It feels like you're applying last year to this one. Real aren't great this year. Not that you can ever write them off. From what I've seen, though, Barca and Man City are looking strongest right now.

Pep's problem is still his defence, which isn't as bad as last season's but still not exactly solid. His midfield though is ridiculous. If anything, His skill there will be in picking the right configuration from DeBruyne (admittedly about as nailed on as it gets) David Silva, Sterling, Sane and Bernardo Silva.

yeah i started watching mid/late season so i don’t have all the info. but— i just saw juve v. spurs the other day, and the way they shut them down in the 2nd half was amazing. and madrid is madrid is madrid. are they ever BAD? whatever streak they may be going through, either of these 2 teams can out of nowhere neutralize and crush their opponents. it’s what they do. their aging stars are still stars for a reason.

e.g. i couldn’t stop laughing the other day when the commentator was talking about how spurs was exploiting chiellini’s old age and slowed pace ha ha ha ha. according to him spurs was running rampant. yeah good luck getting past that human wall, in the end.

holeee sheetz rb lipstick just beat bayern 2-1 lol

bad for bayern but lipstick put on a good spectacle

State of this England game

oh 0-0 vs holland?

im sitting out the international break— have some work to do in the mothership and will go there this weekend.

1-0 England.

I won't read too much into it but I thought we played OK and deserved the win. It was a friendly but for all that we seemed quite confident on the ball for a change. Holland didn't look particularly good though so we'll have a better sense of where England are next week against Italy, who may not be going to the WC but are still Italy.

that’s still just fucking shocking

i read it like breaking news every time

I felt exactly the same writing it. Just doesn't seem right. I actually find the fact that Italy isn't going more weird than if it was Brazil. Germany are probably the only team I'd be more shocked about. Although what's weirder with Italy is that while I always expect them to be there, I never consider them favourites to actually win it.

i was gonna post this on the tv thread but it might not be appreciated as much there

just watching this. the style is a little too michael bay but who cares! fantastic subject

Arturo Vidal to Man U?

http://www.tribalfootball.com/articl...r-plan-4225222

oh shit. “mourinho favours vidal”

but will vidal favor mourinho?

hmmm...

Chelsea are interested as well but with Conte's future in doubt they're probably not that appealing. Although any attack-minded player has to be skeptical of working with Mourinho.

berni the bear disapproves

Oh Jesus fucking Christ No!!!!!!!

https://www.si.com/soccer/2018/03/24...ool-star-heats

hurray! two Dutch youngsters from AJAX made it into the top 5 of goal.com's teenager top 50!

Kluivert Jr #1
De Ligt #4

:D :D


Also known as the "soon to be on the 'where are they now' list"

The Gusardian has announced its Ptrm team of the season.

https://www.theguardian.com/football...r-city-burnley

Goalkeeper: Ederson (Manchester City)

Right back: Kyle Walker (Manchester City)
Centre back: James Tarkowski (Burnley)
Centre-back: Ben Mee (Burnley)
Left-back: Andrew Robertson (Liverpool)

Defensive midfield: Abdoulaye Doucouré (Watford)
Centre midfield: Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City)
Central midfield: David Silva (Manchester City)

Right-sided forward: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
Left-sided forward: Son Heung-min (Tottenham)
Centre forward: Roberto Firmino (Liverpool)

Not many arguments there from me, although I don't see how Ederson made it over DeGea and I'd have maybe put Sane in over Son. But it's a tough call; Son is great. Surprised Kane didn't make it but his season has been spotty, whereas Firmino, although scoring less goals, arguably offered more in all-round play. Either way, DeBruyne and Salah are head and shoulders the players of the season. And while I'd still argue for DeGea, it's always nice when not a single MU player makes it.

They actually put Firmino over Kane?

dammit man. i liked debruyne before it was cool! [insert laughing emoji]

holy shit bayern 5 dortmund 0 ***AT HALFTIME***

was gonna be 6-0 i not for some video assist catching a super-thin offside by ribéry

speaking of which— ribéry on fire today, as is lewandowski, and james, and mueller, and everybody except for dortmund which is disorganized as fuck and pissed off and looking lost.

earlier caught a very lively leipzig-hanover that rb won 3-2 and *again* video assist (it’s getting to be a pain in the ass, this thing) prevented what would have been a fair 3-3. great 2nd half of a simple, agressive, fast game.

but this isn’t over yet. looking forward to the bayern-dortmund 2nd half and wheatever happens. here’s to no injuries on anyone...

That makes the fact everton are being so outclassed by City a bit less painful. 3-0 at halftime

damn... sorry man

it’s time for a rum

2nd half was a nice and balanced 1-0 in favor of bayern (again)

which... adds to 6-0. lewandowski has his hat trick, ribéry scores a brace (funny english words, these terms), james and mueller have one each. what? the math doesn’t add up.

i blame the rum. it’s tasty!

I watched that game and you have to admit, as hard as it feels going down like that, for the 1st half at least MC were just unplayable.

tomorrow sevilla v. bayern, and juve v. real

AT THE SAME TIME!

so fucking unfair... i only have 2 eyes

Juve - Real, has to be.

100%

Personally tomorrow's Liverpool/Man City game is game of the year (so far). Symbols would still rather watch, I dunno, Hertha Berlin/Stuttgart or something instead.

that feels like sophie’s choice....

i might arrange a split screen but that often means understanding neither game just to catch the goals

but yeah juve-real is a quasi-final. i’ll have to trust that bayern will perform well.

Yeah, also MC v MU this weekend in the Prem. Can't wait for either of them.

Anyway, teams in for Juve Real

Juventus: Buffon, De Sciglio, Barzagli, Chiellini, Sandro, Costa, Khedira, Bentancur, Asamoah, Dybala, Higuain.

Real Madrid: Navas, Carvajal, Ramos, Varane, Marcelo, Kroos, Casemiro, Isco, Modric, Ronaldo, Benzema.

Over two legs I'm going for Juve.

They just battered Dortumund 6-0. They'll be ok. At least with the Juve/Real there's a challenge for both teams

yeah i kept thinking on saturday that heynckes did that so they’d come to tuesday with a high morale after being beaten by leipzig

oh yeah dont forget they were beaten by leipzig before teh break ;)

ETA: >> https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=...&v=v9HAMfTQkyU

but yeah i’ll be on the juve bandwagon i think for sure.... almost ha ha ha

And the Liverpool/Everton derby which will be a tight affair as usual :rolleyes:

sevilla just fucking scored! :mad:

was a handball apparently but.... it wasn’t even their first clear chance

--

so ribéry scored with the help of jesús navas lololol... own goal.

this split screen driving me bananas but it's impossible to choose

Ronaldo's second goal is a must see.

jeezus fuckin christ he’s an alien

—

h no and dybala a red. FML

well and now thiago scores. great.

The more you watch it the better it gets.

Juve are finished here. Real are through.

i am but cant keep my eyes of bayern also who have been sitting on sevilla’s chest all second half but failing to make the definitive kill

—

and poor cuadrado. he did his best in so little time. not enough.

—

gigi buffon hugging and kissing all the madridistas

didn't see the bayern game but pundits are saying they rode their luck a bit tonight.

both goals were technically own goals so in that sense maybe. but they happened while shots on/around target. so not really. the ball was right there.

sevilla counterattacked fast and well on occasions, and what failed them the first time was the bad finish not bad luck. then they scored and got ahead.

but after vidal was subbed out (injury, nothing lucky about that) and rafinha came in for bernat, bayern really just took control of all the action. except they didn't score much.

--

eta: https://www.bavarianfootballworks.co...ames-rodriguez

THAT goal still brings a smile to my face. Real Madrid really did look unstoppable last night.

So tonight's game! Gonna be a feisty one I reckon.