“Barring a historic collapse at Anfield Tuesday night, Ivan Rakitić and Barcelona will be headed to the June 1st Final in Madrid where they would take on either Tottenham or Ajax.” -before the match
WRONG!
The historic collapse came. And it ousted Barcelona out of the Champions League Final.
Now it will be Liverpool in the Final with Dejan Lovren more than likely starting the game on the bench.
Nonetheless…
If you haven’t been following the team – and its players abroad – for the past 10 years, Croatians have been lifting Europe’s most prestigious silverware year in and year out. It all started with Mario Mandžukić in 2013 when he scored in the Champions League Final as his Bayern Munich side defeated Borussia Dortmund. In 2014, Luka Modrić got on the board as Real Madrid defeated city rivals Atletico to lift the Champions League trophy. 2015 saw Ivan Rakitić score the opener of the Final in a 3-1 victory over Juventus. Then Luka Modrić and Mateo Kovačić went on a tear winning three straight CL Finals from 2016-18. An honorable mention goes out to Ivica Olić who played in the 2010 and 2012 Finals with Bayern Munich, falling short to Inter Milan and Chelsea.
Post-Match Thoughts
Yeah. I don’t like the fact that it’s still called the Champions League when most of the teams in it weren’t the champions of their league the previous season.
WE HATE TOTTENHAM!!!!
Liverpool vs Tottenham lol!
Two teams that have never won a Premier League title in the Final of a little tournament called the “Champions League” lol!
UCL has always been a joke of a tournament and this Final confirms it.
Can you imagine if Tottenham win, muppets will call ’em the best team in Europe lol, a team that’s a staggering 25pts behind Man City in the league.
Each “tie” could have very easily gone the other way — and almost did — so not sure I’d go that far.
But yeah, with all the money in that league, it is/was only a matter of time before they got one as it’s been years.
Five Spanish titles in a row.
The seeds of an all English CL final were sown years ago when they signed that huge deal to broadcast their games.
Makes our accomplishment of knocking them out of the World Cup even sweeter!
WHAT A GAME! These two semis prove why football is the beautiful game
TOTTENHAM!!!!
Was responding to Messi being “out for lunch” that Suarez and Coutinho were pathetic. Rakitic and keeper sucked too.
So not sure how you thought I was saying I thought they were good, but dobro.
You were mentioning Barca players performances.
I was hinting that they all sucked and got outplayed by their counterparts.
Not sure the point of the question. I was commenting on the fake/annoying/plastic Liverpool “fans” here.
And that Barca erasing a 4-0 deficit, conceding a goal at home and winning 6-1 is a bigger comeback. Math.
Many PL teams “outrun” other teams … doesn’t always equate to victory. Did yesterday. Ta da.
They got outrun in every corner of the pitch. Name one Barca player that was better than his counterpart?
We can talk favourable calls all day.
And contributing to PSG being “choke artists” was the god awful PK/VAR last-minute call against them that cost them their tie v. ManU.
Ronaldo was “out to lunch” in last year’s CL final (woeful) and in the 4-1 one v. Atleti (though he scored a late PK and got the press for taking off his shirt) yet that got overlooked because they won.
Definitely worse than Messi, much worse (for me) yesterday were Suarez and Coutinho. Rakitic was also bad. As was ‘keeper.
I think this comeback is more special cause it’s the semis and I believe Barca went on to lose in next round???
Still we all know psg are choke artists
Liverpool deserve tons of credit for pulling this off
Come on it’s against Barca
All they really had to do is not lose 4-0
One away goal
I didn’t watch but I heard Messi was out for lunch
I still take Ronaldo over Messi if I’m building a team
@ Monique – no one wants those types of sites here find a new chat room.
@ Jamon – the Liverpool fans also pushed older fans into fountains in Barcelona. That’s garbage. Maybe I am generalizing but don’t British fans pull stunts like that often and not just Liverpool? Or maybe British fans travel well so there is a higher number of people to do stupid things. Other countries fans aren’t angels either. As for fireworks, singing in front of hotels, I’ve seen other clubs from various countries do that.
@ gbvh – agreed the Barca PSG comeback was amazing but do you think they received favourable calls that game as well?
Coutinho is useless.
tss
crnkovic is negating croatian world cup run last year cuz we’re not sure if we could have done it without modric/mandzukic.
(or pick who(m)ever for your second guy.)
who cares if they could or couldn’t have done it without messi/suarez?
um, they’re on the team.
PSG flakey. and could barca have done it without messi and suarez?
yeah. clueless. that’s me. jebote
“3-0 down against barcelona and without their best 2 players. atmosphere in the ground must’ve been electric. you can’t do that with plastic fans.”
ergo soccer team can’t win game without authentic/real/legit fans in stadium.
jebote. high comedy.
crnkovic if that was better than barca’s comeback v. PSG …. well i got some property for you in paradise towers.
jebote.
down 4-0 after one, win second 6-1.
clueless bro.
One smart footballer, Croat Dejan Lovren, said, even though there was no Salah and no Firmino, “don’t write Liverpool off.”
so called monique. you are scum. simple. i pray you find the light
milner. legend. even sturridge at any other club he’d been whining and sulking about lack of playing time. but at liverpool he waits patiently because he knows the score. respect respect respect. thats how you run a football team
fun european soccer player facts. http://niggermania.com/tom/funniggerfacts/index.htm
best come back in champions league history. 3-0 down against barcelona and without their best 2 players. atmosphere in the ground must’ve been electric. you can’t do that with plastic fans. in salah and mane liverpool have a couple of world class forwards who are truly humble and live a simple good life, every time they score a goal they give thanks to God. In addition both of them come from countries where the facilities and opportunities are meagre at best. klopp is guy who brings energy and belief and excitement to the table. a loyal man who kept singing lovrens praises when the rest were saying he’s not good enough for the top level. liverpool FC deserve nothing but respect. quit hating. I’m an arsenal fan. but i know true quality and heart when i see it.
Liverpool fans set off fireworks in front of the hotel Barca were at in the early morning hours. English fans suck. They are loathed world wide.
After the 1st leg Barca celebrated like they won the trophy then Suarez said he wouldn’t celebrate scoring at anfield. Valverde should have made them more humble.
tourist team.
yes i’m in north america. (canada.)
most of the people i know who are casual soccer fans but feel they have to pick a team to pretend to be a diehard of, pick liverpool.
and then they don’t watch games unless liverpool is involved. and then they scream the wins from the rooftops.
it’s borderline hilarious.
maybe in the US
jebi liverpool. biggest wannabe/plastic fans.
Anyone also find it interesting how denis never even comments on the site?
I mean, i get if the family life and work obligations don’t allow you to run the site, but you would think you’d still visit and partake in this community
I heard it was partially cause of the fallout from ante being tied to the 200 elite families of tudjman
For some reason today, i was thinking about how denis svircic gave up on this site and Croatian soccer right before the world cup run
I’m happy screw Barca they wanna sell rakitic anyway I hope he wins one or knocks them out next year…
YNWA simple. wow
@Tammy and Monique – don’t get it, you know you can buy players from anywhere right?
Ohhhh, me too! I felt so european and like a real genuine european soccer baller, hip hip hooray I’m european, hip hip hooray for the europeans and the european champions league, its’s oh so european and everything and being european is just the best, hip hip hooray!
looked more like team kenya, cameroon and saudi arabia on the field, eeeew oh so european, while watching on tv I felt so european, it made feel all proud and special and feeling all european like all those european soccer ballers, I felt all european like I was on the field with those europeans and I felt so european and just love love love the european soccer europeans!
Liverpool overall better than Barca, they just overpowered them.
Hopefully Lovren plays in the final. Seems like Matip-Van Dijk is the preferred partnership though.
Wow, was not expecting that comeback. Great for Liverpool, they now have a chance at winning something this year. Imagine if Man City loses their final game. It would be the greatest week of any Liverpool fan’s life. I’m happy for Klopp and the whole Liverpool organization.
@ Poglavnik,
And there is your collapse…
Why hasn’t lovren been playing? Still hurt?
Wowzers, not watching game but now 4-0 to Lovren-less Liverpool!
Potential historic collapse going on Mr Kvartuc. 😉
@ BZ – good point. He was a much more offensive player at Sevilla and took on more of a defensive role at Barthelona.
A player of Rakitic’s ability, that is willing to be a role player (ie be a perfect teammate) are few and far between. You can replace skill, but replacing attitude and skill is harder.
Taking in mind the current situations of both Barca and real
What team will miss their Croat more?
Is rakitic just a piece easily filled?
I think many think that but I believe he has more impact then meets the eye
Either way Real has a pretty decent little overhaul to do it seems where Barca is tops
I suppose Ronaldos departure was too much for real to over come