Real Madrid (H) Pre-Match Thread

[Gray]

We didn't shit the bed mate, we didn't even turn up to shit the bed!

Happened far too often this season.

 

[nmc]

Ederson
Cancelo-Laporte-Garcia-Walker
Fern
Bernardo - Merlin — KDB - Sterling
Gabby

 

[Jam Tomorrow]

Surely the best way to piss UEFA off was us being banned but winning it?

If we had lost at CAS the feeding frenzy would have been unstoppable and put in question the future our club, anything won would be tarnished and trashed. I don’t really care about UEFA I care about our club being cleared of wrong doing.

 

[Saddleworth2]

Ederson
Cancelo-Laporte-Fernandinho-Walker
Rodri-Gundogan
De Bruyne
Sterling-Foden-Bernie

 

[MillisleBlue]

I'd go for a Real pen and a City red card both in the first 30 mins

If UEFA / Cartel Clubs are cooking up something for later, it's gonna be KdB or Laporte taking an early bath.

 

[Delboy352]

I can see it now...we have kick off, ref blows his whistle...ball passed back to KdB who spots the Real keeper off his line...fires a beauty in the top corner...ref disallows it because either a) Real weren’t ready or b) he was doing a practice whistle and he hadn’t really blown for the kick off...

 

[kippax4ever]

That bunch of rag parasites can get fucked

Was odds on you say that

 

[supercity88]

Not sure we’ll do that, it’s not our game. Esp as I’m not sure they have much pace up front

That's what we did in Madrid. We did sit off a fair bit. Pep's issue in the CL in my opinion (and very briefly) has been playing the away and home legs the wrong way around. We'd be tighter away from home and more attacking at home. With the away goal it's better to do the reverse. Go and get beat 3-2 away, the 2 away goals are huge. I think he was so wary of what happened at Anfield that away at Spurs he made the wrong call. In Madrid we were disciplined and created a lot of good chances. Not many have played Madrid and had that much possession or shots on goal.

We've got the two away goals now, so our position should be make sure they don't score and make them work for opportunities and then stretch them. We can control possession but shouldn't be forcing things too hard to try and score and committing too many forwards. Otherwise we'll get done like we did in the semi final of the FA Cup against Arsenal. They might not have the same pace but they've still got enough quality and pace to score twice against us, and their defensive record has been really strong this season.

If we get through then the one-off games should be played in a similar manner - more control and making sure the balance is right so that we don't get caught on the counter. We played against Arsenal as if we had to win the game in 90 mins for 3pts. They made the most of us being high up the pitch. The CL is the same. 3pts aren't at stake, and the opposition equally want to win so it's about being sensible and playing in the right areas. It might be too our advantage that we are likely to play some big teams with more attacking threat, rather than the likes of Atletico!

 

[Don Karleone]

 

[JGL07]

I don’t follow this paranoia because a certain referee is in charge. There was a fairly recent match with Alty refereeing where he went out of his way to show how unbiased he was.

I would still have preferred the referee from the first leg mind.