The Official 14/15 UEFA Champion's League and International Club News Thread

[nik-]

I didn't realize dragons were from 2003 and only associated with MMA

[cam_wmh]

Originally Posted by nik-

I didn't realize dragons were from 2003 and only associated with MMA

Yep Nik, they are, and yep only.

Editing out that Affliction shirt. Footy shouldn't be sullied with that nonse.

[Matty81]

Surprised I beat the resident soccer troll to it but Celtic crashed out, again lol. One of the worst Celtic teams I've seen in recent years, kinda glad they are not in the group stage, their stadium is magic but they really play a horrible boring style this year.

[Nuje]

Holy crap, anyone catch the Steaua Bucuresti v. Ludogorets story? Goes into extra time. All subs used (obviously). Ludogorets keeper gets sent off at 118 minutes. Goes into penalties. Outfielder, and former Dinamo Bucuresti captain goes in net. Ludogorets win in penalties as their stand in goalkeeper makes 2 saves (after scoring his own spot kick while wearing the backup goalkeeper's shirt). You couldn't write this!

[GirlySports]

it went into extra on a Ludogorets goal in the 89 minute!

[GirlySports]

Pot allocations for Thursday's Draw

Pot 1
Spain Real Madrid CC: 161.542
Spain Barcelona CC: 157.542
Germany Bayern Munich CC: 154.328
England Chelsea CC: 140.949
Portugal Benfica CC: 129.459
Spain Atlético Madrid CC: 119.542
England Arsenal CC: 112.949
Portugal Porto CC: 105.459

Pot 2
Germany Schalke 04 CC: 95.328
Germany Borussia Dortmund CC: 82.328
Italy Juventus CC: 80.387
France Paris Saint-Germain CC: 80.300
Ukraine Shakhtar Donetsk CC: 78.193
Switzerland Basel CC: 75.645
Russia Zenit Saint Petersburg CC: 73.899
England Manchester City CC: 72.949

Pot 3
Bayer Leverkusen CC: 70.328
Greece Olympiacos CC: 67.720
Russia CSKA Moscow CC: 66.899
Netherlands Ajax CC: 61.862
England Liverpool CC: 58.949
Portugal Sporting CP CC: 58.459
Turkey Galatasaray CC: 55.340
Spain Athletic Bilbao CC: 54.542

Pot 4
Belgium Anderlecht CC: 50.260
Italy Roma CC: 39.887
Cyprus APOEL CC: 37.650
Belarus BATE Borisov CC: 33.725
Bulgaria Ludogorets Razgrad CC: 18.125
Slovenia Maribor CC: 16.200
France Monaco CC: 11.300
Sweden Malmö FF CC: 6.265

Teams from the same league can't be drawn together.

[devo22]

FC Bayern English @FCBayernEN
#FCBayern can confirm talks with @XabiAlonso & @realmadriden. Spaniard expected for a medical today.

so that's Guardiola, Thiago, Javi Martinez, Reina, Bernat and now Xabi Alonso. What's "mia san mia" in Spanish?

[Bagor]

Tuned in with great anticipation then reality set in.

Arsenal Dortmund.
City Munich

[Nuje]

Liverpool, Real, Basel and Ludogorets!

[Bagor]

Group A: Atletico Madrid, Juventus, Olympiacos, Malmo
Group B: Real Madrid, Basel, Liverpool, Ludogorets
Group C: Benfica, Zenit, Bayer Leverkusen, Monaco
Group D: Arsenal, Borussia Dortmund, Galatasaray, Anderlecht
Group E: Bayern Munich, Manchester City, CSKA Moscow, Roma
Group F: Barcelona, PSG, Ajax, Apoel
Group G: Chelsea, Schalke, Sporting Lisbon, Maribor
Group H: Porto, Shakhtar Donetsk, Athletic Bilbao, Bate Borisov

Chelsea did good, Liverpool ok, City and Arsenal have their work cut out. Groups C and H are terrible.

[d_phaneuf]

Group A: Atletico Madrid, Juventus, Olympiacos, Malmo
Group B: Real Madrid, Basel, Liverpool, Ludogorets
Group C: Benfica, Zenit, Bayer Leverkusen, Monaco
Group D: Arsenal, Borussia Dortmund, Galatasaray, Anderlecht
Group E: Bayern Munich, Manchester City, CSKA Moscow, Roma
Group F: Barcelona, PSG, Ajax, Apoel
Group G: Chelsea, Schalke, Sporting Lisbon, Maribor
Group H: Porto, Shakhtar Donetsk, Athletic Bilbao, Bate Borisov

[polak]

Group B: Real Madrid, Basel, Liverpool, Ludogorets
Group C: Benfica, Zenit, Bayer Leverkusen, Monaco
Group D: Arsenal, Borussia Dortmund, Galatasaray, Anderlecht
Group E: Bayern Munich, Manchester City, CSKA Moscow, Roma
Group F: Barcelona, PSG, Ajax, Apoel
Group G: Chelsea, Schalke, Sporting Lisbon, Maribor
Group H: Porto, Shakhtar Donetsk, Athletic Bilbao, Bate Borisov

H and C are a joke. E and D are probably the toughest, of course, the two teams I cheer for are in it.

I'm assuming Donetsk will be playing all of their matches on the road?

Legia should be in this

[The Big Chill]

Pretty decent draw for Liverpool. Can't wait for Ronaldo vs Glen Johnson!

[nik-]

When does the actual game schedule get released?

[Locke]

Originally Posted by devo22

FC Bayern English @FCBayernEN
#FCBayern can confirm talks with @XabiAlonso & @realmadriden. Spaniard expected for a medical today.

so that's Guardiola, Thiago, Javi Martinez, Reina, Bernat and now Xabi Alonso. What's "mia san mia" in Spanish?

Yeah, well Thiago, Martinez and Reina probably wont play at all.

I'm not a super huge fan of this. I like Xabi and hes a good player, but hes well past his best. He had a miserable World Cup and was basically being phased out at Real.

Bayern should have paid Toni Kroos.

As for the draw, I'll take it. City should be used to getting beaten by Bayern by now, its almost a tradition at this point.

Liverpool stand a really good chance of advancing. I doubt they beat Real to win the group but Ludogarets should be interesting but Basel can always surprise.

[d_phaneuf]

I wouldnt sleep on City

they outplayed Bayern in the 2nd game almost as much as Bayern outplayed them in the 1st of last seasons group stage

and since that time City have improved while Bayern look shakier

I think City win it and I wouldn't be shocked if that comes down to the last match day for the 2nd team

[Locke]

Really? That seems pretty steep for a one-year loan....

Monaco's Radamel Falcao could receive several offers before the transfer window closes on Monday, as several sources have told ESPN FC that a number of elite European clubs are willing to take him on loan this season.

The Ligue 1 club are keen to get Falcao's high wages off the payroll due to a restructuring of the first team, and have offered him to some of the continent's biggest outfits.

So far, all of Real Madrid, Chelsea, Juventus and Arsenal are contemplating signing the Colombian to solve their attacking issues.

Monaco have set a fee of 20 million euros to take Falcao on loan for a season.

http://www.espnfc.com/story/2007985/...-million-euros

[Locke]

Originally Posted by diane_phaneuf

I wouldnt sleep on City

they outplayed Bayern in the 2nd game almost as much as Bayern outplayed them in the 1st of last seasons group stage

and since that time City have improved while Bayern look shakier

I think City win it and I wouldn't be shocked if that comes down to the last match day for the 2nd team

While true, its basically Bayern's style to sleep through games once the goal has been accomplished. Its irritating to no end, but its what they do.

Just look at last season, once they won the Bundesliga they took their foot off the gas in the league and couldnt bring up the intensity in the CL.

That said, I wouldnt be shocked if City win it too, they've come a long way.

[J79]

Barcelona
PSG
AFC AJAX
Apoel Nicosia

5th year in a row we're in one of the toughest groups.

You would think we get rewarded some time for the way we approach football

Playing against 2 of my favourite former Ajax strikers (Suarez, Ibrahimovic)

And Apoel. Very strong team...

Matchday 1: PSG (H)
Matchday 2: Apoel (A)
Matchday 3: Barcelona (A)
Matchday 4: Barcelona (H)
Matchday 5: PSG (A)
Matchday 6: Apoel (H)

[d_phaneuf]

Originally Posted by Locke

While true, its basically Bayern's style to sleep through games once the goal has been accomplished. Its irritating to no end, but its what they do.

Just look at last season, once they won the Bundesliga they took their foot off the gas in the league and couldnt bring up the intensity in the CL.

That said, I wouldnt be shocked if City win it too, they've come a long way.

that's the part that worries me, they haven't gotten it back yet

having said that, they might go paste someone 6-0 this weekend

but I think Pep does need to make some changes this year, give Shaqiri and some of the younger players more time just to shake things up a bit

the Kroos for Alonso swap was just an ego thing (from Kroos and from BM) and a stupid one for Bayern to do, he could have been their CM for the next decade, Alonso is already dropping off and has 1 maybe 2 years left