Surprising results in the CL so far...

[Fry36]

Anybody else think that this year, the top 16 is going to be a lot more different than the usual? The difference between the pots is getting smaller by the day, and 1st pot teams continue to disappoint. So far we have witnessed Rosenborg draw with Chelsea in England, Shakthar beat Celtic in Ukraine, Fenerbahce beat Inter in Istanbul, Marseille beat Liverpool in England, Celtic beat Milan in Scotland, Rangers beat Lyon in France, Bremen get denied at home with 3 Olympiacos goals, and more surprise results with a lower pot team drawing or beating a higher pot team in both matchdays.

I know it's too early to tell who exactly is going to qualify, but football wise, the "smaller" teams are showing that they're no pushovers.

For most of us, this list was a common agreement of who would qualify:

Group A: Liverpool, Porto
Group B: Chelsea, Valencia
Group C: Real Madrid, Bremen
Group D: Milan, Benfica
Group E: Barcelona, Lyon
Group F: Manchester United, Roma
Group G: Inter Milan, PSV
Group H: Arsenal, Sevilla

So, in half the groups so far, teams of pots 1 & 2 are not on top. Again, I know it's too early to tell, but the way the 3rd and 4th (especially the 4th) pot teams are playing, it seems like this is no luck. They really want to get something out of this year.

Do you think there'll be a surprise 16? How would this affect the overall quality of the Champions League? Are teams like Liverpool and Chelsea what make the Champions League fun to watch, or is it the variety, the fact that anybody can go far with team unity and faith?

[SportBoy333]

No. The cream usually rises to the top in the end.

[nekkibasara]

No. The cream usually rises to the top in the end.

Maybe we will see a repeat of 2003 when Monaco and Porto played in the final, and none of the “big clubs” made it into the semifinals except for Madrid.

[LupoAS]

As long as Roma is one of those clubs, im cool with that. haha

[Boloni86]

There is simply a lot more money being thrown around in places like Russia, Ukraine, Greece and Turkey. There are clubs there that feel they can beat the bigger Western clubs and they will continue to spend money until they do.

Maybe not this year, but in the next five I wouldn't be surprised to see a team from one of those countries win the whole thing. Shakhtar seems to be the one that has been most ambitious, but it could easily end up being someone like Spartak, Zenit or Galatasaray.

[FNU]

Lazio and Rangers, back in the CL, are impressing me so far.

[memnoch999]

Anybody else think that this year, the top 16 is going to be a lot more different than the usual? The difference between the pots is getting smaller by the day, and 1st pot teams continue to disappoint. So far we have witnessed Rosenborg draw with Chelsea in England, Shakthar beat Celtic in Ukraine, Fenerbahce beat Inter in Istanbul, Marseille beat Liverpool in England, Celtic beat Milan in Scotland, Rangers beat Lyon in France, Bremen get denied at home with 3 Olympiacos goals, and more surprise results with a lower pot team drawing or beating a higher pot team in both matchdays.

I know it's too early to tell who exactly is going to qualify, but football wise, the "smaller" teams are showing that they're no pushovers.

For most of us, this list was a common agreement of who would qualify:

Group A: Liverpool, Porto
Group B: Chelsea, Valencia
Group C: Real Madrid, Bremen
Group D: Milan, Benfica
Group E: Barcelona, Lyon
Group F: Manchester United, Roma
Group G: Inter Milan, PSV
Group H: Arsenal, Sevilla

So, in half the groups so far, teams of pots 1 & 2 are not on top. Again, I know it's too early to tell, but the way the 3rd and 4th (especially the 4th) pot teams are playing, it seems like this is no luck. They really want to get something out of this year.

Do you think there'll be a surprise 16? How would this affect the overall quality of the Champions League? Are teams like Liverpool and Chelsea what make the Champions League fun to watch, or is it the variety, the fact that anybody can go far with team unity and faith?

Shakhtar is not really a surprise anymore. They have invested a lot in their squad......and meanwhile it is rather a South American team than an Ukraininan one. ;-) But they play really decent soccer now.

[AFCA]

There is simply a lot more money being thrown around in places like Russia, Ukraine, Greece and Turkey. There are clubs there that feel they can beat the bigger Western clubs and they will continue to spend money until they do.

Maybe not this year, but in the next five I wouldn't be surprised to see a team from one of those countries win the whole thing. Shakhtar seems to be the one that has been most ambitious, but it could easily end up being someone like Spartak, Zenit or Galatasaray.

My money is on the Turks. I have a (very small) soft spot for Fenerbahce. A few years ago all the turks in A'dam were walking around with that godawful Galatasaray stuff. Fenerbahce's colours are more pleasing to the eye.

So in order to save my very own easthetically sensitive soul, I'll root for them.

[Fry36]

My money is on the Turks. I have a (very small) soft spot for Fenerbahce. A few years ago all the turks in A'dam were walking around with that godawful Galatasaray stuff. Fenerbahce's colours are more pleasing to the eye.

So in order to save my very own easthetically sensitive soul, I'll root for them.
LOL that's a way to look at it. Hahahaha!

[jpick]

Maybe we will see a repeat of 2003 when Monaco and Porto played in the final, and none of the “big clubs” made it into the semifinals except for Madrid.

that was 2004, and it was chelsea that was the big club in the semis along with deportivo, monaco, and porto, not madrid.

[glennaldo_sf]

that was 2004, and it was chelsea that was the big club in the semis along with deportivo, monaco, and porto, not madrid.

Remember who Porto's coach was back then... Jose Mourinho! So that was Chelsea under Ranieri.. can't say they were really a "big club" back then ... 0 premiership / top flight titles (in the modern era) + 2004 was their first ever semi-final appearance in the champions league. I'd say the biggest club of the bunch back then were La Corouna!

But that just goes to show the power of $$$.. Look at how far Chelsea have come since 2004 - now the semifinals are simply not enough for them. If Chelsea can do it - then perhaps a team from Ukraine or Moscow can too.

[jpick]

true, i just figured that was the club he was thinking of instead of madrid.

[benficafan3]

Remember who Porto's coach was back then... Jose Mourinho! So that was Chelsea under Ranieri.. can't say they were really a "big club" back then ... 0 premiership / top flight titles (in the modern era) + 2004 was their first ever semi-final appearance in the champions league. I'd say the biggest club of the bunch back then were La Corouna!

But that just goes to show the power of $$$.. Look at how far Chelsea have come since 2004 - now the semifinals are simply not enough for them. If Chelsea can do it - then perhaps a team from Ukraine or Moscow can too.

You are joking right?:eek:

[Cirdan]

You are joking right?:eek:

He's actually right... Deportivo had regular appearances in the top 3 of La Liga and in the later stages of the CL in the beginning of the 00s, they were definitely more successfull than eg Barca back then. I kind of wonder why they fell and did not recover yet ^^

[benficafan3]

He's actually right... Deportivo had regular appearances in the top 3 of La Liga and in the later stages of the CL in the beginning of the 00s, they were definitely more successfull than eg Barca back then. I kind of wonder why they fell and did not recover yet ^^

He's definitely not right. :confused: Two or three runs to the quarter-finals does not qualify you to be a "big club", much less bigger than Porto who had already won the competition and won the UEFA Cup the previous year. Sure they were more successful than Barca, but you wouldn't say that they were bigger than them now would you?

[okoyel]

Fenerbahçe v Olympiakos for the CL final. :eek:

[9_kezman]

Fenerbahçe v Olympiakos for the CL final. :eek:

The CL Final

Fenerbahce-Shaktar Donetsk :cool:

[Boloni86]

Pfff! It's obviously going to be Rangers - Celtic :eek::D;)

[FNU]

Pfff! It's obviously going to be Rangers - Celtic :eek::D;)
That would be pretty awesome. With Celtic winning in ET.

[glennaldo_sf]

That would be pretty awesome. With Celtic winning in ET.

But of course a Celtic fan will run on to the pitch.... causing FIFA to over-rule the match and giving the cup to Beasley + the Rangers! :D