So exciting.

A team arguably has the best defense, on form with the best goalie vs a team who just made one of the greatest comeback of all time (with controversy so relax guys), with a few best attackers on the Planet (but shaky defend).

I think:

• It's gonna be so intense
• Barca should REALLY learn from their mistakes in the first round against PSG & last week shameful defeat. With Busquet (a super off-form player) suspended, it might be good for them. But Sergio Roberto, I dont know I just dont feel like he's playing right, terrible everytime I watch Barca. Masc will be in the mid, dont know if he still has it there... And certainly Messi will drop VERY DEEP to create chances.
• Juventus system is made to kill such team like Barca, UNLESS Barca has a plan.
• Both teams are tricky enough to make the referee's job becomes extremely hard
• Cant' wait to see Messi and Neymar perform against a solid, on form Italian defense.

Juve 2 - 1 Barca

What do you guys think?

The stakes are way higher in the Champions league you fool. Yes, Hazard scores twice against Man City, but who cares? The Champions league is most likely more important in most teams eyes rather than the League title, even thought that can be argued as well.

I care?

People are allowed to have a discussion.
Don't like it? Move on.

Hmm winning the quarter finals more important than winning the league where u have to be consistent in 38 games lol
Don't do drugs kids.

you're hammering in hazard eveywhere, and it doesn't matter. this discussion can continue with no hazard at all. if you want to talk about hazard, create a new forum post.

the CL is the pinnacle of european football. anything you do here is valued more than what you do in the league.

Lmao come on sun im waiting for you to reply on my comment :D

You're not proving me wrong and there appears to be nothing I can say that would make you re-evaluate your opinion. At this point I'd just have to repeat myself.

This is not unlike the discussion we had with tiki where he was trying to say that Leciester winning the league was not as impressive as it would be if they knocked out Atleti. He was attempting to state that the opponent in the individual round was tougher than any league opponent. And he was right, but neverthless basic odds dictate that it is far more likely that Leciester would win the tie, and therefore less impressive an achievement - you remember. The important part to take from this is that the CL is a knockout round tournament. So is the world cup, and Euros, etc. Individual games decide who goes through, not the season as a whole. What I and other have been saying is that Hazard is a tremendous asset to have during the course of the league season. What he has not proven is that he is the factor that decides the individual games - when it is the individual games that matter.

There are endless examples of great "regular season" player who fail in a playoff context. Dig into basketball or American football if you have to to understand where we're coming from.

Neither of us are wrong. League form is important, and winning leagues matter. You're right. But if you want to say that you're the best in the WORLD? Or a top-5 player? Or worth 100M? You have to turn up in every facet. Hazard has not.

literally a post about recent CL game. chelsea8 = hazard is the best.
a post about the dortmund tragedy. chelsea8 = hazard is the best.
a post about the world ending. chelsea8 = hazard is the best.

lmao

I do feel for you a bit Gonzi. Juventus just beat Barca for the first time in awhile and all anyone can talk about is Hazard.

We did actually get a bit off-topic guys. Sorry for that. Let's try to get back on track now lads. :D

Juventus' defence is way superior to PSG's, so I think that Barcelona is not going to come back from this scoreline.

Yess, I dont think so either.

I dont think Barca deserves to go through.

Funny because when Barca get calls against them suddenly everyone find it fair in a way, if it was the opposite same people feel disgraced, i don't think it's a ref problem, even if you hate this team inside you try to be fair for your points credibility.

Barca got owned and it was expected, but Juve got that home refreing to keep a clean sheet. Thats also noticeable if you have any sense of objectivity. That ref refereeing PSG first leg did absolutely same performance :

Juve denied Barca any chance of counter by small faults, just in first half they did +20 fouls, systematically each time a player wanted to play forward or Messi trying to go in Buffon direction... Mandzukic if he didn't fall on the pitch should have seen second yellow on Sergi Roberto, Chiellini not getting yellow carded in first half after successive fouls or Alves only booked in 37th was incredible. Ref conditionned Juve players atitude for not doing the job.
Then again you have the clear Pk when ref was only 2 meters in front of the action, Chiellini with his hands high blocking a shoot with his chest then with his hand acting like à GK... Mascerano VS PSG handball was less less blatant and everyone felt disgraced...

That being said, we Really dont deserved better, first goal was not à CL level defensive performance, Mathieu gave Cuadrado more than 10 meters space to control a cross, and then instead of deniying him space started going back, Pique let Dybala block the ball turn arround And shoot, doesnt take anything from his brilliance but it was championship defensive level.

First game changer : Messi found Iniesta on a magic pass, Buffon won the 1vs1 brilliantly, didnt gave information then reflex save on a good Iniesta attempt, world class. 67 seconds later Juve scored the second with Mandzukic incredibly alone and Dybala unmarked in the box, here again these goals are not accepted in such a high level confrontation...

Second game changer for me is the uncalled PK.

The rest Juve managed their win brilliantly, they did the job congrats to them.

Buffon saved a huge 1vs1 against Suarez assisted again by Messi. Monster game from the legend.

Tactical aspects :

• Allegri : Used the usual defensive duties against Messi that denied him going on left foot and obliged him to stay deep, he still gave key assists but prevented him from scoring. Also small fouls each time he was going to take speed...
  Alves for Neymar, They denied him horizontal dribbles that make him go to the center and in that matter Alves was following him or anticipating the space Neymar was going to use.
  Juve first looked like sitting on the back, then they decide to press with 3 or 4 players at times to get the ball, worked pretty well...

• Enrique : well well well, he is never spot on nor vs City, nor PSG And even worse last night. Mathieu for Alba ? Dont know what Alba did wrong with him ? First 3-4-3 that pushed Alba on bench and suddenly decided to play 4-4-2 with Mathieu as a winger ? Why ? A player with 0 confidence or big game experience eternal bench warmer and make him start away vs Juve ? Amator level...
  Barca like many times this season lacked organization and creativity, fragile at the back, uncomfortable on set pieces and I can't remember last time we scored a corner or a header cross. Thank you Enrique.

Now look at the coaching XD, better laugh at it, Lord Gomes to replace Rakitic And Alba still on the bench while Mathieu wa sinking. Standing ovation for the genius, i stopped watching the game consistently there. Enrique is a retard and nobody seems to want to do the extra efforts for him. Alba offers Neymar solutions and space, offers Messi crossing options and assists Suarez brilliantly, his speed and work rate in defense are also important for the balance of an attacking style team. But who cares, Enrique wants to rule his team like a district club, Alba or Turan or Rakitic probably hurted his feelings so he might be punishing them at the expense of results. Incredible.

His post game press conference was laughable, rotate and loose the league to loose confidence and get trashed in CL, world class indeed.

Enrique class :D better laugh rather than get mad.

Well Juve looked solid but not impressive at the point of looking as main contenders, 91% of those who won 3-0 go through, but since Barca defied stats, i think a world class Barca can do it, in Second leg, with a home refreing Juve cant finish with 11 players making these fouls or at least make less fouls that would make Barca game more fluid. It will depend on players pride only, Enrique is hopeless and so are his tactics...

Home refreing, yes, it counts a lot in a 2 leg confrontation, its complicated for a ref to whistle a handball in front of 70.000 fierce fans, home teams usually benefit from 50-50 calls at the expense of the away.
If it's the case, haters will hate, same ones silence about ref performance today, but second leg will be complicated for Juve unless they score...

For me the winner of Madrid-Bayern has high chances to win the CL, i didnt wanted to rotate for CL and focus on the league, but we have unrealistic coach who needs to look for another job.

i don't understand why people care about hazard in this forum discussion. this is about the recent CL game. i think some of you have a hazard hard-on

Dynastian98 took the chance to bash on Hazard after Dybala scored two goals, that's him being focused on something irrelevant for this topic and thus gives others the right to react.

@Gozalo: that is a pure freakin provoking comment (purely trolling by talking about ref and red cards). Wtf man. Enough is enough.. I deleted it and take this as another warning

@tiki: i think Juve was impressive. Super. They committed fouls but within acceptable boundaries. Italian defends rough and everywhere. They do it game in game out. They threw themselves in front of the ball if Barca were about to shoot. Barca needs to toughen up against this nee Juve

Tactically, you analysis was eight, and that shows how superior they were against the poor Barca. And I agree, Luis' choices was weird and poor. Barca needs another miracle to turn this around cleanly.

@tiki spot on mate

The game could have gone another way juve played hard and very dirty imo. But they did manage to stay without a sending off which is an achievement. Can't believe Suarez missed that chance.

Barca needs a new RB and better bench players and a world class CM and young replacement for buskets.
They need to start building before messi and Suarez gets older so when the time comes they wouldn't get stuck with no midfield no defend and old frontline.

More than half people PREDICTED CORRECTLYYY!!!

@Salahadin: I disagree, Juventus didn't play dirty, they played rough, just like any Italian team, they didn't try to break legs, dive or anything... On a bad day, yes, the ref could be harsher and they will be unlucky. But I have no doubt they would adapt to that too.

there must be something about playing at the camp nou that must intimidate players. mostly because ive seen psg play a lot and ive never seen them play that badly. if juve can keep their composure, i think we might make it through. the worst thing we can do is play defensively from the start, which is what i fear allegri will do, bc ive seen him do it against napoli on 2 legged ties.