Champions League, 2007-08

Barcelona v. Rangers tonight. Looking forward to it, shame though it's not on TV. Messi accussed Rangers of playing "anti-football" at Ibrox, just like the French coach and several French players made similar statements about Scotland. What do they seriously expect?! I'm sure Barcelona would (as France would have loved Scotland to) play three forwards and go all out attack, but they might as well ask them to kick the ball in their own net. :lol:

Anyways, the following should be noted:

1960-1 UEFA Cup QF, Barcelona 4-4 Hibernian
1960-1 UEFA Cup QF, Hibernian 3-2 Barcelona
1964-5 UEFA Cup R2: Barcelona 3 v 1 Celtic
1964-5, UEFA Cupt R2, Celtic 0-0 Barcelona
1966-7 UEFA Cup 2R, Barcelona 1-2 Dundee Utd
1966-7 UEFA Cup 2R, Dundee Utd 2-0 Barcelona
1986-7 UEFA Cup QF, Dundee Utd 1-0 Barcelona
1986-7 UEFA Cup QF, Barcelona 1-2 Dundee Utd
2003-4 UEFA Cup 4R, Celtic 1-0 Barcelona
2003-4 UEFA Cup 4R, Barcelona 0-0 Celtic
2004-5 Champions League, Celtic 1-3 Barcelona
2004-5 Champions League, Barcelona 1-1 Celtic
2006-7 Champions League, Rangers 0-0 Barcelona

This means, played 13, won 6, drawn 5, lost 2, meaning prolly that Scottish sides have a better record against Barcelona than any other European country! :D Plus, other than Celtic, no Scottish side has lost in Barcelona, and Celtic only once. You can look at this three ways. 1) Scottish teams are what we call "bogey teams" for Barcelona, and Rangers might get a result. 2) The record is ridiculously unblanced and will be redressed as soon as enough games come around, starting with tonight. or 3) such records mean nothing, and Barcelona will win comfortably because - frankly - Barcelona play in a different universe from Rangers. I tend to go with 3), but although I was right about how Rangers would play in this Champions League, I was wrong in believing they wouldn't pull of many good results. So maybe I'll be wrong about tonight (we'll see soon enough). Rangers have absolutely nothing to lose tonight. No-one in Spain or Europe will blink an eyelid if Barcelona win 5-0, so all the pressure is on them.

The other thing with Barcelona is I always feel weaker sides have more chance of getting results playing teams like Barcelona away at the latter's home grounds, mainly because these weaker sides aren't compromised by an home obligation to attack but the home team is. Rangers have a chance if they don't concede early. The biggest downside about using the tactics Scotland, Rangers and other Scottish teams use in Europe now is that if you concede early you're basically screwed. Anyways, if that does happen, Rangers should do their best to preserve their good goal difference, rather than become suicidal. These are my thoughts anyways.
 
it's whenever we get optimistic... Rangers are going to crash and burn :D
 
Off a handball too.
Granted, but we cannot blame the referee for having not seen it on real time. And as football purists would consider video to be an infamy, then the logical conclusion is that Henry's goal was fair. :p

Anyhow, for those having not seen the game, the handball wasn't voluntary which of course doesn't make the goal more valid at all. I just say so to prevent a new wave of Henry bashing. He didn't try to trick anyone on this and it's not comparable to Maradona's hand of God.
 
Granted, but we cannot blame the referee for having not seen it on real time. And as football purists would consider video to be an infamy, then the logical conclusion is that Henry's goal was fair. :p

Barcalona definately deserved the win, they dominated the whole game. Fortunately it wasn't the only goal, or there would've been controversy.

Anyhow, for those having not see the game, the handball wasn't voluntary which of course doesn't make the goal more valid at all. I just say so to prevent a new wave of Henry bashing. He didn't try to trick anyone on this and it's not comparable to Maradona's hand of God. Furthermore, not a single Scottish player had actualy seen the handball.

Actually, there was 1 or 2 Rangers players appealing for handball who were on the goal line, but as there was no reasonable way the ref could've seen it, and there was another goal to confirm the result, I don't really have a problem with it since any footballer would've claimed a goal in the same situation.
 
Actually, there was 1 or 2 Rangers players appealing for handball who were on the goal line, but as there was no reasonable way the ref could've seen it, and there was another goal to confirm the result, I don't really have a problem with it since any footballer would've claimed a goal in the same situation.


Yet another potential case for the use of video ref.

but anyway, yeah I didn't see the game (was out watching Joan Jett, Motorhead and Alice Cooper heh) but from what I heard Rangers were prettymuch on the back foot all night, as is exected. but we can still qualify, just need to pull the socks up.
 
Liverpool 8-0 Besiktas

And there was me thinking Besiktas could sneak that one. :lol:

Shocking result for me.Before the match I told everyone the score will be 4/5-0,but 8 is too much.But after a little bit thinking,I found the result normal.Besiktas has too many problems at our national league and I can realize,why the players haven't concentrated on this match.

Anyway I congratulate all Liverpool fans.:)
 
Some biggies tonight. It is said on the grapevine that Stuttgart are coming back to their old form. Frigg ... I hope that's not true. Stuttgart should do the decent thing and wait until the Barcelona game to come back to form. If Rangers win tonight, they may very well go through. Standing against Rangers is that they are no longer underdogs ... and I feel that they do better as the latter. At any rate, it would prolly be better for Scotland's co-efficient for them to go into the UEFA cup, so I'm not that bothered.

I do very much hope though that Celtic can beat Shakhtar tomorrow. Everyone says Shakhtar tore Celtic apart in the first game. I must be blind, because I saw the first game; they scored two goals in the first ten mins and then it was relatively even. Anyways, remembering that Celtic's last game is in Milan, if Celtic don't do it tomorrow they may experience the humiliation of bottom place, behind that rather ordinary Benfica team. Ouch! On the other hand, Celtic have twice won all their home games in the Champions League, and on their two other campaigns got no more than one draw (Munich) or one loss (Barcelona). So history is on their side.
 
I do hope Rangers win tonight (I'm a Ger) but it's gonna be tight, like our fellow Wegie team in Europe and even the national team, we tend to have a hard time away from home (Lyon being a fluke, we caught them when they were still getting their feet)

I think Celtic will beat Shatkar tonight, as Calgacus said, their home form is pretty solid and they don't have any huge injury worries (apart from Boruc but I think he's fine now).

Mo'an the Scots!!!
 
Isn't Nakamura gonna be missing?

Just some stats about Rangers and Stuttgart. Rangers have lost only twice in their last 18 games in the competition, defeats coming to Barcelona in Barcelona and Inter in Milan; the former defeat against Barcelona ended a 13 game undefeated run (including 4 qualifying matches). Stuttgart have not won a match in the competition since they beat Rangers several years ago. That was the last home game in which Stuttgart scored, and the last CL game they didn't lose.

Usually when people start remembering such records, it goes against the records. I hope for Rangers fans that that's not what happens 2nite. ;)
 
Too bad, Rangers lost tonight to Stuttgart, while Lyon managed to do 2-2 against Barcelona. This means Lyon needs a victory in Glasgow in 2 weeks, can they do it ? :D
 
well rangers were unlucky. Good goalkeeping kept us in it and he wasn't at fault for any of the goals in my opinion.

Lyon need to win, a draw would see them out because rangers beat them previous.

Was suprised Arsenal lost, they were doing so well in Europe. Wenger threw a wobbler as well apparently.
 
Sporting is a great team, they have an excellent eye for young talent + exciting players.

which ultimately leads to Man U coming in and taking them away ;)

but yeah, I have heard some amazing things about Sporting and their youth teams.
 
which ultimately leads to Man U coming in and taking them away ;)

Ah but this is a recent development. I don't think ManU ever even had a Portuguese player before C.Ronaldo. Anyway it's fine with me, ManU is one of the biggest clubs/stages in the world to play on. So they finally "got it" and added some Latin flair.... it makes them more exciting. I used to despise them just like Real, but now I find myself somewhat cheering them on :cool:
 
Besiktas JK 2-1 Olym. Marseille

At least we won our second game.Our group is more interesting now.By the way Marseille is not a football team,they are just a bunch of butchers.In two matches they injured 5 players.Just unbelievable...
I found those Frenchs bold,as they never were..
 
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