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Champions League - 2017/18

Roynie

Well-Known Member
Oct 2, 2007
3,116
3,882
Sorry to disappoint you. I think it's quite clear that my predictions are pretty crap so I'll stick to something a little easier to predict like the National Lottery...

I guess you haven't predicted that right either then?
 

DanielCHillier

Well-Known Member
Feb 26, 2014
2,034
4,029
As it stands we're likely to be drawn against one of:
  • Juventus - Rather avoid
  • Bayern Munich - Rather avoid
  • Napoli / Shaktar - Dangerous but could play into our hands
  • Roma - Confident we'd get past them
  • Sevilla - Confident we'd get past them
  • Basel - Potential banana skin as too similar to last season
  • Porto / RB Leipzig - Confident we'd get past them

Only ones I'd like to avoid are Juve, Bayern and Basel. All the others will be decent games.
Looking at the last round of games, I think Roma may top that group. They should beat Qarabag easily and Chelsea would need to beat Atletico.
 

SpursDave88

Well-Known Member
Aug 31, 2012
2,193
5,831
Woooha, you arrived at 25% chance for winning CL? :wideyed:

I think there are plenty of similarities between the match vs Chelsea, United and Arsenal. It's not really about sitting back defensively, it's more about cruise control to wait out our errors. To a degree, I think we deserved a loss in all those matches, because we simply weren't up to the task. All I'm saying is that way of playing, that pattern that those three matches follows, it makes me worried because it's too much of a painting by numbers way to defeat us.

I think you are hindsighting - both Chelsea and United were very fortunate to beat us, especially United.
 

Everlasting Seconds

Well-Known Member
Jan 9, 2014
14,914
26,616
I think you are hindsighting - both Chelsea and United were very fortunate to beat us, especially United.
I'm not. I was present for Chelsea and is voicing exactly what I said during and directly after the game. Whats Chelsea, United and Arsenal back to back. You'll see what I mean (if you have eyes ;)).
 

aliyid

Well-Known Member
Dec 28, 2004
6,944
19,927
Looking at the last round of games, I think Roma may top that group. They should beat Qarabag easily and Chelsea would need to beat Atletico.
Which I think they'll do... ;)

Don't understand the logic with Basel - we are a different animal in Europe to last year's campaign and judging by those potential ties, then Basel would likely represent the best draw for us.

I'd also rather play Juventus than Napoli personally
Logic with Basel is based on how we generally play against different types of teams. We play better against teams who look to attack us and we can nick the ball and quickly expose the space left behind. Basel are generally quite difficult to break down and have a history of decent results in Europe against English teams.

2011/12 Drew with Utd at home and beat them away in CL
2012/13 Knocked us out of EL on penalties (after drawing home & away)
2013/14 Beat Chelsea both home & away in CL
2017/18 Beat Man Utd at home in CL

One or two decent results could be dismissed as luck but they've shown they can be dangerous if underestimated.

Interesting on the Juve/Napoli one... Personally I would take Juve over Napoli any day of the week. Yes Napoli are in form at the moment but Juve are a much tougher prospect and have more quality to call on (can see Napoli falling away after Christmas).
 

DanielCHillier

Well-Known Member
Feb 26, 2014
2,034
4,029
Which I think they'll do... ;)


Logic with Basel is based on how we generally play against different types of teams. We play better against teams who look to attack us and we can nick the ball and quickly expose the space left behind. Basel are generally quite difficult to break down and have a history of decent results in Europe against English teams.

2011/12 Drew with Utd at home and beat them away in CL
2012/13 Knocked us out of EL on penalties (after drawing home & away)
2013/14 Beat Chelsea both home & away in CL
2017/18 Beat Man Utd at home in CL

One or two decent results could be dismissed as luck but they've shown they can be dangerous if underestimated.

Interesting on the Juve/Napoli one... Personally I would take Juve over Napoli any day of the week. Yes Napoli are in form at the moment but Juve are a much tougher prospect and have more quality to call on (can see Napoli falling away after Christmas).
Just on the points in bold, you're saying Juventus would be a more difficult opponent than Napoli, but you'd prefer to draw them ?
 

aliyid

Well-Known Member
Dec 28, 2004
6,944
19,927
Just on the points in bold, you're saying Juventus would be a more difficult opponent than Napoli, but you'd prefer to draw them ?
Ah no, just my bad grammar :bag: I would rate Juve above Napoli, more quality across the squad and proven performers in crunch games.
 

coys200

Well-Known Member
May 22, 2017
8,436
17,403
Woooha, you arrived at 25% chance for winning CL? :wideyed:

I think there are plenty of similarities between the match vs Chelsea, United and Arsenal. It's not really about sitting back defensively, it's more about cruise control to wait out our errors. To a degree, I think we deserved a loss in all those matches, because we simply weren't up to the task. All I'm saying is that way of playing, that pattern that those three matches follows, it makes me worried because it's too much of a painting by numbers way to defeat us.

Never actually said we had a 25% chance. I said 25% of an outsider winning it,so basically that’s probably about 10 clubs including us.
 

Pellshek

Well-Known Member
Dec 30, 2015
2,509
7,289
Logic with Basel is based on how we generally play against different types of teams. We play better against teams who look to attack us and we can nick the ball and quickly expose the space left behind. Basel are generally quite difficult to break down and have a history of decent results in Europe against English teams.

I'm not sure that's really true. Our counter-attacking strategy is a relatively new one (we saw it at the Bernabeu this season, but not that often in previous years under Poch). Our core footballing DNA is surely based on us having possession, not the opposition.

Fwiw, I agree with you about Basel - I'm still haunted by how thoroughly & totally they dicked us on a couple of occasions in recent years.
 

aliyid

Well-Known Member
Dec 28, 2004
6,944
19,927
I'm not sure that's really true. Our counter-attacking strategy is a relatively new one (we saw it at the Bernabeu this season, but not that often in previous years under Poch). Our core footballing DNA is surely based on us having possession, not the opposition.
My thinking is that we 'can' struggle to break down a well drilled deep block though and I think that was our big downfall in the CL last season. We controlled possession against both Monaco & Leverkusen at Wembley as both sat back, let us attack them and hit us on the counter. We played into their hands and were punished in both games.

We've seen it this season too with Chelsea sitting back against us and saying break us down. Compare that to how we played in that first half hour against Liverpool when they came at us and we suddenly for the first time found ourselves in a home game with space to attack... It was glorious and showed why teams are setting up to congest the middle of the park against us.

Also our main style hasn't really been scoring goals through weight of possession it's been quick press to force an interception and try to hit them before they get back into shape. Once a team is back in their shape they are very difficult to break down.

Anyway, stylistically I think we'd match up well against Napoli whereas I think Juve would be a much tougher nut to crack.
 
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ralvy

AVB my love
Jun 26, 2012
2,505
4,603
I'm just going to say this: if Toby, Wanyama and Lamela all return to fitness and last season's levels before next Februar, and we don't suffer any more major injuries, then I like our chances against any rival... and I mean any.
 

Jimmypearce7

Well-Known Member
Feb 23, 2005
1,473
2,255
I'm just going to say this: if Toby, Wanyama and Lamela all return to fitness and last season's levels before next Februar, and we don't suffer any more major injuries, then I like our chances against any rival... and I mean any.
Yes, hope so but as one gets closer to returning we lose another at the moment. It will be a big determinant of our season, we desperately need good injury luck.
 

thelak

Well-Known Member
Aug 31, 2012
2,166
6,950
As it stands we're likely to be drawn against one of:
  • Juventus - Rather avoid
  • Bayern Munich - Rather avoid
  • Napoli / Shaktar - Dangerous but could play into our hands
  • Roma - Confident we'd get past them
  • Sevilla - Confident we'd get past them
  • Basel - Potential banana skin as too similar to last season
  • Porto / RB Leipzig - Confident we'd get past them

Only ones I'd like to avoid are Juve, Bayern and Basel. All the others will be decent games.


In terms of combining an away trip with a nice City you would actually want to visit and a chance of getting though Porto and Sevilla would be nice
 

Marty

Audere est farce
Mar 10, 2005
39,885
62,551
In terms of combining an away trip with a nice City you would actually want to visit and a chance of getting though Porto and Sevilla would be nice
In Seville our fans will get beaten to pulps by Spanish police and probably not even let into the stadium. No thanks.
 

Armstrong_11

Spurs makes me happy, you... not so much :)
Aug 3, 2011
8,572
19,107
I'd rather play the highest profile teams in Europe. It's just more fun, win or lose.

Bring on Bayern or Juventus.

after beating Madrid at home and drawing away....

i am pretty sure both Bayern and Juventus would prefer not to draw us. :ROFLMAO:

in all seriousness.... Italy has been good to us in the champions league. wouldn't mind drawing an Italian team in the next round.
 
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