performance and I think our team and fans has a right to feel aggrieved by it.

Deluded F*ck™ wrote:Brilliant body-check/hard screen by Muller on the 3rd goal. NBA & NHL coaches would have been proud.

Bayern were brilliant and it was confirmation of their status as the strongest team in Europe (all whilst playing in a ruthless style with varied tactics which I adore) but there's no way they would have been allowed to impose their will so early had Guardiola still been about.


If Barca were up against it already going in, their coaching did not help. Vilanova reminded me so much of Redknapp in that FA Cup semi last year - no plan B whatsoever. Over 80 mins before he made a single change. Messi clearly wasn't fit yet they've become more dependent on him than ever. The warning signs were there before with Milan & PSG in the earlier rounds and Madrid in the Copa del Rey. They can still bully weaker teams with their superior talent (like Mancini) but the games against equal-ish teams is where Pep more often than not came up with the goods.

That and their ridiculous refusal to acknowledge that Puyol can't be relied on to stay fit and not bite the bullet and buy his long-term replacement

@Kroos: Gomez being static cost you about 4 great opportunities in the 1st half - you would have won regardless of what striker was playing. You'll need Mandzukic for the Final.

To be fair Pep never had a plan B either except for to play with three at the back which always failed.

bluenine wrote:Love Bayern! Finally a good & proper German machine. Football needed this.

I want to see them win this cup so badly, you have no idea. Last year damn near killed me.

Super Mourinho wrote:

Kroos wrote:

bluenine wrote:Love Bayern! Finally a good & proper German machine. Football needed this.

agree, die Mannschaft is no machine thx to LÖW

True but Germany doesn't have Ribery,Robben,Martinez, Dante which makes a big difference. So I agree that Heynckes would probably be able to turn this Germany into a more traditional side but even then I still think they will fall short.

Yeah to have a defender at the peak of his game (dante) is such a gift for every team, barca know what i am talking (puyol) they highly miss such a leader at the back

the problem is, schweinsteiger does for germany the martinez role, and khedira the headless chicken role, i would always play with bender

also löw wants everything solved with playful attitude, he also says don`t foul

this guy is simply a jerk, then his new idea of a false 9, when you have the best german striker since gerd müller

whatever, thats not a theme for this topic

Jaime wrote:

Deluded F*ck™ wrote:Brilliant body-check/hard screen by Muller on the 3rd goal. NBA & NHL coaches would have been proud.

Bayern were brilliant and it was confirmation of their status as the strongest team in Europe (all whilst playing in a ruthless style with varied tactics which I adore) but there's no way they would have been allowed to impose their will so early had Guardiola still been about.


If Barca were up against it already going in, their coaching did not help. Vilanova reminded me so much of Redknapp in that FA Cup semi last year - no plan B whatsoever. Over 80 mins before he made a single change. Messi clearly wasn't fit yet they've become more dependent on him than ever. The warning signs were there before with Milan & PSG in the earlier rounds and Madrid in the Copa del Rey. They can still bully weaker teams with their superior talent (like Mancini) but the games against equal-ish teams is where Pep more often than not came up with the goods.

That and their ridiculous refusal to acknowledge that Puyol can't be relied on to stay fit and not bite the bullet and buy his long-term replacement

@Kroos: Gomez being static cost you about 4 great opportunities in the 1st half - you would have won regardless of what striker was playing. You'll need Mandzukic for the Final.

To be fair Pep never had a plan B either except for to play with three at the back which always failed.

This has been true before Pep as well. The problem was always what do you do when you meet physical sides that can defend and counter well. This was the obvious problem during the years of English dominance. Liverpool, Man Utd, Chelsea all succeded with this formula. Inter did as well under Mourinho. So nothing new here in that respect.
What we saw last night was beyond the previous games because not only were Barcelona found out they were crushed. They have added more technique+passing to the English formula.

Pep failured miserably with the Ibra signing which was supposed to solve this problem once and for all. They should be able to identify at least one player who is somewhat capable on the ball and is able to challenge in the box against the best.

Kroos
You need to start a facebook campaign along with Otto to get Heynckes as the next coach even if it means waiting for Low to inevitably mess up in 2014. Low will be the Van Gaal to Heynckes. Somebody who built the passing/tactical foundation which Heynckes can add the winning mentality to. His most impressive feat so far has been to get Ribery+Robben to do the sort of work they put in yesterday. Otherwise Martinez/Schweinsteiger would be caught out more and Barca would have created more chances.

Bayern are lethal. Robben was really good last night I must say, though I wouldnt play him again in a final. Still amazing though that last year it was all Vize-Bayern and a few months later they are having a shot at the treble again. That's a sign of true mental strength.

Imagine what will happen if FFP kicks in, then Bayern become even more dominant. Then there will be a true dynasty that will last for more then a 1001 days, considering they are already so good the last years.

As for Barca, well it has been coming, they got lucky against Milan and PSG, but Bayern was a bridge to far.

Effenberg wrote:

bluenine wrote:Love Bayern! Finally a good & proper German machine. Football needed this.

I want to see them win this cup so badly, you have no idea. Last year damn near killed me.

You guys deserved it last year, and you deserve it this year.

Though you better hope that Real lose, coz I can see Mourinho sneaking a win in the final.

Bayern certainly deserve one, it also puts them ahead of Liverpool then on the rankings. 10 might be a bit much for Madrid. especially compared to the rest. But lets just gets rid of the first 6 of them

Though in a Bayern-Madrid I can see Maureen sneak a win, lay a turd in Bernabeu and leave. And how will Bayern survive a 3th CL final loss in 4 years if that happens.

Sergio Busquets wrote:I have calmed down now and my reaction was a bit over the top yesterday, however without going into detail like I have done in the Barca thread I am still pissed off with that refereeing performance and I think our team and fans has a right to feel aggrieved by it.

How come worms is allowed back?

Anyway Bayern had 2 penalties, one very clear that should have been awarded, so they should also feel aggrieved, if they didn't fucking rape Barcelona

Jaime wrote:

Deluded F*ck™ wrote:Brilliant body-check/hard screen by Muller on the 3rd goal. NBA & NHL coaches would have been proud.

Bayern were brilliant and it was confirmation of their status as the strongest team in Europe (all whilst playing in a ruthless style with varied tactics which I adore) but there's no way they would have been allowed to impose their will so early had Guardiola still been about.


If Barca were up against it already going in, their coaching did not help. Vilanova reminded me so much of Redknapp in that FA Cup semi last year - no plan B whatsoever. Over 80 mins before he made a single change. Messi clearly wasn't fit yet they've become more dependent on him than ever. The warning signs were there before with Milan & PSG in the earlier rounds and Madrid in the Copa del Rey. They can still bully weaker teams with their superior talent (like Mancini) but the games against equal-ish teams is where Pep more often than not came up with the goods.

That and their ridiculous refusal to acknowledge that Puyol can't be relied on to stay fit and not bite the bullet and buy his long-term replacement

@Kroos: Gomez being static cost you about 4 great opportunities in the 1st half - you would have won regardless of what striker was playing. You'll need Mandzukic for the Final.

To be fair Pep never had a plan B either except for to play with three at the back which always failed.

Pep also started the playing a midfielder at centre back so it is hardly fair on the one hand to blame tito for continuing with pep's philosophy and on the other to say pep would have done better. Players like xavi, iniesta and busquets get you high possession stats but don't create a lot and don't help the defense that much, valdes is shit, barcelona are not good in the air, but none of it would have mattered had messi been fit.

Fey Bayern have won it 4 times so if they win it again they will be level with Liverpool who have won 5.

"Players like xavi, iniesta and busquets get you high possession stats but don't create a lot and don't help the defense that much"

possession stats:
http://www.uefa.com/newsfiles/ucl/2013/2009609_tpd.pdf

Iniesta received the ball 87 times, and passed to messi only 3 times. Biscuits passed to bartra as many times as he passed to messi, he didn't pass to sanchez at all etc. Basically they got their 90% pass completion by mainly playing safe passes backwards.