But he was one of Allegri's faves, so that's a combo

So UCL final is tonight. It says how much for Juve's season that some bookies actually have them as the favourite.

I cannot see Real winning this. Their defence is flaky, and if on fire Kylian Mbappe couldn't score against Chiellini and co, I'd be impressed if Ronaldo can.

This could be the toughest club match Real's front men have ever faced - a total unit of a Juve side, a team miles ahead in the league and from most of Europe - add the Buffon thing and it just seems absolutely written that Juve will win.

I gotta say, that's gotta be the most unnatural 4-2-3-1 I've ever seen. You've got a 36 year old Barzagli playing as RB, a role he's never covered in his career. You've got Dani Alves, a RB, playing as attacking winger. You've got Mandzukic, a CF playing on the wing. And you've got Dybala, a striker playing as trequartista.

I mean, it was weird enough having the latter two but at least it worked. But now this Barzagli-Alves addition seems unnecessary, considering Alves has been great as RB and Cuadrado has been owning that right flank for most of his time there.

Hopefully Allegri hasn't shot himself in the foot here, cos I want Juventus to win.

Thanks to the total injustice of how Bayern were robbed of the final by Real, I think I do too.

How could you guys want Juve to win? Their failures in Europe give me life!

That being said, Allegri is known for hammering in round pegs into square holes so this is nothing new

Though, just to be on his side for once and to give him the benefit of the doubt, I think he's using these players so he can switch to 3-men at the back during the game

So it will be more



With Dybala having more of a free role

Beats me, truly, I have no idea why I want them to win. My reason in the last post was only one, but from a purely football point of view while I hate both Ryan Giggs and Steven Gerrard it's a crime that Giggs never played in a major championship and Gerrard never won the league.

So, despite my hatred for the b*stards, I wouldn't object to Buffon getting a winners medal in the one thing he doesn't have.

They're also plain the best team around right now, that's beyond debate - and I guess on some level I can swallow pride and admit that.

And yeah, I like Allegri but I ain't going there!

I fucking hate Madrid, that's why.

So you hate Juve but fucking hate Madrid

There are levels apparently

Look don't get me wrong, I don't like the fact that Real would be the team to finally retain the trophy after us, but I fucking hate Juve more so there!

@ Danny, I get your point about Buffon but still can't stand the sight of Juve winning this cup.

As for Allegri, I'll be one of the first here to say well done if he does win. I think he's done well at Juve, never tried to deny that, he's built on what Conte started. Still I can't deny the fact that he was abysmal with us either.

Juventus 1 - 4 Real Madrid. Dissappointed with Juve's performance in the second-half. What do you guys think?

When Ronaldo scored the opener I put my money where my mouth was and put a tenner on. Then Mandzukic scored and I was 10000% convinced Juve would indeed win.

Second half was truly awful from them though and they basically choked but bear in mind both Real's first two goals were deflected. Second one knocked the stuffing out Juve.

When Ronaldo scored the opener I put my money where my mouth was and put a tenner on. Then Mandzukic scored and I was 10000% convinced Juve would indeed win.

Second half was truly awful from them though and they basically choked but bear in mind both Real's first two goals were deflected. Second one knocked the stuffing out Juve.

Actually they're the only team to ever retain it in the UCL era. We did it in the European Cup era. While it's the same trophy it really was a completely different tournament in those days.

Juve just collapsed after Real Madrid's second goal. Pjanic for me was the flop. Wayward passing and never looked to control the midfield.

I didn't watch tbh, just kept check of the score, I'm sorry for Buffon, but generally speaking I was sort of expecting this. Juve are perennial under-achievers in Europe and they never fail to disappoint.

As expected, Allegri got the formation wrong. But to be fair, Pjanic, Dybala and Higuain never showed up for the entire game.

Thought Dybala was outstanding myself.

Many would argue any team other than Bayern, Real, Barca or Atleti getting to the UCL final is, in itself an overachievement.

Juventus choked once again...they have lost the most CL finals ever and madrid have now won the most...

all in all alot of negatives the plus is we will have a 4th spot in CL again right.?

You can't be serious. Outstanding in what? He was invisible. Did absolutely nothing for a player of his calibre.

I am serious. He was probably their best player. Constantly on the ball and weaving through the Real outer defence. He faded badly in the second half mind you. As did they all.

Disagree, I think Juve's squad is on the same level as at the very least Atletico and Barca (who have been a disaster defensively all season). Bayern and Real might be a level above but I disagree that they over-achieved this season. They have a great squad, including the best defensive line in the competition imo


Yes

Constantly on the ball doing nothing. For someone who's arguably Juve's best player, Dybala's performance was completely lackluster, so much so in fact that he was subbed.

Him, Pjanic and Higuain, the three that were supposed to make the difference, were invisible. Compare that to Modric, Isco and Ronaldo's performances, and you get the picture.

Juve's best performer was by far and large Mandzukic.

Juve were by far the better side in the first half. Had far more of the ball and did more with it. Not sure how you rated any of those three as better than Dybala but then it's all about opinions and we've more pressing issues to deal with than who was better last night.



Let's sign him then

From the highlights it looked like Juve had the better chances in the 1st half and then Real completely turned the tables on them in the 2nd

So that's probably the reason for the differing perspectives

Far better side? I'd say in the first half they were on equal terms. Obviously in the second half Madrid showed what they're really made of and Juve just crumbled altogether. Ronaldo and Modric were the best players of the game, Isco was great as well. Can't see how you can even compare Dybala's performance to theirs.

Real became UCL Real in the second half while Juve had a meltdown. Equally conceding two deflected goals knocked them out.

7 CL titles - Milan
7 CL final defeats - Gobbi

All I'm gonna say. That's the way Max

I thought juve had this in the bag due to having a exp squad but damn did they screw that 2nd half up... Zidane is quite the manager..

And yet remains unpopular with supporters. He's had an astonishing debut season in management, arguably the greatest ever for a rookie, and yet he still isn't the popular choice with fans.

+1

Honestly, what more could the Madrid fans want FFS? Best team in the world, play great football and they get the results as well.

They must be getting board of winning, that's why they try to find little things to nit-pick and complain about

PSG have officially signed Neymar.

I disapprove of the digures being circulated as you can build a whole team with such numbers; take Milan as a perfect example. Nevertheless its done and dusted; Neymar is a PSG player.

They keep thinking he's a fluke. I guess a team like Madrid where players are such great individuals - you don't really need a massive tactical supercomputer of a coach to have them winning, you need a guy who's got the dressing room.

But hey this is Madrid. They booed their own player when he won a Ballon d'Or. Their own player!!! WTF. Great club, sh!t fans.

Both of the Spanish duo suffer dreadful fans.

I don't disapprove at all. I disapprove of a guy like Kyle Walker costing 50M - THAT is what dilutes the likes of Neymar being worth 200M.

Don't get me wrong, 200M is crazy, but it's the market rate for such a player. Many would actually say it's cheap!

The Neymar sum is also excessive. He's not worth that, not in a million years. I would argue that neither Ronaldo or Messie are worth that either.

As for the Zidane discussion above. Bring him to Milan and we'll see what he can do. He walked into a situation where he already had a top class side that had been playing together for a while already.

What is worth? What a release clause is? What the buying club is willing to pay? What the player will earn the club in marketing profit?

Football numbers went silly, but they went silly a long long time ago. Zidane wasn't worth 45M, Kaka wasn't worth 59M, Lentini wasn't worth 13M.

Every new generation it's new 'crazy' prices.

We paid roughly for Silva what Real paid for Zidane.

I don't know if that's crazier or less crazy than Neymar at 200M.

Nah, but that's my point. You could argue that if Kyle Walker is worth 50 MM then Neymar is indeed worth 200 MM right?

The point is the footballing economy has expanded at the high end of the market and these are going to be the prices we'll see. Kessie at 28 MM is looking like an absolute fricking steal.

Zidane - I already mentioned what I thought. He doesn't have to be a tactical mastermind. What he's done is taken those 20-24 players and rotated them really well while keeping morale up. I guess he's learnt from Carlo, Mourinho and Benitez. Real's team are so damn good, you don't need too much tactical tinkering to make it work. Keep the players fresh and happy and they'll do it for you. Of course that's incredibly hard in a team of egos like that, so a lot of credit to Zidane for that.

I mean he had a peak fitness CR7 at the fag end of the season. That's amazing squad planning.

These figures are crazy! I can not understand how you boys find closure in stating its the going rate of today.

For starters he is one player, God forbid he breaks a leg?

Secondly; he hasn't won a WC, he hasn't dazzled as had Ronaldo 'ilfenomeno' or Ronaldinho. Regadless, even if he had, 200M+ is the type of money you would build a factory for. A factory that actually benefits the economy, the producer, buyer and seller.

The world has definitely gone bonkers. PSG and the Qatar money is sickening to the point that football is not fun anymore! FFS Milan was sold for 700M. Neymars price tag alone represents 30% of that value! And both transactions happened in 2017.


There is no way this is justifiable. Even if they sold 1billion Neymar shirts, its not justifiable. Insert puke smiley.

EDIT: Coincidentally a bloomberg article over the neymar thing

At our peak we broke the world record transfer in 2009. At another peak we did it in 91 with Lentini.

In fact, we're one to talk about crazy figures.

I'm not justifying the numbers, I'm saying we're as guilty as anyone, and any fan reacting with disgust is simply disappointed it's not their club doing it.

The day Milan pay quarter of a billion for one player is the day i stop watching Milan.

Breaking the record is one thing, Madrid did it with CR and United did it with Pogba. But 200M is the type of money you buy both rangers and celtic.

There is logic danny, then there is crazy. This one is crazy. Makes no sense at all.

Further please justify 600K per week after taxes for wages? Its bonkers i tell you.

In 1979 Nottingham Forest paid £1M for Trevor Francies.

In 1961 footballers got £20 a week. In 2011 the average was 35K.

You, right now, are someone from 1961 astonished that 50 years has seen inflation of simply impossible levels.

You're someone in 1978 who was disgusted that there was talk of a player going for a MILLION.

A MILLION.

Back in 2009 the idea of £50M being a casual sum was just appalling. The idea of paying Porto 40M for a youth player fairly untested was just absolutely appalling.

There is no day you will stop supporting Milan, because if your principles were consistent you would have done it a long time ago.

You're here for the long haul. It's sad now but one day 200M will be quite normal for a player.

In the world of finance they call it inflation. We have not reached that level yet.

What happened was Barca put a stupid clause that noone in his right mind would activate. And PSG did because of crazy money.

If you still believe this is normal its fine, do not need to convince, its my understanding vs yours.

It's as if you basically ignored everything I just said. If you don't think £20 in 1960 to £35k a week in 2011 is that level there's not much i can do.



Ok now you're basically saying clauses are nonsense. No one thinks Belotti is worth 100M but that's the 'stupid clause' you quote.

Those clauses are there to protect the club from losing the player for less than he's worth. Most teams put them in.

We activated Silva's, as you know. He is no more worth 40M than Neymar is worth 200M. But it is what it is.



Didn't say it's fine, said it's the way it is. I'm not trying to convince you of anything beyond the harsh reality that this is the way things are.

And your morals on it are selective at best. If you really believed your steadfast view on this you'd have given football up a decade or more ago. Or the day we activated Silva's release clause.

I'm not righteously justifying it, I'm explaining it. And this is my last comment on this matter

Nice 0-2 Napoli

The last time Italy had three teams in the group stages was in 2013-14.

Watched some of this - Napoli benefited from a dreadful delay in getting Balotelli on. I think Nice were down to 10 men. That made it 0-1.

Depending how this season goes they could well have four next season.

They will have four regardless. UEFA passed new rules that Italy, England, Spain and Germany will each have four teams going straight into the group stages starting from next season. In other words, if we finish 4th this season we won't have to go through any play-offs.

Hmm, Balotelli played from the start. And there were no cards whatsoever in the game.