Apologies if there is already a dedicated thread to general Chelsea Champions League discussion somewhere, if so then mods please feel free to delete this thread.

 

Possible opponents in the last 16 include;

 

Bayer Leverkusen, Galatasaray, Olympiakos, Zenit St Petersburg or AC Milan.

 

Draw on Monday.

Can we have a dedicated thread to general Napoli Champions League discussion?

 

I'll start ..

 

       

Pretty good options to be honest as no heavyweight came second.

AC Milan have had a terrible season and really don't have a great squad.

Leverkusen are having a good Bundesliga campaign, but I worry for a team that loses 9-2 to Man U over two games.

Zenit are dire, in my opinion and should be dealt with, but going to Russia in February is never fun.

Olympiakos aren't great. They are consistent at reaching this stage and then not much further.
 

Galatasary are struggling in the league, but have two players who know how to win the biggest games in Sneijder and Drogba.


Galatasary would be the best for obvious reasons, but they would provide a reasonable treat, and anything can happen in Istanbul. I would honestly be happy with any of those teams, especially as the second leg would be at the bridge. Perhaps AC Milan are the happy medium, as we wouldn't take them lightly due to their name, but they are not as good as some of the over sides in there.

Would be great to see Drogba vs Terry..

Just as long we dont get Zenit, i wouldnt mind who we get

Zenit are very poor tough. However alot of our lads wouldn't fancy a cold February night in St Petersburg

Dunno why you guys wanna play Galatasaray. They are the only team that worries me, they have Diddles and Sneijder not to mention some good Turks

Can we have a dedicated thread to general Napoli Champions League discussion?

I'll start ..

I was hoping Napoli would go through so that we could poach someone from Dortmund in January

I'd love us to draw Galatasaray if only for the welcome Drogba will receive at the bridge. It's not often we get to see a living legend return to play against us, and an occasion like that would be very special for him as well.

I'd love us to draw Galatasaray if only for the welcome Drogba will receive at the bridge. It's not often we get to see a living legend return to play against us, and an occasion like that would be very special for him as well.

True, but can you imagine if he dived against us and won a decisive penalty?

Don't think he'd do it out of respect, but you never know in a high stake game!!

Easiest possible team there is please. I dont want Drogba anyone near this team. Imagine him at corners and set plays

Lucky for us he doesnt seem to like playing against his old teams, he was so sh*t when we he played for us against one of his old teams.

I don't know, each to their own I guess, but some things are worth more to me than a straight forward 2-0 aggregate win over Zenit St. Petersburg.

I think on current form we will really struggle no matter who we get.

Personally I really hope we don't go to Zenit. It's always a hard fixture, in freezing cold and on an artificial pitch.

I think on current form we will really struggle no matter who we get.

Personally I really hope we don't go to Zenit. It's always a hard fixture, in freezing cold and on an artificial pitch.

But they are the worst team in that pot and are completely flakey. The first game would be a drab 0-0 or 1-0 Zenit win, but we'd annihilate them at the Bridge. They really are poor.

In my opinion it really doesnt matter who you play cause to win he UCL u gotta play the best to be the best

In my opinion it really doesnt matter who you play cause to win he UCL u gotta play the best to be the best

But it does matter for momentum building and I think playing a good team in a latter round is a leveller.

If we were to play Bayern next round (I know we can't), I would be pretty sure that we'd be heading out. They are a far better team and should deal with us. But I think in the semi-final other factors start to come into play like nerves etc. It is when cup style football is in full-swing and the game is as much about mentality and tactics as it is about player skill. It is important to gain momentum throughout the tournament, and gradually go through the gears as your opponents improve.

The final can seem a long long way away when drawn against a heavyweight in the second round. But if drawn against say, Olympiakos, you begin to feel very confident and can see your passage for a successful tournament.

Also do you actually have to play the best teams to get far. I'll give you Man United's passage to the 2011 Champions League final as an example:

Group: Valencia, Rangers & Burasspor

Knockout: Marseille, Chelsea (we were undergoing our worst run of form in a decade), Schalke.

Give me that run to the final anyday.

Also do you actually have to play the best teams to get far. I'll give you Man United's passage to the 2011 Champions League final as an example:

Group: Valencia, Rangers & Burasspor

Knockout: Marseille, Chelsea (we were undergoing our worst run of form in a decade), Schalke.

Give me that run to the final anyday.

 

You could also nominate our run to the final in 2008 as well. And bar the semi final second leg we were pretty terrible in of those most matches too.

You could also nominate our run to the final in 2008 as well. And bar the semi final second leg we were pretty terrible in of those most matches too.

Oh yeah, that is probably a better example especially in the knock out round.

I remember how terrible we were against Fenerbache as well and we really bumbled our way past those. Liverpool dominated us in the first leg, but Riise handed us the initiative to be able to have a all or nothing game at the bridge.

The draw does matter a lot in my opinion, as 2008 showed you can play very badly and get to the final so long as your opposition along the way are weak.

In my opinion it really doesnt matter who you play cause to win he UCL u gotta play the best to be the best

 

Youre delusional if you think the opponents on the way to the final dont matter

 

A hard CL run means you have to be at the top of your game in each match, you cant afford to rest players, you pick up more cards, your domestic form suffers more . . .

 

Also, youre bound to get f**ked over by a ref in at least 1 match. Id rather it happened against Galatasaray than against lets say Real Madrid. We had 2-3 ridiculous penalty decisions go against us the Europa League last season but it didnt matter because it was against sub par opposition.

Edited December 12, 201312 yr by Lane

I actually hope we play AC Milan. They look extremely average this year and I think we would beat them quite concisely. 

For some reason, i feel we are going to "randomly draw" galatasaray.  for obvious reasons.  it makes for a great media story. 

 

would prefer zenit or olympiakos. 

I think we;'ll get AC Milan.

I would like AC Milan.

Leverkusen wouldn't be a bad draw, if United can beat them that badly I'm sure Chelsea will be able to win.