jenni_blog (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
jenni_blog) wrote2012-03-31 07:28 am
jenni_blog) wrote2012-03-31 07:28 am
Entry tags:
FOOTBALL PICSPAM
EUROPA LEAGUE QUARTER-FINALS FIRST LEG RESULTS
Sporting (Lisbon) 2-1 Metalist (Kharkiv)
AZ Alkmaar 2-1 Valencia
Schalke 2-4 Athletic (Bilbao)
Atletico (Madrid) 2-1 Hannover
ALL teams except AZ (whom I don't know much about) are favourite teams of mine, the Europa tournament notwithstanding. Therefore it's hard to see some of them not do well (Schalke, especially). But in an interview I watched with Schalke before the match, it seemed that they were a little too confident. When one of the players said he thought they would have no trouble winning, I *facepalmed*. You never, ever say anything like that before as important a game as a quarter-final. That's what Manchester City did to Sporting Lisbon in the Round of 16 and look what happened to them! Schalke was not at all wise to underestimate the giant-killers Athletic Club Bilbao, who knocked off Manchester United without any problem.
Anyway, I think that anything could happen. Except that I believe Schalke now has no chance against Athletic in Bilbao. Sporting is a very strong team, IMO, but they have to play the next leg in the Ukraine. However, I think they will prevail. Valencia has a good chance back home at the Mestalla and should go through. Athletic should go through. The most up-in-the air should be the Hannover vs Atletico Madrid one, because Atleti has to play in Germany. If they can score an away goal and keep Hannover from scoring two, they will go through. But it could be tough because Hannover is also a very good team. The next leg will be extremely exciting.
And now for the picspam...
One of the funniest comes from Sporting vs Metalist:
From Atletico Madrid vs Hannover:
AZ Alkmaar vs Valencia:
Schalke vs Athletic Bilbao:
And from Sporting vs Metalist:
Sporting (Lisbon) 2-1 Metalist (Kharkiv)
AZ Alkmaar 2-1 Valencia
Schalke 2-4 Athletic (Bilbao)
Atletico (Madrid) 2-1 Hannover
ALL teams except AZ (whom I don't know much about) are favourite teams of mine, the Europa tournament notwithstanding. Therefore it's hard to see some of them not do well (Schalke, especially). But in an interview I watched with Schalke before the match, it seemed that they were a little too confident. When one of the players said he thought they would have no trouble winning, I *facepalmed*. You never, ever say anything like that before as important a game as a quarter-final. That's what Manchester City did to Sporting Lisbon in the Round of 16 and look what happened to them! Schalke was not at all wise to underestimate the giant-killers Athletic Club Bilbao, who knocked off Manchester United without any problem.
Anyway, I think that anything could happen. Except that I believe Schalke now has no chance against Athletic in Bilbao. Sporting is a very strong team, IMO, but they have to play the next leg in the Ukraine. However, I think they will prevail. Valencia has a good chance back home at the Mestalla and should go through. Athletic should go through. The most up-in-the air should be the Hannover vs Atletico Madrid one, because Atleti has to play in Germany. If they can score an away goal and keep Hannover from scoring two, they will go through. But it could be tough because Hannover is also a very good team. The next leg will be extremely exciting.
And now for the picspam...
One of the funniest comes from Sporting vs Metalist:
From Atletico Madrid vs Hannover:
AZ Alkmaar vs Valencia:
Schalke vs Athletic Bilbao:
And from Sporting vs Metalist:
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But yeah, I think we're screwed with the first-leg result... :(
http://i1230.photobucket.com/albums/ee498/footycat/EUROPA%20LEAGUE/europa-29-3-atletivshannover-15.jpg
what's with these guys and the priest collars?
http://i1230.photobucket.com/albums/ee498/footycat/EUROPA%20LEAGUE/europa-29-3-atletivshannover-2.jpg
I was half watching the second half of this game, while reading the live ticker for schalke (it wasn't on tv) but I missed this.
Ugh. It was depressing enough just to read the live ticker. Watching it must have been so much worse x.x
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LOL...I don't know what's with the priest collars. It probably wasn't even cold in Madrid. Falcao wasn't wearing his gloves, so I don't think it was. XD
The only Europa match I didn't see in its entirety was the Atleti-Hannover one, so I missed that too.
Actually, it was a very good match, I thought. (The Schalke one.) Schalke did NOT play poorly. I think if their first-choice goalkeeper had been playing, things might have gone differently. They were just very unlucky, while Bilbao was very precise and their finishing was great. Huntelaar had a shot go off the crossbar. If it had gone in it would have been 3 goals for Schalke. So many things might have happened but didn't. Whatever happens, the second legs should be very good entertainment. :)
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The match in Gelsenkirchen was great (though not as good as the one at Old Trafford), and even though we didn't really play well last night I hope we'll pull through in the end. Hope dies last - and Sporting will face 40000 leones in San Mamés! =D
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I think Sporting is the 'big surprise' in these Europas. But I also think ALL the teams are evenly matched and anyone could come through to the final. And anyone could win that as well. I would have said Athletic was a shoo-in, but Sporting surprised me. So we'll see.
One thing...I'm so tired of stressing out over games. I just can't do it anymore. Too exhausting. So I've prepared myself to not get upset if either Atleti or Athletic don't come through their second legs. They were my ideal final two. :/
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