European Football Thread

[Colly]

I'm off to Greece in an hour

Here's to hoping for a party atmosphere all over the country when Newcastle go out of Europe and someone can teach me a song about Shefti Kuqi's brother. Shame the legs weren't reversed though so I'd be in Greece for the home leg.

You really think there'll be a country wide party atmosphere because one of Athens smaller sides has made it to the group stages? Miserable sod...

[Berober]

Anyone with 5 minutes to spare, the Guardian has a fantastic interview with Thibaut Courtois up ahead of the super cup tomorrow.

http://m.guardian.co.uk/ms/p/gnm/op/sMyznrAm5V5KCN7UW24NA7A/view.m?id=15&gid=football/2012/aug/30/thibaut-courtois-atletico-madrid-chelsea&cat=football

[Lineker]

Chelsea: Cech, Ivanovic, Cahill, Luiz, Cole, Mikel, Lampard, Ramires, Hazard, Mata, Torres.

Subs: Turnbull, Romeu, Oscar, Moses, Meireles, Sturridge, Bertrand.

Atletico Madrid: Courtois, Juanfran, Miranda, Godin, Filipe Luis, Mario Suarez, Gabi, Adrian, Koke, Turan, Falcao.

Subs: Sergio Asenjo, Raul Garcia, Rodriguez, Silvio, Cata Diaz, Diego Costa, Emre.

Referee: Damir Skomina (Slovenia)

Chelsea are captained by midfielder Frank Lampard because centre-back John Terry - as he was for the Champions League final - is suspended. Lampard and Ramires come into the side as two changes from the side which beat Newcastle, with Raul Meireles and Ryan Bertrand dropping to the bench, where new signing Victor Moses will also start the game. There is no Michael Essien for the Blues, fuelling speculation he could be on his way to Arsenal tonight. Atletico Madrid have striker Radamel Falcao in their side along with the dangerous Adrian Lopez.

[Lineker]

2-0 to Atletico already! Falcao with both!

[Pesci]

Falcao is a ridiculously good striker.

[Lineker]

3-0; Falcao completes a first half hat-trick.

[Khain]

Radamel makes it three! He is a beast, and Chile has to play against Colombia in two weeks, I'm scared.

[Robsturgh]

Falcao is in beast-mode.

[stokeriño]

At this stage, even as a Chelsea fan, it's just kind of funny to watch how badly we're getting owned.

[Crybaby Bunting]

Is it the winner of the Super Cup that goes on to play in the Club World Championship? Or is this just a one off game with the Champions League winner going on to play in the Club World Championship regardless?

[Lineker]

The latter. This game is basically a continental Community Shield.

[stokeriño]

Chelsea fans online are wondering whether the players are even really trying, but I'd say it's more to do with us being a team getting used to playing tricky-passing-possession-football and Atletico being counter-attack kings. It works entirely to their favour and good on them for it.

[Pesci]

Atletico have been pretty good since Simeone came in so I had a feeling they'd win, but I definitely didn't see it being this much of a mauling. Perhaps Di Matteo would be better suited to going into IT'S LIKE CHELSEA VS BARCELONA ALL OVER AGAIN mode whenever he comes up against a decent team.

Three very well taken goals by Falcao. Is there a hotter striker on the planet right now?

[Lineker]

....4-0

[stokeriño]

Heh.

Worst Chelsea performance in...oh, how long? (Anyone care to hazard a guess?)

[Lineker]

Gary Cahill nets a consolation goal.

[9 to 5]

Heh.

Worst Chelsea performance in...oh, how long? (Anyone care to hazard a guess?)

I see what you did there.

[Pesci]

Cahill is always amongst the goals! Good finisher with his feet and his head.

[stokeriño]

Heh.

Worst Chelsea performance in...oh, how long? (Anyone care to hazard a guess?)

I see what you did there.

What I did was think "...Should I really avoid use of the word 'hazard' on purpose just because of the player's name? Nah I'll leave it in."

Is that what you saw?

[Lineker]

I assume that Barca vs. Valencia is on the tele tonight?