Champions League Winner?

Royale with Cheese

The draw is done, we know a lot more about the potential outcome of the competition now.



Current odds from paddypower.ie:

Barca 15/8
Man Utd 13/5
Inter 4/1
Arsenal 9/1
Bayern 11/1
Lyon 14/1
Bordeaux 18/1
CSKA 40/1

Tis hard to look past United or Barca, although Barca have a far tougher task to reach the final than United do. Not sure about Inter, don't really know enough about Italian football to make a judgement on them. Arsenal's task is just far too tough imo.

As a dark(ish) horse I'd go with Bayern, if they can knock out United then they have a great chance of making the final and then who knows.

Inter

Barca-United final with Barca to win it again.

mayordenis

Bayern

I reckon neither english side will make it past the quarters, I really like Bayern at the moment.

Bayern vs Barca final with Barca defending their title successfully

gimmick

Bayern

Barcalona are just finding a decent bit of form again, and if Ibra regains his early season form, there is not a team who can beat them.

Ush1

Bayern

To all the Bayern nut huggers, Bordeaux breezed them in the group.

Davaeo09

Bayern

gimmick wrote: »

Barcalona are just finding a decent bit of form again, and if Ibra regains his early season form, there is not a team who can beat them.

this I 100% agree with.
If Ibra can get a little bit more relaxed and hit form then I can't see ANY of these teams beating Barcelona over 2 legs and its even harder to do it in a final.
Xavi and Iniesta always manage to up their game and dominate when it matters.

Royale with Cheese

Bayern

Ush1 wrote: »

To all the Bayern nut huggers, Bordeaux breezed them in the group.

Bayern are in much better form now than they were 6 months ago.

mike65

Lyon

Jose's year!

Mr.Nice Guy

Bayern

It's tough to see past Barca.

Ush1

Bayern

Royale with Cheese wrote: »

Bayern are in much better form now than they were 6 months ago.

They limped past Fiorentina who aren't great.

DazMarz

Bayern

Barcelona to become the first team to defend the Champions League title. Defo. Repeat of last year's final, with Messi scoring a hattrick and Rooney scoring a brace... Best final ever...

dreamers75

Barcelona

Think Arsenal will sneak it in the final vs united.

aidan24326

Bayern

I wouldn't be handing the trophy to Barcelona just yet, they will probably have to beat Arsenal, Inter and then United to win it. That's a tough draw.

Arsenal are not out of it over the two legs, on their best form they're capable of giving Barca plenty to think about.

eZe^

Bayern

I voted for Barca, biased of course. Weird to see them such strong favourites among Boards voters though.

rossie1977

man utd got the easier side of the draw, they will waltz to the fina imo, to have a french team in the semi final, ferguson himself couldn't have picked a better draw, lille whom a terribly average liverpool easily disposed of sit 3rd in the french league ahead of lyon and 2 points behind bordeaux so thats the standard those two offer, just cannot see past utd

barca will have to beat arsenal and inter, could easily trip up in either of those, also no team has ever regained the champions league (not since the old days of the european cup anyway)

Ush1

Bayern

eZe^ wrote: »

I voted for Barca, biased of course. Weird to see them such strong favourites among Boards voters though.

I wonder how many people voted Barca are Liverpool fans?:pac:

Jazzy

Utd are gonna be in the final.
arsenal can beat barcelona. its a big ask but i think they could do it

Boggles

United v Arsenal final.

United to take it on pens.

Le King

United's year for me. Barca aren't the same animal they were last year. Pep keeps messing with the formation. They aren't the same team. United would be too strong for me.

I expect Arsenal to make good game hopefully winning their home leg.



Anyone who thinks Bayern will beat United is either a fan of another English club or they just don't watch football. Fiorentina are now a mid-table Serie A side who should of beat Bayern. People's wishes and wants getting in the way of their brain.

54kroc

Good draw for United,I'll be popping a few euro on them to win.

Brimmy

Bordeaux are the dark horse of the year. It's them or United. At a stretch Inter. Can't see Arsenal, CSKA, Lyon or Barca challenging if Inter are on their day they can beat Barca who are too hit and miss this year when it comes to crunch ties.

Chardee MacDennis

Lyon

toss up between inter and barca for me.

daithijjj

Lyon

I allready voted for inter when this thread was done for the last 16. Wheres it gone? We gonna do this every round?

Davaeo09

Bayern

Brimmy wrote: »

Bordeaux are the dark horse of the year. It's them or United. At a stretch Inter. Can't see Arsenal, CSKA, Lyon or Barca challenging if Inter are on their day they can beat Barca who are too hit and miss this year when it comes to crunch ties.

Back that statement up with some thing other than the seville slip up...

People are saying Inter can beat Barca, I don't think they can, Barca were not at their best back in the group stages and beat the, now that Barca are back on form how can Inter compete?


As for the people people using league table's and stats, have you ever watched the champions league before? Weird and wacky stuff happens every single year, I wouldn't be at all surprised if Inter lost over all on aggro, same with every team in this.
These matches are decided on the day by the players not by a league position, give the under dogs some credit too, they have all done fantastic to get this far with 1/4 of the funding of Barca, United and Inter (Look at Lyon beating Madrid for example)

remember Liverpool vs Ac?
Hpw many people had them wrote off after that second and third goal went in against them.

Its the champions league, were any thing can happen, the best we can hope for is fair results and good matches


rant over

Brimmy

Davaeo09 wrote: »

People are saying Inter can beat Barca, I don't think they can, Barca were not at their best back in the group stages and beat the, now that Barca are back on form how can Inter compete?

If you're going to talk about form take into account that as an Inter team getting used to a new style of play and adjusting to Milito and Eto'o up front. Sneijder was missing the match and they didn't have Pandev. This Inter team is a completely different to the pre-Christmas Inter team, they play better now and are more adjusted as a team. Not just lumping it forward and hoping anymore.

Davaeo09

Bayern

Brimmy wrote: »

If you're going to talk about form take into account that as an Inter team getting used to a new style of play and adjusting to Milito and Eto'o up front. Sneijder was missing the match and they didn't have Pandev. This Inter team is a completely different to the pre-Christmas Inter team, they play better now and are more adjusted as a team. Not just lumping it forward and hoping anymore.

And do you think Barca are better are worse now that before Christmas? :pac:

GSPfan

The fact that Inter just beat Chelsea has givin everyone the illusion that they are a force in this competition. They aren't. Trust me. They have a great manager with an above average bunch of players. Chelsea are soft at the moment. They got "out Chelsea'd" by their former Coach who knows them inside out.

Bayern on any night can be equally brilliant or terrible. Over 2 Legs they'll stumble. United to go through.

Barcelona v Arsenal is the tie of the tournament. I reckon Arsenal with Cesc Fabregas driving everyone to perform will sneak this one. Wouldn't be shocked if Barca win.


To be honest I'm a United fan and the only team I could stomach losing to would be Arsenal. I think they deserve a big reward for the way they play football and run their business. I'll be cheering them on against Barca.

starbelgrade

Where's the 'Greece' option?

Peyton Manning

Despite everything pointing towards a United - Barcelona dream final yet again, I have a sneaky feeling it could be a United - Arsenal affair with Barcelona being slightly distracted by the league. They travel to Mallorca who are having a great season 4 days before they travel to the Emirates, and then face Athletic in between who are also having a good season. They play the second leg at home, knowing they have an enormous, potentially title deciding game against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu a few days later. Arsenal will have a relatively straight forward home tie against Wolves in between the two matches.

eZe^

Bayern

I remember hearing something incredibly similar last year. A run up of Sevilla(a)-Valencia(h)-Chelsea(h)-Madrid(a)-Chelsea(a) for Barca consecutively in about 25 days, they got through a spell like that before and they can certainly do it again.

Mr Alan

Bayern

probably won't have one of the worst displays of officiating in recent memory to help them along though mate

eZe^

Bayern

So true, especially if you couple the decisions that also went against Barca over the two legs. Ballack not being sent off, Abidal being sent off, and Henry's penalty claim in the 1st leg. Awful referee alright.

parker kent

Logically you would assume a United-Barca final but I expect one or both to slip up. With the draw, United have less chance of slipping up but you never know. How many people would have picked a Monaco-Porto final a few years ago? If I had to stick my neck out, I'd say a United-Inter final.

LETS BE AVN IT

Lyon

I think its Inter's year , with either Bayern or United to play them in the Final . I really cant see the french sides going all the way.

GSPfan

I reckon Real Madrid will buy their way back in like you do in poker tournaments and go on and win it.

CHD

Inter

Barca will spank Arsenal about for a laugh. Aresnal's defence will be shaking in its boots.

OPENROAD

Barcelona

CHD wrote: »

Barca will spank Arsenal about for a laugh. Aresnal's defence will be shaking in its boots.

nah, this will be the performance that sees Sol recalled for England imo.

CHD

Inter

OPENROAD wrote: »

nah, this will be the performance that sees Sol recalled for England imo.

Hope so but I really can't see it happening.

Ush1

Bayern

OPENROAD wrote: »

nah, this will be the performance that sees Sol recalled for England imo.

Messi ends defenders international careers!

OPENROAD

Barcelona

Ush1 wrote: »

Messi ends defenders international careers!

Who needs Messi when you have Nick

grenache

Bayern

A Lyon-Barca final with Barca to win it. Lyon have to reach a final eventually and having avoided Barcelona and Arsenal i give them a great chance of catching United on the hop. That said I can't see past Barcelona, they are ticking along nicely and Messi seems to be having another great season, whoever beats them will win it, but i can't see it happening.

Soby

Bayern

Is anywhere doing odds on picking the two teams in the final...me to lazy to look :P

Bubs101

Bordeaux

Hmm, only one who voted for Bayern. True, Bayern were crap at the beginning of the season but anybody who watched that 4-1 mauling of Juve (which is where their season turned around and unlike Fulham they beat the first team) would look at the fact they have an easier bracket and imagine Ribery or Robben against Brown, a twin or Neville and see them progressing

Pepe LeFrits

Man United

Voted for Lyon 'cos I felt sorry for them!

deisedude

Six people voted for CSKA:eek:

MickShamrock

Bayern

Barca.

starbelgrade

deisedude wrote: »

Six people voted for CSKA:eek:

The other 5 who didn't were their back four & the keeper.

Epicurus

CSKA

Hard to see beyond Bordeaux. Quality players, excellent manager; they'll go all the way.

CR 7

Bayern

Only one vote for Bayern.:(

They're gonna see this, and win it out of spite.

MIN2511

United Barca final... Can't see past this, should be a good one...

Hope we win!

staker

Bordeaux

An unpopular Bayern/Inter final, Muencheners to win