CL | 1/8 Final: FC Barcelona - SSC Napoli 4-2 (agg.)

[Barcaman]

Barca have drawn Napoli in Champions League 1/8 finals.

All pairs:

 

[mc_lovin]

Im thrilled for City-Real. Zidane/Real cant outmuscle Pep anymore, Ronaldo is gone, Bale a shadow of his former self etc. They are a much more technical team now, so it will be interesting to see them against the most technical of them all.

 

[clemente]

Of course we ge the easiest possible in 1/8, hope it's Liverpool in quarters

 

[Barcaman]

Glad it's City-Real as well. Will be happy whoever goes out.

Atletico will have a tough time but Simeone's team surely doesn't suit Liverpool. Valencia got an easy draw like us.

 

[Alik]

PSG
Valencia
Bayern
Leipzig
Real
Liverpool
Juve
Barça

To go through

 

[Nazario1985]

Im thrilled for City-Real. Zidane/Real cant outmuscle Pep anymore, Ronaldo is gone, Bale a shadow of his former self etc. They are a much more technical team now, so it will be interesting to see them against the most technical of them all.

After Barcelona/Messi Guardiola chock himself in UCL every time despite having spent > billion dollar on his squad

 

[BBZ8800]

After Barcelona/Messi Guardiola chock himself in UCL every time despite having spent > billion dollar on his squad

Yes.
We could write it this way
Level of quality:
Tier1: Managers who won a CL WITHOUT Messi since 2009:
Mourinho 2010, Di Matteo 2012, Heynckess 2013, Ancelotti 2014, Zidane 2016, 2017, 2018, Klopp 2019.
Tier2: Managers who won a CL WITH Messi:
Pep 2009, 2011, Lucho 2015
Tier3: Managers who haven't won a CL since they didn't have Messi:
Pep 2013-2020 and all other managers in the world.
Tier very bad: Managers who haven't won a CL inspite of having Messi:
Pep 2010, 2012, Tito 2013, Tata 2014, Lucho 2016, 2017, EV 2018, 2019.

 

[KingLeo10]

Yes.
We could write it this way
Level of quality:
Tier1: Managers who won a CL WITHOUT Messi since 2009:
Mourinho 2010, Di Matteo 2012, Heynckess 2013, Ancelotti 2014, Zidane 2016, 2017, 2018, Klopp 2019.
Tier2: Managers who won a CL WITH Messi:
Pep 2009, 2011, Lucho 2015
Tier3: Managers who haven't won a CL since they didn't have Messi:
Pep 2013-2020 and all other managers in the world.
Tier very bad: Managers who haven't won a CL inspite of having Messi:
Pep 2010, 2012, Tito 2013, Tata 2014, Lucho 2016, 2017, EV 2018, 2019.

Between Messi and Pep, Messi clearly has the greater credit for Barca's 08-12 run.

Because he's proven himself with multiple 50 goal seasons after Pep left and has a treble.

Meanwhile Pep has been getting dunked on in Europe at City and even at Bayern (v RM, Barca).

I think everyone agrees with this notion, no?

 

[Jadentheman]

Im thrilled for City-Real. Zidane/Real cant outmuscle Pep anymore, Ronaldo is gone, Bale a shadow of his former self etc. They are a much more technical team now, so it will be interesting to see them against the most technical of them all.

Plus Debruyne is back

Between Messi and Pep, Messi clearly has the greater credit for Barca's 08-12 run.

Because he's proven himself with multiple 50 goal seasons after Pep left and has a treble.

Meanwhile Pep has been getting dunked on in Europe at City and even at Bayern (v RM, Barca).

Pep has always bottled it in away matches. But he's always seen an exit in the latter stages. Pretty consistent if you ask me. Hopefully he breaks through that. Man City are favorities this season

 

[BBZ8800]

Between Messi and Pep, Messi clearly has the greater credit for Barca's 08-12 run.

Because he's proven himself with multiple 50 goal seasons after Pep left and has a treble.

Meanwhile Pep has been getting dunked on in Europe at City and even at Bayern (v RM, Barca).

I think everyone agrees with this notion, no?

You started to change views.
I see that Te Amo Barca also liked a joke on the other topic how Pep will have 1/8, 1/4, 1/4 and 1/8 of a CL in his last 4 years.
So, some fans are lowering their views about Pep's magic.

Of course that he was important and that he had magic.
But his impact can work only to a some extent.
Of course, he took a team from Rijkaard and made things which Rijkaard couldn't.

But still, compared to a post-Pep's era, Pep had the best team in the last 10 years.
Messi was young and without trophies.
Iniesta was on his prime and without trophies.
Xavi was still on his prime.

Pep will probably have 7 out 7 CL exits this season, without Messi.
Ok, you need some luck, but if a coach is that important and that magical, Pep would have surely found a way to win at least 1 title in 7 years.
Especially since he had CL winning team Bayern from 2013 and finalists from 2012 (whom he turned into a CL losers with zero CL finals) and City who is among the richest teams in the world (without a single CL semis with him).
If his system is that magical, there is no way that he would be losing in a CL over and over in an almost spectacular fashion.

Of course, you need an awesome coach.
But as Pep has showed: a good coach without truly magical gamechanger players like Messi (or Xavi-Iniesta) can improve a team only up to a certain extent.
And that line which I hate "if executed properly, nothing can beat Pep's system" also applies ONLY:
If you mix:
1. Pep
2. Messi
3. Xavi-Iniesta
4. hungry players
5. teams surprised by your system and who don't know yet how to defend
6. some luck in a CL draws to avoid our kryptonites like Milan, Juve or other physical or crazy running teams

If you can mix those 6 in the same time and in the same place, then I agree: if executed properly, nothing can beat Pep's system.
But in a real world, those 6 will never repeat in the same time, so: it is what it is. This is why Pep is losing over and over inspite of having his system.

 

[Vilarrubi]

Think i'd rather Madrid win too, City at full force at the Etihad wouldn't end well for us whereas we are Madrid's Kryptonite

 

[KingLeo10]

Messi has 7 goals in 6 games v City or something absurd like that. He'll own them if we come across them.

I'd much rather RM get KO'ed as early as possible. Back to back R of 16 exits is what they deserve after all those CLs.

 

[Vilarrubi]

Messi has 7 goals in 6 games v City or something absurd like that. He'll own them if we come across them.

I'd much rather RM get KO'ed as early as possible. Back to back R of 16 exits is what they deserve after all those CLs.

True. I’m good either way, one big team is going out.

 

[KingLeo10]

You started to change views.
I see that Te Amo Barca also liked a joke on the other topic how Pep will have 1/8, 1/4, 1/4 and 1/8 of a CL in his last 4 years.
So, some fans are lowering their views about Pep's magic.

.

I'm not a Pep cultist, lol. I've always thought he was the 3rd most important piece in our 08-12 conquests. Messi first, Xavi second.

My favorite Barca side is 08-09 because we had it all. Technical wizards, killers like Henry and Eto'o, leaders like Puyol, Marquez etc. 04-06 Barca is also among my favorites because we beat a really strong Chelsea and Milan team (in SF).

My ideal manager would be something like Heynckes (12-2013). Doesn't put men behind the ball (~60% possession but not obsessing over it), mix of strong and technical midfield (no workhorses who are donkeys on the ball or thugs, though. someone like bastian or javi martinez that season), terrifying wingers who stretch the field with overlapping fullbacks (one defensive, one attacking).

Didn't get the chance to watch Sacchi's Milan but I don't think they had much wing play.

 

[weloveyuner]

What a great draw for us! Usually that's not the case.