Napoli v City CL - Live Thread

[blueboy]

OK....so only 2.5 hours to KO.

Gonna be a really tough night tonight, but one that will test us both footballing wise and mentally. I'm sure the atmosphere will be intense and with such a young team, I doubt many have experienced something like this.

We must go all out for the win...get top spot secured tonight to give players a rest before some big PL games. A draw would also be a decent result, but we should be having the mentality that we will win this.

Plus, I think one or two are on their final yellow cards, so a yellow tonight they miss the next game, so better to win and some miss the next group game, than carry this forward....at least that's what I think is the situation.

For me, strongest team available.

Ederson
Walker, Stones, Ota, Delph
Fernandinho
Sterling, KDB, Silva, Sane
Aguero

[Topdawg]

I agree, strongest team available.

Ota, Ferna, Sterling, Silva and Aguero have bags of experience in the CL, so I think we'll be ok experience wise. 

Win the game, or at least don't lose it and we continue our run, and confidence, for the big match in Sunday.

We'll get through as group winners in all reality anyway with our home game against Feyernood, so not too worried. Just don't want us to lose and play poorly.

[blueboy]

Team

Ederson
Danilo, Stones, Ota, Delph
Ferna
Sterling, Gunda, KDB, Sane
Aguero

wtf??? no Silva????

[blueboy]

Bravo, Walker, Silva, Bernardo, Jesus, TLMLF, Manga

[blueboy]

The curse of the CL presser! 

Very surprised he's not starting at least.

[Nijinsky]

It's not the first time Pep has surprised us with his starting 11, but in Pep we trust

[Topdawg]

Team

Ederson
Danilo, Stones, Ota, Delph
Ferna
Sterling, Gunda, KDB, Sane
Aguero

wtf??? no Silva????

How very dare you! I’m Pep we trust.....

[Topdawg]

Danilo in for walker and gundogan in for Spanish Dave. I feel that’s a more defensive line up

[blueboy]

See 4 City fans were attacked in the waterfront area and needed treatment...including, the Italian waiter in the pizza restaurant who got a broken nose trying to protect them.

Have a guess where the local authority told City fans in a letter, to congregate as there would be loads of Police presence there? And...that they would not tolerate hooligans!!

Yep, the waterfront area.

[Topdawg]

There are certain countries where I’d be very wary even with the police

[Nijinsky]

Team

Ederson
Danilo, Stones, Ota, Delph
Ferna
Sterling, Gunda, KDB, Sane
Aguero

wtf??? no Silva????

How very dare you! I’m Pep we trust.....

Your Pep ?

[TMG]

Very sloppy so far. Cant keep giving the ball away !

[Nijinsky]

Is it me or is the ground half empty.

[Topdawg]

Napoli playing quite well

[Topdawg]

But we’ll get our chances I’m sure

[Topdawg]

Piss poor passing from kev

[Topdawg]

Not even 20 mins and kev has given it away 4-5 tines. Too cheap

[Topdawg]

Kev’s fault

[Topdawg]

He’s been lazy tonight

[Topdawg]

Just turned away instead of going with the breaking man

[Topdawg]

They have too many options each time they get the ball

[Guest]

They seem to not be that arsed which is annoying.  Just need to get hold of the ball and do what we do best. Too many long balls.

[Topdawg]

Sorry kev, you just can’t keep on making bad mistakes

[Topdawg]

What’s the fucking delay for?

[Guest]

Queue 60 mins of time wasting now.

[Guest]

Unlucky, that was better

[Topdawg]

Bugger, thought we had it there

[Topdawg]

Getting a bit better now

[Topdawg]

But Napoli aren’t pressing as high or as hard

[Guest]

Get in

[Topdawg]

Otamendi!!!!!

[Topdawg]

Get the fuck in

[Topdawg]

Surprised the ref didn’t give a foul for hands in the shoulders

[Guest]

They sat back,  chronic mistake when they had us on the rack

[Topdawg]

We’re back to giving it away again

[Topdawg]

Give the ball to Leroy. He’s destroying them

[Topdawg]

Or give it to sterling!

[Topdawg]

Oohs and ash’s in my living room there

[Topdawg]

Ooooh serge

[Topdawg]

Penalty

[Topdawg]

Duck off

[Topdawg]

Quacky bastards

[Guest]

Another before half time proper shut them up.

[Topdawg]

Decent first half. They had us under pressure with their high press and movement. Kev was poor ( have I said that already?) with his passing and non existent tracking. 

But they stepped off the pedal and let us get a foothold into the game which we, thankfully, took.

We ended the half well on top. I expect them to start the 2nd half the way they started the 1st.

Just need to stay focused and aware.

[Strange Blue]

Far and away the best side we have played this season. Could go either way, but Ive got a feeling we might just do this.

[blueboy]

Sloppy first 25 mins. Not sure what happened to KDB, but something has given him a rocket up his arse, as he's been far better in the last 20 mins.

Gundogan, apart from the cross for the goal, isn't doing a great deal attacking or defensive-wise.

Sterling and Sane have been decent and look like the players that are causing them trouble.

The General does it again!

Danilo is good on the ball, but he doesn't have the recovery speed of Walker to get back.

Overall...great reply which has shown character away in Naples, 1-0 down.

Wish Sergio had a little more support, as he's surrounded by 3 defenders at all times...so let's hope his unselfish runs create chances for others.

More energy needed for the 2nd half...keep that tempo of the last 20 mins and maybe even get Jesus and Silva on if Pep really wants to get all 3 points.

[Nijinsky]

Almost a mirror immage of what happend at City, we took it to them for the first half hour then they cane back in to it

[blueboy]

Yep....not seen the Sterling penalty claim again, but it looked like a push on the shoulder??

[Topdawg]

It wasn’t much really but sterling was past him and he should never have got close.

[Topdawg]

Maybe sterling should have cut across him making it impossible to challenge legally

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