Dortmund (H) - CL QF | Post-Match Thread

[ChicagoBlue]

Control the ball as we can and better than we did yesterday. Slow it down so we dictate the pace of the game. The chances will come for us and we will take at least a couple. There is no home advantage this season so the best team normally wins. Genuinely I think we will win this tie by three goal margin at least.

I think another 2-1 is in ordnung! To us, of course!

 

[john blue]

1-0 would have been better than 2-1 but it's certainly a lot better than 1-1so can't complain with the result.

Not happy with the performance tonight though. Very very sloppy all over the pitch and not the intensity we needed to be at for a game of this magnitude.

Badly missed Fernandinho tonight, that same team with him in there wins comfortably imo. Rodri can't do it at this level on his own he needs his hand held by either Fernandinho or Bernardo, hopefully Pep rectifies that for the second leg (and hopefully beyond)

don't think cancelo worked either as I predicted pre-match, coming in on his right too much shortens the pitch, a zinchenko in there tonight with a natural left foot quickens up our approach and gets foden on the ball faster.

Disappointed in Peps subs, jesus on was the correct call but Bernardo should have stayed on the pitch in a deeper role, his energy is vital and we all marvel at the quality of our bench but he's not using it, 5 subs allowed tonight we should be bringing on fresh legs and that's where our squad depth can make the most impact with the quality we can bring on against tired legs yet we make just the one. Strange.

Got a decent result, should have been better but it leaves us in a good position for the second leg.

Should have given stirling a run at em last 15 minutes.

 

[Metalartin]

We were in control in that first half in my view, without exerting ourselves. Besides a tame effort from Bellingham, with not much to aim at, the only reason they deserved to be level was a complete gift from Ederson, that they shouldn't have had a sniff at. So if they do decide to play that way I think we'll manage it, probably more convincingly for the second time facing them.

The decisions that went against them in the first half probably did most of their managers work for them at half time. They were incensed and came out of the blocks fast and were probably good for their goal but they didn't have much to lose at that point either. We still created more than them in that last 30mins than they did in the whole half, we probably should have scored 3 or more in that period.

If the players manage the game well, it's advantage City but it's not won yet.

 

[john blue]

it seems people expect us to win 5 0 in a champions league quarter final it very rarely happens.city controlled large parts of the game should have had a couple more and conceded a very good goal.it happens when you play good sides,we looked much better when jesus came on

i dont expect our keeper to act like he is on blackpool bleeding beach, pep needs to kick his arse, does it to much. ! will cost us big one day.

 

[chesterbells]

Just checking you are all awake.

Lol, is that what’s known as “owning it?”

 

[chesterbells]

Several out of position again , joa or ky , zinchy lb for a start

If the problem is being out of position, I think ky might actually be of help.

 

[john blue]

The guy is a liability. How he won Pep over, I'll never understand.

Thought he was one of our better players on the night.

 

[bballchinaski]

Btw, bellingham clearly fouled ederson, i dont understand all the noise around it. you cant challenge with studs up at a guy, im sorry

Also, Haaland clearly fouls dias to get the 1vs 1 with ederson, just watch the replay. If he scores there var disallows it

 

[Gabriel]

Might have been a bit of a gamble, but I thought Torres might have been an option on the right late in the second half. As their legs went, it was Foden’s pace down the left that caused them problems, so having that threat down their right,too, might have stretched them even more.

 

[foden47]

Pass of the night from Ilkay, Foden finished it off with aplomb, calmed the old nerves. Not sure about Rodri's contribution tonight, ditto Berni and Cancelo.

The number of times Mahrez made a half-arsed attempt to get back when they overturned the ball was a bit of a worry. Can't slag him off as he created the first goal beautifully.

Hopefully we'll play better in the return leg.

The pass of the night was Kevin's pass to Ilkay who laid it off for Phil. That was one of the few times that Ilkay did get forward. Most often, he was being caught on the ball and misplacing passes compared to his usual standard.

 

[Metalartin]

Thought he was one of our better players on the night.

No, Pep should kick his arse for his part in their goal. ;)

 

[roypaulknewmyfather]

Watched it 2x now. I think that’s as good as Dortmund can get. We can be a lot, lot better. Not really concerned about 2nd leg.

 

[LucahArchie10]

I was impressed with Haaland. He didn't do much but he is an absolute presence when it matters.

It's very rare to see a striker occupy Dias and Stones, which gave the excellent Bellingham the space to thrive.

In our team, we would elevate to domination.

As for our showing, thought we looked a yard short, Bernie looked tired and when he was subbed, our midfield legs ran out.

Eddie really needs to buck his ideas up, it's been noticeable for months his kicking and decision making isn't as sharp as usual.

Thought Gundo was immense.

Totaly agree about Ederson he is a nutcase at times & fucked up last night we were lucky but he did save from the only Haaland chance

He doesnt look arsed at times yet he has everything to become the world's best if his brain kicked in

 

[blueste41]

Utter bollocks, they did their best to beat us on the pitch with countless decisions going against us for a decade now, they then did their best to destroy us at CAS, even though they had zero fúcking case to do that.

Also we had a penalty given by the ref and the decision reversed by VAR, so not exactly going all out for us were they.

Posters like you pop up when we actually get any sort of decision for us, and then use that as some sort of case of how the vast majority are exaggerating UEFA clear bias/agenda against us which they raise on behalf and with the help of nine clubs in this country signing a bullshit letter against us, a two year ban on cut and paste emails.

So you keep your head firmly up your arsè and ignore all evidence which points otherwise.

My post wasn't very clear, I do believe/understand what the people at the top of UEFA have attempted to do to keep us down, however, I don't believe it filters down to referees being ordered to be biased against us and the performance last night was evidence of that. Apologies for any confusion.

 

[ojeme]

I think Pep should have used KDB as the false nine and Bernardo as the CM. This tactic has worked so well in the past.

 

[HarrytheBlue]

It's over move on, think we were due a decision.

First bit of luck we've had since our first ever game in the Ch L.

 

[HarrytheBlue]

My post wasn't very clear, I do believe/understand what the people at the top of UEFA have attempted to do to keep us down, however, I don't believe it filters down to referees being ordered to be biased against us and the performance last night was evidence of that. Apologies for any confusion.

It filters down - whispers here and there - non-recordable. It's then up to the ref.

 

[HarrytheBlue]

I see what you're saying but to counter that, a draw and they go out. They need score more than we do. So we can afford to show more patience than they can and wait for our moment. Having said that, if we score early I can see their heads dropping, so I hope we do that instead.

I think we'll go on the attack from the kick off - a third for us is a killer for them. And if they nick one on the break and we go one down, we'll have plenty of time to put it right. For sure, we'll have numerous chances.

 

[Sprayleej3]

Any chance we the Rodri-Dinho pivot in the second leg to sure up the middle of the park? I don't know if I can see Pep dropping Gundo but those two would certainly put a shift in together like at Leicester.

 

[lasereyes]

Glad we won, no doubt!

I think our misconnect is that it was a VERY TIGHT first half and then some, with the chances coming later in the second, when they opened up at 1-0 down.

At their place, they know that can play tight for a long period of the game, because they just need 1 goal to go through, and they will get chances.

Believe me, I hope they come out to play expansive football, as that suits us. But, I’m also mindful of the fact that we have played maybe 50% more games than them and an open expansive 90 minutes might start to look bad at the 70 minute mark!

That would be a risky strategy. Firstly, few teams have managed to keep us out even when parking the bus. Secondly, if they open up around (say) minute 70, they will leave space for us to exploit. Saying they only need 1 goal is contingent upon their stopping us scoring for the full game - which very few teams have managed. The likelihood is both teams score in which case they have to win by 2 clear goals to beat us (or 2-1 to go to pens)

That Foden goal had the feel of a last minute winner even though it was only the 1st leg. They have to beat us now and we have only lost 1 game in the last 5 months. I give us a 70% chance of going through from here