Uefa Champions League 2011/12

Difficulties will be the trips to Eastern Europe. Kazan or Kiev. I would expect us to beat whoever we are drawn against though.

**** off.

So far:

Third Qualifying Round second leg results:
Panathinaikos (Greece) 3-4 Odense (Denmark) (agg 4-5)

Third Qualifying Round first leg results:
Standard Liege (Belgium) 1-1 FC Zürich (Switzerland)
Benfica (Portugal) 2-0 Trabzonspor (Turkey)
Dynamo Kyiv (Ukraine) 0-2 Rubin Kazan (Russia)
Twente (Holland) 2-0 FC Vaslui (Romania)

(2nd leg still awaiting)
Odense are through

We can draw one of these winning teams, or Villareal, Udinese, Bayern Munich or Lyon in the playoff round..

It is most likely to be against a team from the former list, because Arsenal will be seeded.

When's the draw?

Next Friday I believe.

Depending on how the whole Fabregas and Nasri situation pans out (as well as the possible addition of Mata), I may be pretty optimistic about this year's Champions League campaign. I do think we will qualify with relative ease, or at least I certainly hope so, but of course that all comes down to the draw.

I don't know if I stand alone in saying this, but I would rather Arsenal win the Champions League more than anything. I may even go as far to say that if I was offered Arsenal winning the league the next two years and that being it for silverware in those seasons, or Arsenal winning the CL in just one season and that being it for silverware in those seasons, I would likely choose the Champions League. It is such a prestigious competition and to me, that loss in the 2006 Final still hurts. I would love for us to win.

Anyways, it will be interesting to see how the draw plays out. We have fared well against even the best Italian sides in the past, so I wouldn't mind any of them in our groups. I just fear a trap team in our group that we take too lightly and end up losing to. It's needless to say I also fear a team like Barca or Madrid in something like the knockout stages, but we'll cross that bridge when we get there. I guess you can say, you have to be the best to beat the best, and if this season's campaign has the magic, we can get through.

If we come close to winning the Champions League, maybe that will be enough to convince Nasri to not be a little greedy ***** and stay, but who knows, maybe it's too late in his case.

coozapalooza

Surely the phrase is "you have to beat the best to be the best"?

My local team, Shamrock Rovers are playing in their first ever Champions League this season. They did play in the old European Cup a number of times though. They've made it through to the 3rd qualifying round now where they're 1-0 down to FC Copenhagen after the first leg played in Denmark. We are more than capable of springing a surprise in our back yard which will be packed to the rafters next week.

COME ON HOOPS!

I hope your local team will win But what if they meet us(Arsenal) at the play-off round ?

I don't think I'd be able to survive such excitement!

You know guys, I think arsenal has what it takes to beat madrid. I can't explain it, but I think you guys would beat them...although you would fall to others.

You know guys, I think arsenal has what it takes to beat madrid. I can't explain it, but I think you guys would beat them...although you would fall to others.

I think the way Madrid play would suit us, and how we play would suit them. Open high paced game I would assume.

The teams that I feel we would have REAL trouble with in the Champions League are United and Barcelona. United always (bar the Emirates this year) set up to stifle our midfield and hit us on the counter, and Barca are just ridiculous.

I'd fancy our chances against just about every other team really.

We have a good record against teams that the likes of Utd seem to worry about. This includes German and Italian teams.
We don't do so well against other English teams in the CL, and our record against Barcelona is dreadful. That 2-1 last year was our first win. Still, Arsenal were the only team to beat Barcelona in the competition, we could be more lucky next time.

As for Madrid.. I have no idea. Most of us were really confident last season if we got them (as we were awaiting the draw that was eventually Barca), but now I'm not so sure anymore.

We've been close to beating Barça a few times already, a win is due.

It is true that Barça were the better team, but it's important to remember that the end result was 4-3. At the time of RVP's sending off the result in the round was 1-1, so there's a huge 'what if' factor involved. You can't rule out our chances, we fared much better than Utd or R.Madrid.

Surely the phrase is "you have to beat the best to be the best"?

You are spot on, I just messed it up. I was typing rather quickly. Still, the thought and the rest of that post still applies, my apologies for the mix up.

Barcalona has never beaten us when our best players are on the pitch and when we have 11 men vs 11men, but we've beat them when its vice versa

Whilst I agree our best 11 vs their best 11 was a fantastic match.

The problem with us, and will be until it is sorted, that an injury or two and we are down to the bare bones.

In the last two seasons we've started Almunia, Diaby, Silvestre, Rosicky and Bendtner at the Nou Camp. Winning with a team including those players is always going to be incredibly tough.

^ I agree with you there. We've carried a half injured team, or a team with half the players not 100% fit, going into the nou camp twice in a row now.

The final of the Champions League 2011/12 will be held at the Bayern's home stadium. I feel very sorry for them now, because I heard Robben has got injured again during the Audi Cup and they are very likely to start the new season and the play-off without Robben and Ribéry

They are one of the greatest clubs in the world and they are rich too, but, somehow, they are very thrifty in that they don't buy expensive players as the replacements for their greatest players like Robben&Ribery.

Anyway, Robben is too prone to injury. I remember he got injured at the World Cup 2010, and he couldn't play even a single game during the first half of the last season.

I dislike the Allianz Arena. The pitch looks smaller and teams that prefer a wider pitch would struggle there. Even Scholesy couldn't find his man there in 2010. (I may be wrong about the size of the field as I haven't bothered to check, just going by it's looks on TV)

I don't think I'd be able to survive such excitement!

I hope you'll be able to survive and I won't blame you even if you root for your local club at the game against Arsenal

Good Luck!　

Such a beautiful sight that crest. <3

1-0 down. Need three in the last 40 minutes to win.

We qualify for the last playoff round in the Europa League so it's win win money wise.

YankeeGunner YankeeGunner
It looks like Odense have knocked Panathinaikos out of the CL. It's good for us

Hopefully we draw them.

1-0 down. Need three in the last 40 minutes to win.

We qualify for the last playoff round in the Europa League so it's win win money wise.

It seems they lost Don't cry, they will reach the group stage next year

http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/UEFA_Champ ... _2011-2012

OMG I HOPE WE DRAW ZÜRICH, GOD LET IT HAPPEN

Looks like it will be either of Odense, Zürich, Udinese, Rubin Kazan or FC Twente.

Looks like it will be either of Odense, Zürich, Benfica, Rubin Kazan or FC Twente.

The likes of benfica, rubin and twente will be seeded

Hopefully we get Zurich, but knowing our luck we'll get Rubin Zazan.

That'll be perfect wont it, a nice trip out to Russia a few days before an important game against Liverpool or Man Utd....