2008/2009 Champions League

[Stout]

C'mon, Mulli...can't go over to the Sundy thread and respond? I take my lumps when my team's down.

 

[Mulli]

C'mon, Mulli...can't go over to the Sundy thread and respond? I take my lumps when my team's down.

Wow, I didn't even know.

 

[BirdMan21]

Great highlight video of Del Piero's free kicks so far this champions league (and the one against Roma a couple weeks back thrown in for good measure)

http://videos.sapo.pt/R4eELEAmS59pD9B3Iekm

 

[BirdMan21]

Knockout draws

Chelsea v Juventus
Villarreal v Panathinaikos
Sporting Lisbon v Bayern Munich
Atlético Madrid v FC Porto
Lyon v Barcelona
Real Madrid v Liverpool
Arsenal v AS Roma
Internazionale v Manchester United

 

[Chaplin]

Knockout draws

Chelsea v Juventus
Villarreal v Panathinaikos
Sporting Lisbon v Bayern Munich
Atlético Madrid v FC Porto
Lyon v Barcelona
Real Madrid v Liverpool
Arsenal v AS Roma
Internazionale v Manchester United

Wow, Chelsea/Juve and Real/Liverpool are real tough draws. Should be some great games though.

 

[BirdMan21]

Wow, Chelsea/Juve and Real/Liverpool are real tough draws. Should be some great games though.

Ya, I am really starting to question the randomness of the draws. All of the big clubs are playing each other. And all of the talk from people wanting to compare EPL to Serie A, so they get 3 matches to watch. Then throw Ranieri going up against his old team in Chelsea and I just really have to wonder. But it will give us 4 great matches to watch.

Chelsea v Juventus
Real Madrid v Liverpool
Arsenal v AS Roma
Internazionale v Manchester United

 

[Mulli]

Any of these on ESPN2?

 

[BirdMan21]

Any of these on ESPN2?

They haven't released what games will be on TV cause its still so far out. But you can guarantee one of the EPL teams will be on Tuesday and one on Wednesday on ESPN2 live. The other will be on ESPN Classic directly after each day.

 

[Compa]

Ya, I am really starting to question the randomness of the draws. All of the big clubs are playing each other. And all of the talk from people wanting to compare EPL to Serie A, so they get 3 matches to watch. Then throw Ranieri going up against his old team in Chelsea and I just really have to wonder. But it will give us 4 great matches to watch.

Chelsea v Juventus
Real Madrid v Liverpool
Arsenal v AS Roma
Internazionale v Manchester United

This restores my belief that the draw is random. A bunch of the really big clubs won't make it to the QFs, and some of the second-tier big clubs play each other and are guaranteed a spot in the next round.

 

[Shzm13]

Holy cow those sound like amazing matches.

Inter-ManU should be good as well

 

[BirdMan21]

This restores my belief that the draw is random. A bunch of the really big clubs won't make it to the QFs, and some of the second-tier big clubs play each other and are guaranteed a spot in the next round.

I see it the other way. They couldn't guarantee that the big teams would win this round, so why not get some great matches for sure. Cause right now they will end up with 6 out of 8 teams in the next round being big clubs....and they get 4 amazing matches this round. Sounds like a damn good situation.

 

[Chaplin]

What's appropriate is that Lyon gets their draw with (IMO) the best football team in the world right now. lol

 

[slinslin]

Why would anyone want to compare Serie A to EPL?

Serie A is on the decline, not even a top three league anymore.

Of the big clubs Barca and Bayern obviously got the easiest draw and it would be a shock if they dont advance easily, they were the best 2 teams in the first round so I guess they earned their draw.

 

[Chaplin]

Why would anyone want to compare Serie A to EPL?

Serie A is on the decline, not even a top three league anymore.

Of the big clubs Barca and Bayern obviously got the easiest draw and it would be a shock if they dont advance easily, they were the best 2 teams in the first round so I guess they earned their draw.

Damn right, they are the 2 best teams. But Juve beat Real Madrid twice, so this whole thing about Serie A on the decline doesn't hold a lot of water.

 

[gr000000vy]

1- English Prem
2- La Liga
3- Serie A
4- Bundesliga

Would would seriously bet against Inter beating Bayern?

 

[slinslin]

Of course, anyone who would bet on Inter against Bayern doesn't know soccer very well I think.
Call me when Inter actually wins something, they also got beat by Bayern 2 years ago when Bayern was weak.

Serie A is worse than Bundesliga, Not if you compare just the top 3 but if you compare teams 1 through 18 the Bundesliga is much stronger. This is also true for La Liga. Aside from the big teams the spanish league is very weak.

Also take into account that the style of play is more attractive, the stadiums are the best in the world with the best infrastructure and sold out almost always sold out.

Just based on attendance the Bundesliga also clearly trumps the EPL, it's too bad the top teams haven't been successful since 2001 in the champions league.
There is just no Pay-TV market in germany and the top teams can't sell their rights individually. The league sells the rights and the small teams become a larger share of the money than in any other league.

That and the fact that german clubs have to be fiscally conservative. One can only hope that Platini enforces this for every club in the world so that teams like Manchester United aren't allowed to have more than 1 billion dollars in debt but still pay silly transfer fees while teams like Bayern Munich are a few 100 millions in the plus and can't or won't pay those fees.

 

[Chaplin]

Of course, anyone who would bet on Inter against Bayern doesn't know soccer very well I think.
Call me when Inter actually wins something, they also got beat by Bayern 2 years ago when Bayern was weak.

Serie A is worse than Bundesliga, Not if you compare just the top 3 but if you compare teams 1 through 18 the Bundesliga is much stronger. This is also true for La Liga. Aside from the big teams the spanish league is very weak.

Also take into account that the style of play is more attractive, the stadiums are the best in the world with the best infrastructure and sold out almost always sold out.

Just based on attendance the Bundesliga also clearly trumps the EPL, it's too bad the top teams haven't been successful since 2001 in the champions league.
There is just no Pay-TV market in germany and the top teams can't sell their rights individually. The league sells the rights and the small teams become a larger share of the money than in any other league.

That and the fact that german clubs have to be fiscally conservative. One can only hope that Platini enforces this for every club in the world so that teams like Manchester United aren't allowed to have more than 1 billion dollars in debt but still pay silly transfer fees while teams like Bayern Munich are a few 100 millions in the plus and can't or won't pay those fees.

Slin, I don't think you're going to have good luck convincing anybody. You're German, after all and live in a city with a Bundesliga team.

I personally think La Liga is better than the Bundesliga and that Serie A is even with it.

But who really cares? Why are you consistently trying to make this some sort of popularity contest?

 

[gr000000vy]

I love the stories in Bundesliga right now... Klinesman in Bayern.. Landy in Bayern... Podolski wanting out... Jol doing well with Hamburg and of course how can you not love Hoffenheim right now.. I've watched more German soccer this year than I ever have and I am enjoying it.

I could see someone try to make an argument from top to bottom it's on par with Serie A and maybe one day that will actually happen but to suggest it's on par with the English or La Liga is laughable... Talk about a league that is deep right now Tott'ham is in the drop zone...

 

[slinslin]

I didn't make an argument for the Bundesliga being deeper then the PL. It's impossible with all their investors and being allowed to accumulate massive amounts of debts without being penalized.

But the Bundesliga is much much deeper than Serie A and also deeper than La Liga.

Bundesliga is the most competetive league #2 through #16 at least. There is no team that can match Bayern but plenty that can step up when Bayern doesn't have a great season like Stuttgart and Bremen in the last years.

Also Tottenham isn't a great team by any means. They haven't achieved anything in a long time and wouldn't be a top team in the Bundesliga.

Soccer badly needs a new transfer system, maximum wages and maximum transfer fees.

 

[Milgod]

Just based on attendance the Bundesliga also clearly trumps the EPL,



Lets not get carried away now. They average a couple of thousand more, not much really. Plus they have two less teams, so easier to average a higher attendance. The lower leagues in England also take more fans away from the Prem as well.

As for the standard of the leagues. I would have it like this -

1 - Premier league
2 - La Liga
3 - Serie A
4 - Bundesliga

You could have amde an argument a couple of years ago when AC and Juve were in trouble, but add those two teams back (as they are now) and there is just more overall talent in the league. It closer than 10 years ago, but Germany still has a way to go yet.

 

[Chaplin]

Just based on attendance the Bundesliga also clearly trumps the EPL,



Lets not get carried away now. They average a couple of thousand more, not much really. Plus they have two less teams, so easier to average a higher attendance. The lower leagues in England also take more fans away from the Prem as well.

As for the standard of the leagues. I would have it like this -

1 - Premier league
2 - La Liga
3 - Serie A
4 - Bundesliga

You could have amde an argument a couple of years ago when AC and Juve were in trouble, but add those two teams back (as they are now) and there is just more overall talent in the league. It closer than 10 years ago, but Germany still has a way to go yet.

I think the difference between the 4 top tier leagues is much, much smaller than the difference between these 4 and the 2nd-tier leagues. We're really talking semantics here.


Also keep in mind that the best team in the world is in La Liga.

 

[Milgod]

Who do you mean? Barca? Not sure i'd agree there.

The best team in the world is in English League One, they wear all white (Real Madrid copied them), play at Elland Road and have the best supporters in the World.

 

[Chaplin]

Who do you mean? Barca? Not sure i'd agree there.

The best team in the world is in English League One, they wear all white (Real Madris sopied them), play at Elland Road and have the best supporters in the World.

Huh? Are you serious? It must be a fan thing--there is no doubt that Barca is the best team in the world right now.

 

[BirdMan21]

Starting to get pumped for this week. Really hoping that Juve can pull off a 1-1 draw or at worst at 2-1 loss...we really need that away goal. If it goes back to Turin with an away goal down 1 or tied its over.

Man U/Inter - Live on ESPN2 (Tuesday)
Barca/Lyon - Delayed on ESPN Classic

Juve/Chelsea - Live on ESPN2 (Wednesday)
Pool/Madrid - Delayed on ESPN Classic

FORZA JUVE!!!

 

[Chaplin]

Starting to get pumped for this week. Really hoping that Juve can pull off a 1-1 draw or at worst at 2-1 loss...we really need that away goal. If it goes back to Turin with an away goal down 1 or tied its over.

Man U/Inter - Live on ESPN2 (Tuesday)
Barca/Lyon - Delayed on ESPN Classic

Juve/Chelsea - Live on ESPN2 (Wednesday)
Pool/Madrid - Delayed on ESPN Classic

FORZA JUVE!!!

Well, Del Piero, Amauri and Camoranesi should be well rested, and Buffon is playing lights out right now, so I'm not too worried about Chelsea (who is a bit overrated IMO).

Looking forward to Barca/Lyon. Worried about Arsenal/Roma, and don't think Bayern will have much trouble with Sporting.

Games of the week will definitely be Juve/Chelsea, Real Madrid/Liverpool and Inter/Man U. I only like one of those teams (Juve), but the games should be great.