UEFA Champions League 2016/17 1st Knockout Round Draw

You’re completely ignoring the fact that the home team gets an extra thirty minutes in-front of a riled up crowd. Not to mention potentially getting to take penalties at their own stadium.

Fans at the Emirates only get riled up when they run out of Minstrels in the concourse Castiel, stop kidding yourself.

3 Likes

Yeh I’m sure there will be barely any atmosphere at all when we play Bayern. If only we were lucky enough to be watching Liverpool.

1 Like

Well of course we can’t draw conclusions from it but it’s a more than sensible assumption at this stage considering this year alot Pot 1 teams didn’t finish 1st in their group. The L16 fixture do look more balanced tbh

For instance Bayern, Sevilile, Madrid, City are all favorites/Likely to go through in their L16 matches despite being runners up in the group

But there’s no doubt that data you provided is off considering the rule change. In any case that % of group winners going on to win the L16 tie has largely been padded by top european Pot 1 teams like Barca/Real/Bayern always winning their group and going through in the L16 because they’re heads and shoulders above the group runners up who they encounter in the L16. It’s unlikely that the trend will continue at such a high % mainly due to the rule change.

@Castiel That’s a more than valid factor, but alot depends on the context tbh, if your home support is renown for providing that level of quality support then it something which can be relied upon but if your home support isn’t (which Arsenal’s is not really) then it might not be the best option 100% of the time. Arsenal this season so far have better away form than at home this is a fact, the players don’t seem daunted by away grounds. But either way the home/away leg thing isn’t really definitive

Yea, you simply cannot say that until the evidence proves it to be so.

Neither of your examples contain a manager saying that they’d prefer to have the home leg first though.

Edit: I see now that Castiel has already pointed this out and you have responded, though not convincingly imo.

I distinctly remember Jose saying something along those lines in a TV interview which got me thinking about the situation, I just cba to find where or when tbh

Tbf better teams win their group and go on to face not so good teams. This is especially the case during times when you have 3-4 European power houses that are favored and expected to go far into the tournament. Having data on quarter and semi finals too would make your whole argument a little stronger, though I do also have to say that sev’s whole point seems rather weak and probably doesn’t have much evidence.

My personal feeling is that playing at home in the second leg most likely favors your team due to knowing exactly what you need and in general having attacking momentum going your way.

1 Like

Hmmm yes, I’ll be having words with them. Seems they have quite the sense of humour…

Morale of the story is Bayern are absolute pricks for finishing 2nd the year we finally finish 1st. :disappointed:

1 Like

I take back what I said, Mou would definitely prefer to play the decisive game away, possibly without any strikers.

We need to score 2 away goals in Munich to be a chance of winning this Tie.

I’d take a score draw. We definitely need an away goal (or 4!)

Setting yourself up for disappointment already i see :smile:

1 Like

With our capacity for disaster and self-destruction I’d take a -1 into the Emirates happily now.

Milan 2012 1st leg all over again ?

That’s the fear. Still remember that game like it was yesterday.

1 Like

AC Milan 1st leg with their shredded pitch. :bellerin:

2nd leg 4:45… van Persie… Abbiati. :dizzy_face:

That’s the exact moment I knew RVP was a rapist cunt.

2 Likes

This should be the closest Arsenal v Bayern we’ve seen in recent years. Sure it’s going to be difficult, but if we’re fit and in the form we’re in now, we have a good chance of going through if you ask me.

But yeah I would have liked Benfica.