Perhaps last season was harder than usual, but the season before that you still had Wolfsburg, Zenit, Fiorentina, Sevilla and Napoli in the quarter finals! I know Wolfsburg aren’t much now, but they finished second in the league that season!
I just think it’ll be harder than some people are making out.
Yeah pretty much. He’s played on the wing, attacking mid and even controlling mid I think. The perfect squad player. Plus he’s a free-kick and penalty kick genius.
In normal circumstances, we’re favourites against any single one of those clubs.
Circumstances change in football, quite quickly.
Or in Arsenal’s case, a slow decline bubbling away beneath the surface for years, suddenly brought into focus when Oh Noes! we finally lose our hallowed spot in Europe
Arsenal’s circumstances need reevaluating, we’re at the top of a European second tier that’s increasingly distant from the few above us. If we weren’t artificially bloated by being English and having access to Premier League riches, we’d soon be slipping below the Napolis and Sevillas of this world in my view, easily
So, who will progress to the semi’s?
My picks:
Besiktas - Lyon
Manchester United - Anderlecht
Schalke - Ajax
Genk - Celta de Vigo
I’d say Lyon and Celta are going to take the other two spots.
Do we want the shitbags to go through? (Extra games, puts more pressure on them to make top 4, but gives them a very real chance of winning the whole thing and qualifying for CL football that way. Although, they might be more knackered than us when we play them at the Emirates…)
Or do we want them out? It’ll be tough for them to qualify for CL football after that point anyhow (If they get 9 points from away games at our place, WHL and the Erihad, I’ll eat my socks) Cranks up the pressure on Mourinho after just one season. For him not to achieve CL football for a club of their stature would be astonishingly bad. Could lead him to make more mistakes next season in his bid to win trophies. Furthermore, the likes of Griezmann perhaps won’t sign for them without the cast iron guarantee of football in Europe’s elite competition.
I’d probably seek a middle ground. Let them win tonight and then lose in the semis. On the other hand, we all know mourinho’s and/or Manure’s record in semi finals…
The sooner they go out the better. Fuck the cunts.
Lyon
United
Ajax
Celta
Oh! Good shot by Anderlecht.
Nice finish by Mkhitaryan.
FFS! What a miss by Anderlecht! Incredible.
Rojo off injured for Blind.
Besiktas take the lead. They are qualified atm.
1-1! Anderlecht were getting more and more dangerous in the last minutes.
You’re not scouting Kolasinac and Goretzka, I take it?
1-1 Lacazette!
Goretzka :cech:. What a goal that would have been!
Weren’t we meant to sign him?
31 goals in 40 games. Incredible
Christ! I thought Lacazette would have scored here, instead he hit the post!
Kolasinac with some nice crosses in.
Ajax came through that half quite okay. Really could do with a goal to ease the nerves, though.
Played some sexy stuff at times too. I’m really pleased that Ajax play some better football again.
Nice free kick by Ajax and Lyon clear off the line.
Props too Anderlecht. They are holding firm. Even if the half time score should have been 3-1.
Ajax are playing really well.
Big chance for United here.