Says it all. That Barca fanboy was happy with the result. He even said before the matches "they are the best", "they are the best team of the last 15-20 years", etc. etc. Yeah - you have 7 current world champions on your team, plus Lewandowski, etc. etc. - and you say the other ones are the best. And then you make your team play in a way that the others win. **** off, Guardiola.
As Percicles mentioned, Suarez vs Chiellini and Evra. From the pregame handshake line to the pitch. That is the must watch part of the match. That and Tevez vs Messi.
Another good thing about Juve getting to the final is seeing Max Allegri get to the final. He took a lot of $hit from Milan fans I think, and since he's gone it's been downhill for that team in every area especially managerially. Juve getting to the finals is kind of like Inter in the late 00's. Winning Serie A multiple seasons in a row(thanks to Juve not being there) but failing in the Champions League under Mancini, until Mourinho got there. Now Allegri is the Mourinho at Juve to Conte's Mancini. I hope for a Juve win but Barca are a machine right now.
I liked at the half when Pep was laughing and practically drooling over Messi as he walked by to go into the tunnel. Seriously, I don't get it. In 2013 Bayern showed how to handily beat Barca's possession attack. Then they turn around and implement Pep's possession attack and now two years in a row Bayern has been handily beaten by quick countering teams that looked more like they did circa 2011-13. Oh - really happy for Juve. Double win of a Madrid loss and avoiding yet another same country CL final.
Pep also said some bullish in the lines of "We can only beat Barca by dominating possession and playing the way I do.". Jupp showed the world how to beat Barca with a deep defense, pressing and quick counter attacks. Then this moron Pep takes over, implements his tiki-taka crap, takes away all our advantages and says these moronic things. This guy can't adapt or learn from past events and other coaches. The way we are playing right now heavily reminds me of the last van Gaal year where we had absolutely no ideas and put ourselves to sleep with extreme-possession football. Pep basically took our team back to pre-Heynckes times and now we have to start over again after he leaves. Wasted our World Champion and Treble squad.
Well so much for a close final...hope I am wrong but I don't see Juventus playing Barca close. *sigh*
Yung-T & ATW, I find a bit unfair that you're comparing that 2013 semis when I'm sure you well now that Barca was in a very similar situation to that of your team this 2015 semis; Barca played with a banged-up squad. On second leg, we had 7 injured players. Messi himself was coming back from hamstring injury, he didn't even play the second game. Oh and I'm also sure you know that Barca plus Casillas and Ramos minus Messi it's the team the lifted the 2010 World Cup Trophy. So, please stop with this PEP bashing you have going on. Accept the fact (like we did in 2013) that your team was banged up and Barca wasn't and well we also had Messi fully fit and inspired. There's no manager that would have been able to overcome your situation. Move on please. You have next year. Rimbaud, You're just making stuff up.. He wasn't laughing nor drooling. He told him to stop. Messi laughed at Pep's remarks.
Everyone can see the tactical mistakes Pep is making, having your defense stand at the middle line or starting the wrong players and some St a wrong position has absolutely nothing to do with injuries. Every decent coach would keep Lahm and Alaba at their wing positions and wouldn't start Xabi and Alonso together, as they're sharing the same weaknesses. A good coach would see how we are conceding goals again and again because of how high the defensive line is on the pitch. Every fan sees these things, would learn from them and adapt. Pep has shown absolutely no signs of adapting to good opponents and the roster he is provided with. Remember last year's games vs Real or other great opponents? Same tactical mistakes as this year and the squad was HEALTHY. People reducing this to injuries are taking the easy route and don't want to face the truth.
Wow, you got me. Pep was NOT literally drooling. He was just having a jovial exchange. I am glad you set me straight.
Well tbh you did ask for Rox1 to set you straight re. the post you made. Not sure how one would get from it that Pep was "practically drooling" over Messi during the halftime walk back to the dressing rooms. That's the kind of thing the English tabloid backpage journo's would write. It appeared more like a simple jovial exchange that probably went the way of " You little genius, take your foot off for the second half and give my banged up team a chance". or could have been "I guess you're feeling pretty healthy huh?". Either way, wasn't much about anything.
Breh chill. It's what it is. Pep is there for another year at least, you and ATW just have to deal with it and hold on until after next season. No point thinking about Pep anymore. R-E-L-A-X
Dnipro beat Napoli and are now in the EL final. This is amazing, didn't think these Cinderella were possible in these times.
I agree, I just thought it was funny. I wrote that "I liked" when it happened. Not "I was offended" or "shocked" or "angered". "Drooling" was an obvious exaggeration of Pep's clear affection for Messi's game (if not person). Because, you know, Messi is really good.