Champions League 2017/18

Is there enough room on all those banners for an extra star?

Stevencc said:

Imagine this place if Liverpool do go on to win a sixth European Cup.

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....or Klopp losing his 6th final in a row ....or nothing of this happens (because Roma is in the final) and Bayern wins its 6th title which is tbh my hope. We need every points we can get in this shitty european campaign otherwise we'll soon be overtrumped by the "Boss-Ligue" (© by mm ) in the UEFA 5 years valuation

Dirk said:

....or Klopp losing his 6th final in a row

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Was thinking about this just this week. It's definitely a monkey he needs off his back.

Bilo said:

According to their forum polls, both sets of fans want us the least. Haven't checked Roma but can imagine they want us the most, and it all makes sense.

Which is fine to be fair if I were Real/Bayern I'd want us in a final rather than over two legs.

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Fans know nothing. Them stating they'd rather have Liverpool than Real or Bayern might be a veiled dig at a the other side, or they're just completely bonkers.

But factually the statement doesn't stack up.

Pagnell said:

I don't believe Liverpool have received enough respect from certain people for defeating the Arabian PR Exercise 5-1 over two legs. That isn't even close - an absolute resounding victory if you like even taking into account a couple of contentious decisions. Imagine if Real or Barcelona had done that with the same scoreline. The likes of Hugh would be on here claiming it was proof that they're in a different league in terms of quality and that that La Liga is far better than the Premiership.

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I would have been, and it have been a correct assertion in the circumstances.

Liverpool did very well to beat Man City, a side more than a bit overrated I feel. The hideously overrated Kyle Walker was ruthlessly and repeatedly exposed over both legs.

However, it of course says nothing about the relative strength of the EPL versus other legs. If Liverpool were to beat Barcelona or Real or Bayern 5-1 over two legs? Absolutely.

As it is, they have the easiest draw they could have receive and could waltz to a final without facing any top European side or anyone with any real European pedigree. They will be massive favourites against Roma, and it would be a shock if they didn't win.

It does remind me of a post I read a few years ago on this forum re. Wilfried Bony. He wasn't a great City signing but at least he's a better player than Dzeko...

Bilo said:

Yeah well Hugh is the kind of poster who sort of adapts his opinions to his personal agenda. Like a politician, he is completely unable to differentiate between what he thinks and what he wants. He adapts the former to the latter.

Aside from him I'd say one problem is that through our style of play, if we have a good game the opposition invariably looks absolute dogshit. Also, on this forum, we put every victory down to the losing side being dogshit. And if we smash Real and then batter Bayern in the final, it'll be because both sides were, you guessed it, dogshit.

I don't mind though we're culprits of the same pattern and I think it's what makes this forum unique, me. 20 million posts and no credit given to anyone.

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Not really, I would probably have a slight preference for Liverpool beating Man City - and they are huge favourites against Roma.

If they do get to the final, whomever the opponent from the other leg, they will be second favourites and will probably lose.

I'm obviously far less biased in this than yourself, given you support one of the teams involved and I have no fondness for any of them.

SALTIRE said:

Roma it is then. Mixed emotions on it. I didn't fancy us against Real over two legs though others have said they'd be harder to beat in a final as it's one chance then. Roma though won't be easy, we have to take a good lead back to theirs; I know it didn't do Barca much good that, but we are a better side than this Barca imo. We can't take these lightly, and I hope Mo will be focused playing against his former side.

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Good lord.

That is up there with a recent post I saw on BBC sport when, after Kane hit a cross that lead to a call some enterprising fan texted in to say he was the "the most underrated passer in world football."

To repeat:

"The most underrated passer in world football".

Were I to have a collection of these it would be Liverpool are better than Barcelona, the above and the assertion that Leicester winning the league was the greatest sporting story of all time.

The hyperbole shall never cease.

Fucking lot of English c***.

St. Juste said:

Fans know nothing.

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Says he whose main argument for Scottish football not declining is attendances ...

Oh well!

the population of rome is almost 10 times greater than the city of liverpool. therefore, roma are massive favourites and it would be a shock if they didn't win. also, scotland are performing well above expectations because kazakhstan or something and that.

St. Juste said:

The hyperbole shall never cease.

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You're full of hyperbole.

Bilo said:

Says he whose main argument for Scottish football not declining is attendances ...

Oh well!

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I wouldn't say that's my main argument, I would counter by requesting the evidence as to how it is declining in an absolute sense.

The fact that French football is better than Scottish football, or Dutch football, is not because the latter two (and all other leagues outside the top 5) have suddenly gotten worse, but rather money has been concentrated in the largest nations.

However, to go back to the point at hand, a fan poll on a website saying Bayern would rather play a side with no recent Champions League pedigree of note, as opposed to the two times consecutive winners, means nothing beyond proving my statement that "fans know nothing".

G.B said:

the population of rome is almost 10 times greater than the city of liverpool. therefore, roma are massive favourites and it would be a shock if they didn't win. also, scotland are performing well above expectations because kazakhstan or something and that.

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Both Liverpool and Roma draw fans from outside their metropolitan areas.

As they do not have to take players from that city alone, as nations do, a far superior measure when comparing club sides is the wage bill of the respective teams. It isn't full proof, obviously, but will give an indication as to who should be expecting to win. Hence why Liverpool beating Man City, and Roma beating Barcelona, were big shocks. Hence also why the other two weren't shocks.

SALTIRE said:

You're full of hyperbole.

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Even that statement is hyperbolic.

Do you still believe that Liverpool are better than a record setting Barcelona side? Who incidentally, recently signed two of the best players you ever had?

St. Juste said:

However, to go back to the point at hand, a fan poll on a website saying Bayern would rather play a side with no recent Champions League pedigree of note, as opposed to the two times consecutive winners, means nothing beyond proving my statement that "fans know nothing".

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Or, you know, that in a tie of two matches "recent Champions League pedigree" doesn't really trump form, style of play and relative strengths and weaknesses.

Bilo said:

Or, you know, that in a tie of two matches "recent Champions League pedigree" doesn't really trump form, style of play and relative strengths and weaknesses.

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Except it does. Real Madrid have beaten PSG and Juventus whilst Liverpool have beaten Porto and domestic rivals Man City. Even the sides Liverpool have beaten have no Champions League pedigree - unlike those defeated by Real Madrid.

Regarding form, style of play and relative strengths and weaknesses - these are all subjective. They might Real Madrid because they understand their style of play better, but that's a bit of a weak argument. If you look at the respective teams of Real Madrid vs. Liverpool - one is clearly significantly better. How many Liverpool players would realistically make it into the Real Madrid team - one?

But anyway, the two giants were drawn together as were the two minnows. Real and Bayern would rather face Roma in the final, there's no doubt about that.

Oh shit, he just dropped the m word.

St. Juste said:

these are all subjective

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Voíla, I thought you missed that part.

St. Juste said:

Except it does. Real Madrid have beaten PSG and Juventus whilst Liverpool have beaten Porto and domestic rivals Man City. Even the sides Liverpool have beaten have no Champions League pedigree - unlike those defeated by Real Madrid.

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Also, regarding this logic, aren't Roma favorites? I mean they knocked out Barca and we only knocked out Man City so and given that X equals European pedigree and Y equals ...

No the more I think of it, the more it makes sense to just look at the teams and make a sober assessment, like the fans who voted in the polls seemingly did. But you have your own fairytale world, as always.

Bilo said:

Voíla, I thought you missed that part.

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It's subjective in the same sense that Oxlade Chamberlain > Ronaldo and Henderson > Kroos are subjective.

Bilo said:

Also, regarding this logic, aren't Roma favorites? I mean they knocked out Barca and we only knocked out Man City so and given that X equals European pedigree and Y equals ...

No the more I think of it, the more it makes sense to just look at the teams and make a sober assessment, like the fans who voted in the polls seemingly did. But you have your own fairytale world, as always.

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In this fairy tale world, the two times consecutive champions are a stronger side than a team who hasn't reached this stage since 2010?

The assertion that Real Madrid are an easier opponent than Liverpool is absolutely ridiculous - I'm astonished you are even arguing against this.

This supposed poll, never actually provided, indicates nothing. For all we know, the Bayern fans want Real because it will be a better tie, and they want an easier finalist. But basing it on form? Unquantified style of play? You're reading far too much into this.

Liverpool were third favourites before the draw, and are the third best side left in the competition. It was a shock they got this far but, rather than enjoying it, are rather asserting that they are much better than the more decorated teams that remain (and Barcelona). You couldn't make it up. And people wonder why nobody likes Liverpool.

St. Juste said:

In this fairy tale world, the two times consecutive champions are a stronger side than a team who hasn't reached this stage since 2010?

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No, just that one could be a preferable opponent. I, for one, would rather have played Real than Roma, despite Real being a better side on paper.

You need to keep two thoughts in your head at once to fathom this, so let's leave it, you won't understand.

St. Juste said:

The assertion that Real Madrid are an easier opponent than Liverpool is absolutely ridiculous - I'm astonished you are even arguing against this.

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Well, I'll try my absolute best to explain this:

Going into the draw, we had three good sides on paper that we could face. Real being the best on paper, Roma being the worst on paper. But the gap in quality does not outweigh the other factors such as style of play, form (Real lost 3-1 at home to Juve and are 4th in La Liga) and general likelyhood to knock us out. But as this involves an English team your judgment is instantly flawed, so take this example:

City are a much, much better side than United as shown in the league. But given the choice to play one or the other over two legs, I and every Liverpool fan in the world would prefer Manchester City. Does this mean we think that United is the stronger side? No, just that our chances are better against City. These aren't mutually exclusive.

St. Juste said:

This supposed poll, never actually provided, indicates nothing. For all we know, the Bayern fans want Real because it will be a better tie, and they want an easier finalist. But basing it on form? Unquantified style of play? You're reading far too much into this.

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We beat City 5-1, Real squeezed past Juve in a horror show at home. They're fourth in La Liga, we're third in the Premier League. And then you got the style of play, but I don't know Bayern enough to properly go into that. What I'm saying is, you can't stare yourself blind at the names on a paper and then go "this is the best team for you because they have the worst players". It doesn't work like that and football would be incredibly boring if it did.

St. Juste said:

Liverpool were third favourites before the draw, and are the third best side left in the competition. It was a shock they got this far but, rather than enjoying it, are rather asserting that they are much better than the more decorated teams that remain (and Barcelona). You couldn't make it up. And people wonder why nobody likes Liverpool.

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This is exactly how I'm enjoying it mate. Arguing on forums regarding our chances in a semi-final draw is fucking heaven, and we've waited 10 years for it, rather than 8 as you incorrectly stated.

Edit: I notice that Real have managed to get ahead of the European giants Valencia in their own league to third in the table, so we're both third.

Found on "another forum":

A few stats on the remaining four teams in this seasons champions league. Best attack best defence.

Liverpool: Total Goals 33, Total Goals Against 7.
Bayern Munich: Total Goals 23, Total Goals Against 8.
Real Madrid: Total Goals 26, Total Goals Against 12.
Roma: Total Goals 15, Total Goals Against 12.

And Records...

Most goals scored in a season
45 from 16 games (av. 2.81) FC Barcelona 1999/00
41 from 13 games (av. 3.15) Real Madrid CF 2013/14
36 from 13 games (av. 2.77) Real Madrid CF 2016/17
35 from 12 games (av. 2.92) FC Barcelona 2011/12
35 from 12 games (av. 2.92) Real Madrid CF 2011/12
35 from 16 games (av. 2.19) Real Madrid CF 2000/01
35 from 17 games (av. 2.06) Real Madrid CF 1999/00
35 from 17 games (av. 2.06) Real Madrid CF 2001/02

So Far
33 from 10 games (av. 3.3) Liverpool FC 2017/18

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Bilo said:

Found on "another forum":

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A few of those Clasico sides didn't win the CL that season, so while our numbers are very impressive, unless we go on to win the thing they count for nothing.

Rome is a team that can bother everyone, but it is not the favorite against liverpool. We must not just look at the return match against Barcelona.

Rome often has difficulty in scoring, because it does not realize enough. And away from home, in the Champions League, he took many goals (12 in 5 matches)

this is my prediction for tonight:

Liverpool - Rome 3-1

Yeah thinking 3 - 1 as well. It could be very tight though, and I was heard that Liverpool have not won the first leg of a European semi in the last 7 attempts! (D3 L4). Still got a great record of getting to finals despite that though.

Has anybody recognized that Heynckes could reach his 4th Champions League final?

The fact becomes more impressing when you realize that he took part only four times. 1998 with real 2012, 2013 and 2018 with munich

Lumped some dolla on Mo Salah to score anytime. Don't let me down boy

mente captus said:

Has anybody recognized that Heynckes could reach his 4th Champions League final?

The fact becomes more impressing when you realize that he took part only four times. 1998 with real 2012, 2013 and 2018 with munich

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Hope he does.

Nerves have been in check till now, guts are beginning to go. Either that or its the beetroot juice I was drinking earlier.

Roma knobheads attacking an old fella, classy.

'According to the Sunday Times’ Jonathan Northcroft, there has been some violence outside the stadium. “Roma fans have just attacked Liverpool supporters with belts, outside the Albert. About 20. One guy down getting treatment,” he wrote on Twitter. “The Roma group came out of Venmore St, and attack was sudden. Picked an older Liverpool fan and attacked him. A lot of police around but they were slow on the scene. Poor guy is still down. Horrible stuff. Roma group were chased down the street before police arrived.”

They are charging at Liverpool fans and they are understandably responding. Christ this is depressing that the 80's seem to be back. Let's fucking hope we do them like we did in the 80's. Wanna fucking batter them now, home and away. Bunch of c***.

We get it BT, the linesman's flags are fucked.

Ahhhh Mane! Two excellent chances.

Ox looked bad, think thats a season ender.

Good spell for Liverpool this.

Oh Mane, having one of those games so far!