2020/21 UEFA Champions League: The Road to Istanbul (Not Constantinople)

Mighty Joe Young

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Update via the Guardian on PSG-IB:



RE: ManU - I never quite understood the Euro-footballing logic of benching players who are angling for a transfer or who already have one arranged. In some instances, yes that makes sense. But as common wisdom? This was a must-win match and Pogba is their second-best player (behind Bruno these days). How does it make any sense to keep him from the pitch?
Klopp kept playing Emre Can even though he was off to Juventus on a Bosman. I think smart managers can recognize what needs to be done.
 

67YAZ

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Klopp kept playing Emre Can even though he was off to Juventus on a Bosman. I think smart managers can recognize what needs to be done.
And he's running Wijnaldum into the ground this season, getting every last penny out of that contract.
 

Zomp

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Unbelievable. So many things had to go wrong to miss out on the knock out round after beating PSG and Liepzig and yet, here we are.
 

Kliq

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The interesting thing about Istanbul Basaksehir is that while people around the world will be applauding their players; they are probably the most hated club in the world domestically. Imagine if Donald Trump created an expansion baseball team, plopped them into the middle of New York City, and then used tax payer money to sign all of the best players. That is Istanbul Basaksehir.
 

SocrManiac

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Buffon must be among the oldest goalkeepers ever to record a non-tribute match clean sheet at Camp Nou, no?
 

Kliq

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Demba Ba really let the ref have it after that slip up. The man knows how to punish people who slip.
 

pedro1918

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UEFA said:
Following an incident at tonight’s UEFA Champions League match between Paris Saint-Germain FC and İstanbul Başakşehir FK, UEFA has – after discussion with both clubs – decided on an exceptional basis to have the remaining minutes of the match played tomorrow (Wednesday 9 December) with a new team of match officials. The kick-off has been set at 18:55 CET.
A thorough investigation on the incident that took place will be opened immediately.
The game will be resumed at 12:55 PM today.
 

PedroSpecialK

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#LFC line up: Kelleher, Alexander-Arnold, R. Williams, Fabinho, Tsimikas, Clarkson, Keita, Minamino, Jota, Origi, Salah.

Subs: Adrian, Jaros, Wijnaldum, Firmino, Mane, Henderson, Jones, Robertson, Matip, Cain, N. Williams, Koumetio.

Why Klopp thinks it necessary to risk Fabinho, Jota, and Salah when Koumetio, Cain, and Jones can do the job is beyond me
 

67YAZ

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#LFC line up: Kelleher, Alexander-Arnold, R. Williams, Fabinho, Tsimikas, Clarkson, Keita, Minamino, Jota, Origi, Salah.

Subs: Adrian, Jaros, Wijnaldum, Firmino, Mane, Henderson, Jones, Robertson, Matip, Cain, N. Williams, Koumetio.

Why Klopp thinks it necessary to risk Fabinho, Jota, and Salah when Koumetio, Cain, and Jones can do the job is beyond me
hoping it’s a short run out for those 3 - keep them in form, but minimize the wear.

Edit: Koumetio on at the half for Fabinho already. And a total clusterfuck situation here going to VAR...
 

67YAZ

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Welp, Ref ignores the offside flag in the VAR review and awards the PK. Still can’t wrap my head around this shitty process.

edit: I’m sure Klopp will drill video of that play into the brain of Koumetio, Williams, Kelleher. Young’uns need to talk, coordinate, and mark the runners even if you are the better squad.
 
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PedroSpecialK

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And now Salah's hurt himself trying to evade a challenge at midfield.

Klopp can't bitch about fixture congestion then turn around and play these guys in a meaningless match. Firmino coming on for Origi now
 

cromulence

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Dimitri Payet tries to catch Steffen off his line from the center circle, but he easily handles it. Even still, the moment before the camera panned over was absolutely terrifying.
 

67YAZ

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This Madrid-Gladbach match is like a good quality Saturday afternoon rec league - try to do something fun when you get on the ball, otherwise just keep it chill and avoid getting hurt
 

pedro1918

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The draw takes place on Monday.

Teams

Seeded teams

Bayern (GER, Group A)
Real Madrid (ESP, Group B)
Manchester City (ENG, C)
Liverpool (ENG, D)
Chelsea (ENG, E)
Borussia Dortmund (GER, F)
Juventus (ITA, G)
Paris (FRA, H)

Unseeded teams
Atlético (ESP, A)
Borussia Mönchengladbach (GER, B)
Porto (POR, C)
Atalanta (ITA, D)
Sevilla (ESP, E)
Lazio (ITA, F)
Barcelona (ESP, G)
Leipzig (GER, H)

Draw procedure
  • Two seeding pots are formed: one consisting of the eight group winners and the other of the eight runners-up. No team can play a club from their own association, with the exact draw procedure to be confirmed before the ceremony.
  • Seeded group winners are away in the round of 16 first legs and at home in the return matches.
Match dates
First legs: 16/17/23/24 February
Second legs: 9/10/16/17 March
 

bosox4283

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Group A is certainly intimidating. I don't particularly care who Atletico draw, but I'd like to avoid Liverpool or PSG in the first round.
 

teddykgb

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Why PSG? Id certainly rather play them than most of the seeded teams bar Chelsea

My not asked for Power Rankings of who you’d want to draw (not who I think will win)

1. Bayern - nobody wants this draw
2. Liverpool - they would be 1 but for a vast global conspiracy to deny them their birthright
3. Dortmund- who wants to deal with Halaand in a knockout right now?
4. City - by default really I still don’t believe this team has it but if I were in second pot I probably don’t want to draw them
5. Juventus- not the most impressive form but Cristiano can bury you
6. PSG - Neymar, Mbappe and not much other quality at this point
7. Real Madrid - same as above but without Neymar and Mbappe
8. Chelsea - may actually be a tougher out than the 4 above them but they’re still finding their way and are probably the team youd most want to draw


Edit: Adding the unseeded

1. Atletico - Nobody ever wants to play them. It’s gonna be a battle. They’re an annoying draw.

2. Leipzig - went deep last year. Aggressive. Different system.

3. Sevilla - Also went deep in EL and a definite tough team to play

4. Atalanta
5. Barcelona - How the mighty have fallen
6. Monchengladbach
7. Lazio
8. Porto
 
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Tuff Ghost

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6. PSG - Neymar, Mbappe and not much other quality at this point
That's a pretty harsh assessment of PSG, in my opinion. Two of the ten best players in the world, plus Di Maria, Icardi, and an in-form Moise Kean? Navas is an elite goalkeeper. Runners-up in the Champions League Final just four months ago? They are a great team.

To be fair, all of the top-seeded clubs are, unsurprisingly, tough match-ups, but PSG could justifiably be up there with Bayern and Liverpool in the top-3.
 

teddykgb

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That's a pretty harsh assessment of PSG, in my opinion. Two of the ten best players in the world, plus Di Maria, Icardi, and an in-form Moise Kean? Navas is an elite goalkeeper. Runners-up in the Champions League Final just four months ago? They are a great team.

To be fair, all of the top-seeded clubs are, unsurprisingly, tough match-ups, but PSG could justifiably be up there with Bayern and Liverpool in the top-3.
To be honest I think you could put 4,5,6 in any order but DiMaria? Icardi? Who is scared of playing Moise Kean or Icardi?
 

67YAZ

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With so many La Liga teams in pot 2, Madrid has the most limited pool: Porto, Atalanta, Leipzig, & Lazio. An Atalanta or Leipzig match up would be very entertaining stuff.
 

Tuff Ghost

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To be honest I think you could put 4,5,6 in any order but DiMaria? Icardi? Who is scared of playing Moise Kean or Icardi?
If you put good players around two of the very best, you end up with the type of team that reaches the Champions League Final. DiMaria is still good (0.45 goals and 0.6 assists / 90 minutes in Ligue 1). Moise Kean is having a very good season (0.88 goals / 90 mins in Ligue 1). Icardi is a good player (0.85 goals / 90 mins at PSG last year and 0.51 in limited minutes this year).

They are not the point, though. The point is Neymar and Mbappe. The cast around them is strong enough to make them a top-3 type of club.
 

67YAZ

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Leipzig v Liverpool should be fire
As a Pool fan, I’m less than enthused. As a football fan, hell yeah.

Also looking forward to Atalanta-Madrid. Sergio Ramos is going to be out there spinning in circles. Could be a couple 4-3 matches.

Edit: Am not looking forward to the million pieces about Neymar & Messi to accompany Barca-PSG
 

SocrManiac

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I'm going to have to skip watching the Juventus matches. The level of shithousery from a club like Porto is off the charts. There's nothing pleasant about watching Portuguese teams these days.

I'd love the Liverpool matchup if we knew who would be left to actually play. Either way, there should be approximately 35 goals.