Champions League 09/10

[The Special One]

Bayern should've been dead and buried countless times in this competition and yet they still breathe. Call them lucky or whatever, they sure are some resilient SOB's.

As for tonight's game, Olic's goal was the turning point for me. If that first half had finished 3-0 like it probably should have if we look at the first half performances of both teams, United would have most likely gone and won the game comfortably. Up until that point, United were the only team on the pitch. They were looking extremely confident going forward and very assured at the back. The midfield was under control, Robben and Ribery were nonexistent. In short, they were up for it. But the goal changed the game as it gave Bayern hope and they started believing again. That's when they realized, "Hey, this doesn't have to be another Barcelona for us!" Add to that a good half-time talk from van Gaal and they were pumped up and ready for the second half. The sending off obviously came at a fantastic time for them and, harsh though it may have been, I believe it was the correct call.

[The Special One]

watching the game today, i felt that if we were there instead of united we wud have pounded them to shreds...true united did very well, but i was seeing gaping holes in the bayern's either flanks, which our dani alves,abidal wud run into+ xavis incisive pass wud have ripped them like a cracker.... united lacked a midfielder like xavi who wud have given them much more control and dagger passes...No disrespect to united but if we were there the score wud hav been 5-0 or 6-0...their goalkeeper and fullback is a joke.

You can't say that. Football is never that simple and United played an excellent game until Olic scored.

But I have to admit that it would be rather interesting to see that clumsy Badstuber trying to contain Messi.

[Mgz]

It was a deserved yellow anyway, Viva. Rafael was very stupid in both fouls.

I don't think the second one is, Bobo, there were enough niggly fouls the referee let go in that game and to give Rafael his second yellow for a tug on the arm is a strange decision in the context of the game. There was a Byaern challenge that merited a straight red card in that game and the ref could have easily levelled it up, so I do feel as though the things that could have gone either way went in Bayern's favour. It's football though. Anybody who watched that game from an unbiased point of view could see that we were just the superior outfit 11 for 11. The Germans have somehow managed to sneak their way past bothFiorentina and United, now, both ties where, on reflection, they never deserved to win.

true, 11 vs 11 MU vs Bayern was like Barcelona vs Arsenal, I were so amazing at the fluid and speed and the passing and team work of MU for the 1st half that I keep thinking is that Barca in red shirt lol...

now I want Lyon to /end Bayern now, they're so lucky SOB vs Fiorentina and United and sometime in this game luck is everything.

[Viva_Ronaldo]

watching the game today, i felt that if we were there instead of united we wud have pounded them to shreds...true united did very well, but i was seeing gaping holes in the bayern's either flanks, which our dani alves,abidal wud run into+ xavis incisive pass wud have ripped them like a cracker.... united lacked a midfielder like xavi who wud have given them much more control and dagger passes...No disrespect to united but if we were there the score wud hav been 5-0 or 6-0...their goalkeeper and fullback is a joke.

Well, we probably would have scored one or two more had we not gone down to 10 men right at the beginning of the second half. We created chances with 10 men and our wingers and fullbacks were certainly tearing their defense apart as much as can be expected at that level of the game.

Ribery is very overrated, too. Robben had a couple of moments in the game and was the better of the two, but Ribery was in Rafael's back pocket until he got him sent off.

I think Barca would have won against Bayern, yes. Our problem was playing so poorly at the Allianz arena, conceding nothing goals in both legs and some of the strange decisions in the game. Why, if Rafael got sent off for two fouls in the entire game is Van Bommel still on the pitch after 5 or 6? And at Old Trafford, not at their place. A missed opportunity. There's just one thing I hope for the rest of the Tournament now and that's that good football wins it, and that's most likely to come from Barca. I pray Bayern don't win it. My estimations of their "philosophy" has gone way down after that second leg. Targetting Rooney's ankle, trying to get players booked and sent off. I would say the same thing if a player in a Manchester United shirt behaved like that on the football pitch. It's the wrong way to play the game and, to be honest, who outside of Munich is going to appreciate that kind of football? Nobody.

But I have to admit that it would be rather interesting to see that clumsy Badstuber trying to contain Messi.

Roast Badstuber. Valencia is a very good player, too, though. He's been playing very well recently.

[profit007]

No english teams in semifinals . This my dream. This what happens when EPL has a lot of good teams they just can't distribute energy evenly for national and European competitions - one day you play Manchester City, after this Chealsea and you just don't have energy for Bayern.

[Decanus]

I read SAF was mad about the red card and made an insulting remark about Germans. I don't know if it's true, but if so, I'm glad Bayern booted United out, even though I prefer Dortmund in Bundesliga!

[Viva_Ronaldo]

I read SAF was mad about the red card and made an insulting remark about Germans. I don't know if it's true, but if so, I'm glad Bayern booted United out, even though I prefer Dortmund in Bundesliga!

He said: "typical Germans" regarding the way they surrounded the referee to get Rafael sent off. The fact is, it isn't just German teams that surround the referee, virtually every team does it. Heat of the moment. He'd just seen his side go out of the champions league, and it isn't surprising he felt the injustice of it as United manager. Most people say stuff like: "typical Italians, typical Mancs, typical Scousers, typical Germans," etc, etc, and nobody thinks anything of it, so I don't see why we should make a big deal about it now because Fergie says it.

[Decanus]

That's why I said I had just read he made a remark. I did not know what the remark was. It's dumb to me to make public comments of any kind about any group, regardless of the context. Over here in the States, people do make major issues out of stuff like that. Very rarely is there a comment where no one makes anything of it. What Rafael did was stupid and did deserve another card.

[Blugrains4life]

Im going to have to agree with Viva here...the second yellow was unecessary with CONTEXT to the game that was being played. I know must of us here are very happy with all English teams being eliminated, and for me its a little bit bitter/sweet because IF we manage to pass thru Inter most of us will feel like we SHOULD have HUGE chance of winning it again since bayern and lyon dont appear to be at the same level as us...which kind of takes a bit of excitement off the final. None the less Ill be happy to see us win it. Ive seen many games where defenders grab, pull on shirts..etc and get no yellow...YES the rules say they are but the ref is the person who really dictates that....just like penalty calls, intentional hand balls etc...the whole RULES ARE RULES concept doenst really apply in football...because the Ref is the person who makes the calls and yes the Ref did appear to be on Bayerns side ...altho we all can agree that with 11 men and perhaps a 100% rooney...bayern wouldnt be in the semis...they go lucky against 2 sides now...but this is football just need to accept the fact that ANYTHING can happen in this sport and that is why so many people continue to watch it because the BETTER team doesnt always necessarily win.

[pabz]

Honestly I'm happy all the EPL teams have been knocked out. CREAM...Cash Rules Everything Around Me.

[Viva_Ronaldo]

Im going to have to agree with Viva here...the second yellow was unecessary with CONTEXT to the game that was being played. I know must of us here are very happy with all English teams being eliminated, and for me its a little bit bitter/sweet because IF we manage to pass thru Inter most of us will feel like we SHOULD have HUGE chance of winning it again since bayern and lyon dont appear to be at the same level as us...which kind of takes a bit of excitement off the final. None the less Ill be happy to see us win it. Ive seen many games where defenders grab, pull on shirts..etc and get no yellow...YES the rules say they are but the ref is the person who really dictates that....just like penalty calls, intentional hand balls etc...the whole RULES ARE RULES concept doenst really apply in football...because the Ref is the person who makes the calls and yes the Ref did appear to be on Bayerns side ...altho we all can agree that with 11 men and perhaps a 100% rooney...bayern wouldnt be in the semis...they go lucky against 2 sides now...but this is football just need to accept the fact that ANYTHING can happen in this sport and that is why so many people continue to watch it because the BETTER team doesnt always necessarily win.

Quite right. Knockout football is always a bit like that but the best teams do tend to do the best over a number of years.

[andygoona]

for all the critics of the EPL,it is still the best league in the world........and the hardest to win!!! as a gooner who is still hurting from Wednesday evening,i hope Manure slip up v Blackburn and you smash Real this weekend.
Arsenal dont play till wednesday so at least we can rest our weary bodies.

and a quick reminder to VIVARONALDO that it was your club that wrote the book on surrounding refs and influencing them,so what happened Wed. v Bayern is karma.

[Viva_Ronaldo]

for all the critics of the EPL,it is still the best league in the world........and the hardest to win!!! as a gooner who is still hurting from Wednesday evening,i hope Manure slip up v Blackburn and you smash Real this weekend.
Arsenal dont play till wednesday so at least we can rest our weary bodies.

and a quick reminder to VIVARONALDO that it was your club that wrote the book on surrounding refs and influencing them,so what happened Wed. v Bayern is karma.

Oh right, this coming from an Arsenal fan whose team loves to draw the referee's attention to any foul, no matter how minor, in the premier league. Got it. Wolves would certainly have a different opinion to you on which English club like to surround the referee the most. We both know who it is.

As for your comment about the premier league still being the best in the world, being the most exciting doesn't make it "the best". What's made the premier league good this season is the number of teams like Tottenham, Villa (and Man City, begrudgingly), who have made it diffiult for the usual candidates. We aren't the best league in the world financially. Not when you look at the brute facts. All the big clubs are struggling for cash and players will continue to go to Spain for tax breaks as long as the pound weakens. It's swings and roundabouts when it comes to comparing the top leagues in Europe.

[BarcaFan4eva]

Ribery given a straight red card that surely didn't look like a red to me.

I guess the Italian ref already thinks Inter is in the final and would rather them face Lyon than Bayern...

As long as we dont have a German/French/Portuguese ref for our 2nd leg!

[Viva_Ronaldo]

Ribery deserved to be sent off for a bad bad challenge, but the Germans are up to their usual dirty tricks. Surrounding the referee, rolling around after challenges, etc. The Lyon guy should never have been sent off. Bayern Munich are scum.