2016-17 UEFA Champions League

Andersonisgod

Mathieu is starting, I am both laughing at the hilarity of it and crying at the ridiculousness of it.

GLaDOS

Kitsunegari wrote: »

The game is staying on according to BeIN

If all reports are accurate, I can't see how it can possibly go ahead.

GreNoLi

Andersonisgod wrote: »

Mathieu is starting, I am both laughing at the hilarity of it and crying at the ridiculousness of it.

He does the deer in the headlights expression so effortlessly.

Andersonisgod

GreNoLi wrote: »

He does the deer in the headlights expression so effortlessly.

Unfortunately he's had a lot of practise to perfect that look. There's something deeply wrong about a suspension to one of our midfielders leading to Mathieu starting in a CL quarter final, especially after 40 million euro was spent on a midfielder in the summer!

Jayop

Bt saying they won't know for another fifteen minutes.

GLaDOS

Reported in various sources about Bartra. Hopefully hes ok.

Harry Palmr

They'll make a decision by 8.30 (local time presumably)

ERG89

Andersonisgod wrote:

Mathieu is starting, I am both laughing at the hilarity of it and crying at the ridiculousness of it.

At least Andre Gomes isn't playing too.
Big night for Higuain who was bought to make the difference on nights like this.

Copper_pipe

Decision to be made at half passed apparently

irishman86

Andersonisgod wrote: »

Mathieu is starting, I am both laughing at the hilarity of it and crying at the ridiculousness of it.

There must be injuries, I thought Umiti was looking decent any time I watched him

Harry Palmr

From BBC, Marca for what it's worth report a firework rather than a bomb.

Quote

Borussia Dortmund football team bus hit by explosion

An explosion has hit a bus carrying the Borussia Dortmund football team to a Champions League match, the club says.

Player Marc Bartra has been injured and has been taken to hospital.

North-Rhine Westphalia police said they were at the scene and there are reports that the fire service are also there.

The team tweeted (in German) that the other players were safe.

NomadicGray

Kitsunegari wrote: »

The game is staying on according to BeIN

Couldnt possibly

Andersonisgod

irishman86 wrote: »

There must be injuries, I thought Umiti was looking decent any time I watched him

Umtiti starts tonight, it's 3 at the back with Mascherano in midfield. Busquets being suspended is the reason for the selection shuffles.

thelad95

Surely the game can't go ahead....

inforfun

Bartra not seriously injured.
Some cuts on his arm from glass.

(Marca)

Match postponed till tomorrow

MisterAnarchy

Andersonisgod wrote: »

Mathieu is starting, I am both laughing at the hilarity of it and crying at the ridiculousness of it.

He will be playing at left back though so he wont be as exposed as he would be in the middle.
I recall him playing left back against Real Madrid a while back and he looked like a fish out of water ,which was odd as he mostly played at left back for Valencia.
Dani Alves will fancy his chances against him .

Barcelona need to step up a few gears tonight if they are to get a decent result ,they have been rubbish away from home over the last few months.

Harry Palmr

thelad95 wrote: »

Surely the game can't go ahead....

Why not?

irishman86

Andersonisgod wrote: »

Umtiti starts tonight, it's 3 at the back with Mascherano in midfield. Busquets being suspended is the reason for the selection shuffles.

Ah I thought it was tactics genius Luis trying something again. I rather Masherano in dm myself but at the expense of starting our loca french man maybe not

thelad95

Harry Palmr wrote: »

Why not?

You can't expect the players to play after going through that under an hour beforehand.

CalamariFritti

The game is called off. The only call I think until they know more.

Andersonisgod

MisterAnarchy wrote: »

He will be playing at left back though so he wont be as exposed as he would be in the middle.
I recall him playing left back against Real Madrid a while back and he looked like a fish out of water ,which was odd as he mostly played at left back for Valencia.
Dani Alves will fancy his chances against him .

Barcelona need to step up a few gears tonight if they are to get a decent result ,they have been rubbish away from home over the last few months.

Tbh I really don't expect to see him at left back tonight or Barça to play 4 at the back.

For sure, if they can replicate the performance against Sevilla then maybe there's the chance of a positive result to take back to Camp Nou.

ShamoBuc

3 explosions apparently, surely rightly called off.

Andersonisgod

It's officially off. Will likely be played tomorrow.

Mahony0509

Large firecracker being reported. Bus window smashed and injured a player.

MisterAnarchy

Andersonisgod wrote: »

Tbh I really don't expect to see him at left back tonight or Barça to play 4 at the back.

For sure, if they can replicate the performance against Sevilla then maybe there's the chance of a positive result to take back to Camp Nou.

Yes looks like 3 at the back and Ze Roberto on the right .
Risky move.

Barcelona need to come out of the blocks quickly tonight ,they cant be lethargic .

Harry Palmr

Given that such an incident could have occurred in the Rhur derby (or against RB Leipzig!) it seems a bit over the top. But I'm a bit old school about this sort of thing I'll admit.

Andersonisgod

MisterAnarchy wrote: »

Yes looks like 3 at the back and Ze Roberto on the right .
Risky move.

Barcelona need to come out of the blocks quickly tonight ,they cant be lethargic .

I'd say it'll be important to maintain control of possession in this game but without Busquets that could be just a bit more difficult.

thelad95

Harry Palmr wrote: »

Given that such an incident could have occurred in the Rhur derby (or against RB Leipzig!) it seems a bit over the top. But I'm a bit old school about this sort of thing I'll admit.

It didn't though, what exactly is your point...?

Harry Palmr

thelad95 wrote: »

It didn't though, what exactly is your point...?

We live in an age of panic.

KO 5.45 our time tomorrow.

murpho999

Harry Palmr wrote: »

Given that such an incident could have occurred in the Rhur derby (or against RB Leipzig!) it seems a bit over the top. But I'm a bit old school about this sort of thing I'll admit.

How can anybody be old school about explosions on a team bus?

blueser

Just turned on the TV now. Anyone else getting a ropey picture on TV3 HD via their Sky box? It' breaking up intermittently, going pixel-ly and the sound dropping out for a second or so.

NIMAN

murpho999 wrote: »

How can anybody be old school about explosions on a team bus?

There were no explosions on a bus.

Bridge93

Referee from the PSG first leg. There's a potential excuse for some later if ever I saw one...

Jayop

murpho999 wrote: »

How can anybody be old school about explosions on a team bus?

Fireworks outside the bus. Broke the window.

Not much worse than what happened to United at West Ham but united got criticism for being a bit late rather than having the game called off. An explosion doesn't equal a bomb.

elefant

Harry Palmr wrote: »

We live in an age of panic.

KO 5.45 our time tomorrow.

One of their team is in hospital. It's hardly an overreaction.

thelad95

To be fair, everyone is presuming terrorism but there's absolutely no reason to believe that that's the case and it could well have been a gas explosion, especially if all it served to do was break the windows of the bus.

Jayop

elefant wrote: »

One of their team is in hospital. It's hardly an overreaction.

Cuts and scrapes from broken glass. Hardly a double amputation required.

Mr.Crinklewood

thelad95 wrote: »

To be fair, everyone is presuming terrorism but there's absolutely no reason to believe that that's the case and it could well have been a gas explosion, especially if all it served to do was break the windows of the bus.

Colleague over there is saying a firework. She has heard no other reports of further explosions.

Osmosis Jones

Higuain starting his bottle job early, should be burying that header.

Harry Palmr

thelad95 wrote: »

To be fair, everyone is presuming terrorism but there's absolutely no reason to believe that that's the case and it could well have been a gas explosion, especially if all it served to do was break the windows of the bus.

Quite, that's my argument really, the panic mentality. Say what you like but the media have got so many people jumping through their hoops of sensation.

Predictably there are reports of bombs in the hedges now.

guardian live blog (seriously!)

The German newspaper Bild is reporting that the three explosions came from devices placed on the corner of a street where the bus would have had to slow down to turn.

This is why I'm so cynical/phlegmatic, they all love a drama.

NIMAN

Rolling news has turned us all into people who think the worst.

Firecracker = explosion. Explosion is sexier.

irishman86

Brilliant finish

Jayop

Goooooooooooooooooool

LuckyGent88

Lovely goal

GreNoLi

You beauty!!

Osmosis Jones

Dybala is such a fantastic talent, doesn't even need to look.

Also Chelsea having Cuadrado out on loan is just ridiculous.

gandalf

NIMAN wrote: »

Rolling news has turned us all into people who think the worst.

Firecracker = explosion. Explosion is sexier.

Sky news exclusive

Johner

Great finish.

inforfun

Well... that looked easy enough.

tanko

Pique was asleep there.