Calibandar Posted August 31, 2007 Share Posted August 31, 2007 I'd predict: Group A Liverpool Porto Marseille Beşiktaş Group B Chelsea Valencia Schalke 04 Rosenborg Group C Real Madrid Werder Bremen Lazio Olympiacos Group D AC Milan Benfica Celtic Shakhtar Donetsk Group E Barcelona Lyon Stuttgart Rangers Group F Manchester United Roma Sporting Dynamo Kiev Group G Inter PSV Eindhoven CSKA Moskva Fenerbahçe Group H Arsenal Sevilla/AEK Athens Steaua Bucureşti Slavia Praha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mme Erzulie Posted August 31, 2007 Author Share Posted August 31, 2007 I'd predict: Group A Liverpool Porto Marseille Beşiktaş Group B Chelsea Valencia Schalke 04 Rosenborg Group C Real Madrid Werder Bremen Lazio Olympiacos Group D AC Milan Benfica Celtic Shakhtar Donetsk Group E Barcelona Lyon Stuttgart Rangers Group F Manchester United Roma Sporting Dynamo Kiev Group G Inter PSV Eindhoven CSKA Moskva Fenerbahçe Group H Arsenal Sevilla/AEK Athens Steaua Bucureşti Slavia Praha I just agree, is all. Liverpool got off easy, Arsenal even easier. ManU a big harder, but they disposed of Roma last year, so they should be alright. Very clear favourites in all the groups, only possible upset is in the Chelsea group. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cteresa Posted August 31, 2007 Share Posted August 31, 2007 about the CL draw, I am still only concerning with local groups . Too many teams to be able to properly follow all those groups yet. Consensus round here is that Porto got the easiest draw ( typical. bastards), and Sporting got the toughest draw ( typical as well) - not sure what Benfica´s chances are though, last year from the same group Celtic went through ( btw strangely enough of last year´s group stage teams, Benfica has been drawn against one on the preliminary phase ( Copenhagen) and now gets another one ( Celtic) on group stage. Getting Man Utd later on would not be bad it would be a sign we went through at least. Oh and Man Utd are coming to play in Lisbon agin, third year in a row, but this time Sporting, who is getting to see their precious favorite baby again ( with a nod in the direction of João Moutinho as well). Wearing red of course :lol I want to watch that game, however it goes it will be remembered for a long while here - lots of opportunities for teasing sportinguistas, perhaps. Not that i would actually of course go watch a Sporting game at Alvalade, am talking tv of course ( Portugal´s games at Alvalade are of course acceptable. as are movies). UEFA cup draws, oh my, poor Belenenses got Bayern Munich, and some other portuguese team got Leverkusen. But Bayern, ouch. OTOH, even if it was just a friendly, Belenenses almost drew Real Madrid in the pre-season. Not looking hopeful to Belenenses, but still Jorge Jesus, come on, the guy will now cower against any team. Jorge Jesus força. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squiddly Posted August 31, 2007 Share Posted August 31, 2007 Pretty much agree with the others, except Group B....I have the strangest feeling Rosenborg will take Valencia with Schalke 04 swooping in to take the 2nd place, leaving Valencia third. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Inquisitor Posted September 1, 2007 Share Posted September 1, 2007 Forgot to comment. Was at the Bernabeu last Sunday. Excellent derby, fast paced, not at all with the slow rythm of the first few weeks in the season. Atletico were up with just 50 seconds in the game. A monumental gaffe by the whole squad defending a corner kick. But, the team reacted. Raul who was the man of the match, equalised 10 minutes later. And after a match with plenty of opportunities for both sides, in which Atletico were being dominated for most of the game, Sneijder made it 2-1 with a strategic set play. 1- Schuster's Real Madrid is different. Hardly spectacular, but a great deal more vertical and fuid and joyful than Capello's (we shall see wether he actually wins. Capello in that respect is IMHO the best manager in the world... he is simply a winner). Robinho has free rein, which is what suits him, and the creative guys ar not enclosed by the system design. Except for the first part. Sneijder played as a faux left interior. Was missing for 45 minutes. In the second half... astounding. He is the player that has so far reminded me the most of Zidane since he left. Of course, there's no point of comparison, but since he left no one in a white jersey had shown that view of the game and that ability to read a match. He stepped and led the team for 20 minutes, and made every correct decision in his passing game, opened every single ball as it it required, and continually asked his companions for diagonals at the back of the defensive line. Pomising, very promising indeed. Can't wait to watch him play again. A bit of fluke in his goal though 2- Drenthe. What I've seen from him has been good. Can't defend for crap, but he is fast, an athletic freak, joins cheerfully the attack, has a sound left foot and a good dribble. Left his back exposed a number of times. Must work harder that parcel of the game if he wants to become a good fullback. In short, the closets there is to Roberto Carlos, without being him. I think he might retain that position over Heinze. (I hope he does, as Mormont said, I do not credit the argentine a bit) 3- Robben will not make his debut for a month. Ominous indeed... not physically fit yet... will this be the regular tendency? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daeric Posted September 1, 2007 Share Posted September 1, 2007 I almost feel sorry for Derby, almost Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mme Erzulie Posted September 1, 2007 Author Share Posted September 1, 2007 Ah, Liverpool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H von T Posted September 1, 2007 Share Posted September 1, 2007 Oh, Tottenham. Thank you for making my day today. If the Spurs lose to Arsenal next week Jol has to be a goner. I hope Fulham stays up. Their defense is crap, but the cottagers are fun to watch. Is the Sun a legit paper in the UK? I saw the story about Ronaldo and the prostitutes, but none of the soccer sites have mentioned it. What self-respecting Red Devil can't pull a chick in Manchester? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calibandar Posted September 1, 2007 Share Posted September 1, 2007 Loras Drenthe is not a full back, but an offensive midfielder. It's possible that Real will be able to convert him into a full back over time simply by putting him in that position, but it's not what he is now. Generally: Fantastic Liverpool match today, 6-0 against Derby. Torres looks sharp and very fast, Babel is in excellent form, even Voronin strikes me as a very useful sub. Excellent work on midfield by Alonso and Mascherano. Man U struggled again. I saw Carrick was out, I hope they didn't prefer Hargreaves because they actually think he's better, but that Carrick was injured. No Giggs either, plus Ronaldo and Rooney out of course. But here comes Saha back and immediately he scores. Anderson hasn't been given a chance to show himself yet. Nani looks dangerous but not on the same level as Ronaldo ( as expected). He could be a good Giggs replacement this season when Giggs is out. I have to say Tevez is a major disappointment sofar. He's slow, makes no dribbles and certainly hasn't scored or even created a few chances. Nope. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isis Posted September 2, 2007 Share Posted September 2, 2007 Is the Sun a legit paper in the UK?Meaning what? It's a rag. But sport news is different to 'real' news over here. So chuffed about how we got to be top of the league. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJDonegal Posted September 2, 2007 Share Posted September 2, 2007 Spurs were mugged. I love it. Up the Gunners! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cteresa Posted September 2, 2007 Share Posted September 2, 2007 Is the Sun a legit paper in the UK? I saw the story about Ronaldo and the prostitutes, but none of the soccer sites have mentioned it. What self-respecting Red Devil can't pull a chick in Manchester? The Sun pretty much hates Cristiano Ronaldo´s guts. IIRC the Sun was pretty vocal and brainless in assigning Cristiano official scapegoat status for England not winning the 2006 world cup. A wink, ya know ( which he does a lot, anyway). In 2004 IIRC the sun blamed urs meier who retired from refereeing, in 1998 it was Beckham wasn´t it? But Beckham was english anyway. Checking the story, oh, if that is news. I am outraged at some source calling Ronaldo brazillian ( well it could have been the other one, loras will know the rumors better, but legend has it he once had a birthday party in Madrid to which he hired a full BUS of prostitutes. ) who cares anyway? Not ilegal in the Uk is it? About this Ronaldo, a while ago some magazine first page had a quote from him saying he was not married or with any commitment so he did not owe justifications about his personal life to anybody in the press. got a point there. drinking seems more likely to affect performance. Or even worse, emotional upheaval, local news ( well, first pages glanced in magazine stands, I don´t buy those papers), but two years after his father´s death his mother is being treated for cancer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLU-RAY Posted September 2, 2007 Share Posted September 2, 2007 None too happy about the Liverpool blowout, but at least Chelsea have them at Stamford Bridge next match, rather than away. They need some goals, though, both Arsenal and Liverpool are outpacing them in differential. ETA: Fuck, Villa just scored. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isis Posted September 2, 2007 Share Posted September 2, 2007 who cares anyway? Not ilegal in the Uk is it?Yes. Ha. Gutted, Chelsea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isis Posted September 2, 2007 Share Posted September 2, 2007 it was so funny that i said it twice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Baelish Posted September 2, 2007 Share Posted September 2, 2007 People said the league would be more challenging this season. They were right. First Man Utd have a wobble, and now Chelsea have been beaten by Villa. And Villa deserved their win, too. Chelsea didn't have a shot on target in the second half. Young and Agbonlahor looked very good for Villa. Good to see two young Englishmen with such pace and ability. Arsenal also win, and look comfortable despite playing 40 minutes with 10 men. No team that has played 5 games is still unbeaten, though 4 are unbeaten with a game in hand. Shaping up to be an interesting season, though the top 4 will almost certainly be the same teams as the last few years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Antonius Pius Posted September 2, 2007 Share Posted September 2, 2007 I've got the feeling Chelsea in particular are losing ground. Two years ago, everything they touched turned to gold, that's long gone these days. They're actually struggling to get the results, and have to really fight for it. A few years ago, the goals always fell eventually. Seems that untouchability has dropped further since last year. Good! I think Man U have been living a bit "above their means" last year. IMO, they weren't as good as they were made out to be, or appeared because their opponents dropped the ball. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJDonegal Posted September 2, 2007 Share Posted September 2, 2007 Ronaldo was United last season. It's that simple. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mme Erzulie Posted September 2, 2007 Author Share Posted September 2, 2007 Meaning what? It's a rag. But sport news is different to 'real' news over here. So chuffed about how we got to be top of the league. And good going, Villa! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Inquisitor Posted September 3, 2007 Share Posted September 3, 2007 Villareal were destroyed in home soil by Real Madrid: 0-5 Boy, this Sneijder chap is playing some phenomenal footie... scored twice in that rout, and played superbly... so as it happens, he is the current "Pichichi" of the Liga... Superb player!! By the way, that was a nice by Rui Costa, Teresa... I guess old rockers do not die! Thankfully! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.