Champions League/Europa League 2016/17

[Candy_Licker]

Well, well, well, things happen and we have the final 16! Barcelona can draw PSG as they do every year, City can draw Napoli, Arsenal are now primed to draw Real Madrid or Bayern Munich, whichever is stronger, and many other interesting combinations are available. Does anybody know when the draw for the 1/8 finals is to take place? This week? Next?

Monday I think.

What a great group stage that was for BVB. 2 new records set, group winners and 2 late equalizers against Real. Think they aren't too furious about second place.

Really enjoyable stuff. People are slating the bloated CL, but the matches were really great since Real, Sporting and even Legia tried to play football What a nice contrast to the Bundesliga, where 80% of the teams just destroy the game and try to hit us on the break.

[Basileos Leandros I]

This week, on Friday, we have the draw.

[Halie Satanus]

Monday 12th.

Yep, fully expect Arsenal to draw Real or Bayern Munich or the worst team in the round and still get beat. Things are just going to well at the moment.

[Knight of Heaven]

It will be december 12. Next monday.

Usualy it is on fridays, but they changed i guess.

[Basil II the B.S]

Bayern-Arsenal and PSG-Barcelona are the big matches next turn.

PSG will start to feel like Ac Milan used to, picking Barcelona every year in a row.

[Gallus]

Bayern-Arsenal and PSG-Barcelona are the big matches next turn.

PSG will start to feel like Ac Milan used to, picking Barcelona every year in a row.

It's ridiculous, no matter what Arsenal and PSG do, they always get a top 5 team in the first round.

[Basil II the B.S]

Though if you want to get to the end, sooner or later you have to face those. If you can't go through them, then you probably don't deserve to go that far.

[Gallus]

Yeah but it's easier to get to the end if you're facing Benfica and Sevilla before the semis than if you're facing Bayern and Barca. You can get away with a bad game against Benfica, but a bad game against Bayern means it's over.

[Candy_Licker]

It's ridiculous, no matter what Arsenal and PSG do, they always get a top 5 team in the first round.

Was their own fault in past years though. They always were in pot 1 yet made nothing out of it.

[Treva ★]

Well, well, well, things happen and we have the final 16! Barcelona can draw PSG as they do every year, City can draw Napoli, Arsenal are now primed to draw Real Madrid or Bayern Munich, whichever is stronger, and many other interesting combinations are available. Does anybody know when the draw for the 1/8 finals is to take place? This week? Next?

Called it! At least Arsenal will finally have the second leg at home (they'll draw Barça for the QF if they get through here)

Though if you want to get to the end, sooner or later you have to face those. If you can't go through them, then you probably don't deserve to go that far.

Riiight. This very same year, Madrid faced Roma, Wolfsburg, and a collapsing Manchester City, then Madrid barely scraped a draw against Atlético (Griezmann had a penalty saved IIRC).
Meanwhile, the four teams which had last knocked out Madrid in either the Copa del Rey or Champions League eliminated each other: Bayern-Juventus in the 1/8 finals, Barcelona-Atlético in the QF, then Bayern-Atlético for the semis. Randomness seems to be imperfect, and seemed that way even before Blatter admitted that he knew the draws were fixed.

[Petrucci]

@haile you wish is granted!

[Basil II the B.S]

Called it! At least Arsenal will finally have the second leg at home (they'll draw Barça for the QF if they get through here)

Riiight. This very same year, Madrid faced Roma, Wolfsburg, and a collapsing Manchester City, then Madrid barely scraped a draw against Atlético (Griezmann had a penalty saved IIRC).
Meanwhile, the four teams which had last knocked out Madrid in either the Copa del Rey or Champions League eliminated each other: Bayern-Juventus in the 1/8 finals, Barcelona-Atlético in the QF, then Bayern-Atlético for the semis. Randomness seems to be imperfect, and seemed that way even before Blatter admitted that he knew the draws were fixed.

Though Blatter run FIFA. UEFA draws are rigged as well? It wouldn't surprise me.

[Treva ★]

Well, Øvrebø was never investigated after his performance in Chelski-Barcelona.

[Knight of Heaven]

Yeah but it's easier to get to the end if you're facing Benfica and Sevilla before the semis than if you're facing Bayern and Barca. You can get away with a bad game against Benfica, but a bad game against Bayern means it's over.

In theory anyway. I actualy dont see Arsenal, a superior team then benfica, or Sevilla. Well specialy so, i mean.

[Treva ★]

PSG not worth their millions

Let's change that.

Ozil's goal was sublime - that was just pure class. So elegant. And the composure was mighty.

Not the same as the one he scored today.

[Halie Satanus]

Oh dear ing god....

10 - 10 ing goals for Bayern.... This has to be the lowest point I can recall for Arsenal. Even worse than the 8 Utd hit us for, at least we can blame that on having a piss poor team back then. Even blaming the ref for his terrible decisions doesn't excuse this....

[Macunaíma]

You can blame him for the 5 of today's match, at least. He ended the game for Arsenal after that ridiculous penalty and red card. Of course Bayern still deserved to pass, but solely because of the first leg.

I don't get why you still keep Wenger, though. He should've been gone for a long time now.

[jurcek1987]

To me that was a clear penalty (but so was the foul by Alonso on Walcott) just not sure about the red card. But who knows what Koscielny might have said to the referee after he was given a yellow. But it's still no excuse for the team to fall apart like that, just like in Munich and many other big games over the last few years (6:0 vs Chelsea, 6:3 vs Man City, 5:1 vs Liverpool, that was in 2013/14 alone). This team is mentally weak and disorganised and the fault lies with Wenger mainly. But the media rather criticises Sanchez for having a wee giggle with Cech when he's one of the few players that care

[Basil II the B.S]

Al Thani btfo.

[HigoChumbo]

Well, wow. For those who didn't watch the Barça-PSG, it's the biggest comeback in the history of the Champions League.

Barça deserved the win, and even as a Madrid fan, I'm glad they sent home a team that did nothing but park the bus with a 4 goal advantage. That said, shameful display by the refs. They ate the constant dives by Neymar and Suárez and gave away two non-existent penalties out of them. This continuous unsportsmanlike attitude by some players makes one get really fed up with football.