Liverpool (a) - CL Quarter Final pre-match thread

[mosssideblue]

They only had around 35% possession last time around and scored 4 with chances for more. They play with pace and directness without endless sideways passing, so do not need much of the ball.

If we dont gift them the chances we did last time out, they will need the ball

 

[mancity1]

if we came away from this with a 4-3 loss I would feel very good about our chances. Not sure why everyone is worried.

The same ones that would worry about whether to eat their veggies before their meat and by the time they decide they are not hungry anymore.

This is our best season in the top flight for many a long year all things considered lets enjoy the Chumps League and consider any further passage a bonus.

Anything can happen over two legs and the better side in this case us doesn't always come on top.

PSG were amongst those who thought they could go all the way this year and RM looked hopeless in La Liga with their manager on the chopping block and now they are through to the semi's one would imagine.

 

[hammocity]

Not long left now Blues. Unfortunately for me it is my son’s 8th birthday tomorrow so i wont be able to watch the match as we will all be in the cinema. However i will be on edge all through the film thinking what the score is, that said i will watch the game when I get in as I am not in work on Thursday till 10am

Come on City lets beat this klanfield hoodoo and get the victory

I know family is everything but take your son to the flicks on Thursday, double his birthday budget, bribe him, promise him a car for his 18th birthday but don't miss the match tonight. 10 years ago you would have been cuckoo for thinking we could be in the quarter final of the UCL, now it's here don't miss it, you know it makes sense.

 

[mancity1]

I know family is everything but take your son to the flicks on Thursday, double his birthday budget, bribe him, promise him a car for his 18th birthday but don't miss the match tonight. 10 years ago you would have been cuckoo for thinking we could be in the quarter final of the UCL, now it's here don't miss it, you know it makes sense.

He can netflix it on split screen , the eight year old will never remember the film but will always remember the achievements of the 2017-2018 squad of Man City.

Better still take him to the local to show him what lies ahead.

 

[bellsouth]

Anfield is a graveyard ground for us.......just saying.

We’ve never been beaten at Anfield in a Champions League game!

 

[Chippy_boy]

One of the reasons I am concerned about tonights game is how the players will mentally be approaching the game.

I think part of the reason we usually don't fare so well in Liverpool is that for some bizarre reason, dippers of both colours seem to treat the game against us like their bloody cup final every time. They play like a team possessed against us normally. Whereas to us, it's just another away game.

And if ever that were true, it's especially true tonight. They're all thinking they have got bugger-all chance of a result in the return leg at the Etihad, so tonight is their one chance. They are thinking they MUST win the game and win it well.

Pep will doubtless have drilled it in to our players how important it is to come away with a win or a draw at worst, and that they should not be thinking about Saturday at all, let alone next week. But players are people, not robots. And people don't stop thinking about something just because they are told to - you cannot just switch on or off like that.

So I can imagine there will be more intensity to Liverpool's game than ours. In fact I think it's inevitable. The question is, will that added intensity be enough for the inferior side to beat the superior side.

 

[mancity1]

One of the reasons I am concerned about tonights game is how the players will mentally be approaching the game.

I think part of the reason we usually don't fare so well in Liverpool is that for some bizarre reason, dippers of both colours seem to treat the game against us like their bloody cup final every time. They play like a team possessed against us normally. Whereas to us, it's just another away game.

And if ever that were true, it's especially true tonight. They're all thinking they have got bugger-all chance of a result in the return leg at the Etihad, so tonight is their one chance. They are thinking they MUST win the game and win it well.

Pep will doubtless have drilled it in to our players how important it is to come away with a win or a draw at worst, and that they should not be thinking about Saturday at all, let alone next week. But players are people, not robots. And people don't stop thinking about something just because they are told to - you cannot just switch on or off like that.

So I can imagine there will be more intensity to Liverpool's game than ours. In fact I think it's inevitable. The question is, will that added intensity be enough for the inferior side to beat the superior side.

They fact we suffered our only loss against premiership opposition on this ground this season is all the more reason it won't happen again.

Of course we can lose this game but we can also win it or draw it or in unusual circumstances the result could be made void.

We don't need to be concerned however , there will be much more pressure should we get through the two legs to overcome the likes of Bayern or Barca or Real in the semi final.

 

[John Oliver]

So it seems the big 3 will make the semis, Real Barca and Bayern. All the more incentive to do well tonight.

 

[richards30]

Feel strangely confident at the minute! No doubt that will change as the day goes on and the nerves kick in. The hoodoo of anfield has to end at some point soon? Tonight would be the perfect night to smash it into the dark hole of history it belongs! Fingers crossed that vinny and nico start and then dinho, De Bruyne, Merlin and Leroy play to their recent level

 

[Bayblue]

Woke up really excited about today; it feels like this is a tie where we will see if the team has really come of age.
You saw it with Madrid last night - despite not having the best season the players have the belief and confidence.
We seem to have that in spades in the league so let’s see it tonight; if we can then we can beat anyone..