UEFA Champions League Continued 2015/16

[sussexpob]

In fact, even big teams prove this.

There is no coincidence that Juventus had basically won Serie A in January and them going a long way in the champions league last year. I watched Juventus play Parma last year late in the year, they had a C team out playing because they were 20 points clear and had a tough Champions League game (and got beat by a team that had 6 odd points in 30 matches)........

Bayern win the German League in February and thrash a Barca team with Athletico and Real Madrid breathing down their necks..... again, they were so well rested, the difference is incredible.

PSG, the same, no competition.

[Gingerfinch]

That doesn't explain why our teams were so good a few years back. Utd won it in 2008, but had to battle with Chelsea till the last game of the season, to win the league. In 2009 utd again had Liverpool chasing them down, but got to the final. On paper City have side capable of winning the CL. Do they have the manager?

[sussexpob]

That doesn't explain why our teams were so good a few years back. Utd won it in 2008, but had to battle with Chelsea till the last game of the season, to win the league. In 2009 utd again had Liverpool chasing them down, but got to the final. On paper City have side capable of winning the CL. Do they have the manager?

Its not just the competition of how many points you win by, its the opposition you are facing when you win. Take Chelsea in 13-14, they lost the league but its generally accepted they did so because of points lost away to unfashionable teams.

Lost to EVerton away.... the week they played Basel in the Champions League
Lost to Newcastle away the same week they played Schalke
Lost to Stoke away the same week they played Steaeu Bucharest
Lost to Villa away the week before Galatasary in the knockouts
Lost to Crystal Palace away the week of PSG away in the knockouts.... they were beat by Sunderland the week after the PSG home game....

All the losses in one season came before or after a European game. Rest half a team or a few player in the Premier League, you are dropping points. They lost the league by 5 points....... had they not been playing in europe, they arguably would have won.

[sussexpob]

I mean to keep the example, last week Chelsea played the bottom team in the Premier League..... a team who this year signed the best young player in Belgium, the voted best player of the year in Holland, and signed a person from Marseille who was voted in the French team of the year.... they spend lots of money

Juventus played Froisinone last week on the flip side..... a team who could only afford to sign one player, Tonev, who couldnt get a game at Aston Villa or Celtic.

So while Chelsea play teams lower in the league that are buying increasingly rich talents from the top of lesser leagues, and the squads are loaded with quality, Barcelona are going to a team like Eibar with a 2.2million Euro turnover and smashing them apart.

Whoever finishes bottom of the Premier League could, with the exception of Italy/France/Spain and Germany (arguably in Frances case its not true), could press for a title of finish in the top 3 slots in basically every league.

Thorgan Hazard won two Belgian player of the year awards and never got a game at Chelsea, he wasnt good enough!!

[Aidan11]

Terrible defending.

1-0 down already.

[Gingerfinch]

An excellent goal from Wolfsburg. Defending wasn't the best. The defender next to the scorer stepped up instead of attempting to tackle him.

[budgetmeansbudget]

Hart saves Gladbach penalty, mind you the player dived over the defenders outstretched leg. Switched back to the United game when I realised Robbie Savage was in the commentary box.

[Gingerfinch]

Mickey Rooney would have scored that.

[Aidan11]

Miss of the season from Rooney.

[budgetmeansbudget]

Miss of the season so far from Rooney.

[budgetmeansbudget]

Another sitter for Las Vegas.

[Gingerfinch]

Utd are the better side. Need to score now.

[Aidan11]

This isn't going to be Utd's night.

[The Waugh Twins]

Woeful finishing and lacking the killer instinct at the moment.

They look defeated before they strike the ball.

[Aidan11]

Penalty.