Champions League Week 3 Thread.

evilhomer

mike65 wrote:

Flips sake Chelsea 4 up, I thought Betis might set them a test tonight.

Mike.

Was watching the game. Real Betis done what most other teams haven't tried against Chelsea i.e go toe-to-toe with them.
It upset Chelsea for a few minutes, but then they showed their lethal ability on the counter attack. The Crespo goal was amazing, pass-cross-goal!!!

13 goals in three games. Wouldn't fancy being in David Moyes shoes this weekend. :eek:

growler

another excellent performance from Chelsea this evening, thought Betis got off to a good start, they were comfortably getting in crosses, connecting with them but not able to get a decent shot in, it looked like only a matter of time before they did... and then they just seemed to stop getting the chances. Essien had a great game, the keeper's howler must have really got to the Betis players, the got petulant, giving away far too many fouls and still couldn't even force a decent save from Cudicini. Really expected a tougher test from them. Easy :-)

(good laugh when a large beachball landed behind the Betis keeper, was confiscated by the stewards, and had 10,000 people chanting "we want our ball back" )

blu_sonic

i had 4-1 finalscore in paddy power if they had of been awared that obvious penno, maybe i'd be 50 quid up now

growler

waiting to see a replay of that, he got booked for diving too, I thought it was a peno when i saw it but it was at the far end of the pitch

KdjaCL

eirebhoy wrote:

Makes Celtic's 4-0 win look all the better I suppose.

Only to you


Good night of football some good goals , Rauls being the best but the defender should really have put that into the Calderon.


kdjac

redspider

Liverpool did enough against Anderlecht last night, although it must be remarked that Anderlecht are a weak team in terms of the CL. The starting formation seemed to be most unusual with just 3 at the back, Josemi at RB, Hyppia as the sole CB and Carragher as LB, Traore pushing up in midfield and Riise as a left winger, of sorts. Alonso was playing deep in CM with Hamann slightly advance of that. Cisse got free reign in his central position with Sissoko also up to some extent as was Garcia, something like this:

---

Reina

---

- Josemi - Hyppia - Carragher

---

Alonso

---

- Sissoko - Hamann - Traore
- Garcia

---

Riise -

---

Cisse

---

Liverpool were creating most of the chances, although the 3-man defence soon showed that it had large holes. From the line-up it was unclear whether this was a 2nd string team for Liverpool selected by Benitez. There was no place for Warnock who surely needs to keep being selected if he is to continue to develop as a player.

Garcia, as usual, gave away the ball an awful lot. Cisse used his strength and between them they conjured up a few half chances. Riise saw a lot of the ball and used his pace down the left to create chances, one very scoreable one for Garcia who hopelessly put it over he bar from close range. Cisse's goal came out of nothing, a corner whipped in and dropped in the box met at full power by Cisse. It went straight at the keeper and it nearly knocked his head-off.

Anderlecht created little but as Liverpool failed to get that all important second goal, there was always a chance that it could go awry. It didnt, but there were a few hiccups along the way.

Kewell got a run out. Why, I dont know because he is still the same as he was last year, just not good enough, no spark, and all in all he spent his time running away from the ball and easily being marked rather than getting involved.

Alonso had another good game and his tackling skills are now coming on. He is getting more and more stuck in. Overall, a good win for Liverpool, 3 pts, sets up the next match nicely for another 3 pts potential and qualification is more or less guaranteed after that.

Meanwhile, Chelsea put in another very strong performance and at this stage of the season are cruising. Their squad with Essien and SWP looks to be more complete this eason, and it will take 10 injuries before they are affected.

mike65 wrote:

Glad to see the RTE panel of grumps still giving Pool stick. If they start to praise us I'll be worried.

Yeah, the same lads who in May were saying how much Liverpool deserved the CL win, are now going back and saying that it was luck, etc. It wont happen again, etc. Dunphy as a betting man will realise how safe it is to predict the unlikely chances of Liverpool winning the CL, since teams rarely retain it especially in modern times. Grumpy old men is a good description.

I've enjoyed the Dunphy & Giles show over the years, but just like changing the Irish manager is needed, is it not now time to get rid of them, O'Herlihy should be shown the door first, and get in some fresh talent.

redspider

Thanx 4 The Fish

redspider wrote:

I've enjoyed the Dunphy & Giles show over the years, but just like changing the Irish manager is needed, is it not now time to get rid of them, O'Herlihy should be shown the door first, and get in some fresh talent.

Didn't Dunphy say that he would quit if Liverpool won the CL last season, was that more of the usual rubbish he spouts, lad has not got the courage of his convictions and deserves the respect of nobody. He will never stop being a Man U fanboy and that clouds his opinion of every other game he watches.

Fair play to Giles at least he did what he said he would do and sang YNWA on national radio.

Necronomicon

blu_sonic wrote:

i had 4-1 finalscore in paddy power if they had of been awared that obvious penno, maybe i'd be 50 quid up now

In fairness Joaquin left his foot out waiting to be brought down. So I would have said something like "if he had stepped over Del Horno's leg and crossed the ball into the 6-yard box for a possible tap-in" you'd be up 50 quid;)

Thanx 4 The Fish wrote:

Didn't Dunphy say that he would quit if Liverpool won the CL last season, was that more of the usual rubbish he spouts, lad has not got the courage of his convictions and deserves the respect of nobody. He will never stop being a Man U fanboy and that clouds his opinion of every other game he watches.

I can't stand Dunphy, and find a lot of his views on United misguided as well. He so easily criticises others. He seems to have some personal vendetta against Darren Fletcher, even when he plays well. Every time I read one of his articles I feel like jumping into the paper and strangling him.

RedorDead

Necromomicon wrote:

Darren Fletcher, even when he plays well. Every time I read one of his articles I feel like jumping into the paper and strangling him.

Oxymoron. Impossible!;)

whiskeyman

I heard an interesting comment on 5 Live's 606 last night that Real Madrid fielded more English players than Liverpool or Arsenal.

Real: Woodgate & Beckham
Liverpool: Carragher
Arsenal: None

Bacchus

Correction: Liverpool -> Carragher & Warnock (although Warnock was a sub).

Anyone find it strange that Benitez brought on 3 left sided players. At one point Risse, Zenden, Kewell and Troare were all on the pitch. Zenden had to play on the right. Warnock then came on for Risse (I think). That's a lot of left sided players and not one decent right winger in the squad.

yom 1

Bacchus wrote:

That's a lot of left sided players and not one decent right winger in the squad.

and that has been one of our biggest problems for years yet it still hasn't been sorted out

whiskeyman

Bacchus wrote:

Correction: Liverpool -> Carragher & Warnock (although Warnock was a sub).

and has yet to make a start for England...
Amazing stat all the same.
It was also brought up when they were discussing the "best team ever" (after Chelseas win).
Lots of old English sides were brought up, but many made the point that you couldnt compare to modern side due to the huge influence foreign players now made to the game.

The Insider

eirebhoy wrote:

Why's Finnan dropped?

He picked up a groin injury earlier in the week, he will be out against Fulham as well.

blu_sonic

juve and ac were a shock, rangers were odds on too

YeatsCounty

blu_sonic wrote:

juve and ac were a shock, rangers were odds on too

I saw the Milan vs PSV match. Milan played very well but didn't have the decisive edge that would have brought the winning goal. Sheva didn't have a great game, he was replaced by the returning Inzaghi (w00t!).

PSV created nothing (unlike last seasons game in the San Siro), that was a game that Milan should have won 2-0 at least. Ah well, there's still the return in Eindhoven to look forward to.

I didn't see too much of the Bayern vs Juve game, but from what I did see of it, Juve didn't look too sharp. Then again, that's the first match they've lost all season in any competition, so they're allowed a slip up.