European Leagues Thread 2012/2013

[Tony Le Mesmer]

Mourinho's home record under pressure now, with Inter Milan down to 9 men after 38 minutes v Sampdoria.

Samp making just about the worst attempt you will ever see at playing against 9 men. Not even a shot on target since!

[bobbybottler]

Mourinho's home record under pressure now, with Inter Milan down to 9 men after 38 minutes v Sampdoria.

Samp making just about the worst attempt you will ever see at playing against 9 men. Not even a shot on target since!

9 v 10 now. Should have had a nibble on further reds at HT.

[prostak]

The Bundesliga's starting to get fairly interesting again;
- Bayern miss the chance to take a points lead this round, with Poldi of all people scoring for Köln in a 1-1 draw. For their part, Köln have managed to get through a pair of matches against the top two undefeated, thus avoiding becoming part of the pack fighting relegation.
- Leverkusen visit Nürnberg tomorrow in just about the worst form imaginable for a team on a 24-match unbeaten run, although a win of any amount will see them rise to the top again on goal difference. They're looking increasingly nervous in the face of potential success, though, at a time when the form of Ribery and Robben is lending Bayern that old swagger seemingly absent for the past couple of seasons. They haven't thrown it away on the scale of Newcastle in 1996, but having allowed Schalke and the Bavarians to overtake them, the pressure will only increase.
- I can't imagine many people would take great pleasure in seeing Hannover relegated given the season they've had, so it's good to see them registering a first win since October - 2-1 at Freiburg. It's a vital one too, as it means they swap places with their hosts, who are now in the play-off spot.

Table and results

Handbags, if you read this - where's your Eredivisie roundup? Why are my beloved Ajax struggling so - is Jol's masterplan of switching to 4-4-2 faltering?

[bobbybottler]

The Bundesliga's starting to get fairly interesting again;
- Bayern miss the chance to take a points lead this round, with Poldi of all people scoring for Köln in a 1-1 draw. For their part, Köln have managed to get through a pair of matches against the top two undefeated, thus avoiding becoming part of the pack fighting relegation.
- Leverkusen visit Nürnberg tomorrow in just about the worst form imaginable for a team on a 24-match unbeaten run, although a win of any amount will see them rise to the top again on goal difference. They're looking increasingly nervous in the face of potential success, though, at a time when the form of Ribery and Robben is lending Bayern that old swagger seemingly absent for the past couple of seasons. They haven't thrown it away on the scale of Newcastle in 1996, but having allowed Schalke and the Bavarians to overtake them, the pressure will only increase.
- I can't imagine many people would take great pleasure in seeing Hannover relegated given the season they've had, so it's good to see them registering a first win since October - 2-1 at Freiburg. It's a vital one too, as it means they swap places with their hosts, who are now in the play-off spot.

Table and results

Handbags, if you read this - where's your Eredivisie roundup? Why are my beloved Ajax struggling so - is Jol's masterplan of switching to 4-4-2 faltering?

Ajax - home form pretty strong, away form fairly mediocre. I reckon they'll be better next season if Jol can keep a settled side. PSV and Twente are just too consistent to be caught this season, not withstanding PSV's first defeat of the season today.

[bobbybottler]

Cracking stuff from Real Madrid tonight, 0-2 down to Sevilla with 35 minutes to go, Real just wiped the floor with them from that point on, and got the winner with seconds remaining in injury time.

[RoyalChicagoFC]

Yeah, and Barca drawn 2-all away to Almeria earlier puts the top two on level points

Missed Real's first two but saw the winner go in (and there was no way it wasn't bound to arrive)

[Starfish]

I, for one, am sincerely hoping Hannover finish in the bottom three of the Bundesliga. Berlin & Freiburg for the drop and H96 in the play-off would suit me fine. Leverkusen's first defeat of the season today would push that dream a bit closer to reality.

The second division looks a wee bit strange though. Kaiserslautern looking safe but the interesting questions is whether Augsburg can continue their strong form or if St. Pauli can beat them to the other automatic promotion place. Few people would have bet on either of those two to be playing in the 1.BL next season. Augsburg have a brand new stadium too - will get to see it on April 4th when (the other local team) Greuther Fürth play there.

[handbags_harris]

Handbags, if you read this - where's your Eredivisie roundup? Why are my beloved Ajax struggling so - is Jol's masterplan of switching to 4-4-2 faltering?

It's on hold until Feyenoord manage to be in with a chance of winning the league again

Seriously, not so much time to compile everything now I have a job. Although I notice that PSV lost this weekend, so I believe that means that no team will go unbeaten this year.

[RoyalChicagoFC]

Eredivisie capsule:
With 8 left to play, the next two for PSV (on 65 pts) are away to Ajax (on 61) and home to current leaders Twente (on 67); the top two both have to play at home to Feijenoord and away to Alkmaar before the end, whereas Ajax have finished their season's business with those two top also-rans

Oh, and...

I, for one, am sincerely hoping Hannover finish in the bottom three of the Bundesliga. Berlin & Freiburg for the drop and H96 in the play-off would suit me fine. Leverkusen's first defeat of the season today would push that dream a bit closer to reality.

Well get you, Starferz!

1.FCN into 15th after holding on in that one

[prostak]

The second division looks a wee bit strange though. Kaiserslautern looking safe but the interesting questions is whether Augsburg can continue their strong form or if St. Pauli can beat them to the other automatic promotion place. Few people would have bet on either of those two to be playing in the 1.BL next season.

Pauli have veered between devastating play (as in the 2nd round game against Arminia) and painful inadequacy (many games recently, but their lack of quality against Kaiserslauten a couple of weeks ago hinted at the potential for a very unpleasant next season should they win promotion...), and I've honestly no idea where they'll end up. They've still to play Augsburg at Millerntor, though their form against other highly-ranked teams isn't great and the playoff still seems the most likely route upwards.

Did you watch the Nürnberg-Leverkusen game, Starfish? Were your lot great, Bayer piss-poor and frightened, or a combination of these things?

[bobbybottler]

Handbags, if you read this - where's your Eredivisie roundup? Why are my beloved Ajax struggling so - is Jol's masterplan of switching to 4-4-2 faltering?

It's on hold until Feyenoord manage to be in with a chance of winning the league again

So you're not writing any more this season then? Or next?

Oh, and

Feijenoord

Indeed. Wish they'd change it back.

[Starfish]

Did you watch the Nürnberg-Leverkusen game, Starfish? Were your lot great, Bayer piss-poor and frightened, or a combination of these things?

I wasn't in the stadium but I watched the game (on the train) and FCN simply took advantage of some rather uncharacteristic defensive mistakes from Leverkusen, and then held on. Somehow. That they finished the game with 11 players was somewhat fortunate however. FCN are simply transformed from the mess they were before Christmas, before Hecking took over, and I am optimistic that the region will have a team in the top flight next season. Hertha this weekend. A point would be fine, and then Hoffenheim at home - I have a ticket for that but I have only seen FCN win once this season - there are friends of mine talking about a stadium ban.

[soggy biscuit]

Meanwhile in South America, Adriano's live gets more bizzare.

Back in treatment for alcaholism, banned from attending training sessions as he is too disruptive. His ex exposed him to journalists for boozing again a couple of days ago so he is reported to have taken her to some woods with his mates, tied her to a tree and left her there all night until someone found her in the morning.

He is also quite a fatty now.

[Tony Le Mesmer]

SuLOLLOLy Muntari.

2 bookings and conceeds a pen within 60 secs of coming on as a sub.

[bobbybottler]

FC Twente beat Den Haag 3-1 tonight to go five points clear in Eredivisie, with PSV in 2nd away to 3rd placed Ajax on Sunday.

[Starfish]

German second division. Fürth - Berlin 0-0 and I am drunk.

[Starfish]

The dog-fight at the foot of the table in Germany beginning (perhaps) to straighten itself out in that Hertha look doomed now. 15 points and after losing at home to FCN today, they are 9 points short of 100% safety. As I type, Freiburg are winning in Munich and if they managed to hold onto that, they would be level on Hannover with 23. Interestingly though, with Bochum and Cologne also losing again, they are both being slowly dragged into the scrap (they both have 27 points).

Nürnberg's game was highly entertaining stuff though as Berlin threw everything forward and FCN hit them again and again on the counter. A goal after 91 minutes is a very nice way to seal victory though.

[bobbybottler]

still drunk?

[Starfish]

still drunk?

Planning to be. My previous post was possibly the least cohesive I have offered this thread. I think. Munich won anyway - for once, I am happy with that.

[prostak]

Robben's dragging Bayern through this in the most irritating fashion. Schalke keeping pressure up, though. Leverkusen, home to HSV tomorrow, have the chance to make genuine progress toward throwing away even a UEFA cup spot.
Hannover won in the end, so I guess Starfish can't relax so well tonight...
Good news for Pauli, too - Karlsruhe ended Augsburg's run and Dusseldorf missed a chance to nick 3rd place. A win tomorrow at home to Oberhausen will put FCSP back within a point of the automatic promotion spots.