cl semi's

James B · Post by **James B** » Tue Apr 28, 2009 7:16 pm

looking forward to these games, starting tonight with barca v chelsea and the rags playing arsenal tommorow.

hoping barca crush all in their path personally, doubt it'll be anywhere near that simple though, while they have been consistently mesmerising this season it will be interesting to see them tested. they've dropped puyol as well which is an odd one.

on with the show.

Verbal · Post by **Verbal** » Tue Apr 28, 2009 7:30 pm

Worth remembering that while Barca have been by and large awesome, their hiccups mean they're only 4 points clear of Real Madrid, with El Clasico just around the corner, and that could very well be a title decider.

But I do hope barca crush Chelsea, and hopefully it'll be a barca/arsenal final. Just want to see that little imp Messi torture Bosingwa.

Tombwfc · Post by **Tombwfc** » Tue Apr 28, 2009 8:01 pm

It'll be Chelsea - United. Too big, too strong.

Athletes > Footballers.

FD · Post by FD » Tue Apr 28, 2009 8:47 pm

Dull as dishwater so far...

Worthy4England · Post by **Worthy4England** » Tue Apr 28, 2009 9:14 pm

FD wrote:Dull as dishwater so far...

Yup. Maybe we've been spoilt watching 4-3 thrillers against Chelsea with our open attacking brand of play. Barca should request the video from us.

wovlad · Post by **wovlad** » Tue Apr 28, 2009 9:23 pm

Tense & bitty game though but this will suit Chelski more than the Catalans. They're going to have defensive problems in the second leg, Marqez after going down with what looks like a bad knee injury looks a major doubt & Puyol definately misses the return with a suspension.

TANGODANCER · Post by **TANGODANCER** » Tue Apr 28, 2009 10:07 pm

Looked more like a "The ones in yellow will defend, the red and blues attack" training excercise. Chelse got away with murder with the foul on Henri in the box. Some dodgy decisions all round but I wouldn't write Barca off yet, Stamford Bridge or no. Messi, Eto'o and Inniesta ran rings round the Chelsea defence but couldn't finish. Not over yet methinks.

Prufrock · Post by **Prufrock** » Tue Apr 28, 2009 11:16 pm

Tombwfc wrote:It'll be Chelsea - United. Too big, too strong.

Athletes > Footballers.

This. Arsenal have a chance if United are still jaded, but Chelsea will steamroller Barca. Poor poor game tonight, Barca lacked tempo, and, for some reason, despite skinning Bosingwa twice in the first 15 mins Messi pissed off infield all game. Very much a case of 0-0 job done for Chelsea. Drogba won every first ball all game, and at Stamford Bridge there will be players to pick up those knockdowns and second balls. Chelsea will grind them down, but it wont be pretty.

Prufrock · Post by **Prufrock** » Tue Apr 28, 2009 11:17 pm

wovlad wrote:Tense & bitty game though but this will suit Chelski more than the Catalans. They're going to have defensive problems in the second leg, Marqez after going down with what looks like a bad knee injury looks a major doubt & Puyol definately misses the return with a suspension.

Not seen any analysis, but Marquez looked like pulled hamstring, which is three weeks at least. Puyol is suspended, so that leaves....erm...

KeeeeeeeBaaaaaaab · Post by **KeeeeeeeBaaaaaaab** » Wed Apr 29, 2009 1:09 am

Prufrock wrote:
wovlad wrote:Tense & bitty game though but this will suit Chelski more than the Catalans. They're going to have defensive problems in the second leg, Marqez after going down with what looks like a bad knee injury looks a major doubt & Puyol definately misses the return with a suspension.
Not seen any analysis, but Marquez looked like pulled hamstring, which is three weeks at least. Puyol is suspended, so that leaves....erm...

Not seen any analysis either, but looked to me like he did his knee. The knee jarred, which means it's likely to be ligament damage, maybe even cartilage if it jarred severely. See Darren Bent's leg buckling on Saturday, though, if you want to see how much impact is required for it to be that. When the hammy goes, it's likely to be in much more dynamic circumstances than that, and there's no deviation to the movement of the leg as seen tonight.

H. Pedersen · Post by **H. Pedersen** » Wed Apr 29, 2009 4:41 am

wovlad wrote:Tense & bitty game though but this will suit Chelski more than the Catalans. They're going to have defensive problems in the second leg, Marqez after going down with what looks like a bad knee injury looks a major doubt & Puyol definately misses the return with a suspension.

There's Karma for you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cD8szbc ... re=related

chester white · Post by **chester white** » Wed Apr 29, 2009 7:14 am

Hope tonight is better, I've been offered a ticket in the Arsenal end tonight at the match for face value. I wasn't sure and still know it will feel wrong going there and not watching the Whites, but I don't think I'll manage to see many Champions League semi-finals, and because I won't have to sit on my hands in the Arsenal end I'm gonna take it.

Frandsen08 · Post by **Frandsen08** » Wed Apr 29, 2009 9:02 am

a bit of a bore, but i still think barca have enough quality to beat them at the bridge,

and my gut feeling is that arsenal will nick a goal tonight and beat them at emirates maybe its because im anti-united but i think arsenal over two legs will beat them

BWFC_Insane · Post by **BWFC_Insane** » Wed Apr 29, 2009 9:27 am

Lack of an away goal could cost Chelsea.

However, they did a great job of making Messi totally anonymous.

If they get an early lead at the Bridge and repeat their defending, then they can win.

FaninOz · Post by **FaninOz** » Wed Apr 29, 2009 9:46 am

BWFC_Insane wrote:Lack of an away goal could cost Chelsea.

However, they did a great job of making Messi totally anonymous.

If they get an early lead at the Bridge and repeat their defending, then they can win.

Yes I agree, fancy Barca going through on the away goals rule now, as I don't think that Chelsea will keep them out for another 90mins.

Also fancy Arsenal if they can get an away goal at United tonight.

blurred · Post by **blurred** » Wed Apr 29, 2009 9:47 am

Really want Barca to go through - makes work a lot easier for me, and I'd rather be in Rome with just the one set of English fans rather than two.

Prufrock · Post by **Prufrock** » Wed Apr 29, 2009 4:02 pm

KeeeeeeeBaaaaaaab wrote:
Prufrock wrote:
wovlad wrote:Tense & bitty game though but this will suit Chelski more than the Catalans. They're going to have defensive problems in the second leg, Marqez after going down with what looks like a bad knee injury looks a major doubt & Puyol definately misses the return with a suspension.
Not seen any analysis, but Marquez looked like pulled hamstring, which is three weeks at least. Puyol is suspended, so that leaves....erm...
Not seen any analysis either, but looked to me like he did his knee. The knee jarred, which means it's likely to be ligament damage, maybe even cartilage if it jarred severely. See Darren Bent's leg buckling on Saturday, though, if you want to see how much impact is required for it to be that. When the hammy goes, it's likely to be in much more dynamic circumstances than that, and there's no deviation to the movement of the leg as seen tonight.

Fair enough, I was just going from where his hand went straight away. BBC news says knee injury anyways. So he's definately out, as is Puyol. If Drogba turns up I can't see anything other than a Chelsea win.

Prufrock · Post by **Prufrock** » Wed Apr 29, 2009 4:41 pm

"It's never easy to play well when the opposition is not playing football" Guardiola talking shit. That's straight out of the Arsene Wenger book of excuses. I suppose I'm in the minority who actually want Chelsea to win, then we can put to bed this myth of Spanish football being better than the Prem. If you've seen a lot of games, and believe that fair enough, but so much of it is spouted by people who have seen one Barcelona game. They are by far the best Spanish team to watch, and the reason is this season Guardiola has got them fit, and so they play at a higher tempo, and press really far up the pitch, kinda like how... English teams play. I've seen about one game a week of La Liga this season, and sometimes it's very good, and sometimes it's very bad, like all football leagues. The constant play acting, waving of cards, and gymnastic theatrics drives me mental though. Me and my friend end up shouting 'get up' about two or three times a game. It's like a league of CRons and Drogbas. The reason I prefer our game is the tempo, yes a midtable team in Spain, will probably put more passes together than Wigan, but they won't go anywhere with it.

Also, the standard of defending really is shocking. Last night was the first time Barca have failed to score at home this season, and there's a reason for that. Not only that but I thought Chelsea looked comfortable until the last ten minutes. Barca were only ever one pass away from scoring you felt, but when their team includes Xavi, Iniesta and Messi, you've got to suggest that it's more to do with quality defending, than poor attacking. Chelsea went for a 0-0 and got it. It wasn't pretty, but they'll be happy with it. And they won't set out so deep or negatively next week, and I think they'll have too much for Barca.

Personally I'd rather see an end to end, 1-1, with quality attacking AND defending, than an 8-7 error fest. If that's what people want, you shoulda come film the under eleven's team I used to manage, we won a game 20-odd nil once, it was so exciting I LOST COUNT how many goals we scored.

Yes the Premier League is up it's own arse, yes it is overhyped, but that's because football is up it's own arse, football is overhyped. Yeah, Wigan-Bolton this weekend probably won't be a classic, but most games probably won't be classics, that's why classics, are classics.

superjohnmcginlay · Post by **superjohnmcginlay** » Thu Apr 30, 2009 10:11 am

I should be used to it by now but the Ronaldo is a c*nt of the highest order.

Lord Kangana · Post by **Lord Kangana** » Thu Apr 30, 2009 10:16 am

superjohnmcginlay wrote:I should be used to it by now but the Ronaldo is a c*nt of the highest order.

As Samuel Johnson once said "A man who is tired of calling Ronaldo a c*nt is tired of life". Or something.

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