PSG 0-1 Villa, Rogers!
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PSG 0-1 Villa, Rogers!
Oh and Raphinia puts Barca ahead against Dortmund
As things stand (very early on) the teams that finished in the top 8 are all heading for the semis
PSG 1-1 Villa, Doue! What a strike!
The thought of Emery denying us a place in the CL final is a bit sickening.
Come on PSG.
Not sure how France keeps producing these kind of kids regularly.....great strike.
Doue is so fucking good.
2-1 Kvarat what's his name. Wow.
Disasi. :haha:
Barcelona 2-0 Dortmund, Lewandowski
3-0 Barca now, Lewandowski with his second
4-0 Yamal :lol:
3-1 Nuno Mendes, that's a lovely goal.
I think that’s Villa done now have to say
PSG look so good. Different animal really to the team we played at the start of the season.
Agree with this, but I still think we stand a better chance against them than Villa.
However, if we do get to the final (and I know I might be jinxing it) still not sure who I'd prefer to face between Barca and Inter (who happen to be the only side that has beaten us in Europe).
Villa have done us twice in two seasons at the Emirates and I recall we were maybe lucky to win at their ground this season, plus playing English teams is boring plus we swept PSG aside previously so I'd much rather them than Villa
And if we get there, I'd prefer Inter I think, although maybe you're right, tbh I've not watched much of either team tbh
I thought Inter were shit when we played them, they had a good ten minute spell at the beginning of the game after that they barely threatened….got awarded a ridiculously soft pel (quelle surprise) and held on because we were going through a can’t score goals if our lives depend on it phase.
Barcelona would probably fit our style of play better but at the same time this is a team that managed to come from two nil down against Atletico Madrid away from home last month to win 4-2.
It's really about your last paragraph, the style Inter plays doesn't suit us. Also I think overall in the league stage they ended up conceding the least goals (or was it Liverpool)?
In all competitions this season I'm not sure we've lost to any team that plays attacking or possession based football.
So while Inter, on paper, is the weaker side, this season seems to suggest Barca should be the team we are hoping for. Still can't figure it out.
Anyway it's still a long way ahead, so we should probably get off our high and focus on this weekend.
The key factor is if they got past Barcelona to begin with then it would suggest that they are to be taken seriously.
Interestingly on the subject of Inter, if paper talk is to be believed (and of course it hardly ever is) one of the strikers Berta wanted us to look at was Lautaro Martinez…now if we were to sign a player of a particular age I would be more disposed towards him than Gyokeres, although even that would come with the caveat that Italian football is not what it once was
Quite excited about the prospect of an Arsenal vs Barca rematch from 2006 and our long-awaited revenge.
Although we are getting somewhat ahead of ourselves. Job to do in Madrid first - they'll come out all guns blazing, we need to be careful there.
Then there's the semi-final of course.
It’s interesting the difference in perspective one match can make, I doubt many of us entertained the idea of the semi finals let alone winning the competition outright prior to Tuesday evening. I still don’t think we will win it, but the idea is no longer absurd to me and I allowed myself to consider the possibility of becoming European champions in Munich on May 31st
The tie is indeed not over but even Ancelotti has had to acknowledge that we are favourites to progress. We have not conceded more than 2 goals in any game since 2023….and whilst that of course doesn’t exclude the possibility of us doing so, it means that we can withstand what’s thrown at us.
My brother noted the other day that often in big ties we play the first leg at home (in the round of 16 this is usually been self inflicted) but playing the second leg away from home is always a bit of a tough ask. However we got to the final in 2006 after playing Juventus and Villarreal away from home. In Turin the game was a bit of a damp squib that never got going and I think Juve went down to ten men. Villarreal it was a bit of a backs to the wall Jobby, especially as they were awarded a pel (Lehmann saved from Riquelme as I recall)
Well I think if as is assumed we get past Madrid, and as is assumed we play PSG in the semis. We will again play the first leg at home and therefore will probably have to weather a bit of a storm in Paris
Perversely, don’t want it to be too easy for us :lol:
If we get through, and that’s still a big if because Real Madrid away is satans playground, then our first leg of the semi is away.
Do I think we’ll win it? No, simply because this is our holy grail and as a fan I find it hard to believe that we’re going to do something that we’ve never done before.
I don't think we will win it either but after Tuesday it just feels a bit less implausible than it did.
If we'd had bought a striker and Gabriel was fit, I'd have put as clear favourites because of the way we play.
Throughout the league stage (which has proven to be a good barometer so far), we were impressive with wins over a flying Sporting (at that time) and PSG. Like HCZ pointed out, we did well against Inter but unfortunately they were rock solid in their defending, especially with our set pieces, which surprised me for an Italian team.
After the league stage I felt Liverpool, Real and Barca were favourites. If we progress past this stage it's then only Barca left.
I'd put us at 50-50, because of the way we play. Currently we'd beat Bayern (who can't defend) and should still beat a much improved PSG.
So yeah, only Barca and Inter beating us wouldn't surprise me....and let's not forget, a final is always a oneoff anyway.
Looking at just the next game, in all seriousness, as good as our win was, I was thinking at the end that a fourth goal would have made it safer
The first 20-odd mins are crucial - if RM score early all bets are off - so we need to avoid conceding at all costs, though obvs can't just park the bus
a tricky game to manage in some ways, but i think Saka should spend his entire time running with the ball at the CBs and just see what how many FKs he can win :lol:
Any news on his fitness yet?
Not a worry according to this
https://paininthearsenal.com/mikel-a...te-real-madrid
Yep, I thought it looked like a case of just taking no chances. He was moving a bit gingerly, and whilst he did receive a kick (I think Real did produce quite a few sly kicks) I think on top of that probably a bit of fatigue where he’s not been used to playing for a few months
Spuds only drew at the Toilet Bowl, hopefully they get knocked out in the second leg
btw as people might know, our win agsainst Real guaranteed five CL spots for English clubs next year, so another bit of insurance to allow Arteta to rotate in the league
Borussia Dortmund: Kobel; Couto, Anton, Sule, Bensebaini; Nmecha, Svensson, Gross; Adeyemi, Guirassy, Beier.
Subs: Meyer, Lotka, Ozcan, Reyna, Brandt, Duranville, Ryerson, Watjen, Mane, Kabar, Gittens.
Barcelona: Szczesny; Kounde, Cubarsi, Aruajo, Martin; Gavi, De Jong, Lopez; Raphinha, Lewandowski, Yamal.
Subs: Pena, Kochen, Martinez, Torres, Pedri, Fati, Torre, Christensen, Victor, Olmo, Garcia, Fort.
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Aston Villa: Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Pau, Digne, McGinn, Kamara, Tielemans, Onana, Rogers, Rashford.
Subs: Olsen, Proctor, Disasi, Mings, Maatsen, Bogarde, Barkley, Bailey, Asensio, Watkins, Ramsey
PSG: Donnarumma, Hakimi, Pacho, Marquinhos, Mendes, Vitinha, Ruiz, Neves, Dembele, Barcola, Kvaratskhelia.
Subs: Beraldo, Doue, Hernandez, Kimpembe, Lee Kang-In, Mayulu, Mbaye, Ramos, Safonov, Tenas, Zaire-Emery.
0-1 Hakimi!
Martinez. :haha:
Dortmund 1-0 Barcelona, Guirassy pelanty! Comeback is on.
Emery starting Rashford up front after last week is madness.
Watkins and Asensio on the bench. :haha:
0-2 Mendes. Wonderful goal.
Quite funny that as soon as Mbappe leaves PSG they become a more oiled team and as soon as he joins Madrid they stop. May be a link there
Villa 1-2 PSG, OG?
McGinn is a cunt.