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
Roberto Carlos is in the stadium and Declan Rice took it on himself to pay him a tribute since Madrid can’t do it.
Two marvellous free kicks from Rice.
hopefully the Spanish press will rip Real a new one and they will crumble under pressure, which was already mounting prior to this fixture
Merino, please accept my apology.
Mbappe who?
Ambarish—I hope you had the balls to lay some money on your original scoreline prediction!!!
offside? I guess not
Order the Statue for Rice next to Henry?
3 nil is a fantastic result but and it has to be said we’re scoring great goals but we’re not converting the more straightforward chances we should – this team would be a different proposition with a real striker.
maybe we’re taking it out on Ancelotti because he was the former Everton boss, especially after the weekend
That will see MA get another 5 years
Marc—it will be difficult to sell that idea to the Kool-Aid crew after this one…Rice will be the Striker soon enough
Tony
Its Arteta – he’ll fuck it all up either in the return leg or in the semi’s.
TRVL
Don’t even go there!
Take a bow guys. This is stunning from Rice and Merino seems to smell goals. Fantastic performance honestly I didn’t see it coming. Beautiful part of we are still attacking. Credit where it’s due I was underwhelmed with Rice but he has answered..date I say we have got 100 M worth.
They will be going mad in Madrid do it won’t be an easy game just for the pride stakes alone. Athleti fans will be full on banter
it’s looks as if Saka and Rice’s knocks were minor, as neither went down the tunnel straight away
let’s hope MA doesn’t make the same mistake as Pep and shut it down too early in the return fixture
we had better not spend anytime going after the likes of Rodrygo or Velvarde, as they’ve never impressed me, regardlesss of their piss-poor performances today
Other than Coutois every RM player has been poor and playing with fear in their collective minds.
Worst performance I’ve seen from Madrid. Ancelotti is a goner. Or Gooner?
Same again at the Bernabeu please.
really pleased for the boys, as no matter the circumstances whenever you produce a decisive win against Real it’s a banner occasion…maybe we should transfer to La Liga
Taking 3-0 to the return game it’s going to be difficult to beat. We are through to Semis for sure. Amabarish take a bow mate. You called it first.