NationStates Jolt Archive

Okay, who'll take home Europe's biggest club trophy?

the major footballing giants/favorites are obvious and they'll be listed in the poll... does anyone out there think Bremen, Rangers (etc.) have a chance?

How about Liverpool's chances of repeating?

Please vote and discuss.

i think it's almost certain to be Juventus, Barca, or Chelsea... each team is absolutely loaded, at least two players deep at every position, and playing well currently, totally dominating their respective leagues.

Bayern Munich is also dominating their league, but they haven't got quite the same level of depth or overall talent that Barca/Chelsea/Juve possess.

AC Milan and Real Madrid are incredibly talented and deep, of course... but both are not showing great league form.

Inter, Liverpool, Arsenal, PSV and Lyon (imo) are at approximately the same level... each team could win it, but they'd have to play spectacularly well or get lucky (or both)

Rangers, Villarreal, Benfica, Ajax and Bremen need a miracle to claim the title.

so... the favorites according to me, by level:

Top level favorites: Juventus, Barcelona, Chelsea
Second level favorites: AC Milan, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich
Third level favorites: Liverpool, Arsenal, Inter, Lyon, PSV
Prospective doormats: Bremen, Rangers, Villarreal, Benfica, Ajax

So here are the round of 16 match-ups and who I think will win... sucks ass how two of the three best club teams in the world are paired so early... not in the semifinals or finals like they should be, but in the round of 16 (which tells me there needs to be seeding)... there's also Milan/Bayern, another matchup of heavyweights... meanwhile, Rangers/Villarreal (are you kidding me? why aren't both of these teams playing one of the big boys? SEED THE TEAMS) is also a round of 16 pairing. Predictions:

Chelsea over Barcelona, 5-4 aggregate

AC Milan over Bayern Munich, 3-2 aggregate

Juventus over Bremen, 5-2 aggregate

Real Madrid over Arsenal, 6-5 aggregate

PSV over Lyon, 6-5 aggregate

Inter over Ajax, 4-2 aggregate

Liverpool over Benfica, 5-2 aggregate

Rangers over Villarreal, 3-3 (Rangers win on PKs in the second match)

Chelsea: Utterly unfeasible since they are the side most loathed across Europe, any team tyhey play will give everything to overcome the black and blue line, and Frank "hit it and hope for a deflection" Lampard.

However, it will be between Juve and Barca, the two pre-eminent teams in their respective leagues, and to my mind, Ronaldinho alone would imply that Barcelona should win the compeition, however, Juve are somewhat more tacticall astute.

So here are the round of 16 match-ups and who I think will win... sucks ass how two of the three best club teams in the world are paired so early... not in the semifinals or finals like they should be, but in the round of 16 (which tells me there needs to be seeding)... there's also Milan/Bayern, another matchup of heavyweights... meanwhile, Rangers/Villarreal (are you kidding me? why aren't both of these teams playing one of the big boys? SEED THE TEAMS) is also a round of 16 pairing.
They seed the teams before the tournament; 8 top seeds, 8 second seeds, 8 third, and 8 unseeded.

If a team doesn't do as well as UEFA's seeding system expects them to, that's not UEFA's fault. Although I think Juve and Bayern were in the same group, so obviously there's something wrong with the seeding process. Villarreal topped their (admittedly poor) group, which Man Utd (as top seeds), should have won. The seeding process can't take into account the fact that some teams will just crash and burn. Rangers got lucky with the second round draw.

Personally, I think Bayern will win the competition. I said so at the start of the season, and I'm sticking to that.
Barcelona, Bayern, Lyon and Arsenal to make the semis, final between Barca and Bayern.

And you're not giving enough credit to Lyon, they easily topped their group (which had Real Madrid in, remember?), but you think PSV will beat them? Lyon to win that tie by at least 2 goals, conceding no more than 1.

My predictions:
Barca - win by 1.
Bayern - win on away goals.
Juve - win by 2 or more.
Arsenal - win on away goals, or by 1.
Inter - win by 2.
Lyon - win by 2 or more.
Liverpool - win by 2.
Villarreal - win by 1.

They seed the teams before the tournament; 8 top seeds, 8 second seeds, 8 third, and 8 unseeded.

If a team doesn't do as well as UEFA's seeding system expects them to, that's not UEFA's fault. Although I think Juve and Bayern were in the same group, so obviously there's something wrong with the seeding process. Villarreal topped their (admittedly poor) group, which Man Utd (as top seeds), should have won. The seeding process can't take into account the fact that some teams will just crash and burn. Rangers got lucky with the second round draw.

Personally, I think Bayern will win the competition. I said so at the start of the season, and I'm sticking to that.
Barcelona, Bayern, Lyon and Arsenal to make the semis, final between Barca and Bayern.

And you're not giving enough credit to Lyon, they easily topped their group (which had Real Madrid in, remember?), but you think PSV will beat them? Lyon to win that tie by at least 2 goals, conceding no more than 1.

My predictions:
Barca - win by 1.
Bayern - win on away goals.
Juve - win by 2 or more.
Arsenal - win on away goals, or by 1.
Inter - win by 2.
Lyon - win by 2 or more.
Liverpool - win by 2.
Villarreal - win by 1.

PSV beat Lyon last year... going on precedent.

PSV beat Lyon last year... going on precedent.
Lyon have improved. PSV haven't. Lyon were unbeaten in their group, which included Real Madrid (and Rosenborg and Olympiakos), while PSV only managed 10 points, losing to both Fenerbahce and Schalke 04.
Going on precedent I would have said, at the start of the season, that Man Utd would qualify for the second round.

I would love to see Celtic win it and with Keane on their team it just may happen.

I would love to see Celtic win it and with Keane on their team it just may happen.
Ok...not this season though. And Keane's only got a couple seasons left in him at most.

I think it'll be Barca. They're just in an impressive form, and if Larsson can only start scoring again (2 last match! Woo!), they should manage without Eto'o for a while...

This is the year for our 10th European Cup!

Seriously, though... I think Barcelona will win it; their current form is just irresistable, and they have improved more than Chelsea from last season. That being said, I'm sure Mourinho will buy off the refs or something...

Deutschland uber Alles! :D