CL last 16 1st leg games

[Insidious]

We have nothing to fear from either of them. The joy of watching United suffer is tempting but I’d rather we inflicted it upon them ourselves in the next round

You're so, so right to back us and say we have nothing to fear! Still, I'd personally (ideally) see us be the ones to get, say, Benfica or Villarreal for example - let Man City get a tricky draw.

Fractions will get us over the line in our various challenges this season. Few Champion's League ties are "easy" as such but it would be nice not to have a route stacked with difficulty like 04/05 was for example - Juventus, Chelsea and AC Milan were all ridiculously strong at the time and it would be draining to have to play, say, Bayern Munich, PSG then Man City for example.

[Taksin]

Still, I'd personally (ideally) see us be the ones to get, say, Benfica or Villarreal for example - let Man City get a tricky draw.

I'd like Man City to have a scrap with dirty cheating bustards like Atletico.. it's very hard for me to see Man U as a difficult tie for any elite team, now.

We seem to do well against tough opposition - seems to raise the intensity

[Insidious]

it's very hard for me to see Man U as a difficult tie for any elite team, now.

True, true.

I'm so used to them being jammy gits that I could picture them squeaking past Atletico and then getting a draw against, say, Benfica - then getting through that despite being poor.

All of a sudden they're in the semis. Football is just that weird.

[Taksin]

All of a sudden they're in the semis. Football is just that weird.

Imagine if we met them in the final - how nervous their fans would be

[justme]

Imagine if we met them in the final - how nervous their fans would be

Probably try and get the game cancelled like they did the league game last season..

[Kev0909]

Not to jinx it but I do think lack of a striker might cost city.

then again they're not exactly solid at the back at the moment

Do feel like they're not as on it as they have been, which is why we may have a chance in both.

i'm glad they signed that south american lad, who knows might be the next aguero but doubt he's on Haalands or kane's level yet at least.

[Insidious]

Not to jinx it but I do think lack of a striker might cost city.

then again they're not exactly solid at the back at the moment

Do feel like they're not as on it as they have been, which is why we may have a chance in both

I think it's the lack of regularity of blowing teams out of the water. There was a time where it felt like they scored 4 goals every bloody week. Admittedly I don't have the stats and it will have been me just feeling that way - but these days it certainly feels like they don't score 3 or more goals as often - I was keeping a loose eye on that at one stage and I think they have scored between 0-2 goals in League matches something like 15 or 16 times this season out of their 26 played.

So for a side with the quality of ours or similar, you're going to feel like you're in a match (or two-legged tie) for that bit longer, as they don't feel just as invincible. They do still have an excellent defensive record overall though - 17 conceded in 26 games. Not enough teams with the quality (or the self-belief) to make better use of limited possession and get at their back line.

It must be annoying for their lot that they have outspent us to such a huge degree, have had quality in depth for a longer period of time but that we just won't go away.

[redebreck]

Is Luis Suarez still with Athletico?

[Insidious]

Is Luis Suarez still with Athletico?

Yes.

Rumour is he doesn't start tonight and that Simeone picks a back five.

[CCTV]

I think it's the lack of regularity of blowing teams out of the water. There was a time where it felt like they scored 4 goals every bloody week. Admittedly I don't have the stats and it will have been me just feeling that way - but these days it certainly feels like they don't score 3 or more goals as often - I was keeping a loose eye on that at one stage and I think they have scored between 0-2 goals in League matches something like 15 or 16 times this season out of their 26 played.

So for a side with the quality of ours or similar, you're going to feel like you're in a match (or two-legged tie) for that bit longer, as they don't feel just as invincible. They do still have an excellent defensive record overall though - 17 conceded in 26 games. Not enough teams with the quality (or the self-belief) to make better use of limited possession and get at their back line.

It must be annoying for their lot that they have outspent us to such a huge degree, have had quality in depth for a longer period of time but that we just won't go away.

They've won 8 league games by 1 goal
40% of their wins (20)

We've won 3 league games by 1 goal
17.6% of our wins (17)

It's our complacency that's given them a sniff