Champions League 2012-2013

How can you guys not understand that any manager worth his goddamned salt would do the same thing? In fact they all do, it's just SAF gets more criticism when he does it.

Sure Nani was deservedly sent off (yes Mirezzi, I agree with you lol - and yeah off the ground makes the offense worse actually), but if you're a manager, you protect your players!

Anyways, i didn't get to watch the match, but will download and watch it over the weekend. Were any of the other second legs worth watching?

i agree that it's any decent manager's duty to defend his players. but come on, you have to admit that SAF is the biggest sore loser in football. the way he treats everyone else when things don't go his way - opposition players, referees, linesmen, other managers - is absurd. it's just the way he acts that is so irritating. it's not his club's divine right to win every game they play. the only time i have seen SAF even approaching humility in defeat was when his side got wrecked 1-6 at home by city last year. that's been the only occasion that he hasn't had a choice in the matter.

I think chenGOD's point is that, with SAF, his tactics actually work because he's been around so long.

With younger managers or managers with shorter tenures, especially unsuccessful ones, the refs hear their complaints and they're like, "lol, whatever."

SAF does what he does, and yes all managers do the same, because it works. I still hate it and him though...

Jesus christ, what an opening goal by Messi...this is going to be juicy!

ooohhhhh fck. really want milan to do it, but christ that was just sublime. little to no wind up just BOOM

Yeah, speaking of no wind-up, I need to post a goal to the Best Goals thread!

Wow.

Niang cruelly hits the post on one end, Messi levels the aggregate 1 minute later.

This game got me very confused, the part of me that hates barca got very angry but the football fan in my was applauding barca, sublime performance, don't know why we ever doubted barca, milan are shit.

It was pretty incredible...

la liga puts 3 teams among the best 8. I thought we could have had none seeing the first leg results

madrid seems like the favourite now, also bayern and dortmund look good

barça depends on whether they play like this week or like they were playing lately

galatasaray and malaga seem the easiest teams, psg and juve second level, dortmund level 3, bayern, barça and madrid the hardest I think

Where are the teams from TEH WORLDS BESTEST LEAGUE IN TEH WORLD, THE PREMIERSHIP?!!

The PL is so tough, so exciting and so competitive that it's made Europe an after-thought for PL giants like Arsenal, Liverpool and Newcastle.

That must be it, winning the PL is a much more prestigious thing than winning that second-rate CL tournament.

Don't forget the FA and League Cups. There's so much quality football that gets in the way.

blip. don't fret, we'll be back to the usual 3 English semi-finalists next year.

The PrL has gotten more competitive in the last couple of years (in terms of teams that fight for the ChL spots).

But the quality of the big sides, has drastically decreased. Top teams from La Liga and The Bundesliga are simply better (stating the obvious).

Holy shit, PSG VS Barca, Bayern vs Juventus, tasty.

madrid, barça, juve and dortmund for semis I would say

juve over Bayern?

toughest match of the draw that, but i have to pick Bayern.

Bayern, Madrid, Barca, Dortmund

yes, I think juve can do it

of course I can be wrong, this is just my guess

^ is awesome. I hope they win it all.

Mad finish to the Dortmund game. Dortmund willed themselves to the semis. It's always fun to see a team come from behind and win it in injury time. I don't know what Malaga was messing about there in the end, but otherwise great play by the two goalies.