2017 Champions League Knockout stage

[SocrManiac]

I don't want to take anything away from Schmeichel- even shitty penalties often score.

How does Sevilla make the last 16 of the Champions League with a roster that has a guy like Nzonzi taking such an important penalty? He looked like he'd be the third or fourth choice once a shootout gets to sudden death. He eyeball fucked the side he was taking every time he glanced up, not in a mind-game sort of way but more nervy. He then did nothing to mask his choice once his foot was planted. He really gave Schmeichel absolutely everything he needed to pick (originally typed "guess," but that doesn't credit Schmeichel's read) the correct side. To hit it weakly in a comfortable range was just icing on the cake.

 

[NickEsasky]

Why couldn't City-Monaco have been yesterday when I was working from home? Lousy Smarch weather.

 

[coremiller]

City are in kind of an awkward situation where the scoreline suggests they should play defensively but they don't have the personnel to really execute that very well. They are most successful when they are aggressive and press high, but it takes guts to play that way with a lead on the road.

 

[hawaiirsn]

Well that was quick. Wow

 

[NickEsasky]

I can't see the game but it appears whatever they are doing isn't working.

 

[rguilmar]

I can't see the game but it appears whatever they are doing isn't working.

Probably as toothless as Man City has looked in a long, long time

 

[Zososoxfan]

Aguero has now botched 2 must-have opportunities. Dare I say learning from compatriot Higuain?!?

 

[Zososoxfan]

MANC gets a huge goal from Sane putting in a rebound. That shot by Sterling was perfect to create the opportunity. Monaco needs to go on attack, but only need one.

 

[rguilmar]

And Monaco gets it right back. Fun game!

 

[Zososoxfan]

And Monaco is back out in front!!!

 

[Zososoxfan]

And Monaco gets it right back. Fun game!

These clubs should be forced to play weekly.

 

[Zososoxfan]

Monaco's attackers looking fit, pressing immediately after losing the ball. MANC could really use Toure in a tresquartista role right now to push KDB up.

 

[Zososoxfan]

Wow Guardiola's MANC is OUT! You're quarterfinalists are:

Real
Atleti
Barca
Bayern
Dortmund
Monaco
Juventus
LEICESTER MF CITY

 

[teddykgb]

Monaco's attackers looking fit, pressing immediately after losing the ball. MANC could really use Toure in a tresquartista role right now to push KDB up.

Wasn't a match for Toure, way too much pace. KDB was awful anyway, they just needed a redo.

In the end I don't feel all that sour. Pretty much nothing separated the two teams, they found a free header and Aguero continued to be profligate. Really entertaining stuff. That Monaco team has a ton of talent, really impressive.

 

[rguilmar]

Should be an interesting quarterfinal draw. A nice mix of relative surprise teams and powers.

I am personally getting a little tired of the Spanish run of dominance, and this coming from a Barca fan. A little variety would be nice, especially if it means the fascists crash out soon.

I would love Dortmund to draw a real power to see Pulisic on the big stage against top talent. I know he played against Real Madrid earlier in the tournament but the pressure and stakes are much higher now.

 

[bosox4283]

My quarterfinal rankings, from top to bottom:

Real Madrid
Bayern
Barcelona
Juventus
Atletico
Monaco
Dortmund
Leicester

I don't think it matters who you draw, with the exception of drawing Leicester. The rest of the matches are brutally hard. Real Madrid and Barcelona are 1-2 in La Liga, Bayern tops of Bundesliga, Juventus top of Series A, and Monaco top of Ligue 1.

Atletico has been to two finals in the last three years, and this year is the fourth in a row in the quarterfinals. Let's just hope Atleti doesn't lose to Real Madrid this year.

 

[teddykgb]

You're giving an awful lot of credence to past performance with those rankings of Juve and Atletico.

 

[bosox4283]

You're giving an awful lot of credence to past performance with those rankings of Juve and Atletico.

Do you like Monaco and Dortmund ahead of Juve and Atletico?

 

[teddykgb]

Do you like Monaco and Dortmund ahead of Juve and Atletico?

It's hard to argue with Juve's season although I'm not convinced by them as a serious challenger. Given that Atletico is 4th in their own league and have not been convincing this season, I think you can make a good case for Monaco. If my team were still in it, I wouldn't want to deal with Dortmund or Monaco and would probably rather Juve or Atletico.

In any case, I wasn't trying to say you are wrong. These are all very good teams and there's almost no grouping of them that could be seriously disputed. More noting that those teams are probably sitting above based on reputation and historical performance. Which is reasonable, a big part of dealing with this competition is not getting overwhelmed by the moment.

 

[rguilmar]

Do you like Monaco and Dortmund ahead of Juve and Atletico?

That's tough. Dortmund haven't been as consistent this year, so I probably would put them behind most of the remaining teams. You can certainly make the case for Monaco being the toughest opponent. They have only given up two home goals in 2017, and with the away goal being such the great divider, that is important (especially for a team so accomplished attacking).

I don't knock Atletico for being fourth. La Liga is very top heavy. You can make the argument that Barca and Real are the two best in the world (with the obvious other team being Bayern). They would most likely be 1-2 in any league. All leagues are not created equal, and recent UCL and Euro League results have shown that the top of La Liga is the cream of the crop. Atletico are very invested in their system and their style, which can be potent.

Juve has been solid all year long, and as usual has been a tough match-up for everyone. I still think Serie A has some room to grow (and I patiently wait for the re-emergence of AC Milan), so their league position doesn't impress me as much. However, like Atleti, their consistency and system make them tough to beat.

If I were to rank the remaining teams:

1. Real Madrid (it hurts to write that)
2. Barcelona
3. Bayern (I don't think they have been as impressive this year and I really don't know why)
4. Atletico
5. Monaco
6. Juve
7. Dortmund
8. Leicester

I would also say 1-3 are pretty interchangeable and reasonable minds can disagree, as are 4-7. Now watch the Foxes win it all.

 

[Zososoxfan]

I think groupings are more accurate than a straight list for this group.

Tier 1
Real
Bayern
Barca

Tier 2
Atleti
Juve

Tier 3
Dortmund
Monaco

Tier 4
LCFC

If forced to make a list, I'd put them in that order as well (i.e. 1. Real, 2. Bayern, 3. Barca, etc.). I just want Barca to draw a non-Spanish team. Let's see some new matchups!

My prediction on UEFA's pre-selected matchups:

Real v. LCFC
Barca v. Bayern
Atleti v. Dortmund
Juve v. Monaco

 

[Schnerres]

-How can you rate Barca so high after going through PSG so close? Be honest, if there´s a better defending team (PSG just doesn´t know how to defend in Ligue1), Barca is out at this point. We all know they are a great team who can beat any other team and can win this thing. Maybe this was their weak performance or maybe (see LaLiga) they aren´t as consistent as former Barca teams.

-Real seems better and more settled than most teams, even Barca.

-Bayern isn´t the well-oiled machine Pep had formed, but Ancelotti now seems to have them gaining a lot of steam at the right time. They aren´t playing the beautiful football of last few seasons, but I get a feeling of Heynckes 13-team. They know how to play, they know how to win. And they have some key players (Vidal, Thiago, Hummels, Lewandowski, Coman, Costa) who haven´t won the CL (don´t call Thiago an integral part of the 11 Barca winners), yet.

-Atletico will be verrry dangerous again for the ball-owning teams (Barca, Bayern), but I would love again to see them vs. counter-teams or teams (like Leverkusen in the 2nd leg) that just sit back and defend. Maybe Leicester is the kryptonite for spanish teams? That would be so lovely. The underdog defeats the bulldog.

-Dortmund is great to watch, they will bring a show and on a good day, they can beat anyone (at home), but they will lose to most teams away now. Their defense is prone to mistakes and isn´t stable at all. So if they lose away and get goals against at home, they will be gone. If they can avoid one of those two problems and score like they can, they will bring problems.

-One of those guys (maybe Mbappé) will leave Monaco this summer for 42mil.€, go to a big-spending club and sit on the bench for 18 months. The classic case of picking the wrong club at the wrong time. (If they have a defender, Dortmund should sign him.)

 

[Zososoxfan]

-How can you rate Barca so high after going through PSG so close? Be honest, if there´s a better defending team (PSG just doesn´t know how to defend in Ligue1), Barca is out at this point. We all know they are a great team who can beat any other team and can win this thing. Maybe this was their weak performance or maybe (see LaLiga) they aren´t as consistent as former Barca teams.

[snip]

Because SNM is a historically good frontline. Because Pique + Masche/Umtiti is still a formidable CB tandem and all 3 make for an effective back 3. Because MaTS is playing out of his mind right now. Because Sergio is still a good player although on bad form. And because that's 8-9 starters of the lineup and the other spots are filled by the likes of Iniesta, Denis, Rakitic, Roberto, and Rafinha. The fact that Barca are lucky to be here has no impact on how I expect them to do going forward.

 

[Vinho Tinto]

Because SNM is a historically good frontline.

I'm with you here. People take it for granted because it's the norm for Barca, but they have an all time great and two of the best players of their generation leading their attack. There should never be a match they believe they cannot rally for a win. Also, even with a struggling Gomes and declining Iniesta, their midfield tends to be a big advantage in 99% of the matches they play.

Because Pique + Masche/Umtiti is still a formidable CB tandem and all 3 make for an effective back 3.

I just don't see this. I look at Pique and Mascherano as growing problems that should be addressed sooner than later. They both have two years left on their contracts and I see at least one getting shopped around this summer. I also think that both keepers on their roster are below Barca's standard.

 

[InstaFace]

I agree on the keepers, but Pique looks to be in top form as far as I can see. Plus, like, he's been a soci since birth, if anyone on the squad deserves to be treated to "steadily reducing role and wages until you retire", it's him, and arguably Messi. The rest of the roster is standard world-class mercenaries, but they didn't ship Xavi out of town - he retired from the club with much pomp, then signed a 3-year deal in Qatar - and I bet they don't ship Pique out either.

 

[Vinho Tinto]

Yeah, they seem very over him leaving for ManU when he was a teenager. Mascherano is still managed by Pini Zahavi, who got Tevez that insane contract from Shanghai Shenhua. He's going to push hard for one final big payday for himself....I mean Mascherano.

 

[Zososoxfan]

I shit on MaTS for a loooooooooong time, but the dude has finally become comfortable and is IMO world-class. He's not in the elite Buffon/De Gea/Neuer territory yet, but I think he's in that second tier now along with Lloris, Navas, Courtois, and Oblak (Cech may still be here too, I dunno).

IMO, Pique has really improved his consistency. The guy has not made many mistakes this year. Umtiti looks incredibly promising and should improve with consistent playing time going forward. Masche is still a tough SOB and is one of the best slide tacklers I've consistently watched in my life. In short, I don't think Barca's problems are due to the CBs. It has been due to 1) Iniesta's injuries and regression, 2) Rakitic's inconsistency, 3) Lucho's infatuation with an ineffective Gomes, and 4) Lucho's tactics and inability to adapt.

 

[coremiller]

I agree on the keepers, but Pique looks to be in top form as far as I can see. Plus, like, he's been a soci since birth, if anyone on the squad deserves to be treated to "steadily reducing role and wages until you retire", it's him, and arguably Messi. The rest of the roster is standard world-class mercenaries, but they didn't ship Xavi out of town - he retired from the club with much pomp, then signed a 3-year deal in Qatar - and I bet they don't ship Pique out either.

Add Iniesta to the list of guys who should be allowed to leave on their own terms.

 

[Zomp]

Awesome awesome awesome draw for the quarters:

Atletico v Leicester
Dortmund v Monaco
Bayern v Real
Juve v Barca

 

[rguilmar]

This should be fun.

I think Atletico is a bad matchup for Leicester, but then again we have learned never to count the Foxes out. Simeone has that team so disciplined though and they got the best possible opponent here.

Dortmund and Monaco is going to be awesome to watch. I am really looking forward to this one. To me, Dortmund has the edge ever so slightly, even if it is in a more difficult home atmosphere to play in (noting Monaco's home form has been great in 2017).

Barca and Juventus is interesting to me. Great attack versus great defense. A rematch of the final a few years ago, Juve really have to figure out how to defend Barca. Juve moved to a 4-2-3-1 recently and it has paid off. Dybala is on fire right now, so that along with their experience and defense gives them a puncher's chance.

Real and Bayern are two of the best, if not the two best in the world. A matchup worthy of the final to me, but we get it in the quarters. Bayern has the talent, but they just haven't looked as sharp at all to me this year. Real are just so solid, and as someone noted upthread, they have been very consistent.

If I were a betting man, I'd have Atleti, Dortmund, Barca, and Real going through. But that could be my Spanish tinted glasses too.

 

[bosox4283]

This draw is just about perfect, no? Well, it's especially perfect for me since we all agreed Leicester was the easiest team to draw.

 

[InstaFace]

I agree, perfect draw. Dortmund get a realistic chance to make the semis, Leicester avoid the big 3 and get a team they match up well against so they have a prayer, no El Clasico matchup, Bayern-Real. That all seems planned, not drawn out of a hat.

Chelsea need to loan Ngolo Kante back to Leicester for the rest of the run, just so we have a chance to see what that miracle squad could accomplish.

 

[InstaFace]

edit: turns out, you can't say that again.

 

[Vinho Tinto]

Leicester avoid the big 3 and get a team they match up well against so they have a prayer

That's one thing I've been thinking of before this draw: Who is a good draw for Leicester? In my mind that would be a team that would press them and be happy to carry possession. If Leicester doesn't get stretched, then Huth and Morgan aren't exposed. So I was looking for Dortmund or Monaco, but they get paired off instead. I think Atletico is very happy to go out and win a rock fight. Very mentally strong team. The only person who I would worry about boiling over from the mind games that will be played is El Cholo. They have better players at each position and will be ready to nullify Leicester transitions. They smothered Leverkusen during that tie. Their just far enough from the lead in La Liga that they will place priority to this tie. I think this is a nightmare draw for City.

EDIT: Great drawing. The top 4 teams are paired up and have recent history against each other. Could lead to some real emotion. Dortmund-Monaco could surpass the 12 goals scored by Monaco-Man City.

 

[InstaFace]

Atletico is a mentally strong team, to be sure, but they're also primarily a counterattacking team. A team strong on offense but weak on defense is a team they humiliate all day long. Against second-rate sides, Atleti can hold possession and work the ball in slowly without a problem, but they face very few first-rate counterattacking teams who have a striker with Griezmann-esque speed. I think Leicester have an advantage on set pieces, too, with height and heft to their CBs and with Fuchs' long throws. Atleti are favorites, maybe even 70-80% favorites, but I give Leicester more of a chance here than against any other team they could have drawn I think.

 

[rguilmar]

Atletico is a mentally strong team, to be sure, but they're also primarily a counterattacking team. A team strong on offense but weak on defense is a team they humiliate all day long. Against second-rate sides, Atleti can hold possession and work the ball in slowly without a problem, but they face very few first-rate counterattacking teams who have a striker with Griezmann-esque speed. I think Leicester have an advantage on set pieces, too, with height and heft to their CBs and with Fuchs' long throws. Atleti are favorites, maybe even 70-80% favorites, but I give Leicester more of a chance here than against any other team they could have drawn I think.

I don't want to put words in VT's mouth, but what I think he is saying is that Atletico Madrid and Leicester City have a lot of similarities, but in every facet Atleti are just better at it. Leicester capitalize on teams that overextend themselves going forward. While Atleti will probably carry the lion's share of the play, they will not over commit and leave themselves exposed. They are just so tactically sound and well coached.

Monaco and Dortmund on the other hand are teams that do attack aggressively and potentially leave holes in the back. They would see the to be a better matchup for Leicester in that they are used to absorbing the pressure and hitting back on the counter.

 

[InstaFace]

An interesting point of view. I certainly think there are plenty of things Atleti does better than Leicester, especially in midfield and in goal and their offsides trap, but I think Leicester has advantages in a few areas (one of them being named Riyad Mahrez).

Monaco's offense I might characterize as "chaotic pinball". I really don't know what to make of them, but they make goals happen out of a wider variety of situations than any other team I can recall. Leicester is a team built to absorb the hits from a disciplined top-6 EPL side and make those teams pay for mistakes, but I'm not sure how they handle a team that plays in a fundamentally different way from that. I have absolutely no guess as to how they'd fare against Monaco, and I suppose we're unlikely to find out, but it's an interesting thought experiment.

 

[Zososoxfan]

Agree that this is a perfect draw from an entertainment perspective. It starts at the top with the two best paired together - Real and Bayern. That's a toss up. Moving down a notch, Barca-Juve should be an awesome matchup. Alves will likely get pinned back by Ney which may be the key here. I am already worried about Suarez losing his head against Chiellini. Barca's D will have their hands full with Dybala. I think Barca will really challenge Khedira and see if he can be a fulcrum under pressure. Dortmund-Monaco will just be awesome. Fast physical young guys with license to attack and bomb forward. Sign me up. Atleti-LCFC is also a goodie, but I think an early goal to destabilize the tie is crucial. Otherwise, Cholo will have Atleti play conservatively and LCFC will keep it compact.

 

[InstaFace]

Schedule this week (I'll be streaming at work so I have no idea about TV coverage):

Tuesday (Today!), 2:45pm ET:
- Dortmund v Monaco
- Juventus v Barcelona

Wednesday 2:45pm ET:
- Atletico Madrid v Leicester City
- Bayern Munich v Real Madrid

The Ringer had a decent preview, including covering how Man City's attack exposed holes in Monaco's midfield which Dortmund might copy.

 

[bosox4283]

Explosion near the Dortmund bus.

Edit: Marc Bartra apparently was injured and is on his way to the hospital.

 

[Zomp]

What the fuck?

 

[Vinho Tinto]

Hard to cut through the noise on Twitter right now. Some of the tweets mention the explosion being "on" (Inside?) the bus. Sounds like the match will be postponed.

 

[Jed Zeppelin]

Hard to cut through the noise on Twitter right now. Sounds like the match will be postponed.

Yeah, have seen everything from just being an accident to the Dortmund bus being the target of a bomb detonation. Waiting game. Though there is this:

BBC Breaking News‏Verified account @BBCBreaking 2m2 minutes ago
Explosion hits bus carrying Borussia Dortmund team to Champions League match, injuring player Marc Barta, club says

 

[candylandriots]

Fox Sports saying no players injured

"The club’s official Twitter account said that one person was injured, but all of the players are safe and that there was no danger anywhere near the stadium."

Will decide at 2:30 whether to play.

 

[Jed Zeppelin]

Match suspended, will be played tomorrow.

 

[DJnVa]

IS PULISIC OKAY????????????????

 

[Morgan's Magic Snowplow]

Hard to do anything else but that sucks for all the BvB away supporters.

 

[DJnVa]

Bartra injuries considered superficial.

 

[DJnVa]

Hard to do anything else but that sucks for all the BvB away supporters.

You mean Monaco supporters? Game in Germany.

 

[Morgan's Magic Snowplow]

You mean Monaco supporters? Game in Germany.

Yes, you're right of course.