Champions League

• Laley23

  

  WOW. Barca should be winning 3-0 right now.
• SportsAndLady

  

  Haha Barca is gonna regret those 3-5 chances they should have put in.
• 3reppom

  

  I don't know how Arsenal can continue to hold up against Barca's blitz. Messi is going to leave his mark on this game at some point and the gunners lack of possession is going to bite them in the ass at some point.
• Laley23

  

  The biggest problem for Aresnal is that a 0-0 game isnt all that bad for Barca. I would expect Arsenal to REALLY push for a 1-0 win and that could completely backfire.
• Laley23

  

  orrrrrr, Barca will just score withing 30 seconds of the second half. lol
• 3reppom

  

  Zlatan really made up for ballsing up his first chance in like minute 6 or close to it. That was a phenomenal little shot there
• Laley23

  

  Ibra FINALLY has his goal versus English opposition.
• 3reppom

  

  now he has 2
• Laley23

  

  Yep, and he finally timed a run to stay onside twice in one game! lol.
• 3reppom

  

  Laley23 wrote: Yep, and he finally timed a run to stay onside twice in one game! lol.

  I don't think anyone is more surprised by that than he is.
• chicago510

  

  Arsenal counters with one of their own to make it 2-1
  
  Still going to be tough though with giving up 2 away goals.
• Laley23

  

  Messi has had a really lack-luster game outside the first 15 minutes or so.
• Laley23

  

  wow, TERRIBLE call.
• Laley23

  

  welp, 2-2.
• gorocks99

  

  Ahhhh hahaha, I can't believe they tied it! Talk about being dominated thoroughly though. That was a butt whoopin.
• 3reppom

  

  well that sets up an interesting 2nd leg to say the least.
• Laley23

  

  I have a feeling Barcelona will win the next leg 3-1. Messi played TERRIBLE. If Iniesta is back, Barca will be in much better shape. Losing Pique sucks, but Puyol doesnt have the pace for a game like this, so missing him wont be too bad with Milito healthy again. Hopefully Abidal is fit as well cause Maxwell is a joke in the LB position.
  
  Kudos to Arsenal for not giving up and watching the replay the penalty had to be called, even though Puyol did everything possible to not commit a foul.
• Sage

  

  Can't believe I found myself cheering for Arsenal. This Champions banger makes for odd bedfellows.
  
  Can't wait til the EPL fucks up and let Villa slide up in their like the wind next year!!!
• 3reppom

  

  Arsenal had Messi well scouted that's for sure. I can't think of a time when he gathered the ball on the right hand touchline and then had one of his signature cut back runs against the grain around box. He tried it once or twice early one but arsenal always had two guys there to try to close it down. I doubt that the Gunners can silence Messi twice in a row. They also need to figure something out to contain Dani Alves even a little bit. Alves is a tremendous player and hard to contain, but letting him dribble the length of the pitch unmolested several times is unacceptable. If Barca gets off 23 shots at the Nou Camp like they did today more than 2 are going in the back of the net that's for sure.
• Sage

  

  SMH @ my use of "their" in my post above. Christ.
  
  Granted, I haven't been able to watch a lot of Messi this year (basically just hilights and such), but what I have seen of him--I can't remember a time he had just been taken out of the picture entirely.
  
  I'm sure ever World Cup manager saw the game-plan today. If Arsenal is successful in the second leg at Nou Camp--it could be the beginning of some "Messi rules"
• 3reppom

  

  Sage wrote: SMH @ my use of "their" in my post above. Christ.
  
  Granted, I haven't been able to watch a lot of Messi this year (basically just hilights and such), but what I have seen of him--I can't remember a time he had just been taken out of the picture entirely.
  
  I'm sure ever World Cup manager saw the game-plan today. If Arsenal is successful in the second leg at Nou Camp--it could be the beginning of some "Messi rules"

  The "Messi rules" aren't needed for the world cup. Maradona takes him out of the game all by himself by playing him upfront as a central striker instead of playing him out wide where he is far more effective. I don't imagine Arsenal being able to bottle him up a second time on the return leg but if they do they could be onto something.
• DeyDurkie5

  

  Can't believe i missed this game...Happy at the result though, I'm rooting for EPL over the rest of the conferences(besides gay ass Man U)
• Laley23

  

  Messi was contained, but he really should have had 2 goals. Almunia made a great save on his shot from the 18 (after a great reception of the ball and move) and also when he and Zlatan had a 2 on 1 and Zlatan dribbled all the way and took a terrible shot. I thought Arsenal actually did a poor job in the first half of bottling up Messi, but a good job in the second half. But at the same time, how much blame falls on Barca for not giving him the ball? Iniesta being out certainly hurt Messi also because overloading one side with defenders never works with Barca, but with Keita on the left side they were able to do it.
  
  The other thing that will help in the Nou Camp is that the pitch is one of the widest in Europe, much wider than Emirites stadium I believe. That will help out Barca and Messi as well.
• hoops23

  

  Definitely sucks that Rooney is out 2-4 weeks.
  
  I'm glad it wasn't more serious though.
• detectivegibbles

  Did they name Berbatov the starter for Rooney?