Real Madrid (A) | Pre-Match Thread

[Fordyboy46]

Not like you to be negative....

Really positive going into this game mate, until kick off.

 

[kenzie115]

Would be nice for us to go over there and see a match played on a level playing field,unfortunately you just have that nagging doubt we will be fucked over by the ref or/and VAR,the only chance is that with all the bullshit over the uefa ban we may see a larger audience worldwide watching than normal,and if any blatant corrupt decisions go in favour of Madrid then maybe the eyes of the world will see for themselves what a bunch of corrupt cnuts uefa are ..

There won't be anything major, it'll just be lots of minor things that individually don't look like much. Marginal offsides for them will be ignored, but any time they can draw the line so we look offside, it'll be given. Same with handball in the build up to a goal, ignored for them but they'll look for any angle possible that suggests it touches an arm for us. That'll be the VAR influence, then there's the regular refs. Madrid will get all the 50-50 decisions and probably some 40-60s. They'll give us free kicks when playing an advantage would have been beneficial. They'll book our players for 1st and 2nd offences but a Madrid player will get away with GBH before getting booked. All small things individually, but when added together, the result is that we won't stand a chance.

 

[blue cigar]

Ridiculous

Agreed, he was immense in the second half and controlled the game, he has to start in Madrid, a big game player

 

[Newman Noggs]

I hope we're returning the favour

 

[kaz7]

Real Madrid have today confirmed that Eden Hazard suffered a hairline fracture, in Saturday's 1-0 defeat at Levante, in his right fibula and so will miss the Champions League clash with #ManCity.

Pep Guardiola on Real Madrid: "They are the club we want to emulate and imitate and we have to be there. I want to go there and at the end of the game I want to say ‘we were what we are’. This is the most important thing in these types of competitions..."

"We need to go and try and do it at one of the biggest, nicest and most prestigious stadiums. After that, we will try with our weapons and try to score the goals. If we cannot, we will congratulate them and try and improve for the next time..."

"For us being here is exciting, so good and we will try to do our best, knowing we play against a team who have won 13 Champions Leagues and it is a king."

"It will be in a marvellous stadium - we have to show personality so I know my players, myself, the club, want to fight until the end for this title and arrive in the later stages and one day, dream to win the Champions League..."

"But if you want to dream and do it, you have to face these teams. This is the last 16 but maybe the quarter-finals, maybe the semi-finals, maybe the final. You have to beat Madrid, you have to beat Barcelona, you have to beat Bayern Munich..."

"You have to beat the big, big big clubs in this competition if you are to try and win it. "

Kevin De Bruyne on Real Madrid: “We will go there to try to play our game, play offensive football and put them under pressure. If we don’t win the UCL, everybody is going to say we are failures like the last five years. It’s something we’ve not won yet..."

"We always want to win everything but sometimes another team is better or performing well - like Liverpool this season. It’s just that way and you have to admit it. But we will go there to win. You can’t look forward too much, though."

 

[hihosilva]

Hazard being injured will probably mean Bale may get a start who i fear more. Hopefully we'll have enough to see them off over two legs.

 

[chaddblue]

I keep thinking we’re gonna turn these over.. then the stark reality hits me that UEFA will ensure we get reffed out of their bent competition

 

[kaz7]

No way UEFA will let us beat Madrid with everything else that's going on.

Tthis,my hopes are extremely low

 

[HarrytheBlue]

If Sterling is ready, both Kun and Gabby might be on the bench.

We will want to control the game as well as possible and Pep will start with Rodri, Gundy, Bernie, Kevin and Mahrez again. Plus probably Raz whose speed will be much needed for counters.

Under Zidane, Madrid sometimes throw 5 across the middle rather than play the attacking football you associate with them. We have to avoid being suckered into playing the game Madrid want us to. If we're to play our normal fluid game and pass out from the back, then we have to be bang on it. The slack passing we went through a phase of doing against Leicester (albeit only a handful of passes) will be punished. Having said all that, we have to punish Madrid with our range of lethal weapons up front.

 

[kaz7]

Concerned that Laporte is injured again, no way would he ask to come off because he couldn't keep up with the pace. Shook his head when coming off as well, not a good sign. Fingers crossed he was just knackered.

He is not injured