2020/21 UEFA Europa League: Galloping to Gdansk

DJnVa

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Draw:

Ajax vs. Young Boys
Dynamo Kyiv vs. Villareal
Roma vs. Shakhtar Donetsk
Olympiacos vs. Arsenal
Dinamo Zagreb vs. Tottenham
ManU vs. AC Milan
Slavia Prague vs. Rangers
Granada vs. Molde
 

Zososoxfan

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Draw:

Ajax vs. Young Boys
Dynamo Kyiv vs. Villareal
Roma vs. Shakhtar Donetsk
Olympiacos vs. Arsenal
Dinamo Zagreb vs. Tottenham
ManU vs. AC Milan
Slavia Prague vs. Rangers
Granada vs. Molde
Other than United-Milan, big 4 leagues all separated. Were there restrictions by country in this round?
 

DJnVa

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I think I read that Tottenham will open at home on the 11th, instead of the road, because they cannot play at home the same day as Arsenal in this round and Arsenal has first dibs.
 

Titans Bastard

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Other than United-Milan, big 4 leagues all separated. Were there restrictions by country in this round?
If Wikipedia can be believed, it was all totally random — no seeding, and no restrictions by country.
 

fletcherpost

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We need the two Ukraine teams to get stuffed in the last 16 and the Gers to go through. Scotland is currently 11th in the coefficient, which means for the 22/23 season they get an auto CL spot. But it's really close...a point or less in it.

United - Milan looks like the one that got away.
 

fletcherpost

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So this Europa Conference League is a thing. What's the purpose? What's the point? It seems very third tier. We've already got teams like Leicester focusing on top four and not going all in on the Europa. This conference league might pan out for some teams like a League Cup.
 

Kliq

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Zagreb look better than Tottenham and there coach is in prison. I am envious.
 

The Gray Eagle

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Zagreb scores!

From the Guardian:
GOAL! Dinamo Zagreb 2-0 Tottenham (agg: 3-2)
They’ve only gone and done it! Mislav Orsic completes his hat-trick, and what a goal it is! He picks up the ball on halfway, runs down the left, cuts inside, between Sissoko and Ndombele, and from the edge of the area thumps it inside the near post!

If Spurs equalize they advance on away goals, correct?
 

Pesky Pole

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The handshake line after Rangers / Prague is going to be ugly.

15 said something he wasn’t supposed to to start that fight earlier. Gerrard dragged him over to his coach to tell him about it.
 
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Morgan's Magic Snowplow

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They honestly should kick Slavia Prague out of the competition and I’m not just saying that as an Arsenal fan.

Your actual players racially abusing opponents on the pitch is a red line that should merit heavy sanctions for the entire club. Anything less just shows that the football authorities don’t give two shits about racism in the end. Taking the knee and “Give the red card to racism” is just performative virtue signaling if you’re not going to act in this kind of situation.
 

fletcherpost

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They honestly should kick Slavia Prague out of the competition and I’m not just saying that as an Arsenal fan.

Your actual players racially abusing opponents on the pitch is a red line that should merit heavy sanctions for the entire club. Anything less just shows that the football authorities don’t give two shits about racism in the end. Taking the knee and “Give the red card to racism” is just performative virtue signaling if you’re not going to act in this kind of situation.
Rangers and Celtic players did not take the knee for the Old Firm game that started 40 mins ago. They stood in solidarity.
 

Zososoxfan

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Dominant wins from United and Arsenal today.
Arsenal vs Villarreal and United vs Roma should be excellent.
The UEL semis usually deliver excellent matchups. Kinda funny the league breakdown across both competitions is so similar (2 EPL, 1 La Liga, 1 Serie A/1 Ligue 1).

Roma-Ajax was a lot of fun today.
 

fletcherpost

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The Full English Europa Final looking less likely at the moment.

United losing 2-1 at home to Roma
Arsenal down 0-2 at Villareal

Arsenal just had a penalty decision over turned cos it hit Pepe's hand in the build up.
 

Zomp

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Roma has made three subs due to injuries at three different points.

What is the sub rule in Europe? I think it’s 5 but do they have to be made in 3 different stoppages total?
 

fletcherpost

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Roma has made three subs due to injuries at three different points.

What is the sub rule in Europe? I think it’s 5 but do they have to be made in 3 different stoppages total?
This came out when the change to five subs was announced. It makes no mention of any 3 stoppage restriction.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/54279446

Teams will be allowed to make up to five substitutions in Uefa competitions until the end of the 2020-21 season.

The rule change was proposed by Fifa because of congested fixture schedules caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

In August, the Premier League said it would not adopt the rule change after clubs voted against it.
 

Kliq

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I remember people kind of laughing off Cavani coming to United at this stage in his career but he has been class since coming over.
 

The Gray Eagle

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It's Arsenal, so now they get a red card.
Ceballos sent off.
Not sure who was stupider, him or Arteta for not subbing him at halftime when he was on a yellow and the team desperately needed changing.

Arteta getting completely schooled by Unai Emery here.
 

Morgan's Magic Snowplow

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Oh my. Ceballos off after a very questionable second yellow.

Really Arteta's fault though. He needed to change things anyway at the halfway, Ceballos was playing like shit and had just picked up a yellow, you get five subs....a million reasons to sub him at the half and put on an actual striker.
 

Morgan's Magic Snowplow

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Spurs fan, so I loved it... but man, that was harsh from my view.
He stepped on his foot but it clearly wasn't intentional (he was lunging and then the player just put his foot into the space). That kind of foul probably happens 3-4 times a match and rarely gets carded so to do it with a player already on a yellow in a semi-final is an interesting choice.
 

Tangled Up In Red

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He stepped on his foot but it clearly wasn't intentional (he was lunging and then the player just put his foot into the space). That kind of foul probably happens 3-4 times a match and rarely gets carded so to do it with a player already on a yellow in a semi-final is an interesting choice.
Yeah, he didn't appear to break stride to me.
 

fletcherpost

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Given how this match was panning out 2-1 would be a result for Arsenal.

I wouldn't be shocked if there was another goal though.

Not sure about this ref: Auba gets booked for what looks like a slip.
 

Tuff Ghost

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I love the lineup that Arteta is going with tonight (note: Tierney, Lacazette, Luiz are not fit; Ceballos is suspended): Leno, Bellerin, Holding, Mari, Xhaka, Partey, Saka, Smith Rowe, Odegaard, Pepe, Aubameyang

That is very attack-minded and I think it will functionally end-up looking like the below while in possession, with a five-channel attack up front. Smith Rowe & Odegaard will be dropping deeper out of the front-5 to link-up play also:

Holding - Mari - Xhaka (LB dropping back a bit)
Bellerin (RB tucking into midfield) - Partey
Saka (wide right) - Smith Rowe (inner right or left) - Aubameyang (middle) - Odegaard (inner right or left) - Pepe (wide left)

The other possibility is that Saka plays more as a midfielder (I am kind of hoping for that) and Bellerin plays as a wingback getting up front on the wide right (rather than tucking in as a RB/midfielder, like they used to do with Ainsley Maitland-Niles). I'm sure they'll be flowing in and out of these positions, but I just wanted to say how I like what Arteta has done. They are not going to lose due to a conservative selection (particularly Elneny in MF) and that's all I can ask for as a supporter.
 

shaggydog2000

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I think it's the best lineup I could figure out. You could nominally move Saka to LB and Xhaka to midfield, but we know he ends up dropping into that LB area anyway while the nominal LB is freed up and moves forward. My guess is that Saka is going to play where Tierney would have anyway if he played. I might have played Gabriel instead of Mari, because I think Gabriel is the best defender we have, but Holding and Mari have more experience playing together so that may be why he's getting the nod.
 
I can't say I enjoyed the first half of Arsenal-Villareal whatsoever. And I'm really reaching a breaking point with teams that ostentatiously try to pass the ball out from the back after a goal kick, which increasingly feels to me like managers saying "Look at me! I preach a passing game!" instead of giving themselves the best chance of winning. To pass the ball out of the back, you bring more players deep into non-threatening positions, and you're not in any sort of shape to defend if you do give the ball away - so if you do mess up, it's an instant high-quality scoring opportunity. Also, when you're always passing the ball out from the back, you're guaranteed to face pressure from your opponent in doing so; if you regularly just hoof the ball up the pitch, probably 25% of the time you'll have the option of passing the ball forward because you'll take your opposition by surprise in looking to do so. (And how often do you actually win the ball off of a long goal kick? Isn't it not far below 50-50 anyway?)
 

teddykgb

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I can't say I enjoyed the first half of Arsenal-Villareal whatsoever. And I'm really reaching a breaking point with teams that ostentatiously try to pass the ball out from the back after a goal kick, which increasingly feels to me like managers saying "Look at me! I preach a passing game!" instead of giving themselves the best chance of winning. To pass the ball out of the back, you bring more players deep into non-threatening positions, and you're not in any sort of shape to defend if you do give the ball away - so if you do mess up, it's an instant high-quality scoring opportunity. Also, when you're always passing the ball out from the back, you're guaranteed to face pressure from your opponent in doing so; if you regularly just hoof the ball up the pitch, probably 25% of the time you'll have the option of passing the ball forward because you'll take your opposition by surprise in looking to do so. (And how often do you actually win the ball off of a long goal kick? Isn't it not far below 50-50 anyway?)
TLDR Summary: GET OFF MY LAWN

Cheaply conceding possession because you hammered it long is inviting more opportunities for the other team. It takes players with skill to execute because too many defenders treat the ball like a hand grenade but I think there is no question left that teams who play it out from the back properly are performing better