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The 2017-2018 Football Thread

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Before today, I had Barca pegged to go through, but I also saw them as potentially the weakest team in the semis. Now they are out after an incredible comeback from Roma...

And Liverpool do the business against City...the disallowed Sane goal is a real talking point. On the other hand, I think it's hard to argue that Liverpool were not the better team over two legs.
 
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Lord Blackadder said:
Before today, I had Barca pegged to go through, but I also saw them as potentially the weakest team in the semis. Now they are out after an incredible comeback from Roma...

And Liverpool do the business against City...the disallowed Sane goal is a real talking point. On the other hand, I think it's hard to argue that Liverpool were not the better team over two legs.
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Liverpool were the better team over all of both legs; they were not the better team for the first half of last night's match, but that was when Manchester City - despite a period of dominance - failed to capitalise on their dominance and to put away their chances (disallowed goal notwithstanding).
 
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Lord Blackadder said:
Before today, I had Barca pegged to go through, but I also saw them as potentially the weakest team in the semis. Now they are out after an incredible comeback from Roma...

And Liverpool do the business against City...the disallowed Sane goal is a real talking point. On the other hand, I think it's hard to argue that Liverpool were not the better team over two legs.
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Congrats. A good game by all accounts. An early night meant I missed it all, but I think Liverpool deserved the win for sure.
Also it's better for the English game if one team doesn't win everything.
 
Apple fanboy said:
Congrats. A good game by all accounts. An early night meant I missed it all, but I think Liverpool deserved the win for sure.
Also it's better for the English game if one team doesn't win everything.
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Not just better for the game in England, but better for the game internationally, too, if the same team names do not automatically reappear each year in the latter stages of this competition.
 
Scepticalscribe said:
Liverpool were the better team over all of both legs; they were not the better team for the first half of last night's match, but that was when Manchester City - despite a period of dominance - failed to capitalise on their dominance and to put away their chances (disallowed goal notwithstanding).
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I think Pep had a point when he essentially complained that Liverpool had several of the big calls go their way. With that being said, I can't count the number of times I've seen the big calls fall for Man Utd, Chelsea, Bayern, Real Madrid, Barca and other "top" clubs over the years. Even the best clubs need a little luck here and there to win the Champions League.

Scepticalscribe said:
Not just better for the game in England, but better for the game internationally, too, if the same team names do not automatically reappear each year in the latter stages of this competition.
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I can't see Juve or Sevilla getting through, but with Liverpool and Roma in the semifinals the draw will at least be a bit less boring. Just imagine if Sevilla somehow got through and then drew Liverpool in the semifinals?? That would be a weird rematch.

Real and Bayern still have to be heavy favorites to contest the final, but they are not invincible and I hope at least one of them gets knocked out in the next round.
 
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Silencio said:
Real has incredibly squandered their three goal advantage against Juve at home!
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Questionable penalty call, and puzzling decision to send of Buffon. But Real Madrid are the bestest and most lucrativest team in the world, don't you know, so we simply can't have them be knocked out before the semis....

I never liked Real much, or Ronaldo, but to see them strut off after this embarrassing "win" is just too much. Revolting.
 
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Revolting indeed.

Gigi pulling a Zindane. Might as well have headbutted the red for effect.

I am glad to see that Zidane did not celebrate, at least in public. Did CR7 at least get a yellow for removing his shirt?

B
 
OK, having watched it again:

1) It's a penalty
2) The red card was probably fair, or at least within Oliver's discretion. Buffon lost it bigtime.

That being said, bah - a very disappointing way to end an exciting tie. I have no loyalty to Juve but Real are just too much...strutting divas who always expect to win and usually get lucky even when they are off their game.

Does anyone other than all the fairweather Real 'fans' really want to see them win the CL again?
 
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balamw said:
Not all of them. Kroos and Khedira looked pretty chill together after the game. It was really just CR7 that took it too far for me.

B
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Fair.

It's always Ronaldo that takes it too far for me. Ramos and Marcelo are usually up for some hysterics as well. At least Pepe is gone now, he has to be one of the top 10 dirtiest elite players of the last two decades.
 
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Juve's reaction has been comical. It was a pen yet they're making it seem like Michael Oliver shot their kids.
 
Alphazoid said:
Juve's reaction has been comical. It was a pen yet they're making it seem like Michael Oliver shot their kids.
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Understandable under the circumstances...I always love to see Real lose so I was emotionally right there with them.

I thought the Liverpool-Man City match was going to be the star of the week, but both of the Italian teams pulled off some epic performances.
 
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Silencio said:
He is by all accounts a great guy off the pitch. Never forgot where he came from, generous and active in his charity work, obsessively hard worker, etc. His on-field actions can certainly go over the top, I don't deny that at all.
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He's a tax cheat, though most rich people are, frankly. I haven't got a problem with his off-field persona, but on the pitch he is the most preening, egotistical diva you've ever seen. The fact that he's also one of the best players in the history of the game allows him to get away with that, but (unlike, for example, what we hear in the eulogies of Ray Wilkins), he will never be seen as a great sportsman or "gentleman" of the game - except in Portugal, where he is a God.

But what can you do? Talent is endowed based on random evolutionary processes. Personality, ethics, and morals, are not factors.
 
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Silencio said:
He is by all accounts a great guy off the pitch. Never forgot where he came from, generous and active in his charity work, obsessively hard worker, etc. His on-field actions can certainly go over the top, I don't deny that at all.
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I don't deny the work ethic, but, hm.......

Apple fanboy said:
Yes I believe he is very generous with his cash!
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Sleazy.

Lord Blackadder said:
He's a tax cheat, though most rich people are, frankly. I haven't got a problem with his off-field persona, but on the pitch he is the most preening, egotistical diva you've ever seen. The fact that he's also one of the best players in the history of the game allows him to get away with that, but (unlike, for example, what we hear in the eulogies of Ray Wilkins), he will never be seen as a great sportsman or "gentleman" of the game - except in Portugal, where he is a God.

But what can you do? Talent is endowed based on random evolutionary processes. Personality, ethics, and morals, are not factors.
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The warmth of the tributes to Ray Wilkins was a tribute to a man who was clearly admired for his exploits on the football field, but was also hugely liked, and enormously respected as a human being.

On a separate - but (football related) topic, the loathsome Barry Bennell has lodged an appeal against his 31 year sentence for child sex offences. A number of clubs have not exactly covered themselves in glory on this matter.
 
Apple fanboy said:
Arsenal are struggling. 3-4 now on aggregate 1 more goal and they are out.
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Ouch.

Was too busy looking at night skies in a different world, and sipping superb French wine, to pay much heed to what was - is - going on elsewhere.

To be honest, (unlike Liverpool who do have a genuine European pedigree), Arsenal - even in the days of The Invincibles - have never performed to the best of their (occasionally considerable) ability in Europe.
 
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