Authorities in Italy actually investigate, punish and report on corruption in football. My point was people would make accusations if the Prem or Serie A finished 4th as it would look like the rules were changed to benefit them.
oh please serie a has always played out like an opera and thats off the pitch never mind on it, between the ultras and club directors or owners trying to act like ceaser their is a reason what like 5,000 people were at the napoli game v red bull its a shame as the italian league teams now play a more open exciting games years ago it was virtually all 1-0 2-1 games now there are lots of goal fests. it may be clean now but the damage has been done.
It wasn't that long ago that all English teams were banned from European competitions due to hooligan violence. Now, the atmosphere at your typical BPL game seems totally bland. I'd take Ultras culture any day over what the BPL fan experience has become. It would have been full if it was a CL game.
In evenly contested matches, the fine margins are the difference in CL matches. Barca had all the possession vs Chelsea, but Chelsea were so unlucky not to be up 3-0 as they hit the post twice before finally scoring. Instead Barca equalize off of one mistake. Both teams actually defended well by allowing the opposing attacks very little outside of the four or five total opportunities. They each also loaded up the midfield which meant that there was only one out and out forward (Suarez) in this game. Barca are such an odd team in the CL since they play 4 midfielders plus Messi (five if you count Sergio Roberto). It gives them a lot of control, but very few threats. Had Chelsea kept it to 1-0, they would have had a real chance with their defense. It just feels like they don't have nearly enough upfront to score multiple goals in Spain.
it was the 1980s so yes it was long ago. really you would take the ultras culture that stops italians from going to games as families and the fences stay up. and bring that to canada eh, or you just prefer to watch it from afar like most cowards who have no real skin in the game? and no it wouldnt be full stop lying italian stadiums are hardly ever full they had to reduce juve's stadium to fill it.
A generation ago. And you guys set the precedent. I want to bring it to Canada? Where'd that come from? It's already in North America just far less intense. And I've been to numerous away games wearing my home team jersey and even been to the Rome derby. I'm a fan of ultras culture. Every league, including MLS, stadium atmosphere > the boring BPL atmospheres.
40 years i doubt you were born. and is it balls its just copy cat fake with no soul or originallity. BUNCH OF FAKES trying to copy Italians who have a chip on their shoulder and right wing political views it makes you look dumb. oh and pretty much all songs in europe are just copies of english ones have a nice day. FAKESTER (oh and one of the worst atmospheres in europe is Barca who usually play in a 2 thirds full stadium with like 300 guys trying to make an atmosphere using a megaphone while everyone else sits around eating roasted nuts. the only other atmosphere usually comes from the 15-20,000 tourists who are usually from britain lol at you lol MLS we have a full house of 25,000 and there is like not even 10,000 lol even the fake diehards have no original songs lol here ended the lesson bring it or shut it the choice is yours
lol Barcelona and Real Madrid are sorta the exceptions in Spain though. And even in those 2 stadiums its not a bad atmosphere. When music is blasted after the home team scores then all hope is lost. And so far no stadium in Spain does that... yet.
I can assure you that the vast majority of MLS ultras are not copying right-wing ultras. The SG's in North America are almost all left-wing. No argument there. There are even stadiums, like Toronto's BMO Field, where speakers play fake crowd cheering to encourage the people to join in. There are some original songs. But not many. In any event. It's all still better than what you see when watching the Prem in terms of crowd passion.
Roma lost 2-1 to Shakhtar Donetsk. The latter just came off their winter break and only played 1 league match prior to today.
Well it was a tough place to go. Shakhtar beat Man City and Napoli in Ukraine as well. I did not expect Roma to win in Ukraine. I thought either a win for Shakhtar or a draw, but hopefully Roma will win by enough at the Stadio Olympico!!!!
Aside from the relative strength of opponents, is it easier to progress after losing 2-1 away or a 2-2 tie at home?
no it isnt goto a palace game or one of the smaller clubs where the tourists have not taken over, and there is no crowd passion when half your stadium doesnt turn up ala mls. lol
Undeserved by Dortmund. They are seriously not even a good team. Atalanta did make a few costly mistakes in the first leg I gotta say but missed a few good chances here. Well I guess it takes experience, but oh well. Hopefully Dortmund gets Atletico next round!
Yeh. Imo both teams were poor. It was fitting that the goal that saw Dortmund through was basically a crap piece of goalkeeping.
I don't have the numbers but I would be almost certain that the data points to it being better to lose the first leg 2-1 away than draw 2-2 at home. Whenever the home team wins the first leg 2-1 I think of the tie as being on a knife's edge. When it finishes 2-2 then definite advantage goes to the team that got the 2 away goals. It basically comes down to having to win the second-leg in both cases, so you'd rather be at home for that leg.
It's close given that technically a draw at home even at 2-2 maintains the possibility of a tie being enough to advance. Obviously losing away in the first leg requires a win at home in the return. This round is particularly interesting with the amount of first leg ties. Juve 2-2 Tottenham Chelsea 1-1 Barca Sevilla 0-0 United I'm guessing one of the 2nd leg away teams will advance. Shakhtar 2-1 Roma Real 3-1 PSG I'm guessing at best only one of the first leg losers go through. It's possibly that both could be out.
I am pretty sure Real Madrid go through. I do not see PSG keeping a clean sheet against Real in the second leg, therefore PSG will have to score 4 goals with Real only scoring one. Not gonna happen. With PSG having to really go for it, Real will score at least 2, possibly more. Roma has a good chance to turn this around, but Shakhtar definitely are not an easy team to play. I see that game as 50-50, could really go either way. Same with Juve-Spurs 50-50.
This is a legitimately meaningful tie since both teams need EL to get to CL. It's nice to get such a match up rather than some we just saw where one or both teams give no f$^& about EL.