Most bizarre Champions League exit... ever!

First off, I'm no FM expert but I've played the game since CM2 and always been pretty successful. But in FM2008 I just cannot seem to win the Champions League with Chelsea and my most recent exit just about took the biscuit.

Having emerged from a difficult group including Barcelona, I progressed to the semis (recovering from 2-0 down against Inter in the quarters to win 3-2). Drew Spurs in the Semis.

First leg at the Bridge 0-0. Second leg at their place, 5 minutes in they take a throw to the edge of our box and Daniel Alves overhead kicks his clearance into the top corner of his own net from 15 yards! Try as we might and despite dominating the game we cant score and go out to bloody Tottenham.

Suffice it to say this rather took the gloss of winning the league by 16 points!

I seem to have a recurring pattern of conceding an early goal in the Champions League knock out stages and not being able to recover. Should I be more cautious 'early doors'?

Not a good way to go out.

I tend to be really strong in the group stages, then without fail I will go out to the first English team I meet in the knockout stages. Usually Arsenal...

It HAS to be a bug.

I also find the CL extremely difficult, and I don't think there is any definate way round it. I usually go a bit more defensive away and more attacking at home, but that didn't help me win with FC Bayern.

At Barcelona I went gung ho every match and lost heavily away, but thumped teams at home.

Originally posted by Digs_473:

It HAS to be a bug.

Lol, I assume you're joking.

Originally posted by Nomis07:

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Digs_473:

It HAS to be a bug.

Lol, I assume you're joking. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Fortunately, yes.

I use the same style in the Champions league as I do in the Bundesliga for Werder Bremen. First season we banged and crashed our way to the semi-finals, much to my astonishment, drawing 2-2 at home to Real Madrid before getting caned in Spain - we were both top scorers and top conceders that year.

2nd season it was Barcelona in the 2nd round, again we won 2-2 at home (we keep taking a 2-0 lead and then hurling it away!) and again we got thrashed in Spain.

3rd season we were really crap and easily failed to qualify from an easy group - Barcelona predictably won it, but Bordeaux comfortably beat us to 2nd!

Happily I couldn't give a flying fig about the Champions League though apart from the cash that keeps us from spiralling into a black hole of horrific debt.

Back in FM07 my Derby County team did almost the same thing every year - we regular screwed up our opening group game then steam rollered the next 5 before losing at some point in the knockout stage. Our one visit to the final resulted in a 3-0 thrashing by hated arch rivals Arsenal whom we competed for the Premier League title with for 6 years running. Apart from my anger at losing to a club I hated though again my Champions League failings didn't really bother me - the league was my top priority, the league cup my second priority every season.

Originally posted by Digs_473:

Fortunately, yes.

Phew . I actually like the way the CL is that bit harder and it certainly helped my long term save. I set out with the intention of winning the CL with FC Bayern and then moving on, it never happened and despite some good showings and good efforts the best we managed in 6 years was one final appearance agaisnt Barcelona. I moved on to Spurs 2014 and then Barca in 2015 and managed to win it in my first season in charge.

If it wasn't that bit harder I probably would have left Bayern early and I think that would have taken something away from my save.

Originally posted by glamdring:

2nd season it was Barcelona in the 2nd round, again we drew 2-2 at home (we keep taking a 2-0 lead and then hurling it away!) and again we got thrashed in Spain.

Originally posted by Digs_473:

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Nomis07:

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Digs_473:

It HAS to be a bug.

Lol, I assume you're joking. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Fortunately, yes. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Don't be so sure...I've had similar experiences that just don't make sense. At least 3 times going out to english teams in the CL, usually Chelsea or Man U. One of those times I was Inter, and another, more recently, I was with Real Madrid on a 37 match unbeaten run with a team of world beaters (Ronaldo, Silva, Aguero, Robben etc etc). It does seem mighty strange.

Either that or I just have no idea how to play against english teams

English teams have been over-rated for ages in FM. Now at last the English teams in real life are starting to match the kind of performances long shown by them in the Champions League in FM, more's the pity.

I haven't won the Champions League for ages... most of my attempts being with Man City recently. But I agree that it makes the game more playable when it's difficult to achieve.

I've just started another new game with Chelsea, hopefully I can break the duck soon!

Originally posted by Minez01:

I was with Real Madrid on a 37 match unbeaten run with a team of world beaters (Ronaldo, Silva, Aguero, Robben etc etc). It does seem mighty strange.

I was Barcelona and on a 50 game unbeaten league run, sweeping everything in my path to one side. Then a lost 3-0 against Almeria, having beaten Real 3 days earlier 4-2

Well i just had a huge spot of luck

Man city second season first knockout round

Just sold two best players Elano and Micah Richards in january

1-0 win for me at benficas ground with a 4-1-4-1

playing same formation for whole season

at home i go 2-0 up and with twenty minutes to go disaster adu scorers two in quick succession away goals .

Changed formation so i still had one lone striekr but had an AML and AMR supporting and 2 MCs Luis Jimenez comes of the bench to score a goal from 35 yards with a shot that could of only been going 5 miles an hour but my ground bobbled the ball in

drawn man utd in the 1/4 though so maybe i wont win the CL either

I've always down ok in the champions league - won it with Chelsea, Man Utd, Real madrid, Rangers and Newcastle a few back to back wins.

I always adopt the same approach away from home I'm happy with anything that isn't a huge defeat. I play a 451 defensive counter attacking formation - I always use this away in the champions league even against lesser sides - whenever I havn't it's been a disaster then at home I play my normal 4231 system.

I hardly ever get any away wins in europe but the amount of 0-0 and 1-1 draws I get is huge and that is enough if you have good players and a solid home tactic.

I also use a lot more relaxed team talks in Europe than I do domestecially. lots of pressure off and you can win as appose to the rollicking I give them at half times of most league games.

Sorry now, but any game that has Spurs in the semi final of the champions league can't be anything other than seriously flawed

Originally posted by Pleasurehead:

Sorry now, but any game that has Spurs in the semi final of the champions league can't be anything other than seriously flawed

I had a similar thought when I saw the draw in my game - fortunately they lost 2-0 to Real Madrid in the final to retain some semblance of reality!

Originally posted by glamdring:

English teams have been over-rated for ages in FM. Now at last the English teams in real life are starting to match the kind of performances long shown by them in the Champions League in FM, more's the pity.

i agree, but in two separate saves its the total opposite.

in my arsenal save, i won the CL in season 5, only chelsea in season 2 brought it home to england.

yet in my sevilla save, chelsea vs arsenal final in season 1, spurs uefa cup, and man city beat me 4-0 in the group stage qualifiers in august.

In 5 seasons at chelsea,I only made the semi's twice losing both times.It was the only trophy I could not win with them.

Originally posted by stevio11:

In 5 seasons at chelsea,I only made the semi's twice losing both times.It was the only trophy I could not win with them.

Jose is that you?

I have had 6 seasons in a row in Europe with Norwich, 5 Champions League and 1 Uefa Cup, and every single season I have gone out in the semis, I just can't make the final for love nor money.

Closest I got was this last season, when I beat Barca 3-2 at Carrow Rd, and was 2-1 up away on 66 minutes, when I missed a pen and it all went tits up, and lost the game 4-2 with the winner in the 96th minute, despite there being only 4 minutes injury time... ...I think i'm jinxed...

Originally posted by blueboy10000:

First off, I'm no FM expert but I've played the game since CM2 and always been pretty successful. But in FM2008 I just cannot seem to win the Champions League with Chelsea and my most recent exit just about took the biscuit.

Same here.

Playing since CM2 and have been always successful with back to back league titles and champion league winner. But in FM08 the AI team is much consistence and running better policy to renew their squad.

Playing with Werder Bremen for 7 seasons i could manage to win the league twice only, against the Bayern which have superiority in squad qualities.

Also, the best i can get is semi-final in the champion league.

I won the Champions League with Leeds in 2018.

Semi finals are hard. My approach away from home was to play a 4-1-2-3 system, with the defenders closing down to zilch. Long ball tactic, slowish tempo, counter attack.

I beat Real 2-1 and then 1-0 at Elland Road playing the same tactic to protect my lead.

Final I beat Bayern which was sweet revenge for 1975 playing a 4-1-3-2 system, defensive, short passing, counter attack. Won 1-0.

Just persevere with it.

English sides ARE over-rated. Man U and Arsenal have won the last two CL's on my game, even though they both played Lyon in the final, so nothing hard there. I've also noticed no Greek side ever reaches the group stage, they all get knocked out in Qualifying.

I managed to win the champions league in my second season with athletico madrid.

I didn't have an amazing team, only finnished 3rd in la liga.

When i won it felt like i didn't deserve it even though i had beaten both milans en route and then barca in the final.

As far as i remember i didn't do anything different in these games to those in the league.

Incidently i only had two players in the team of the competition.

I've not really had any major CL problems. Reached the semi-final in my third season with Rangers before getting pumped by Real Madrid. Moved to Man Utd that summer and won the CL in first season, although they were defending champions when I took over.

Well in my eyes you must be the next Avarm Grant. Tottenham are class. We would always beat you if it came down to it.

Originally posted by Digs_473:

Not a good way to go out.

I tend to be really strong in the group stages, then without fail I will go out to the first English team I meet in the knockout stages. Usually Arsenal...

Funny, because I've always had a problem with domestic opposition in europe as well, both in 07 and 08.