:eek:

it has started really well. get yourself the guardian live blog page.

==

ETA - good first half. pretty even in terms of possession and control of the game but the difference is that real attacks with much more danger-- which is how they earned their penalty kick. buffon hero-- even if he didn't stop the penalty, he had some great saves and even when the ball goes out you can see him tracking it perfectly. juve's attack lacking teeth-- too static and predictably down the middle, no real threat so far.

--

pogba makes up for his earlier error and then MORATAAAAA!!!

Found a stream.

Great game but both teams seem below par.

Can't see Real coming back now (fingers crossed)

chicharito just in for benzema.

not sure that's an upgrade but at least he has fresh legs

now juve needs some oxygen.

JUVEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!

great defense and brilliant substitutions in the end

Weird that Zonalmarking hasn't looked at either of the second leg games.

Anyway, yeah, great that Juve did it and saved us from a 'Super-Classico'.

Was a messy game really, Real misfiring and Juve doing what they seem to do best: nicking a goal then holding on for their life.

Bale got a battering from the Real fans but I thought a lot of their key players were quiet. Only Marcelo and Kroos really stood out. I had to regularly check to see if Rodriquez was still on the pitch and Ronaldo had the kind of 'where is he?' night that always count against him in the ongoing Messi v Christiano debate. But even Juve were hit and miss. Buffon was brilliant, and Bonucci, and Pogba seemed to improve as the game went on but the jury's still out for me on Chiellini. Stupid penalty to concede and while he must put the fear of God into forwards, he'll need to be at 100% against Barca. Same with Evra.

As a contrast in styles, though, Barca v Juve is the most interesting final we could've hoped for (once Chelsea got eliminated)

i didn't fear a superclásico-- i just didn't want doucheface on the final ha ha ha. not again.

true about the great tactical matchup-- just the opposite of bayern/barça where nobody seemed to be defending. i think barcelona has the higher chance to win, but juventus is not a bunch of rookies, so i believe that they can hold their own against that deadly attacking trio. and then tevez morata and pogba may not be as expensive but they can be as good or even better on any random night. and there's that word--random. anything can happen in a single match. barcelona has teh greater odds though for sure.

From an entertainment pov, the game will need an early Barcelona goal to force Juve out of their shell, although that'd inevitably play even further into Barca's hands. It's hard to know how Juve will approach it, if they risk going for an early lead, knowing that'd leave them vulnerable, or if they just try and soak up the pressure for 90 minutes, hoping for a lucky break. When you look at it on paper Juve don't really stand a chance but, as you say, in a single match ...

especially now that barca can counter-attack now with the best of em. juve will definitely get their chances though. i think its going to be an entertaining game for sure. much better than a barca vs madrid game

Totally. An option for Barca would be to call Juve's bluff early and sit back a bit, conceding possession, tempting them out. Alves has been a revelation this season and could play havoc on the counter against a loosened Juve defence. We saw how effective Marcelo was going forward for Real and Barca have infinitely more lethal finishing options.

So happy that Real is out of Champions League.

All the press and TV and radio are going on about how "everyone" was hoping for a Real v Barca final but nobody I know wanted it.

barcelona vs bayern (in full-force) would have been quite a display.

maybe next year. barça is only bound to get better as the devil's trident melds into further awesomeness. not sure where bayern is going w/ pep. but im looking forward to seeing javi martinez return in full force, plus whatever tweaks they make--right now is not a good time for them.

also, next year BUNDESLIGA ON FOX!!

Sadio Mane Hattrick FC Southampton vs FC Aston Villa



he scored 3 goals within 2 minutes and 56 seconds :eek:

Well that makes MOTD a must watch tonight. Man, did Villa ever crumble harder than today? Pretty shocking tbh.

Isn't this the same scoreline as when S'oton played Sunderland earlier this season?

Nothing against Villa but since Sherwood went there I've been hoping for a thrashing like that. He rates himself far too much, imo.

EDIT: And well done today. You deserved it. We're a joke. End of.

bayern lost 2-1 today to a freiburg fighting relegation

dortmund also lost 2-1 but at least it was against wolfsburg who is only 2pts ahead of monchendgladbach

wolfsburg + gladbach are now secure in the top 3

these (plus bayern) will be your enemies in next year's CL

only 1 week left. feels a bit sad.

don't worry, we have copa america coming up!

Sad farewell from Anfield for Gerrard yesterday. Off to the US of A now.

She'll be pleased

I think Everton and West Ham fans are in the same boat at the moment. A frustrating lack of consistency and a feeling of coasting from the managers and chairmen for both teams.

Never have I wanted a season to be more over than this one. I can't even be arsed to watch the Man Utd/Arsenal game today that's how dulled I've become.