2022-23 UEFA Champions League Discussion Thread

ZoLo · Post #161 » by **ZoLo** » Wed Mar 15, 2023 6:41 pm

After those terrifying scenes in Naples today, we probably don´t have to care about qualifying for a european competition anymore.

Foye · Post #162 » by **Foye** » Wed Mar 15, 2023 7:48 pm

ZoLo wrote:After those terrifying scenes in Naples today, we probably don´t have to care about qualifying for a european competition anymore.

Read on Twitter

?s=46&t=NPSxzHI0TqwFE1FBDSh0oQ

Well, it wasn’t the smartest idea to try to stop Frankfurt fans from traveling and entering the stadium.

Either way, both Napoli and Frankfurt seem to have a hooligan problem. Should be playing a few games completely without fans. That will put pressure on the hooligans to behave better if the regular fanbase is showing them no respect anymore because they are not allowed to enter the stadium…

ZoLo · Post #163 » by **ZoLo** » Wed Mar 15, 2023 8:08 pm

There were a lot of Eintracht friends (Bergamo, Innsbruck, Mannheim) present. They have all meet up to clash with Napoli. It´s also not clear who actually started it. And that ban was arbitrary, one week before the game. The draw was 4 months ago. Nothing has changed after the first leg.

But thats not an excuse for what happened today. We knew whats going to happen and a lot of us traveled nevertheless. And they were clearly waiting for an opportunity like this.

SgtPepper · Post #164 » by **SgtPepper** » Wed Mar 15, 2023 9:00 pm

Fascinating to see a Sunday league footballer in Benzema on the pitch. I've seen at least 3 offside calls driven by Benzema in the last 10 mins from drifting too far from goal to become a 3rd left winger instead of occupying the center backs, and then leaving a huge gap in the middle once the attack is on. Modric, carvajal drop into false 9 just to fix the shape a lot while Fede and Vini rotate into real 9.

SgtPepper · Post #165 » by **SgtPepper** » Wed Mar 15, 2023 9:03 pm

Foye wrote:Either way, both Napoli and Frankfurt seem to have a hooligan problem. Should be playing a few games completely without fans. That will put pressure on the hooligans to behave better if the regular fanbase is showing them no respect anymore because they are not allowed to enter the stadium…

That's frankly a UEFA problem and they should have already set limits on minimum opposition attendance and outside obstructions. Wars have been started over football in Europe before.

SgtPepper · Post #166 » by **SgtPepper** » Wed Mar 15, 2023 9:18 pm

2nd half is much better, but Benz's lack of speed relative to the pool back line is shown up even with him making the right decisions. Liverpool have such athletes. Madrid's huge pitch also working against the finishing on both sides.

I want Madrid to buy Firmino this summer on free.

MaliBrah · Post #167 » by **MaliBrah** » Wed Mar 15, 2023 9:33 pm

give me madrid vs city or bayern vs city in the QF!

Need them to have 1 eye on mid week cause a slip up :pray:

SgtPepper · Post #168 » by **SgtPepper** » Wed Mar 15, 2023 9:35 pm

Seems like on course for a draw. Nacho has always been clutch against Pool. I remember the 18 CL final where Carvajal started the match getting torched by Mane before getting injured. Once Nacho replaced him there was no more wing threat.

MetalFingaz · Post #169 » by **MetalFingaz** » Thu Mar 16, 2023 3:14 am

How great would a Napoli-Benfica final be?

Mamba81p · Post #170 » by **Mamba81p** » Thu Mar 16, 2023 5:04 am

magik9113 wrote:Bayern ought to be favorite after yesterday but Benfica-Napoli seems like a legitimate final possibility a la Porto-Monaco

There is a difference to that 2004 final though. Nobody saw that coming, even after the first knockout phase. You had the defending champions Milan, who probably were better than in 2003, Galacticos Real Madrid and invincibles Arensal.

This year Bayern are struggling to put distance in Bundesliga, and even though their defense is the best they had in years, they don't have a striker and Sommer is not Neuer, Real Madrid are 1 year older, and City had some issues in the league. Napoli looked like the best team in Europe all year long.

SgtPepper · Post #171 » by **SgtPepper** » Thu Mar 16, 2023 2:46 pm

I don't think league forms correlates mucg with cl competitiveness. Madrid won the league/cl double 2 of the last 5 times they won the CL, Chelsea's & Liverpool'S CL wins also were informed by prioritizing that competition after they were losing the league.

Also competitive Napoli hasn't been in Europe a full year. I could see them beat Madrid because they are one of the few teams with 2 excellent fullbacks, but I'm skeptical of their attackers. Benfica also hasn't been tested much in the UCL yet. I think their stats will be inflated most among the current cl survivors.

fbalmeida · Post #172 » by **fbalmeida** » Thu Mar 16, 2023 5:04 pm

Benfica has had a lucky draw thus far, being slotted in a group with Juventus as the presumptive 2nd best team, while they were going through all sorts of turmoil. More recently they crushed a rudderless Brugge in the round of 16.

Benfica has been hegemonic domestically, including a win at their bitter rivals FC Porto, and they held their own with two draws against PSG.

Ultimately, I suspect that proceeding any further would depend entirely on the luck of the draw.

I believe we could effectively take both Chelsea and Inter to town.
It would be a winnable tossup against Milan or Napoli.
But our fun CL ride would most likely end against Bayern, Real Madrid, and Man. City. I suspect the winner will stem from one of those three.

magik9113 · Post #173 » by **magik9113** » Fri Mar 17, 2023 5:06 pm

SgtPepper wrote:
Also competitive Napoli hasn't been in Europe a full year. I could see them beat Madrid because they are one of the few teams with 2 excellent fullbacks, but I'm skeptical of their attackers

Hard to find anyone better than Kvaratskhelia and Osimhen on any team anywhere

magik9113 · Post #174 » by **magik9113** » Fri Mar 17, 2023 5:11 pm

magik9113 · Post #175 » by **magik9113** » Fri Mar 17, 2023 5:19 pm

After knocking out PSG, Bayern now face City. tough matchup to call.
I feel pretty good betting on Real, Napoli, and Benfica to go through to the semis

fbalmeida · Post #176 » by **fbalmeida** » Fri Mar 17, 2023 6:43 pm

I'm currently quite busy dreaming up my Benfica - Chelsea finals.

MaliBrah · Post #177 » by **MaliBrah** » Fri Mar 17, 2023 6:52 pm

Draw worked out just how I wanted it too man , good chance at Benfica/Napoli in the final and tough route for City to hopefully take their focus even 1% off a league game and for Chelsea to go home(can't be having them in shambles winning a UCL again) id' quit watching the sport.

magik9113 · Post #178 » by **magik9113** » Fri Mar 17, 2023 10:28 pm

MaliBrah wrote:Draw worked out just how I wanted it too man , good chance at Benfica/Napoli in the final and tough route for City to hopefully take their focus even 1% off a league game and for Chelsea to go home(can't be having them in shambles winning a UCL again) id' quit watching the sport.

I don’t think the bracket allows for a Benfica-Napoli final unfortunately

MaliBrah · Post #179 » by **MaliBrah** » Sat Mar 18, 2023 5:08 am

magik9113 wrote:
MaliBrah wrote:Draw worked out just how I wanted it too man , good chance at Benfica/Napoli in the final and tough route for City to hopefully take their focus even 1% off a league game and for Chelsea to go home(can't be having them in shambles winning a UCL again) id' quit watching the sport.

I don’t think the bracket allows for a Benfica-Napoli final unfortunately

meant either or !

SgtPepper · Post #180 » by **SgtPepper** » Sun Mar 19, 2023 3:59 am

magik9113 wrote:
SgtPepper wrote:
Also competitive Napoli hasn't been in Europe a full year. I could see them beat Madrid because they are one of the few teams with 2 excellent fullbacks, but I'm skeptical of their attackers

Hard to find anyone better than Kvaratskhelia and Osimhen on any team anywhere

Hard to find a Serie A forward who replicates elite form in another league, or even in another season (Lukaku says hi).
Napoli's success with this regime is so new that we don't even know how much of this is player talent vs the coach's system.