2011/2012 UEFA Champions League

[Lineker]

CSKA Moscow: Chepchugov, Alexei Berezutsky, Ignashevich, Vasili Berezutsky, Shchennikov, Wernbloom, Aldonin, Musa, Tosic, Dzagoev, Doumbia.

Subs: Revyakin, Semberas, Honda, Rahimic, Oliseh, Kim, Necid.

Real Madrid: Casillas, Fabio Coentrao, Pepe, Sergio Ramos, Arbeloa, Alonso, Khedira, Ronaldo, Ozil, Callejon, Benzema.

Subs: Adan, Carvalho, Kaka, Granero, Marcelo, Albiol, Higuain.

Referee: Bjorn Kuipers (Holland)

Ronaldo has already scored a blinder in Moscow, apparently.

Did anybody else realise that Russia are changing to a winter season?

The 2011–12 season is a transitional season, as it will stretch over 18 months instead of the conventional 12 months. The unusual length of the season is the result of the decision to adapt the playing year to an autumn-spring rhythm similar to most of the other UEFA leagues.[citation needed]

The season will comprise two phases.[1] The first phase will consist of a regular home-and-away schedule, meaning that each team will play the other teams twice for a total of 30 matches per team. The league will then be split into two groups for the second phase, where each team plays another home-and-away schedule against every other team of its respective group.

The top eight teams of the first phase will compete for the championship and the spots for both the 2012–13 Champions League and Europa League. Accordingly, the bottom eight teams will have to avoid relegation. The bottom two teams of this group will be directly relegated, while the 13th- and 14-placed teams will compete in a relegation/promotion playoff with the third- and fourth-placed teams of the 2011–12 National League Championship.[2]

[Thrilla]

Really fancy Napoli to beat Chelsea tonight.

[stokeriño]

Really fancy Napoli to beat Chelsea tonight.

You and the rest of the planet...

[Dingle]

Really, REALLY hope Chelsea advance, can't handle having no English teams to watch in the champs league >_>.

[Lineker]

Napoli haven't lost at home in Europe since something like 1994.

[Thrilla]

Which is impressive given that they've only been a club for eight years >_>

[Dingle]

How about a draw? >_>.

[Jimmy]

Always want an English team to win the Champions League so I'm hoping Chelsea get a result tonight. Hopefully a good CL run will give AVB a bit of credit and get people to pipe down for a little while.

[Matt]

Really, REALLY hope Chelsea advance, can't handle having no English teams to watch in the champs league >_>.

I'd love it. Sick of hearing Sky wank over how good our teams are.

[Dingle]

Really, REALLY hope Chelsea advance, can't handle having no English teams to watch in the champs league >_>.

I'd love it. Sick of hearing Sky wank over how good our teams are.

But we have the greatest league in the world!

[Thrilla]

Really, REALLY hope Chelsea advance, can't handle having no English teams to watch in the champs league >_>.

I'd love it. Sick of hearing Sky wank over how good our teams are.

I'm quite looking forward to Marseille against Inter Milan on ITV tomorrow, more so than the usual English team tie.

[Dingle]

Damn double post.

Marseille/Milan tomorrow? Excellent. Although I would rather see my prediction for runner up; Bayern Munich, take on Basel.

Edited February 21, 2012 by Devil In Jouzy City

[Jimmy]

Really, REALLY hope Chelsea advance, can't handle having no English teams to watch in the champs league >_>.

I'd love it. Sick of hearing Sky wank over how good our teams are.

Do you hate everything that isn't Leeds?

[Steeb]

Doesn't even like them a lot of the time!

[DavidMarrio]

Only team I care about is Basle....With a team that features quite possibly the worlds worst fullback after watching them play Man Utd and the fact one of their defenders smashed it against their own crossbar as a clearance whats not to like.

I don't get this mentality though of "But they are English you should want them to do well even if you don't like them or they are your rivals"

[Dingle]

Only team I care about is Basle....With a team that features quite possibly the worlds worst fullback after watching them play Man Utd and the fact one of their defenders smashed it against their own crossbar as a clearance whats not to like.

I don't get this mentality though of "But they are English you should want them to do well even if you don't like them or they are your rivals"

Well, it's supporting the home league I guess. But then again I don't have a particular team I out-and-out support in the premiership.

But the most practical reason is that the better we do, the more spots we get, so if our teams all did shit, we'd only have a couple of spots for teams, instead of the current 4.

[Matt]

Really, REALLY hope Chelsea advance, can't handle having no English teams to watch in the champs league >_>.

I'd love it. Sick of hearing Sky wank over how good our teams are.

Do you hate everything that isn't Leeds?

Doesn't even like them a lot of the time!

[Lineker]

GOL!!!!!!!!!! Wernbloom!!!!

[MDK]

Dammit, I knew I should have put a bet on them to draw :@

[Lineker]

BREAKING: Frank Lampard, Ashley Cole, Michael Essien and Fernando Torres are all on the Chelsea bench. David Luiz and Gary Cahill will play together in the heart of the Blues defence.

Napoli: De Sanctis, Campagnaro, Cannavaro, Aronica, Maggio, Inler, Gargano, Zuniga, Hamsik, Lavezzi, Cavani.

Subs: Rosati, Grava, Dossena, Dzemaili, Fernandez, Pandev, Britos.

Chelsea: Cech, Ivanovic, Cahill, Luiz, Bosingwa, Ramires, Meireles, Malouda, Sturridge, Drogba, Mata.

Subs: Turnbull, Cole, Essien, Lampard, Torres, Mikel, Kalou.

Referee: Carlos Velasco Carballo (Spain)

Bosingwa at left back with Cole on the bench.

....