691 Comments
User's avatar
тна Return to thread
Ryan's avatar

I like your confidence but Real Madrid and Liverpool in the CL have simply made too many impossible second leg comebacks over the years

Thise are the only two teams who are dead only when the coffin is 6 feet under with soil on top.

What I see right now is a corpse with 3 gunshot wounds, but this could yet be a zombie move.

Expand full comment
SST's avatar

99% confident myself

Expand full comment
SST's avatar

ItтАЩs the overconfidence in the semis that has me worried

Expand full comment
Ryan's avatar

Please no Villa

Expand full comment
JW1's avatar
Apr 8Edited

Recall a couple seasons back in the CL semis,

when height-of-their-powers City led RM 3-0 at 76'--

and City lost on aggregate?

Don't take your boot off your opponents' collective neck. Ever.

Expand full comment
izzo's avatar

Different teams, mate. This current Real team just ain't it.

Expand full comment
JW1's avatar
Apr 8Edited

It's a lifelong credo that works no matter who you're playing.

Expand full comment
izzo's avatar

Not this time. That credo has run out.

Expand full comment
Ryan's avatar
Apr 9Edited

I agree with JW1

ItтАЩs not that real are that good at this exact moment, is that they are Real Madrid, which is more significant than you give them credit for

Going back to elite esports analogies as I love me some of those, those who are consistently the best players in the world over tens of years develop an abstract advantage over the rest that is difficult to quantify. They can play pretty badly, struggle badly, be down and out and somehow find a result against all odds. Actually the opposition to said players/teams can come quite heavily unstuck by overthinking the situation. When the best of the best are playing genuinely quite crap it can actually be a bit disarming and unexpected, leading to the opposition making some unforced errors and inviting the comeback accidentally. Sometimes itтАЩs easier to play against a good opponent playing as well as expected than a good opponent who is surprisingly off colour.

In football, this can manifest for example in Arsenal going into the second leg and Madrid playing poorly, but Arsenal not daring to turn the screw when the chance is actually there because тАШsurely Madrid arenтАЩt going to roll over???тАЩ. So Arsenal play more cautiously than they should and fail to score the first goal. Madrid recover their heads in the second half and score first. At that point the tie is wide wide open and momentum swings to Madrid at home and with Arsenal players ruing that they didnтАЩt bury Madrid when they had the chance. That frustration then actually makes it easier for Madrid to get a second and if that happens all bets are off.

Not saying the above will happen but this is an entirely plausible scenario. Seen it happens a million times before and will a million times again

Expand full comment
izzo's avatar

I know about all that but it ainтАЩt happening this time around. I wonтАЩt budge. Nothing is in their favor after youтАЩve done all your hypothesis and historical mambo jumbo.

Expand full comment
izzo's avatar

Ehhh like I said we are just far better defensively. Real do not have it in them to keep a clean sheet and I cannot see us conceding 4 with no reply. The tie is done and its not a confidence thing. Its just reality of the situation.

Expand full comment