General Chat / Football Topic

When the draw was made, group G imo was the hardest - Betis were awesome last year but as the season has gone on they've got progressively worse and worse domestically. But the champions and one of the strongest 3 teams in Europe (undisputedly surely Barca, Chelsea and Milan) is very harsh.

Based on last year's performances the Milan group is very strong, I agree. Although PSV have had something of a clear out (Van Bommel, Park, Bouma, Lee) I just don't think you guys are the force you were last year. So for me the group's not that strong... I hope PSV get through though because they deserved a place in the final last year and they play attacking football. And it has to be said, they are fast becoming a Premiership feeder club... Man Utd alone have had 2 world class players from PSV in recent years.

As for the unresolved groups - I hope, and am confident Udinese will join Barca in C, Man Utd are back to full strength and you'd have to back them to pick up an away win in Portugal, and Villareal to at least get a draw, PSV and Milan in E, although Schalke probably have a good shout at PSV's spot, and I still reckon Porto will bounce back in the last group.

Its fenerbahce that really has a shot for psv's spot... or atleast, to hand it over to Schalke... Schalke has a shot at Milan's spot. (or... PSV's if PSV manages to lose to Fenerbahce at home *shudders at thought*..

Anyways... outcomes:

Schalke beats Milan, PSV beats/ties Fenerbahce: Shalke + PSV through
Schalke beats Milan, Fenerbahce beats PSV: Shalke + Milan through
Schalke ties Milan, PSV beats Fenerbahce: PSV + Milan through
Schalke ties Milan, Fenerbahce beats/ties PSV: Schalke + Milan through
Milan beats Schalke, Fenerbahce beats/ties PSV: Schalke + Milan through
Milan beats Schalke, PSV beats Milan: Milan + PSV through.

(my money would be on the last one..)

I really think PSV is better this year than most of me could have ever hoped for. Indeed we don't have a lot of the players we had last year but when you look at players like Aisatti and Afellay performing against AC Milan you just have to think whoa. Then there's this Culina guy who is doing pretty well in the regular season, and this incredible player Koné who can't play in the champions league till after the knock-out phase. And really, PSV right now (last year too... why the hell did the management not let Hiddink buy Robinho?) just needs a good striker. And Koné definitely has the potential to be more than just that, and he's already, imo, incredibly more valuable than Vennegoor for PSV atm. He has a way of letting the ball stick to his feet like glue, which unfortunately Vennegoor does not.. Vennegoor is the kind of striker that's great to put in at the 70/80th minute to break the tired defence down.

Anyways, i agree with you that G has Chelsea and Liverpool and Betis is pretty good as well. Anderlecht is just a nothing in that group though, meaning out of the three teams there are really only two real competitors. When you pair them up, Chelsea-Milan, PSV-Liverpool, Schalke-Betis, Fenerbahce-Anderlecht, the only real big difference, imo, is in the last one.

Andrlecht: 0 points in CL, aigain...

that makes you smile?

All true - except I think Liverpool are significantly better than PSV - the players have the European experience and Benitez has more CL finals than any other manager still around I believe.

And in all fairness - Anderlecht gave Chelsea a run for their money in the first tie of the group - if it weren't for a poor piece of keeping and a goal post the score might have been quite different.

I think Milan is ahead of Chelsea, and i somehow would have had a very good feeling in the finals last year if PSV was there instead of Milan. The final was strange, really, really strange, but all in all, Milan was SO much better the first 45 minutes. They were never that much better against PSV. This is all opionated bullshit, of course, and i see that ;P. Anyways, PSV isn't what it is last year, i'm just hoping that with Koné they'll be better. To underestimate PSV this year is forgetting that Hiddink always exceeds all expectations. Like beating Uruguay?

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Liverpool will be the team to beat now its reached the next stage.

Topping the "group of death". And once again blanking chelsea out.

I'm glad Psv went through also instead of either schalke or fenerbache, makes the competition much harder. And i think we will get PSV next round (dont know why).

Although i would prefer to get ajax, so i can goto amsterdam again. 3 times in the space of a year would be wonderful

Amsterdam sucks. Eindhoven is waaaay better. I live there (Eindhoven)


Anyhow.... FORZA PSV 2-0

Amsterdam sucks? Best put you back to the hardcore party you belong haha.

Scarface! You went to amsterdam a couple of time this year? Awesome, any places in particular you liked? I'm guessing you went to Paradiso, Escape, and Melkweg? Hopefully going to one of the latter tommorrow, getting kind of sick of always heading out to Paradiso ;P.

Onto the soccer bit, i'd like PSV to play liverpool as that was so close to being the final last year! And i can't wait to see how Koné does in the CL. I hope PSV can achieve what they did last year again, or better, even.

I'm so happy they beat Fenerbahce, even though there were such large periods of them being better. No real big chances though, so i think the score line was definitely ontrack with the way the teams played. imo.

Who doesn't want ajax at the moment though? Can PSV even get ajax next round? that'd be awesome.

You cant get ajax next round.

Yes i went twice this year.

United are out which was brilliant to watch. The look on fergusons face.

Benefica! Hahaha! Power to the Portuguese!

I've got money on Liverpool to win it again.

Great draw on all fronts. Big teams going out and we got benfica. Portugal for a few days will be nice !

Chelsea Barca, Lyon PSV... deja vu.