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Champions League Quarter-Final Draw

When Di Matteo took over at Chelsea we were 3 0 down in the first leg vs Napoli ….. Roberto had done ok at Mk dons and WBA …… the rest is history 

this can be done 😊

 
I don't know whether it's the optimism or the St Patrick's day pints but I'm happy we've got Real Madrid. We should have beaten them last year so we've fit the chance to avenge it this year.

 
Out of the 3 teams (+ Napoli) I wanted us to avoid, Madrid our probably the most beatable across two games imo. I think Bayern and City have the better squads and are better sides currently, despite Real being the reigning world champions. 

This is the conclusion of the triology for us after never drawing each other in KO football in the UCL, we get each other 3 seasons straight. Funny how football works. As others have mentioned before the big players have to be up for it and these are games we cannot afford to be missing chances. We must be ruthless in front of goal. 

So important now to build up form in the league, we need to be playing at our highest optimal level for the rest of the season to have any chance of doing the unthinkable for the 3rd time. 

Personally I don't think Real will win again this season, I think were they to get past us, Bayern have too much for them. I also think if City make it past Bayern they will win the UCL it just feels like this may finally be there season with how much weaker the other side of the bracket is, even if they get Napoli providing Pep doesn't Pep it up they should be favourites. 

Drawing City for the third time in a KO will be rough though if both English sides do progress. I hope Mount recovers form too, we need the bulk of our UCL winning side back to their best to overcome a Madrid side that can struggle with fast, physical football which we can play.

Right now I suppose we can't look past Madrid, I think they're favourites especially considering the context of our season and tbf there's they won't win the league so this is their season and ours. Think Anceolotti probably outfoxes Potter over two games, yet strangely Potter seems to cope well in the UCL. I'm curious more than optimistic or pessimistic of our chances, if Potter takes us to the semis I think that will give him more credit in the bank I suppose.

 
LongtimerLurker said:
I hope Mount recovers form too, we need the bulk of our UCL winning side back to their best to overcome a Madrid side that can struggle with fast, physical football which we can play.
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Realistically, I can only see 3, maybe 4 max, of the CL winning team playing in this QF tie :

Mendy - probably not going to replace Kepa after so long out of the team, even if recovered from injury

Azpilicueta - no way he'd be picked ahead of Fofana at RCB, or James at RWB/RB

Thiago Silva - probably still going to be unavailable due to injury ?

Rudiger - left club

James - YES

Jorginho - left club

Kante - a big risk due to lack of match fitness/sharpness. Not sure either that he even gets in the team in a double pivot ahead of Enzo and Kovacic.

Chilwell - YES

Mount - question marks over injury status and loss of form ... 

Havertz - YES

Werner - left club

 
Enzo, Silva, and James on yellow cards. 

Question must be asked if we should leave them out of the 1st leg in favor of going all out in the 2nd? Where cards reset in the semi-finals?

 
Sconnie Blue said:
Enzo, Silva, and James on yellow cards. 

Question must be asked if we should leave them out of the 1st leg in favor of going all out in the 2nd? Where cards reset in the semi-finals?
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Too big a gamble for me.

Even with them Real have the potential to take the tie away from us in a half, imagine if they do it via Vini JR destroying Azpi and/or pressing the crap out of whoever the hell we put in Enzo's place to great sucess. Potter would get crucified.

 
Deino said:
If the players can't get up for the CL, then they don't deserve to be here
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Absolutely right.

Personally I reckon players should be up for every game.

But some games are very special and bring out something in a team that wasn't evident before.

 
Sconnie Blue said:
Enzo, Silva, and James on yellow cards. 

Question must be asked if we should leave them out of the 1st leg in favor of going all out in the 2nd? Where cards reset in the semi-finals?
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Silva likely won't be back from his injury. 

Have to play our best players. If Real do to us what they did to Pool in the first leg then we would have zip all chance in the return leg, with or without Enzo and Reece.

We need a result in Spain, we need out best team to shut down Vini Jnr and cut off Benzemas supply line.

 
We also need to defend a lot, lot better than yesterday.

Reals team after watching our defending vs Everton:

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if Liverpool were demolished at home in the 1st leg 5:2 just imagine us at Bernabeu on the 12th of April

painfull reality check yesterday

 
mojo said:
if Liverpool were demolished at home in the 1st leg 5:2 just imagine us at Bernabeu on the 12th of April

painfull reality check yesterday
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two different competitions 

lets wait and see

yesterday was a decent performance until potter make the subs

 
Real Madrid lost tonight against Barcelona, who had 17 shots on goal (encouraging !)

Bayern also lost today, and have now been displaced as Bundesliga leaders by .... Dortmund ... LOL

I really do think both these teams in our half of the draw are beatable, even by Potter 🙂 . City are the ones that worry me though ... 

 
Sexyfootball said:
Real Madrid lost tonight against Barcelona, who had 17 shots on goal (encouraging !)

Bayern also lost today, and have now been displaced as Bundesliga leaders by .... Dortmund ... LOL

I really do think both these teams in our half of the draw are beatable, even by Potter 🙂 . City are the ones that worry me though ... 
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yeah me too

and good thing is that second leg is in london and not madrid

 
On the downside, Madrid will be able rest players just like us heading into the tie. Of course they are beatable, but it will take something exordinary on both sides to make it happen.

 
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