UEFA Champions League

[sting-ray]

As you know match day 4 has gone by with a few more teams securing a spot in the knockout round.


the groups are:

Group A
Olympiacos
Liverpool
Monaco
Deportivo

Group B
Dynamo Kyiv
Real Madrid
Leverkusen
Roma

Group C
Juventus
Bayern
Ajax
M. Tel-Aviv

Group D
Lyon
Man. United
Fenerbahçe
Sparta

Group E
PSV Eindhoven
Arsenal
Panathinaikos
Rosenborg

Group F
AC Milan
Barcelona
Shakhtar
Celtic

Group G
Internazionale Milano
Bremen
Valencia
Anderlecht

Group H
Chelsea
CSKA Moskva
PSG
Porto

so you guessed it.. this is the place for Champions League talk.

[Simple Man]

Sting I know this isn't the thread to do this but would Poker be considered a sport?

[sting-ray]

well sure since there was recently the world series of poker... I'd think it would be fine.

[Simple Man]

Thanks :)

[sting-ray]

Why are some teams in italics plz? :)

haha, I put the teams that have secured a spot in the next round in italic.

And Sting, as an Inter fan, would you care to comment on Adriano switching to pro boxing? :lol: hahaha i'm not sure how you know that I am an inter fan... I would hate to see one of the elite strikers in the world to switch sports, but I guess i would follow boxing if ever he switches lol

I think that one of the Italian sides will win it again this year, as for some reason Arsenal can't turn it on in Europe, Madrid still haven't got a defence sorted, and we (Manchester United for those of you who haven't frequented the official football thread), are in transition at the moment, especially in midfield.


I agree with you 100% about Arsenal and Real Madrid
:cool:

[superpeer]

Anderlecht is sooo bad. :mad:

[sting-ray]

I remember you saying you were an Inter fan from the Euro 2004 thread...

:p


lol, good stuff :cool:

I'll fix chelsea in a sec =)

[sting-ray]

Anderlecht is sooo bad. :mad:

hahaha they have one of the toughest groups... I like Inter and Werder and Valencia... but unfortunately only 2 of them will go on.


Inter Plays Anderlecht next I think

:eek:

[crazyman]

well obviously i have to support the Italian teams

it's funny, cause when your watching serie A, you dislike certain teams but when it comes to champions league you support them :lol:

i'm a Parma fan, and they always finish 5th lol, every fuckin year, just out of champions league contention, o well, one day they'll be there

i'd like to support Roma over the others because of Cassano (he's my favorite player, and from my home town as well, Bari) but i think Juventus has the best shot at bringing the title to Italy

AC milan lost the other day to Barcelona i believe it was, i wasn't too impressed with there play in that game :\

my two cents :)

[sting-ray]

well obviously i have to support the Italian teams

it's funny, cause when your watching serie A, you dislike certain teams but when it comes to champions league you support them :lol:



:lol: thats sooo true

[toolboy84]

I don't support Chelsea, but I'd like to see them win it. Although it's not really the "Champions" League when you can finish as low as 4th in your league and still get in like Liverpool did.

[alexi2]

Anderlecht is sooo bad. :mad:

Club Brugge all the way :p (proudly supporter of Bruges)

Have you watched Beveren yesterday against Zagreb?

Oh boy (6-1 for zagreb) Belgium football is bad :(


And yeah, Anderlecht has a real though group. They will be kicked out in no time.

[Wiggles]

I really don't want Man Utd to win there's far too many smug mancs after they beat Arsenal in the League. I think I'm going to go with Chelsea, they've got a strong squad and could of made the final last year if Ranieri hadn't of fuccked up the formation against Monaco.

[Iai]

Lampard is the best player in the Premiership right now, for me. Kezman and Drogba strike me as being very talented, but also very inconsistent. Joaquin should sort out all those problems though.

[superpeer]

Club Brugge all the way :p (proudly supporter of Bruges)

Have you watched Beveren yesterday against Zagreb?

Oh boy (6-1 for zagreb) Belgium football is bad :(


And yeah, Anderlecht has a real though group. They will be kicked out in no time.

Didn't surprise me. Beveren has always sucked. :thumb:

[Till_Lindeman001]

OK then, predictions for the winners then

This year I said Juventus from about August

How about you guys?

[sting-ray]

I don't support Chelsea, but I'd like to see them win it. Although it's not really the "Champions" League when you can finish as low as 4th in your league and still get in like Liverpool did.


well the thing is that inter, who came fourth last year as well in the Serie A are a better team than say Anderlecht or Werder Bremen (who won their leagues... not sure about anderlecht but werder did)

[Firecracker]

liverpool are going to get through i feel.

[Distorted Vision]

I'm worried Man United might take their eye off of domestic play is they keep doing well in the European Cup. It's fine scoring four against a team like Sparta Prague, but promotion from D is pretty much in the bag now, they can't expect to do well in Europe if they lose to people like Portsmouth.

Everyone knows Ferguson will retire only when he's champion of Europe again, but frankly I don't think we'll be able to do for at least a few more years, and winning the league and developing his third generation should be the priority.

I hope United can keep everything under control, but this year isn't their year. I have a feeling Barcelona will get pretty far.

[I love Muse]

I think Chelsea have got all the potential now to win both domestically and in Europe. Anyone who saw Robben's performance against Everton this weekend will have seen the probable emergance of one of the best players in the premiership. His ability with both feet is excellent, and given the support he'll cause problems for all defences.

Chelsea tip: Semi finals

Man united at the moment need a new midfield - our forwards and defence are good, but we need at least 2 quality midfielders to complete our team. If we could sign Ricardo Quaresma and get him on the left with Ronaldo on the right we'd be brilliant attacking. If Roy Keane was 10 years younger I think we'd be challenging in all competitions.

Man U tip: Quarter finals (again...)

Arsenal are great in the premiership (apart from very recently) but they come unstuck in Europe. Wenger has his team playing in a very European style, which beats most teams in the premiership, but when they get to Europe they are ordinary. They have all the players to go far, but need to change their style.

Arsenal tip: Group stages.

Liverpool are in the process of having their team built, and they need consistency. They got a good result in Deportivo, but then lost to an average Birmingham side in the league. Cisse's broken leg makes me cringe just thinking about it, but hopefully Baros can carry them through to the next stage.

Liverpool tip: last 16

[Iai]

You think it would improve United to get a new left winger? Sorry, but Ryan Giggs is irreplacable in the current United squad.

[BasShorty]

well, I know Man United will win, 'cause they are and will forever be the best team in the world! ;)

[I love Muse]

You think it would improve United to get a new left winger? Sorry, but Ryan Giggs is irreplacable in the current United squad.

I'm not denying Giggs is good - I've got many a video of him scoring goals and contributing to the team, but he is getting old. With his attacking pacy style of play his age will soon catch up with him. He will be very hard to replace, so well said.

[Distorted Vision]

Yeah, Giggs is my favourite player ever, but he is getting on a bit now. Two or three more years left at most I'd say, I don't think he has the same staying power as Roy Keane.

[I love Muse]

Roy Keane has had it I think. This should be his last season, but the player that should replace him is Nicky Butt. Oh, hang on, we only went and sold him right when we need him most...

[KappaKid17]

Juve v. Chelsea final. It's that easy.

I think Inter will probably be the darkhorse that could upset my prediction, but I have a tough time seeing the final any other way.

[sting-ray]

my top 4:

Inter
Werder Bremen (unusual pick... i know)
Barcelona
Chelsea


I don't think that there will be a surprise winner this year... maybe Lyon can pull something but i doubt it.

[crazyman]

also watch out for dynamo kyiv, they always have a surprisingly good run without being noticed

they won't take it all but they are one very underestimated team i feel

[Till_Lindeman001]

Werder Bremen (unusual pick... i know)


Not really, they have a good team, with Miro Klose and Charisteas they're a threat in the air to any team in Europe, so they have a strength to exploit, like Porto's defence last season.

[sting-ray]

killer klasnic is also emerging as a marquee striker...

Miro Klose and Charisteas they're a threat in the air to any team in Europe, so they have a strength to exploit, like Porto's defence last season.

exactly.. but many people would probably put a team like Juventus instead of werder

Kyiv had some good games against Real Madrid... they could definately become a thread..

[Welcometothezoo]

Juve v. Chelsea final. It's that easy.

I think Inter will probably be the darkhorse that could upset my prediction, but I have a tough time seeing the final any other way.

yeh, really agree, i reckon they're the two main contenders (me being a chelsea fan doesn't affect that), they've got two immensely powerful squads, two champions league winning specialists for coaches and current excellent form. I think, where Milan, Arsenal, Man Utd, and Madrid failed last year, they've each failed to put right thus far - Milan's ageing defence has been troublesome again (although Stam is on his way), Arsenal are uncharacteristic away from home still, and Man Utd's midfield lacks bulk, Madrid - you know the deal. Inter, yeh, i'd agree have an OUTSIDE chance, but that's about it for me, i'm still not completely convinced, they've got to work on their domestic prowess.
bloody hell, barca aswell.........tricky, Ronaldinho's the best player in the world.

[I love Muse]

Kyiv had some good games against Real Madrid... they could definately become a thread..

/off topic

a great typo sting!

[sting-ray]

/off topic

a great typo sting!


:lol: I just realized that

[crazyman]

*runs to make thread about dynamo kyiv* :eek::p:p

[sting-ray]

:lol:

good times

[Rancid Dan]

Roy Keane has had it I think. This should be his last season, but the player that should replace him is Nicky Butt. Oh, hang on, we only went and sold him right when we need him most...

Yeah to us !!

[sting-ray]

here we go, matchday 5 fixtures:

Matchday 5 - Tuesday, 23 November

A.......Monaco--------20:45-----Liverpool
A.......Olympiacos-----20:45-----Deportivo
B.......Dynamo Kyiv----20:45-----Roma
B.......Real Madrid-----20:45-----Leverkusen
C.......Bayern---------20:45-----M. Tel-Aviv
C.......Juventus-------20:45-----Ajax
D.......Man. United----20:45------Lyon
D.......Sparta---------20:45-----Fenerbahçe

Matchday 5 - Wednesday, 24 November

E........PSV-------------20:45-----Arsenal
E........Rosenborg-------20:45----Panathinaikos
F........Barcelona-------20:45-----Celtic
F........Milan------------20:45----Shakhtar
G.......Anderlecht------20:45----Valencia
G.......Bremen---------20:45----Internazionale
H.......Chelsea---------20:45-----PSG
H.......CSKA Moskva---18:30----Porto

those times are all Central European Time i think... so post your predictions and in 7 days, I will post the results.

[crazyman]

o man. calling scores! this is gonna be rough. ok away awe go :amaze:

Matchday 5 - Tuesday, 23 November

A.......Monaco--------0-2-----Liverpool
A.......Olympiacos-----2-1-----Deportivo
B.......Dynamo Kyiv----1-1-----Roma
B.......Real Madrid-----2-0-----Leverkusen
C.......Bayern---------3-1-----M. Tel-Aviv
C.......Juventus-------3-0-----Ajax
D.......Man. United----1-1------Lyon
D.......Sparta---------0-0-----Fenerbahçe

Matchday 5 - Wednesday, 24 November

E........PSV-------------2-2-----Arsenal
E........Rosenborg-------0-1----Panathinaikos
F........Barcelona-------2-2-----Celtic
F........Milan-----------1-0-----Shakhtar
G.......Anderlecht------1-2----Valencia
G.......Bremen---------0-2----Internazionale
H.......Chelsea---------1-2-----PSG
H.......CSKA Moskva---0-0----Porto

for the upset, look for chelsea to lose

[crazyman]

:lol: holy shit man we guessed a couple of the scores exactly the same :amaze:

[sting-ray]

A.......Monaco--------1-2-----Liverpool
A.......Olympiacos-----2-0-----Deportivo
B.......Dynamo Kyiv----2-1-----Roma
B.......Real Madrid-----2-1-----Leverkusen
C.......Bayern---------2-0-----M. Tel-Aviv
C.......Juventus-------3-1-----Ajax
D.......Man. United----1-2------Lyon
D.......Sparta---------1-0-----Fenerbahçe

Matchday 5 - Wednesday, 24 November

E........PSV-------------2-3-----Arsenal
E........Rosenborg-------0-1----Panathinaikos
F........Barcelona-------2-1-----Celtic
F........Milan-----------1-0-----Shakhtar
G.......Anderlecht------1-2----Valencia
G.......Bremen---------1-2----Internazionale
H.......Chelsea---------2-4-----PSG
H.......CSKA Moskva---0-1----Porto

[sting-ray]

ok so the draw for the round-of-16 matchups took place yesterday... here are the results:


22/02/2005

Real Madrid - Juventus
Liverpool - Leverkusen
PSV - Monaco
Bayern - Arsenal

23/02/2005

Porto - Internazionale
Barcelona - Chelsea
Man. United - Milan
Bremen - Lyon

[KappaKid17]

the Real - Juve game should be great. As well should be Munich v Arsenal, Barca - Chelsea, and Man U - Milan.

Fuck it. The only game I won't be interested in watching would probably be the PSV - Monaco match.

[crazyman]

ok lets make picks :)

Real Madrid - Juventus ---Juventus
Liverpool - Leverkusen---Liverpool
PSV - Monaco---Monaco
Bayern - Arsenal---Bayern Munich
Porto - Internazionale---Inter Milan
Barcelona - Chelsea---Barcelona
Man. United - Milan---A.C. Milan
Bremen - Lyon---tough call, both have been playing some good soccer, i'll think about it, then edit

viva Italia

[sting-ray]

right on :cool:

Real Madrid - Juventus
liverpool - Leverkusen
PSV Eindhoven - Monaco
Bayern - Arsenal
Porto - Internazionale
Barcelona - Chelsea
Man U - A.C. Milan
Werder Bremen - Lyon

[dans107]

Real Madrid - Juventus
Liverpool - Leverkusen
PSV - Monaco
Bayern - Arsenal
Porto - Internazionale
Barcelona - Chelsea
Man. United - AC Milan
Werder Bremen - Lyon

[Welcometothezoo]

I reckon...........

Juventus
Leverkusen
Monaco
Bayern Munich
Inter
Chelsea
AC Milan
Werder Bremen

[mr snrub]

Nah it's gonna be...

Madrid
Leverekusen
Monaco
Arsenal
Inter
Barcelona
Milan
Wender Bremen

[Maggies_Farmer]

Real Madrid - Juventus
Liverpool - Leverkusen
PSV - Monaco
Bayern - Arsenal
Porto - Internazionale
Barcelona - Chelsea
Man. United - AC Milan
Werder Bremen - Lyon

[Anarchy for the UK]

Juventus (real have been on bad form)
Liverpool (if stevie gerrard has anything to do with it :p )
PSV (better players all round)
Bayern (arsenal have gone down hill)
Porto (inter are has beens)
Chelsea (potential winners of the whole tournament)
Man. United (i would say that, i support them!)
Werder Bremen (just...)

[Welcometothezoo]

basically the situation hasn't changed between Juve and Madrid since the 2002/2003 semi-finals, which is Juve having a far far superior defence and balance. Aswell as Zidane not being the best player in the world as he was then.

[KappaKid17]

Juventus will beat Madrid.
Leverkusen will beat Liverpool.
PSV will beat Monaco.
Arsenal will beat Bayern Munich.
Inter will beat Porto.
Chelsea will beat Barca.
Man U will beat AC Milan (always gotta support Man U)
Werder Bremen will beat Lyon

It'll be a Chelsea - Juventus final, I believe.

[upthebracket]

Real Madrid - Juventus
Liverpool - Leverkusen
PSV - Monaco
Bayern - Arsenal
Porto - Internazionale
Barcelona - Chelsea
Man. United - AC Milan
Werder Bremen - Lyon


I'd pick an Arsenal - AC Milan final...

[mr snrub]

Honestly, although I accept that not everyone thinks the same, I cannot see Chelsea beating Barcelona because Barca are just so much better than everybody in the Champions League and are playing brilliantly in La Liga, and they have so much more talent in their squad than Chelsea. Same goes for Milan and Man Utd. Although I would like the English teams to progress, I cannot say that I think either Chelsea or Man Utd will make the last 8. Unless they get drawn against each other before hand it will be a Barca - Milan final, with Barca running out winners.

[Till_Lindeman001]

I think:
Juve will beat Real, Juve have the defence as well as the stunning attack
Liverpool squeeze past Bayer Leverkusen, Gerrard is the difference
PSV beat Monaco, don't really care about this one!
Bayern beat Arsenal (They just seem more solid than Arsenal)
Inter beat Porto but it will be dull, both teams are not playing well
Barcelona tear Chelsea apart, Chelsea haven't played a team like Barca yet who are on top form
AC Milan beat Man U, Milan have more in attack and defence
Werder Bremen will beat Lyon, Werder are my tips for the surprise package, they have Klose and Charisteas up front (both excellent in the air) with Micoud providing the service, they can cause anyone problems.

Overall I'll go for a Juve - Barca final, but I can't say who's going to win!

[Anarchy for the UK]

Liverpool squeeze past Bayer Leverkusen, Gerrard is the difference
but stevie is suspended for the home leg

[mr snrub]

I think:

Barcelona tear Chelsea apart, Chelsea haven't played a team like Barca yet who are on top form


I know I have already said that I agree with this, but after seeing Barcelona vs Levante from a few days ago it has become apparent to me how much Barca are struggling with injuries. I think it will actually be closer than expected, and in the end it will all matter on who plays better away from home that will deicide it.

[sting-ray]

even the game before... against Valencia, barcelona barely pulled out the draw.

[supraman_2]

Juve
Liverpool
PSV
Arsenal
Inter
Chelsea and Barca is a tough call right now I like Chelsea more and isn't alot of Barca injured?
AC Milan all the way
Werder Bremen (I don't watch them or Lyon)

[Expresso]

Out of curiosity... did any of you watch the relatively recent Real Madrid/Roma match?

The stadium was entirely empty; I hear it was some punishment for Roma... ?

It was funny, and at the same time saddening to see nobody in the stands for a UEFA level game with players like Zidane, Raul, Figo, Ronaldo, and Roberto Carlos on the field Hahaha!

[KappaKid17]

Yes. FIFA penalized Roma because a fan threw a coin(?) onto the field, hitting the referee. I can't remember how many more matches Roma still has to play without any fans, but I know they're financially and emotionally missing them during their games. The NBA should follow stride and have done that with the Pistons.

[sting-ray]

ok Charisteas was transfered to ajax from werder.... :angry:

[KappaKid17]

Is that confirmed??? I can't find anything on the web about it.

[KappaKid17]

I knew they were in talks, but hadn't heard of anything solid yet.

[sting-ray]

Is that confirmed??? I can't find anything on the web about it.


i don't think it's 100% yet but werder, ajax, and charisteas himself are happy with the deal so it looks about 90% that it will happen..

check these out:

http://www.uefa.com/competitions/UEFACup/news/Kind=1/newsId=270953.html
http://edition.cnn.com/2004/SPORT/football/12/22/germany.charisteas/
http://www.goal.com/NewsDetail.aspx?idNews=40085&idSez=18

[KappaKid17]

Yeah, I don't see any reason it shouldn't happen now.

[sting-ray]

ok, it's official now... charisteas is gone.

[KappaKid17]

: /

Well, that sucks for Bremen, but then again, they do have plenty of solid forwards to go around. Maybe Charisteas can step it up and fill in the void that was left when Ibrahimovic departed from Ajax. Not likely right away, though.

[crazyman]

Chelsea (potential winners of the whole tournament)


i don't know why but i consider Chelsea to be the most over rated team in the tournament, i don't expect them to get passed the next stage if they even do get passed this one in the first place

[KappaKid17]

With Drogba and Gudjohnsen up top, as well as Terry and Cech holding strong in the back, I don't think there's much reason to doubt Chelsea as great contenders. They'll advance, I'm sure of it.

[moderaterock222]

Why all the criticism for Chelsea? They are a truly great team full of world class players that seem very comfortable at the top of the premiership. I don't think Chelsea have played to their full potential yet this season, the Barcelona game should be exceptional. I reckon it will be a lot closer than people think, and if Chelsea can control the tempo of the game, they will win.
I'd like Liverpool to win, but that's unlikely.

[sting-ray]

I foresee very good things from werder bremen... I think they will get past Lyon and win their quarter final matchup as well. Even with charisteas gone i think that Klose and killer klasnic will supply more than enough fire power. they will surprise many people this year...

[KappaKid17]

Chelsea's a very hard-nosed EPL team. I don't think they'll bow out any time soon. I'm hoping it's them and Juventus in the final. Barca look tuned to crush everyone, so I'd say Barca and Bremen may prove to be spoilers.

[Maggies_Farmer]

..................

[Maggies_Farmer]

..................

[sting-ray]

Real Madrid and Ronaldo are trying to get Adriano to play for them.... What fools...

"Real cannot make a move as they would have no chance at all of succeeding. Adriano only thinks about staying in Milan; he’s concentrated on Inter and wants to win with the Nerazzurri’s shirt."

"my heart is at Inter"

My respect for Adriano has doubled... :cool:

[Maggies_Farmer]

..................

[jaymz_is_god]

I hope Steven Gerrard stays at Liverpool and isn't tempted by Chelsea or Madrid.

Although Gerrard is Liverpool through and through, I honestly can't see him staying unless they are challenging for major honours. That means they need to get themselves in touch with the top 3 in the next year or two or else he may move on. I think he could become the best player in the world if he were at one of Europe's top clubs. I don't really think money is an incentive for him. I'm a Man United fan and a great admirer of Gerrard. I'd love to see him at Old Trafford. Never going to happen but I can always dream. He'd be the perfect replacement for Keano.

[KappaKid17]

^^yes, he woudl be Keane's perfect successor. Have Manchester United expressed any kind of interest in him?

[Maggies_Farmer]

he wouldn't go to United from Liverpool, no way

[KappaKid17]

and why not? He may get some flak for it, but he would seem to be the best candidate to fill in Keane's vacancy when he's gone.