2021/2022 Champions League: Not the Super League

allstonite

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Oct 27, 2010
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Atletico Liverpool ref is very card happy. That was a very weak red for a foul on Mane. He can be a shit but he’s been getting beat up all game. However that should have been just a yellow. This game is going to get chippy
 

swiftaw

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Jan 31, 2009
3,434
Yeah, I thought it might’ve been two yellows, one for the foul and one for dissent but he gave a straight red.
 

67YAZ

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Dec 1, 2000
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Love the Atleti blue unis.

That red was really a yellow for the foul and a yellow for ignoring the ref and then giving him a rude gesture and a bunch of shit talk. Dodgy.
 

wonderland

New Member
Jul 20, 2005
525
Ajax-BvB match ruined by an insane red card decision from Michael Oliver.

Its not two footed, its not particularly dangerous, the studs show but Hummels doesn't actually contact the player with them, and in fact the player actually lands on his leg.

(Ignore tweet caption, this is the only video I could find)

View: https://twitter.com/sanchoxborussia/status/1455996227833802753
the rolling around by the Ajax player afterwards was something. I wish he would’ve gotten a yellow for that display.
 

SoxFanInCali

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Jun 3, 2005
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This could be a very bad result for Atletico, in the sense that Liverpool would not only advance, but clinch the top spot with 2 games remaining. With the fixture list getting busy as we approach the holidays, Liverpool would have no reason to run the first team out there for the Porto game.
 

SocrManiac

Tommy Seebach’s mustache
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Apr 15, 2006
8,634
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It's an incredibly cynical foul, it's exactly the type of thing I wish was out of the game, so I have no problem with the red. The problem is that it happens a few times a game and is never a red...
Bingo. He attacked a player. He didn’t bring him down by the shirt, he brought him down in a way that could have ended in injury. There’s no place for that bullshit in the game. The sooner we can stamp that crap out, the better.
 

HowBoutDemSox

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Aug 12, 2009
10,103
Bump for this week’s fixtures:

Tuesday, November 23

12:45 pm EST
Dynamo Kiev vs. Bayern Munich

12:45 pm EST
Villarreal vs. Manchester United

03:00 pm EST
Barcelona vs. Benfica

03:00 pm EST
BSC Young Boys vs. Atalanta

03:00 pm EST
Lille vs. RB Salzburg

03:00 pm EST
Sevilla FC vs. VfL Wolfsburg

03:00 pm EST
Malmö vs. Zenit St Petersburg

03:00 pm EST
Chelsea vs. Juventus


Wednesday, November 24
12:45 pm EST
Beşiktaş vs. Ajax Amsterdam

12:45 pm EST
Inter Milan vs. Shakhtar Donetsk

03:00 pm EST
Club Brugge vs. RB Leipzig

03:00 pm EST
Manchester City vs. Paris Saint-Germain

03:00 pm EST
Atletico Madrid vs. AC Milan

03:00 pm EST
Liverpool vs. FC Porto

03:00 pm EST
Sporting CP vs. Borussia Dortmund

03:00 pm EST
Sheriff Tiraspol vs. Real Madrid
——————

The first United match in the post-Ole era will be interesting, and Chelsea/Juve and City/PSG should be good.
 

Zososoxfan

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Jul 30, 2009
9,208
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I'd add that Barca-Benfica should be a terrific watch. Barca are 2 points ahead, but have Bayern (and a likely L) in MW6. So, I think Barca will be playing for the 3 points to avoid having to worry about tiebreakers. And Benfica will be looking for at least a point if not 3 as well.

Lille-Salzburg pits the top 2 teams of Group G but that whole group is mostly even in terms of quality and points, with Wolfsburg third and Sevilla (!) currently 4th with 3 points. So all Group G matches should be fun.
 

teddykgb

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Jul 16, 2005
11,016
Chelmsford, MA
Dropping Bruno makes sense to me. I’m surprised he’s been bold enough to do it but United’s biggest problem has been that a midfield 2 with people who can’t progress the ball have left their attackers as pretty baubles who aren’t on the ball. They need to dominate possession and get those expensive attackers chances and Bruno for whatever reason hasn’t been able to come deep and stitch play together. Watford pressed them with absolutely no care for the possibility of passes over or between the lines. They knew they could press Matic and McTominay and they’d turn it over or play a safe pass. They need Van De Beek and some other two way midfielder because their defensive options are all fairly limited passers.
 

Jimy Hendrix

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Jun 15, 2002
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Good news for United fans is that on evidence so far they probably won't get stuck with Carrick for 3 years.
 

Zososoxfan

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Jul 30, 2009
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Interesting lineup from Xavi today:

Line-up Barça: ter Stegen - Araújo, Piqué, Lenglet, Alba - Busquets, Nico, Frenkie - Demir, Memphis, Gavi

Bench Barça: Neto, Iñaki Peña, Umtiti, Eric García, Balde, Mingueza, Dest, Puig, Coutinho, Dembélé, Luuk

Seems to me like a very lopsided 4-3-3 in defense/3-4-3 in attack. What's weird about it is the use of Araujo at RB over Mingueza and Dest. Dest has been fighting through injuries and Mingueza played over the weekend, but this still looks like a 3-3-3 with a misplaced Alba at LWB to me.
 

teddykgb

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Jul 16, 2005
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Barca have a good structure I’m surprised Xavi has had this much of an impact. I generally thought the talent just wasn’t there but this is recognizable Pep ball and they really could improve a lot with a few more ball players
 

Zososoxfan

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Jul 30, 2009
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Barca have a good structure I’m surprised Xavi has had this much of an impact. I generally thought the talent just wasn’t there but this is recognizable Pep ball and they really could improve a lot with a few more ball players
I agree. It took approximately 0 minutes into their Espanyol match to see Xavi's influence. Pretty stark, and I wonder what he said and did that got the team playing in a whole new way. You can tell players to take more risks and say you want more width, but to see the whole thing change on a dime like that was a pleasant surprise.

New RW Demir just hit the woodwork on a nice curler. Busi played him thru on an amazing ball to break the lines. Busi is going to have a renaissance with Xavi as manager.
 

Zososoxfan

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Jul 30, 2009
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Barca made a lot of chances in the final half hour, but couldn't get one in. Dembele came on and was lively, but his last touch was terrible. Understandable given his time off but no less frustrating. Benfica also missed 2 golden chances to punch their ticket, but now the group will be interesting through MW6.
 

67YAZ

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Dec 1, 2000
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Tyler Morton having the week of his young career - makes EPL debut agains Arsenal and now starting in the UCL.
 

SoxFanInCali

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Jun 3, 2005
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California. Duh.
Pepe hurt himself in the warmups for the first game with Liverpool, and now he only makes it 24 minutes in this one.