Thread: UEFA Champions League 2014/15

This time last year

Who said the Champions League group stages are predictable and repetitive?
On this very night 12 months ago, Manchester City beat CSKA Moscow in the Champions League, at the Etihad.

Get on 5-2 Citeh

Chelsea could have been safely through the group stages with 2 games to spare last night, instead the group is still wide open.

City and Liverpool still have it all to do.


Tue 4th November

• Zenit St. Petersburg 1 2 Bayer Leverkusen
• Arsenal 3 3 Anderlecht
• Basel 4 0 Ludogorets
• Benfica 1 0 Monaco
• Borussia Dortmund 4 1 Galatasaray
• Juventus 3 2 Olympiakos FC
• Malmo FF 0 2 Atletico Madrid
• Real Madrid 1 0 Liverpool

Wed 5th November

• Ajax 0 2 Barcelona
• Athletic Bilbao 0 2 FC Porto
• Bayern Munich 2 0 Roma
• Manchester City 1 2 CSKA Moscow
• Maribor 1 1 Chelsea
• Paris St Germain 1 0 Apoel Nicosia
• Shakhtar Donetsk 5 0 BATE Borisov
• Sporting Lisbon 4 2 Schalke

Champions League Results & Scores - 2014/15 Season

^ That's an interesting and valid point, one that I hadn't ever really considered.

On the flip side to that though, shouldn't we be better for the week in week out tough competition compared to the big few teams in other leagues, that as you say waltz to comfortable victories more often than not.

Yet the top few teams in Germany, Spain, Italy etc, always seem to be that bit better than our top teams.

Germany may be an exception. Their league has some depth at least.

Over the period of the CL the tougher games will have a debilitating effect on EPL sides.

Originally Posted by chassamui

I am amazed that British sides can put up any kind of serious performance when they are playing european teams

They all have big enough squads. Aston Villa won the old European Cup with 14 players, I think it was

We may have the most exciting league to watch, but let's face it, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, even our Prem league Champs Man City are a long way behind the likes of Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Barca in terms of class, technique and quality.

Originally Posted by Dillinger

They all have big enough squads. Aston Villa won the old European Cup with 14 players, I think it was We may have the most exciting league to watch, but let's face it, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, even our Prem league Champs Man City are a long way behind the likes of Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Barca in terms of class, technique and quality.

Squad size is the same for all teams in CL unless they get busted for financial infractions.

Real and Barca walk a weak league every year and can therefore guarantee CL football every year. Bayern are doing it the hard way. The EPL is much more hit and miss less Chelsea and more recently, Man City who are both underwritten by oil money.
Let me see. Shall I play in the pissing rain for ManU with no guarantee of CL glory, or go somehwere nice and warm like Madrid or Barca with all the other top players and a guarantee of CL every year? The best South American and Mediteranean players will always opt for Spanish clubs over English clubs any day. (Exceptions to this broad generalisation will be ignored).
Where will all the best players go, even if Man U or Liverpool out bid them?

Originally Posted by chassamui

The best South American and Mediteranean players will always opt for Spanish clubs over English clubs any day.

The best we have would be off like a shot too, have you seen the tax breaks ?

Originally Posted by chassamui

Germany may be an exception. Their league has some depth at least.

Over the period of the CL the tougher games will have a debilitating effect on EPL sides.

You call Bayern Munich buying all the best players and winning by a country mile "depth"?

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

You call Bayern Munich buying all the best players and winning by a country mile "depth"?

Not what I said at all Harry. The Bundesliga at least has a number of domestic sides which can, and do, put up a bit of opposition in the league.

Originally Posted by chassamui

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

You call Bayern Munich buying all the best players and winning by a country mile "depth"?

Not what I said at all Harry. The Bundesliga at least has a number of domestic sides which can, and do, put up a bit of opposition in the league.

And then Bayern Munich buy their best players and win it by a country mile.

At this stage of the season the EPL & Bundesliga are almost mirror image. Gaps between top four very similar, as is the gap between top and middle, top and bottom, middle and bottom etc etc.

All the top leagues in Europe will follow a similar pattern.

Originally Posted by chassamui

The best South American and Mediteranean players will always opt for Spanish clubs over English clubs any day.

Nothing to do with language, climate, culture and a passport after 5 years, of course.

Tue 25th November

Chelsea qualify top of their group with a game to spare, after the best performance I've seen by any team all season. It was against a very poor Shalka but they looked fantastic and have as good a chance as anybody to go a long way in the competition this year.

Man City live to fight another day with an Aguero Hat trick.

• BATE Bori 0 - 3 FC Porto
• CSKA Mosc 1 - 1 Roma
• Apoel Nic 0 - 4 Barcelona
• Man City 3 - 2 Bay Munic
• PSG 3 - 1 Ajax
• Schalke 0 - 5 Chelsea
• Shak Done 0 - 1 Ath Bilba
• Sporting 3 - 1 Maribor

Originally Posted by Fozzy

they looked fantastic and have as good a chance as anybody to go a long way in the competition

why not say to win it ?

You know that cup will be on a Spanish mantlepiece, cum June

Wed 26th November

• Zenit St. Petersburg 1 0 Benfica
• Anderlecht 2 0 Galatasaray
• Arsenal 2 0 Borussia Dortmund
• Atletico Madrid 4 0 Olympiakos FC
• Basel 0 1 Real Madrid
• Bayer Leverkusen 0 1 Monaco
• Ludogorets 2 2 Liverpool
• Malmo FF 0 2 Juventus

Champions League Results & Scores - 2014/15 Season

Arsenal safely through for the 15th year in a row. There's a mathematical chance of them topping the group, i.e. if they win and Dortmund don't.

Liverpool simply need to beat Basel next week.

10 out of the last 16 now decided.

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

There's a mathematical chance of them topping the group

What about the mathematical chance of the gooners through to the last 16 for 15 years running but never winning it.

That'd make them the biggest load of shite to have graced that Champions League anthem on A Wednesday night then, No?

Originally Posted by Dillinger

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

There's a mathematical chance of them topping the group

What about the mathematical chance of the gooners through to the last 16 for 15 years running but never winning it.

That'd make them the biggest load of shite to have graced that Champions League anthem on A Wednesday night then, No?

Yes, it's all been a complete waste of time.

'The Armoury'

Originally Posted by cyrille

'The Armoury'

You do know why they are called "The Arsenal", don't you?

Oh no, I forgot, you're thick.

"Awroit John. Just poppin' off to the armoury for me new shell suit innit."

LOL.

Bent as a fucking rainbow.

I had to stop reading the EPL thread because of demented playground bull shit. Take it back there please fellas.

Originally Posted by Fozzy

I had to stop reading the EPL thread because of demented playground bull shit. Take it back there please fellas.

Apologies Fozzy, some of these fans of smaller teams can't help but express their envy in juvenile attempts at taunting.

Liverpool are out of the Champions league, and the only realistic chance of them being in it next year is if they now go on to win the Europa league.

Arsenal are safely through with a decent performance at Galatasaray but fail to get the important top spot, as they were relying on Dortmund losing which they didn't. They now could face a tournament ending tie with one of the big boys in the next round.


Tue 9th December

• Benfica 0 0 Bayer Leverkusen
• Borussia Dortmund 1 1 Anderlecht
• Galatasaray 1 4 Arsenal
• Juventus 0 0 Atletico Madrid F
• Liverpool 1 1 Basel
• Monaco 2 0 Zenit St. Petersburg
• Olympiakos FC 4 2 Malmo FF
• Real Madrid 4 0 Ludogorets

Champions League Results & Scores - 2014/15 Season