Well well well.....................Man Utd are completely out-playing Bayer Lerverkusen in Germany........leading 2-0 at half time. This is the team that are 2nd in the Bundesliga, 3 points ahead of Dortmund. So.............perhaps German football isn't so all-conquering after all? Mind you..............there's still 45 minutes to go!!
Ok, I'll bite. Leverkusen are playing Emre Can at left back. That would be like us playing Adel Taarabt there (when he was with us). Defensive avareness = zero. Best side in England Manchester City were trashed at home only managing 30% of the possesion against Germanys best side Bayern. Huge gulf in class and like Micah Richards said it was like playing against 12 players. Two very even leagues imo, with England having four top sides to Germany's 2-3. Germany having a better 'middle' part of the table, and very similar quality at the bottom.
Col from watching ITV 4 Bundesliga highlights it looks like that league is going the same way as the prem...2 or 3 sides potential winners, 4 or 5 going for minor placings and the rest scraping to avoid relegation. There is a depressing familiarity across most european leagues that all the money and power is going to the minority and the rest have to live on the scraps......most of it due to TV money and the effective closed shop that is the Champions League....
I thought you might. There's no denying that Bayern are by far the best team in Europe. But Leverkusen are 3 points ahead of Dortmund and have been out-played by Utd, who aren't in the top 4 of the Premier League and have Van Persie, Vidic and Carrick all missing. I just think Utd deserve great credit for the way they are playing, away from home against these supposed invincibles!
Agree Col, very impressed by United tonight. They started ok but their first goal gave them a platform to play and they have taken full advantage of it. Leverkusen also missing two regular starters, especially Sidney Sam up front is a miss. Also the left back solution Hyypia has come up with is strange. This is the poorest I've seen them this season. Usually very strong at home. Historically they've trashed both United and Liverpool at home, I had them down to win tonight to be honest.
Take Dortmund out of the equation and Bayern would not have reached the current level they perform at. The Premier League is over hyped, everyone knows that.
I think the Bundesliga is looking a tad over hyped watching Leverkuson tonight mate. Utd taking players off now to give them a rest............easy!!
What we are seeing tonight mate are two teams that doesn't stand a chance at winning the thing. All rather uninteresting if you ask me By the way, I see City are struggling at home tonight against the mighty Victoria Pilzen, impressive. Says a lot of the Premier League that highly favoured Tottenham managed a 6-0 loss only days ago. What about Chelsea losing away to Basel without managing ONE shot on target all night, in the prosess losing both games against the Swiss. Point is, it doesn't say much about leagues, it's only single matches. What I do know is that Germany have two teams that can win the Champions League and England have none. Sorry but that's the hard facts
IMO Germany have ONE team who will almost certainly win the CL. After that.............I believe there are a few others who could win it, including Man Utd. And they're not hard facts mate, they're your opinion. I think the Premier League is, without doubt, the most exciting league in Europe and has the most top players.
Col, my opinions are facts, thought you knew that mate Sorry about the Young jibe, that was below the belt, won't happen again You did see my point about Hyypia's left back selection of Can? It says a lot when he during the second half puts his right winger down as left back instead and moves Can into midfield.
I knew you were joking about Young mate. Of course the left back selection was strange, although Valencia can be unplayable when he's on song. Utd had three first choice players missing too, maybe four if you include Fellani. City have won too! Good night for the British teams.
Defintiely! All English teams through unless Arsenal lose by three in Italy which they won't. The German teams have it all to do, all three sides except for Bayern need a win to secure qualification. Well done and congrats. Think we'll have 4 English, 3 German and 3 Spanish teams in the last 16.
Firstly i have to say that Bayern Munich are certainly the biggest favourite for the champion. They are playing like a machine from match to match. It seems obvious that nobody cant beat them. Then again nothing is granted in the champions league. Remember that barca were always the biggest favourite for the title during 2008-2013. As it happens they won it only twice in that period even though Messi was fit. The differences between top teams are very narrow and in their good day Real Madrid, Barca or even Arsenal and ManU could trash Bayern Munich like the way they did to barca last season. Norway mentioned the match when Munich beat city very easily in manchester. I saw that match and as the german were very good that day and totally deserved their win i have to say i was shocked about Citys tactics during the match. They were just awful and Joe Hart was probably playing the worst match of his career. That match was very similar that todays match in leverkusen. Anyway City is probably the most weakest top team in europe on their bad day.
