Champions League 2022/2023
- Thread starter Barcaman
- Start date
ajnotkeith
Senior Member
Yeah, but City have been outstanding against the best teams domestically, whilst Madrid are 3rd in their league behind pretty poor Barca and Atleti versions.
If talking about how they've done vs the top sides this season it would slant City.
After last year and the way it turned around, you can never count out Madrid though, City is the favourite like always and still never won a CL. But they are setup very differently this year so I think that will play better into knockouts.
I am willing to bet my balls for auctioning if City does not win with an aggregate goal difference of at least 4 goals
El Gato
Villarato!
fergus90
Senior Member
City on their day are the best team in the world, and have been for about 5 years. But players who lack the experience at the business end of the season can end up playing the occasion and not the game and when things don't go to plan might go into their shell. I might get some heat for this, but for as wonderful as he is, De Bruyne owes City a big CL knockout performance. He seems to do well in one leg and then completely disappear in the other.
Pretty much all the pundits and neutrals are predicting City to breeze past but I will be interested in seeing how they respond if they go a goal down. I would not be surprised to see Madrid taking a lead to the Etihad. The only team City have beaten away this season in Europe is Sevilla.
Drew away to Copenhagen, Dortmund, Leipzig and Bayern.
Pretty much all the pundits and neutrals are predicting City to breeze past but I will be interested in seeing how they respond if they go a goal down. I would not be surprised to see Madrid taking a lead to the Etihad. The only team City have beaten away this season in Europe is Sevilla.
Drew away to Copenhagen, Dortmund, Leipzig and Bayern.
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FC B
Senior Member
Obviously most of us here would dream about such an outcome but I remain reserved, it might be much closer and imo Madrid ain't certainly out after this tie.
Birdy
Senior Member
But then in most of these away games (bar maybe Leipzig) they were doing rotation/conservation/control
I think it was a clear strategy from Pep's part either to defend a lead or take the game to Etihand
Something that Pep teams never knew how to do in the past.
They were approaching all games, legs of ties, in the same way.
Bernardo said something similar recently
fergus90
Senior Member
I think the first 10 minutes at the Allianz, they could've found themselves 2-0 down if Bayern had a presence in the box. An instance where they definitely needed a Lewandowski when Coman whipped two crosses in that City failed to defend.
I'll be interested to see who Pep plays LB now Ake is missing through injury.
Birdy
Senior Member
Yes, they had it hard against Bayern.
But the quality Bayern have in sustaining pressure on the opposition is not comparable to Madrid's.
PS: BTW Seluk lifted the African curse on Pep
Akanji with Walker RB?
With this Madrid side I have the feeling they can get absolutely slaughtered or they can go through 2-1 on aggregate. Don't think City will concede a bunch like Liverpool and Chelsea did over two games.
FC B
Senior Member
Which kind of scoreline favourable to City would be the most dangerous to them to go with on the return leg at Etihad?
A draw, a narrow win, a win at two ore more goals?
And if it will be a narrow loss for City, it would benefit them more in terms of motivation and sacrifice on the pitch for the second match?
A draw, a narrow win, a win at two ore more goals?
And if it will be a narrow loss for City, it would benefit them more in terms of motivation and sacrifice on the pitch for the second match?
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