Leverkusen's group had no absolute top team, but Zenit and Benfica are leading their respective national leagues and are not pushovers.

Monaco aren't exactly a good team, but they got results thanks to their anti-football. They were dominated by Leverkusen in the first game but somehow got away with a win.

warding

Portugal2395 Posts

December 13 2014 01:40 GMT

#1962

On December 13 2014 06:14 Rebs wrote:

Also Ludogrets. Pretty decent about as much as a Benfica,, maybe even Lisbon.

Despite Benfica's relative poor showing at CL this year, Ludogorets is NOWHERE NEAR Benfica or Sporting by any stretch of imagination or under any possible comparison parameters.

Group C was weird. In each match-up, each team looked formidable in one game and beatable in the other.

Black Gun

Germany4482 Posts

December 13 2014 08:06 GMT

#1963

On December 13 2014 06:41 Maenander wrote:
Leverkusen's group had no absolute top team, but Zenit and Benfica are leading their respective national leagues and are not pushovers.

Monaco aren't exactly a good team, but they got results thanks to their anti-football. They were dominated by Leverkusen in the first game but somehow got away with a win.

On December 13 2014 10:40 warding wrote:

Show nested quote +

i gotta disagree. actually, both matches between leverkusen and monaco looked exactly identically: leverkusen was pwning monaco, but mysteriously failed to score a goal; then they caught a stupid goal themselves. leverkusen should have won that group so sooooo easily.

under their new coach roger schmidt, they have actually cultivated their old habit even further: spectacular, high-level, but stupid and ineffecient play.

but if they can tighten their defense during the winter break, they can easily become a threat to be reckoned with. by contrast, i have no high hopes for schalke. the first bigger team they run into will be the end of the road for them. same for basel, who are rocksolid, but lack the "oomph" to actually take a big team down on a good day.

warding

Portugal2395 Posts

December 13 2014 13:36 GMT

#1964

While Leverkusen pwned Benfica at home, they looked totally average in the last game against Benfica's sub team that was already stuck in 4th place. Meanwhile, Zenit looked formidable against Benfica in the first game, and average in the next. Monaco I agree with you, they didn't look too good but managed to get tactical wins and draws to win the group.

I just don't see such a huge difference in quality between all the teams and they all looked quite good in some games, as was expected in the beginning. No team in that group had a chance of winning the CL, but they are all way above Ludogorets.

WillyWanker

France1915 Posts

December 15 2014 09:33 GMT

#1965

Prediction time! The rules:

- Arsenal will face the biggest team
- RM will face the easiest team
- We will have 2 boring matchups and the 2 winners of these matchups will get humiliated in the quarter finals
- We have to have repeats from previous years

Here are my predictions:

Bayern Munich vs Arsenal
Real Madrid vs Leverkusen
Barcelona vs Man. City
Atletico vs PSG
Monaco vs Basel
Porto vs Schalke
Chelsea vs Shaktar Donetsk
Dortmund vs Juventus

Pandemona

Charlie Sheens House51493 Posts

December 15 2014 09:34 GMT

#1966

Lol willy, seems about right i hope not. Even though i'd like to see Barca vs City again. Dortmund vs Juventus be fun too.

MapleLeafSirup

Germany950 Posts

December 15 2014 09:57 GMT

#1967

Willy's predictions seem to be absurdly accurate.
Especially Bayern vs Arsenal is a given.

smr

Germany4808 Posts

December 15 2014 10:09 GMT

#1968

Juve, PSG, City give us all three of them. We're need to leave CL asap. I hope Basel gets a good matchup. Would love to see them in RO8 and after an upset possibly in the semis.
Bayern vs Arsenal is destiny.

Mensol

14536 Posts

December 15 2014 10:09 GMT

#1969

This is for Arsenal fans who are certain to get one of Barca/RM/Bayern.

zeo

Serbia6342 Posts

December 15 2014 10:57 GMT

#1970

Don't Arsenal always get the easiest clubs though? Or is that just for group stages?

Pandemona

Charlie Sheens House51493 Posts

December 15 2014 11:04 GMT

#1971

Think last 2 seasons they had some pretty big games in group. Dortmund twice, last year had Marseille and Napoli, this year Anderlecht and Galatasaray.