I watched Real Madrid outplayed by Chelsea for most of last night. The visitors performed exceptionally well to take a three goal lead and could have put the game out of sight before Real got a foothold in the game.
Chelsea won twice in Spain in last season’s Champions League, scoring five without reply at Sevilla and Atletico, before taking a draw at Real in the semi-final, they know how to compete in this competition. No team, however, knows more about winning in the Champions League than Real Madrid.
Real win this tournament when they are well below par domestically, they find an assured calmness to their play, even when, as last night, they were 0-3 down and the obits were being written about coach Carlo Ancelotti. This is all down to corporate memory. More than any team in football, they know how to perform under intense pressure on the big stage.
You have witnessed this on a smaller scale in Scotland. Celtic’s 36 game unbeaten run in domestic cup competitions, from 2016 to 2020, defined credulity. Form varied during that run, the only consistent was outcome. Celtic won so many knockout games, they knew most of the pitfalls and prepared thoroughly.
If anything, form at semi-finals and finals is even more impressive. Celtic are on a run of 18 successive wins on these Hampden occasions, without once going to extra time. Others must reach the National Stadium and start work on blocking out so many bad memories. When you go up against Real Madrid in the Champions League, or Celtic in the Scottish or League Cup, you have a chance, but whatever you have in your locker, you cannot match the winning attributes of persistent champions.
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Don’t thing G G will start on Sunday ,my money would be on Abada ,with G G or the Japanese striker having trouble pronouncing his name later on in the game ,I Think the league game against Sevco is more important.
Well, that’s me and my brother got tickets for the semi final. 🥳🥳🥳
I’m equally excited and surprised that I have the day off and no kids!
Working on Monday though so I’ll be on my best behaviour
Phil Fodon started that trouble at the end last night
He rolled about off the pitch after a nothing tackle, and despite apparently being critical injured, heroically managed to roll round 180 degrees so he was back on the pitch to try force the ref to stop the game
The Atletico player was quite right to remonstrate with the cheating rat
MAJESTIC HARTSON
😂
It was Verdi’s La Traviata in Edinburgh’s Omni Centre. It was a live cinema broadcast direct from the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden. I wasn’t sure about the whole concept beforehand but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Great sound and fantastic cinematography.
A nice, relaxing prelude to the frenzy of Hampden on Sunday.
Bring it on.
Whilst reading Guillame Balaque’s Beeb article on Pochettino he mentioned a spanish word that i thought we could add to the lexicon to describe supporters of the dark side, Hundido, was the word, roughly translated as sunken/hollow/vacuous, of course you could shorten it for ease of use, would certainly quieten the “hun” is sectarian chat, peddled by brainless tv presenters, like Lorraine Kelly
TOM MCLAUGHLIN on 14TH APRIL 2022 9:18 AM
Just saw MH`s post and was going to recommend La Traviata as a good choice for his first opera visit……and, of course, the composer`s name is Green :-))
If The Old Firm lose tonight, confidence dented for Sunday;
If The Old Firm win tonight, the EL becomes a priority and a distraction.
Maybe extra-time and losing/winning on penalties?
What suits us best?
PS I know if we play well nothing else matters
HOT SMOKED
Spot on.
La Traviata is the perfect introduction to anyone wishing to dip their toe into the world of opera.
I get the impression Big Jimmy has met a few `traviatas` in his time :-))
Right, bike time for me on a calm day in Angus.
Cheerio for now.
waiting
Can any of you opera buffs remind me of the name of the Radio Scotland presenter who when interviewing Michael Portillo about his love of Wagner asked him which of all the Rings he’d seen had been his favourite?
I’ve clean forgotten.
“Which public event influenced or impressed you most?”
https://twitter.com/MartinDoyleIT/status/1514288943143006210/photo/1
Re Old Firm FC’s game tonight …
Extra time then defeat in penalty shoot out would be bliss.
Extensive physical & emotional exertion
… all for naught.
Then just 63 hours to recover before facing the green juggernaut
ERNIE LYNCH
Hadn’t heard of that but it made me laugh. Brilliant.
The Ring Cycle. A form of torture. 🙈
Google translate, : Hundido as a verb: To cause something or someone to be completely submerged in a liquid or to sink to the bottom of it.
AKA liquidation 😂😂
Of course there is the other Wagner, Russian owned guns for hire currently helping the Mali government at $10 mill a month for battalion size numbers. Have Libya, Syria and Donbas on their CV. Can only guess where they got their name.
Dirtydeedsdone….butnotdirtcheap
Tom did you hear any sectarian singing at the opera?
:-)
HH
Ziggydoc
How did the u17 get on yesterday? Can’t seem to find result
HH
New blog up
test
Our Bhoy TOMMY ROGIC is 22/1 to score TWO Goals v the Huns.
Tam is also 100/1 to score a HAT TRICK v Animals.
Big TOM to score at ANYTIME….and Celtic to win is priced at 70/1. ( SCORECAST)
Ive taken ALL three bets with my Bookie.
HH