Champions League 2018/19

[sussexpob]

Liverpool loosing Kieta was a blow. Though it seemed to open the game up.

You can speculate if they let in 3 with him there, but I thought personally that at 1-0 Liverpool started to pill forward for that away goal, and Barcelona picked them off for a second, then picked them off over and over again after. Barcelona really should have scored another 2-3 times with the chances they had in the last 15 minutes. Liverpool by that stage seemed to know an away goal was the only way to get through, and Dembele could have had a hattrick in injury time.

[sussexpob]

And Barcelona are their for the taking

They just put 3 goals past a team who hardly concede in the league, and who may be the 3rd best points scoring team in the history of English top flight football. And they could have had more..... Not sure I would want to play this team, and I certainly wouldnt say they are there for the taking. They arent the force of 10 years ago maybe, but who is?

Any team with Messi is a force to be reckoned with.

[yuppie]

It was 0-0 when Keita went of, and I thought that Liverpool looked much more solid at the start of the game with him on .

Henderson comes on and Liverpool just did not look as settled.

Liverpool were undone by the quality of Barcelona. Barcelona's second goal killed the game, and they then chased the game. Barcelonas second goal had a fair element of luck about it. Till then Liverpool were the dominant team. They just wasted their chances in front of goal. Barcelona had the quality to take their chances. Liverpool did not take their chances. At 2-0 the game changed.

Thats football.

Ajax watching that game have to think they have a chance.

[sussexpob]

The Barcelona second had more than an element of luck, but Joe Gomez leaves Suarez in acres of space, and VVD reacts at the speed of an ice age as Messi ghosts past him and slots it in. Have to question why Klopp, in a game like this, started Gomez tonight over ATA? It was Gomez's throw in straight to a Barca play that leads to the first, and his failure to pick up or get anywhere near Suarez that sets up the second.

[sussexpob]

Ajax watching that game have to think they have a chance.

Ajax have a really tough game on their hands to get through. I dont think that tie is over yet, even though Spurs were never in it last night.

[yuppie]

Ajax watching that game have to think they have a chance.

Ajax have a really tough game on their hands to get through. I dont think that tie is over yet, even though Spurs were never in it last night.

Very true. I don't fancy Spurs getting past this Barcelona, but hopefully for the neutrals it will be Ajax.

[sussexpob]

Spurs with a full squad seem to be a good proposition over an isolated game, because they work really hard to get the ball back, and can kill you with lethal finishing in games that are tight. The problem for them is their squad has been seriously tested in its depth at the moment; no Kane or Son vs Ajax. Son is for me their most important player, chasing down the ball and creating their chances/finishing them. With him there, Ajax's job will be a lot tougher to contain Tottenham, and keep the ball. I have a feeling Spurs will have to play well and get lucky, and that Ajax are in the driving seat, but the extent of the domination on Tuesday I doubt will be repeated.

[sussexpob]

One thing that Barcelona have in their pocket over the other teams, and it feels crucial, is they have already bagged their title. They can rest players at the weekend and last weekend, Ajax are two games away from the end of their season, play a cup final at the weekend, and are only ahead of PSV on goal difference with two away games left.... Liverpool are in a title race... Spurs are locked into a battle for 3/4th place, and with the other teams behind getting winnable games, they cant put a second team out unless they win this weekend. In fact, they have Everton away, Bournemouth away, no easy task.... and their last game is a 6 pointer vs United. They have to flog that squad to death to get through the next 4 matches.

I think we saw how that really factored in last night..... Liverpool competed very well until the last 20 minutes, conceded two, could have conceded more..... that tiredness looked a factor in the end.

All three of these teams have to win their last 3-4 games of their seasons, and for the two English clubs, come through gruelling comebacks against the odds..... Barcelona only have really two games left.

[sussexpob]

Although I do know the Dutch FA cancelled all the Dutch fixtures last weekend to give Ajax a better rest. I am shocked that UEFA allowed that, it seems grossly unfair for a governing body to rewrite the fixture list at the last minute to give their teams a better chance in a CL game.

Think weirdly now their season ends on a thursday night in a couple of weeks.

[GGAS]

Wonder how Liverpool will fare tonight. Salah and Firmino are out I think. Liverpool fans at work are seemingly obsessed with a 2005 esque comback.

[sussexpob]

Wonder how Liverpool will fare tonight. Salah and Firmino are out I think. Liverpool fans at work are seemingly obsessed with a 2005 esque comback.

Not happening witout them.... hearing rumours VVD isnt in the line up either, but not switched on yet.

[Gingerfinch]

2005 was a freak, thanks to Milan being complacent.

[GGAS]

VVD plays but no Salah or Firmino - Shaqiri and Origi in instead.

[sussexpob]

Origi scored after 6 minutes.

[sussexpob]

Barca are all over the place here