The Official UEFA Champions League Thread, 2012-13

[Venti Quattro]

The final will be exciting as , i'll probably be pulling for Dortmund.

This game will be filled with bad blood, will be exciting to watch.

[DAF86]

there's a part of luck sometimes to reach the SF. A team like Juve is better this year. And they have regressed from last year (the only year they were top 4 imo).

That's pure speculation on your part. You can get lucky and get to the semis ONE year, maybe win it all like Chelsea last season, but making the semis three years in a row isn't luck. Consistency isn't luck.

[sonic21]

also Madrid needs to have an elite striker. benzema and higuain are not enough tbh

[lefty]

This game will be filled with bad blood, will be exciting to watch.

yup

Cant wait

Plus both teams are fun to watch

[Venti Quattro]

[lefty]

Best league in the W losing 1-8 to Germany



DAF

[IronMaxipad]

[DAF86]

Best league in the W losing 1-8 to Germany



DAF

Never said the Spanish League was the best in the World, tbh. I just called your stupid asses when you guys said that the Spanish league wasn't on the level of the EPL () and the others. It's clear that the Spanish league is a top tier league no matter what your ignorant dumb opinion repeating asses say, tbh.

BTW the SL was a miracle away from having 3 out of 4 in the semis.

[Venti Quattro]

Germany just fired the warning shot for the 2014 WC.

[lefty]

Germany just fired the warning shot for the 2014 WC.

Nah


Germany is going to underachieve in the WC




Again

[pookenstein]

LOL @ doing this when FCB is up 4:0 in the semis!

Its like putting on the Spurs Jersey when they are up 2:0 in the Finals.

I'm a member of that club since I was born.

[Venti Quattro]

Nah

Germany is going to underachieve in the WC

Again

Didn't you just watch Bayern and Dortmund dismantle two teams which basically ARE the members of the Spanish MNT?

[DAF86]

Nah


Germany is going to underachieve in the WC




Again

Since when losing to the World champs on extra time of the semis is underachieving?

[mudyez]

I'm a member of that club since I was born.

I'm sorry for you, but at least you like the Spurs as well.

[lefty]

Didn't you just watch Bayern and Dortmund dismantle two teams which basically ARE the members of the Spanish MNT?

Meh

Still not convinced

And the man who destroyed Madrid is not German

They were favorites along with Spain to win the last Euros and they got Balotelled


The German NT has a bunch of mental midgets

[pookenstein]

I'm sorry for you, but at least you like the Spurs as well.

Don't be. I got the best of two sports. What are you besides Arsenal? The typical Bayern hater? Or do you have a club in the Bundesliga as well?

[lefty]

Pooky has always been a Bayern fan

Unlike me with United

[Jodelo]

also Madrid needs to have an elite striker. benzema and higuain are not enough tbh

[MannyIsGod]

LOL .

Glad I didn't come in and LOL Barca before the game.

[resistanze]

Since when losing to the World champs on extra time of the semis is underachieving?

If you count Euro 2012, then I'd agree they've underachieved internationally. Losing to Italy in the semis was definitely a letdown.

And they lost in regulation to Spain in WC 2010 and in the finals of Euro 2008, although I'm not blaming them for that.

[Venti Quattro]

How German math works: B4rcel0na + M4dr1d = 8pa1n

[lefty]

If you count Euro 2012, then I'd agree they've underachieved internationally. Losing to Italy in the semis was definitely a letdown.

And they lost in regulation to Spain in WC 2010 and in the finals of Euro 2008, although I'm not blaming them for that.

Yeah it was close in the WC or in the 2008 Euros, but its that little gap that separates men from boys

[scott]

Germany was a very different team in 2008 than they were in 2010, and 2014 will be even significantly more different. I'm a little concerned who will start at LB and ST for Germany, but other than they are pretty ing solid.

I imagine they will play some form of a 4-5-1. If they want to be more attacking, it will look like this:

-----------------Gomez??------------------
---Gotze----Reus--------Muller------Ozil----
--------------Schweinsteiger---------------
--Schmelzer?--Badstuber--Hummels--Lahm--
------------------Neuer--------------------

If you want to be more defensive, go to a 4-2-3-1 with Kediera. On the bench you also have Kroos, Podolski, Klose? and youngsters like Schurrle, Marin, Holtby, etc. If not Badstuber at CB, then Boateng or Howedes.

Don't know who else would play LB if not Schmelzer. Not a lot of German fullback depth right now that I'm aware of, which makes it weird that Fabian Johnson and Timmy Chandler were so easily allowed to go play for the US.

Anyway... the 2006 WC and 2008 EC squads were still relying on Ballack, Metzelder, Mertesaker, etc. Much different team today, lots of young talent.

[pookenstein]

Spain was lightyears better in 08. 2010 we closed the gap a bit, but couldn't climb over the hill. If Löw hadn't ed with our lineup 2012 and we didn't the bed against Italy I think we would have had a decent chance to win against Spain.

They still would have been the favorite but we would have had a chance.

-----------------Gomez??------------------
---Gotze----Reus--------Muller------Ozil----
--------------Schweinsteiger---------------
--Schmelzer?--Badstuber--Hummels--Lahm--
------------------Neuer--------------------

In that scheme you need to swotch Müller with Özil. I also think that Löw would go with Khedira instead of either Reus or Götze and possibly let either/or play as striker in certain games. He tried it a couple of times in the last few games.

[DAF86]

Yeah it was close in the WC or in the 2008 Euros, but its that little gap that separates men from boys

Well in '08 and '10 most of these Germans that shine today were actually boys. And in '14 guys like Casillas, Xavi, Xabi Alonso, etc. won't be exactly that, tbh.