UEFA Champions League thread

[KaaN10]

because you can't commit your best squad to both league and champions

You have to prioritize one of the competitions at the pointy end of the season

They are professional footballers playing for the best teams in the world.

They can handle a few extra fixtures a month.

[Neville Neville]

More clubs should do what Arsenal do by eliminating those choices through being absolutely shite during February every year.

But I agree with Kaan here. Every time in their history that Manchester United have made a European final they either won the league or at least took it to the last day. It's possible.

[Kompany]

The reality is somewhere in the middle. Of course they can do both but it will definitely have some influence on them. We've seen this so many times in the past, I don't know how you can still doubt this tbh.

[WolfGang]

They are professional footballers playing for the best teams in the world.

They can handle a few extra fixtures a month.

You're looking at it wrong.
It's not a few extra fixtures a month. It's 3 games in 7 days (possibly with international travel)

A manager can't play his best squad for all 3 games. One of the competitions must take priority

[Kompany]

But I agree with Kaan here. Every time in their history that Manchester United have made a European final they either won the league or at least took it to the last day. It's possible.

Actually, that's right as well... Teams who are on full speed in the league will often take their form into Europe. For a year or 2 I used to predict games and always took teams' recent home/away forms very high into consideration - which helped a whole lot by the way. I remember one particular season the 4 teams left in the CL semi's had the best run in their last 10 games of all teams in the big European leagues.

Like I said, it's probably got good and bad influences and the reality may be somewhere inbetween. Teams have run out of energy in their domestic league because of success in Europe.

[Neville Neville]

Actually, that's right as well... Teams who are on full speed in the league will often take their form into Europe. For a year or 2 I used to predict games and always took teams' recent home/away forms very high into consideration - which helped a whole lot by the way. I remember one particular season the 4 teams left in the CL semi's had the best run in their last 10 games of all teams in the big European leagues.

Like I said, it's probably got good and bad influences and the reality may be somewhere inbetween. Teams have run out of energy in their domestic league because of success in Europe.

That's the funny thing though, it's not proven that either strategy works. For every example of a team proactively prioritizing and it reaping rewards there's another of a team's success in one competition building on another. You can't speak definitively either way.

[Indie]

Hope Bayern wins this.

[Neville Neville]

APOEL v Real Madrid

In b4 the Barca whingers

[Neville Neville]

Olympique Marseille v Bayern Munchen
Benfica v Chelsea
AC Milan v Barcelona

[Jobe]

Milan vs Barca

[Neville Neville]

Semis

Marseille/Bayern v APOEL/Real Madrid
Benfica/Chelsea v Milan/Barcelona

Potential clasico final.

[Eboue]

C'mon APOEL!

[Dagger]

Marseille Vs Bayern
APOEL vs Real Madrid

Benfica vs Chelsea
AC Milan vs Barcelona

Winners in bold.

[Jobe]

Semis

Marseille/Bayern v APOEL/Real Madrid
Benfica/Chelsea v Milan/Barcelona

Potential clasico final.

Potential APOEL Benfica final.

[RevDog]

Not enough Bayern love due to there shocking league form but in all honesty I think they are the third best shot at the title. No one can handle Gomez, domestic league included and I think Robben, Ribery are still too tricky to not be double teamed on. CL teams simply wont do this like they do in the Bundesliga.

Its been proven that the best form of attack vs Bayern is counter attack. No team is going to really play that against them beyond APOEL.

I hope Bayern win the lot!

Final at home, magic.