Champions League Round of Two

Decent tempo but no half chances let alone clear cut chances so far,

When did Contrao usurp Marcelo as first choice left back at Real? Marcelo can be a bit headless at times but is a far better player

He was said to be sprinting around and working fairly smoothly in training over the past two days. Can they do a Canavan and bring him back on? Or is that not allowed in football?

Khedira is a very overrated football, pure carthorse

They would have been better off picking the actual horse placenta he was treated with.

Not allowed. Your lack of familiarity with basic rules of association football surprises me sometimes.

Real are playing very poorly so far. Midfielders not getting on the ball and full backs content to play it long too quickly.

As I suspected. It used to bug me playing Football Manager when I’d make a sub and inadvertently drag the wrong player off and be prevented from bringing him back on.

Raul Garcia dead right to take Di Maria out there

Don’t think he has really usurped him. It seems to be based on who they are playing against. Marcelo had as much chance of starting tonight I think.

It’s getting tasty now.

Di Maria is the best roller in the game.

Indeed. Ray thinks it should have been a red card.

Had to.

Carvajal has been good so far for Real Madrid, composed on the ball and solid defensively. Di Mari and Modric have been very quiet thus far, albeit Di Maria has come more into it in the last 5 minutes

Real playing 4 across the middle now. Di Maria is playing wide left and Bale is on the right touchline with Ronaldo alongside Benzema up front.

Dudes, better to start Costa and waste one sub than bring him on and risk him breaking down and thus wasting two subs. Or maybe best not to have a clearly injured player in the squad to begin with.

Ger Loughane asways maintained that you were better off to start a lad who was 50/50 rather than bringing him off the bench for the reason you have outlined above

Terrible ball from Tiago there. Bale should have done better

Tiago gifted it to Bale there. Panicked a bit on the finish.