Big Round of 16 clashes today. United need a result tonight. As much as I would like to see Marseille bump United and advance, I don't think it will happen.

Almost time for the Quarterfinals, where things REALLY get interesting. :tup:

Is anybody watching this game?!?!??????? Inter just c*nt punted Bayern out of the Champions League, AMAZING game to watch!

Watched both matches yesterday, & both teams for whom I was cheering lost.

Lame.

C'mon, Lyon... (or given yesterday, "c'mon Madrid?).

Same. I really wanted Bayern to win. There are a lot of German internationals on that team that I like a lot. Sad to see the team carry an advantage into the match to lose it all, but full credit to Inter to be able to dig in and win on the road. Any team is going to have their hands full with Inter again this season. They knocked us out of the Quarterfinals last season, and I'm not looking forward to history repeating itself.

I want German teams to do well-- they're so much fun to watch. I love the kamikaze attitude of the good Bundesliga teams that's counter to what you think of German football.

It's like watching the Phoenix Suns under Mike Dantoni.

I wanted Bayern to go through as well, but admit it, Inter absolutely crapped on them in the 2nd half.

I really want to see Borussia Dortmund next year...provided they don't completely dismantle the team after this season!

BTW - Jon, thoughts on today's game? Yes, Chelsea did not need to score, but seriously? I just about fell asleep watching...

this thread turned into an Arsenal thread.....literally, so why would i be posting "sooo much in here". big whoop!

Same here. I love watching Dortmund play, they remind you Germany's version of Arsenal under Jürgen Klopp, but rumors have been swirling about him moving to Bayern after Louis van Gaal. I hope the team stays together also, but the key Dortmunders like Sahin, Götze, Großkreutz, and Kagawa have attracted the attention of some of the bigger clubs in Europe, and they might be signed else where during the summer. I hope it doesn't happen, because they would be fantastic to watch in the Champions league next year.


So did we. Most of the noise at Stamford Bridge wasn't coming from the shed end, it was coming from the traveling Copenhagen supporters. I thought we definitely took the foot off the accelerator some, but not entirely. We still pushed forward in search of goals, and probably SHOULD have scored twice had Zhirkov not put his shots wide. When Torres came on for the final 20 minutes, he looked pretty sharp, which is encouraging considering he has yet to hit the net in a Chelsea shirt.

For the most part, there were some really bright moments in the game, but bright moments won't get us to the final. We cannot afford to miss opportunities like the one we had last night against some of the real giants like Madrid, Inter and United. And speaking of United, it would be fantastic if we could save a United fixture til the final. Only reason I say that is because I want a rematch of the 2008 season. One penalty. ONE penalty in Russia was the difference between the clip of Rooney lifting the trophy during the CL opening theme and John Terry lifting the trophy. I almost cried that night. The one trophy that has eluded us forever has been the champions league, and most Chelsea supporters want this more than anything. It would also make for a great atmosphere with an all England final at Wembley.

The draw is tomorrow! I would hate to draw Inter again; they knocked us out of the Quarterfinals last year. A Spurs/Inter rematch would be exciting to watch, and I think it's safe to say everyone is hoping for an El Clasico matchup between Barca and Madrid.

So start contributing & maybe the thread would include more than the three of us who are Arsenal fans.

Jon posts about Chelsea & things stay civil.

Man I really hope someone in Dortmund goes "Hey we have a huge chance next year let's keep this team together for a run in Europe". And I will be very, VERY disappointed if Sahin does not get player of the year in the Bundesliga. Can't wait for Kagawa to return in April.

Nope! I actually want Inter to see Barca again. That would be fun IMO. Can Inter knock Barca out again without Jose MourPARKTHEBUSinho?? I think they can! Eto'o shows up 100% of the time in big games, and Sneijder looks as close to healthy and hungry as he has all season.

What's the worst draw you can think of for Chelsea? I think actually Inter isn't the worst draw in the world for you guys. Real Madrid might be the scariest just because it's been Mourinho-d haha!

I've gotten so much flak from Spuds supporters about how they're still in the CL and we aren't...but WE GOT LEHMANN BACK WAHAHAHAHAHAH

Time for some comedy :tup:

Sahin's been outstanding for Dortmund all season. It's going to be hard for Dortmund to hold on to him.



Real Madrid have shown signs of vulnerability at times, on our day we know we can beat United/Spurs, Schalke's defense is shaky at best, and Shaktar are, well, Shaktar. I'd think the worst draw(s) would be either Inter or Barcelona to be honest. History has taught us English clubs don't fare well against Barca(See CL final vs. Arsenal in 07 or vs. United in 09). With Barca, you have to dictate the tempo for the entire 90 minutes. If you let Barca control the pace, and you lose your shape, they will cut you open, every time. We saw it last season Mourinho's Inter; actually focused on keeping their players in position, keeping their shape, and not allowing Barca to lull them to sleep, draw players out, then kill you with the final critical ball to Messi. With that being said, do we have a midfield/defense who have the discipline to do this? I can't answer this question definitively yes or no, which is what scares me. With Inter, I've watched this current team play for a long time, and everyone has witnessed what they can do. First under Mourinho, and now Leonardo, they are still one of the most dangerous teams in the whole competition. Sammy Eto'o, Sneijder, Cambiasso, and let's not forget Zanetti, Maicon AND last year's hero, Diego Milito. This team if brimming with talent, and after going 2-0 down on aggregate to beat Bayern at home, I wouldn't want to play them.

Either way, CL is as hard to predict as the World Cup, I'm just along for the ride. I hope we can make it far in the competition.

Mueller needs to be in an Arsenal shirt. And let me just say, Barca were idiots to let Etoo go.

The situation was handled poorly. I don't know if it's a pride thing, or if it is something else, but Barcelona rarely have any players of non-Latin descent become the face of the club. Excluding Johan Cruyff of course. Has anyone else noticed this? Most recent casualties including Ibrahimovic, Henry, and most notably, Eto'o. The man is a menace who can play with his back to goal; what club in their right mind would let him go? He's not Leo Messi, but I think he's more prolific in front of goal than Bojan or Pedro, who both happen to be Spaniards. Coincidence?

Even Leo, though, all the Barca supports are falling over themselves to claim he has Catalan-DNA, not Newell's Old Boys DNA or something Argentinian haha. Love their double standard.

Red, cow - our rear guard now consists of Sagna, Squillaci, Koscielny, Clichy, and Almunia. Please tell me I'm not the only one frightened.

Product of the youth system, yes. Is he from Catalonia? No. Is he even Iberian? No. Born and bred South American. But still Latin, so I guess to Barcelona, that's close enough. Close enough compared to Eto'o, who is African, or Ibrahimovic, who is from Northern Europe. Another reason why I'm such a big fan of Eto'o. Not only is he an outstanding player, he continues to play at word class levels despite being a target for of the some of the racism and bigotry that still plagues professional football. I applaud him for staying in Italy after the abuse he took during the Inter/Cagliari match earlier this season. He even had racial taunts slung at him while he was in Spain! Much respect for someone able to play through all of that.