they didn't really mark him personally. they just did some really tight zonal marking and mandzukic in fact was great at pressing everyone in juve's defense, including pirlo. manzdukic had a great game!

also, bayern's defense turned matri and quagliarella into complete non-entities.

the talk is messi is out for 3 weeks (which i hope isn't true). but IF it is the case i think they should play tello on the wing as he seems to be the only other barca player capable creating an offensive spark (with all due respect to iniesta)

I agree about Tello, especially given Alexis disappeared tonight and Iniesta was (again) quiet. But will Barca really look to create next week or will they just try and close PSG out? Chasing a game, I'd say Tello every time but I'm wondering if Alexis might be the more solid option defensively. I don't know enough about either to say but in the situation Barca are in, I can see defensive qualities outriding creative ones - especially with Mascherano out, too. Despite the advantage, the next tie will be a nightmare for Barca. PSG will go out knowing exactly what they have to do while Barca won't know whether to stick or twist.


Too true, but if you're calling Zlatan's pass brilliant, then what can you say about Alves' one to Messi for the goal?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2x3SGT5FJ4

Oh, now I know what they did wrong! IT'S THOSE SHITTY AWAY UNIFORMS.

yes, alexis does track back but he fluffs almost every opportunity to score. it's nice that he plays defensive but i want a forward that can score not just play defense. i think barca is incapable of playing for a tie (for better or worse). im very worried about the next game although at camp nou this year they can't really be fucked with (madrid withholding).

and yes, the away uniforms were horrible.

the bayern tie seems to be over and i can't wait for tomorrows games!

bayern tie - it ain't over till it's over, right? remember bayern 3 arsenal 1?

re: barca-- i haven't watched the match yet but can't they play as "spain"? you know, just without messi ha ha ha.

Yeah that really was a great cross.

they wrote about both matches!!!

check it out!!

http://www.zonalmarking.net/2013/04/...duo-into-play/

http://www.zonalmarking.net/2013/04/...rting-line-up/

God, the guys on that site deserve some kind of medal.

Can't disagree with any of the points made about the Barca PSG game. Although the result favours Barca, I think Ancelotti won the tactical battle and, without Messi, Barca's problem scoring will surely be even greater in the second tie. I can see them trying to kill next week's game just through possession but if Zlatan has one of his nights, they could be in for a tough time.

I only saw the highlights of the Bayern/Juve game but it's interesting what that report says about Bayern giving the Juve defenders less space than they're used to in Serie A, and the way they seemed to isolate Pirlo almost as part of that defence. Before the game, I really thought Bayern might freeze. It's still not over (as you mention earlier regarding the Arsenal games) but they do seem to be getting stronger and stronger so, assuming they don't freeze from now on, they have to be favourites for the trophy (even if the bookies still put them behind Bayern and Real).

Can't wait for Real vs Galatasaray. Not a fan of either side but I love Mourinho and I just think Real are a better side so I hope the Spaniards do it.

Can't see anything in the Dortmund/Malaga tie to think the German's won't go through.

A Bayern/Dortmund final would be fantastic for the prestige of the Bundesliga but I still want it to be Bayern/Barca, just because they're still (for me) the two best teams in the competition, even if Barca seem to be having as many off nights this year, as on.

Barca is nice, but PSG might be the one going through. However-- Bayern/ Galatasaray would make a fun final because a) Nobody expects Galatasaray to do it, but they've been pretty great, b) Drogba would be in a CL final again c) It's Turkey vs. Germany! (riots likely).

I think RM will go through, but I am not sure about Dortmund because I don't know Malaga either... I haven't been watching Dortmund as closely lately (TV problems) but they've been having problems this year-- though they are rising on the bundesliga table now. We'll see when we see them...

As for the comments in ZM-- Toldja! Mandzukic!

I only watched 1/2 Barca game then ZZZZed into the night but I'll catch highlights when I can.

okay, bad news: kuba and hummels are injured (groin & ankle respectively). schmelly too but looks like he'll be playing with a mask (just saw a photo on the dortmund FB).

kuba is pretty great on the attack but he's a midfield workhorse, shuttling up and down usually on the right lane. hummels is not just a great defender, but also very much a deep-lying playmaker. without them both, midfield chaos is probable. aghhhhh....

that's pretty fucking bad with dortmund's shallow bench. it's not like bayern where kroos comes out and robben comes in (oh the excess).

i'm a bit worried. this is fucked luck, but that's what the bench is for. anyway here we go...

------

Weidenfeller - Piszczek, Subotic, Santana, Schmelzer - Gündogan, Kehl - Großkreutz, Götze, Reus - Lewandowski

Man, them guys read games like the fucking matrix or some shit.

so dortmund seems to be in control but they have wasted chances-- about 6 by my count. whereas malaga has just had 2-3 chances from set pieces but they have been more dangerous. i'd be optimistic, but this seems one of those matches that could go either way based on luck/error. dortmund is missing kuba on the attack cuz they are arriving to malaga's area, but weak.

oh, here are real madrid's goals-- poor galatasaray! i hope they come back in the 2nd half. oh, and cronaldo = doucheface.

well, crap, dortmund really really really fucked the dog this time.

watching them was an exercise in frustration.

gundogan held the midfield together thank fuck, but reus had a bad night, lewandoski had a bad night, and gotze needed a compass in his hand, and they couldn't score for shit.

fucking annoying!!

i really want dortmund to win their tie since i dont think malaga can really beat madrid in a 2 leg knockout. and i reallly really don't want madrid in the final.

i am not sure that dortmund can beat madrid either to be honest. okay, okay, they did, but... aghhhhhhhh

Why so?

he makes that face when he gets fouled. i spotted it briefly in the halftime highlights. eh, it's not important.

what's important is that dortmund FUCKED UP today. a serious waste of a good advantage. now they have no away goals. hummels might continue nursing a bad ankle. kuba might still have a pulled groin or whatever the fuck it is. and gundogan will be there to cover everyone else's asses but their front line has to respond.

Real and Galatasaray ended up being a bit of a mismatch. Xabi Alonso was brilliant tonight but Real were just too good all round. I didn't see the Dortmund/Malaga game but the score surprised me. Sounds like Gotze missed a brace. Still have to fancy Dortmund in the second leg, though, just because.


Haha. Come on. I agree that criticism of Ronaldo can get a bit ott sometimes but we're not talking about someone who exactly makes it easy for us to like them. I can admire him but, for whatever reason, just watching him play, the way he lines up to take a free kick, the over elaborate stepovers, the face he pulls whenever he makes a mistake (or even worse when one of his teammates make one) just rubs me up the wrong way. He doesn't do anything a lot of other players also do, he just seems to have found a way of doing all of them a bit more annoyingly. Plus he whines.

ah men