Champions League Night, at Home. Beautiful.
We are playing Real Madrid at home in about 30 min in Champions League quarter finals. This is THE biggest game of the season, considering PL trophy is out of sight. Madrid is probably the toughest opponent you can get in Champions League over two legs. They will be 3-0 down on aggregate with 10 minutes on clock, and go on to win 4-3. With the likes of Mbappe, Rodrygo and Vinicious up front, and a midfield of Modric, Camavinga and Bellingham, they are one of the best attacking sides in the world and they have got a very good defence as well.
We, on the other hand, are going into the game with Merino as a CF. Jakub Kiwior in defence is another problem for me, as Gabriel M has picked up an injury and will be out for the rest of the season. We have a 17 year old at LB and a new CB partnership. That’s a bit concerning but you know, going into a game as under-dogs has it’s own benefits. The good thing is, Madrid will play an attacking game and we have been relatively good against the likes of Liverpool and City who tries to play their way. It’s the low blocks we suffer against.
And we are at home, so the crowd will be behind us. Boys have dreamt of this, to play against the best teams in the world, at the grandest stage, and I’m sure they are going to prove today that they deserve to be here. I don’t care about the second leg, we win today with 2 goal margin and we can play with 6 defenders in the away game.
Talking about the strategy Mikel would have put up …. well I don’t care. Lets go, play our game with freedom, give our 100% and see where it ends.
A very short one today, but I will be alive during the game today.
#COYG
Terrible pen Saka – neither right down the middle nor to a corner.
KP–illegitimi non carborundum
I like the fact that we’re not just sitting back or playing our typical sideways brand of football, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen a penalty called that far away from where the ball was being played…otherwise that could be called on almost every single corner…I guess the fact that there was no one else around, so it was kind of on display for all to see, might have played a significant role…don’t get me wrong, from a purely letter of the law perspective it was either a foul or a cardable flop, but you just don’t see those sort of off the ball calls that often…there could be many more calls of this nature tonight…lo and behold, it happened as I was writing this
Havertz is probably having a shit fit that he can’t be involved in this flop-a-rama
Can you imagine a PL ref having the balls and intelligence to be comfortable reversing his own decision?
if they keep this up there’s going to be a shit ton of added time…is it offside or not a penalty?? you don’t. go to the sideline to check an offside but both the commentators and the tv screen suggested it was called off due to an offside…what a wierd gig thus far
TRVL
I’ve got work tomorrow – they’d better get a move on!
Marc
PGMOL would have forgot to check the offside, given it as a clean penalty and ruined the game.
Marc—good luck with that…according to my calculations this match should end at about midnight (your time)
Ambarish
And sent RIce off!
how is Alaba still on the pitch? he’s left his feet on multiple occasions…I don’t mean due to a red card, but how has Ancelotti not replaced him, as he’s clearly a bull in a china shop tonight…maybe he put a Xhaka-like bet on himself
If we’ve got any football brains (the team and management not the fine outstanding people on here) we should be able to get Madrid down to 10 men.
stupid on Raya’s part…why would you ever want to get a yellow this early for time wasting
TRVL
Its knowing where the line is and keeping on the right side of it.
Marc—I would be feeding Saka ad nauseam until Alaba was sent off
If we keep them without goal till half time, it’s gonna be hell tough for a comeback.
TRVL
It wouldn’t take much to put Rudiger on a knife edge. He could easily be on a booking already.
that 7 minutes might favour us considering the time wasted
Ode has missed several good break chances due to some wayward passes
if Carlos chooses Dani-boy over Modric, come the second half, I’ll be happier thann a pig in shit…Real’s biggest issue is they don’t have anyone in the midfield that can unlock shit
Got to say I can’t believe Madrid have been so poor over 3 halves of football against us.
If we’d have scored the pen the atmosphere would be beyond toxic.