Champions League 2017/18 - Knock Out Stages

I would play a strong team vs Feyenoord but also start maybe Tosin with Stones and Foden/Diaz. It should still be enough to win and will be easier for the youngsters playing with our best players. Hopefully we can get the win and start all youngsters and “reserves” against Shakhtar.
I think Feyenoord at home is the kind of game we can bring in the like of Yaya, Gundo, Managala (i know), Bravo, Foden, Bernardo, Danillo and still comfortably win. They are a very poor side and perfect chance to rest some of the big names. Win that and then play similar again with maybe Diaz and tosin getting a chance. Hopefully it just gives the players a breather going into a crazy few weeks in Decemeber.
 
Would be better if Napoli take something off Shaktar then we don't have to worry at all about the result from the last game. That said I think we will win all six games as I suspect if Shaktar can't top the group they will also play a weakened team against us
Not sure about that. It depends on the Shakhtar result in Naples If they beat or draw with Napoli in the head-to-head record then it's game on for them . Frankly I'd rather Naples went out as they could go really deep in the tournament and we could play than again in the QF or SF. If the competition draw wasn't fixed. In a fair competition, we shouldn't be able to play them again till the final.
 
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Not sure about that. It depends on the Shakhtar result in Naples If they beat or draw with Napoli in the head-to-head record then it's game on for them . Frankly I'd rather Naples went out as they could go really deep in the tournament and we could play than again in the QF or SF. If the competition draw wasn't fixed. In a fair competition, we shouldn't be able to play them again till the final.
A Napoli-Shaktar draw on the night combined with a City win is the dream scenario as it knocks Napoli out, qualifies Shaktar but leaves them unable to top the group.
 
A Napoli-Shaktar draw on the night combined with a City win is the dream scenario as it knocks Napoli out, qualifies Shaktar but leaves them unable to top the group.

Yes, this makes the group settled before our final game, so we can rest all our big guns for the OT derby.
 
Assuming we beat Feyenoord...

If Shaktar beat Napoli, then they can still win the group by beating us in the head to head.
If Napoli beat Shaktar in the head to head, then Napoli can still qualify if Shaktar loose to us, therefore Shaktar will need to get a point. We will be through as winners of the group.
If Napoli beat Shaktar 2-1, then the head to head is equal, and it goes to Goal Difference between them should Shaktar lose to us, We win the group.
If Napoli beat Shaktar and lose the Head to Head, then it's a dead rubber,
If its a draw then it's also a dead rubber.

I hope it's a dead rubber, we can do without the need to win the last game, or have our sporting integrity questioned.

Also hope that CSKA and Basel realise how bad the Scum really are and find some backbone to put some pressure on them for the final game.
 
Would be better if Napoli take something off Shaktar then we don't have to worry at all about the result from the last game. That said I think we will win all six games as I suspect if Shaktar can't top the group they will also play a weakened team against us
Why on earth would Shaktar play a weakened team against us?. Have you seen their league?, Stockport County would finish second............
 
Sorry to prematurely bump an thread but I was not sure where to post this.

It is noticeable how there are a lot of pundits recently commenting how city "are the best team in Europe" at the moment, which personally I am taking with a big pinch of salt. We have obviously improved but we have been no way near Real/Bara for years. I know they have fallen away a little but to suggest we have suddenly surpassed them, without the evidence of playing any of them in a competitive game, smacks of biased pundits trying to heap pressure on us to fail.

Now, we may have surpassed them slightly, but are of you guys CONFIDENT enough to shout that out loud? because I'm not.

Having said all that I was shocked recently to discover that we are the SECOND favourites AHEAD of said established clubs. Is this right? I don't remember this pressure on the Scum on their way to their glorious (sic) 1999 titles, of course afterwards it was fully deserved! (sic). Judging by the lucky nature of that final and their performances in the subsequent CPL campaigns they clearly were NEVER "the best team in Europe".
 
Sorry to prematurely bump an thread but I was not sure where to post this.

It is noticeable how there are a lot of pundits recently commenting how city "are the best team in Europe" at the moment, which personally I am taking with a big pinch of salt. We have obviously improved but we have been no way near Real/Bara for years. I know they have fallen away a little but to suggest we have suddenly surpassed them, without the evidence of playing any of them in a competitive game, smacks of biased pundits trying to heap pressure on us to fail.

Now, we may have surpassed them slightly, but are of you guys CONFIDENT enough to shout that out loud? because I'm not.

Having said all that I was shocked recently to discover that we are the SECOND favourites AHEAD of said established clubs. Is this right? I don't remember this pressure on the Scum on their way to their glorious (sic) 1999 titles, of course afterwards it was fully deserved! (sic). Judging by the lucky nature of that final and their performances in the subsequent CPL campaigns they clearly were NEVER "the best team in Europe".
I think they mean on current form which you can’t really argue with, statistically or otherwise...

I’d still rather not face Bayern, Real or Juve in the first knockout round as it leaves us with less margin for error in terms of how well we perform.
 
I think they mean on current form which you can’t really argue with, statistically or otherwise...

I’d still rather not face Bayern, Real or Juve in the first knockout round as it leaves us with less margin for error in terms of how well we perform.
Maybe, but the bookies have us as second favourites, those bets are valid until the silver pots are handed out and are based on expected honours, not just current form.

I completely agree about facing those other teams.
 
Early season form means little in the Champions league as it's a knockout. I haven't watched that many other teams but it's hard to believe that there are a lot of teams playing much better than us right now but the likes of Bayern, Madrid, Barca and PSG all have the players to have truly outstanding teams come the knockout stages.
 

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