Champions League - Matchday 6 - 12/10 & 12/11

PedroSpecialK

Comes at you like a tornado of hair and the NHL sa
SoSH Member
Dec 12, 2004
27,164
Cambridge, MA
Today kicks off with Groups E-H, with qualifying spots in all groups still up in the air. Hope I got this all correct...

Group E
27402

Liverpool travel to Austria to take on Salzburg. Liverpool need points of any type to proceed to the knockout stages, with a win (or a draw with a Napoli non-win) guaranteeing them top seeding.
Napoli are home to Genk, with rumors circulating that regardless of the outcome this will be Ancelotti's final match in charge of Napoli. Gerardo Gattuso is reportedly lined up to take over. If Napoli win, or draw with a Liverpool loss, they are through to the knockout stages.

Group F
27403

Borussia Dortmund are home to Slavia Prague, requiring a better result than Inter - Inter are ahead on H2H GD.
Inter are home to Barcelona with everything to play for, and a heavily rested / rotated Barcelona squad lining up against them

Group G
27404

All four teams in this group still hold a chance of advancing to the knockout stages.

Benfica are home to Zenit St. Petersburg. Benfica can advance get into third place for UEL qualification with victory of 3 or more over Zenit, provided Lyon lose to RB Leipzig. Zenit are through with a victory, or a draw and a draw or worse for Lyon.
Lyon are home to RB Leipzig. Lyon can advance with a victory by two or more over Leipzig (regardless of the Zenit result), or by a victory of one with a Zenit draw or worse.
Leipzig are pretty much through unless they lose by two or more, and Zenit win in Portugal

Group H
27406

Ajax are home to Valencia. A result of any sort, or a non-victory for Chelsea, sees Ajax through. Valencia meanwhile require a result equal to or better than Chelsea's to advance.
Chelsea are home to Lille, and need either a victory or draw with a Valencia loss to advance.
 
Last edited:

Zososoxfan

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 30, 2009
9,209
South of North
Today kicks off with Groups E-H, with qualifying spots in all groups still up in the air. Hope I got this all correct...

Group E
View attachment 27402

Liverpool travel to Austria to take on Salzburg. Liverpool need points of any type to proceed to the knockout stages, with a win (or a draw with a Napoli non-win) guaranteeing them top seeding.
Napoli are home to Genk, with rumors circulating that regardless of the outcome this will be Ancelotti's final match in charge of Napoli. Gerardo Gattuso is reportedly lined up to take over. If Napoli win, or draw with a Liverpool loss, they are through to the knockout stages.

Group F
View attachment 27403

Borussia Dortmund are home to Slavia Prague, requiring an Inter loss to a Barcelona team with nothing to play for (Messi already ruled out), as well as a victory by at least two more than the margin by which Inter loses. In short, not that likely
Inter are home to Barcelona with everything to play for, and a heavily rested / rotated Barcelona squad lining up against them

Group G
View attachment 27404

All four teams in this group still hold a chance of advancing to the knockout stages.

Benfica are home to Zenit St. Petersburg. Benfica can advance with victory of 3 or more over Zenit, provided Lyon lose to RB Leipzig. Zenit are through with a victory, or a draw and a draw or worse for Lyon.
Lyon are home to RB Leipzig. Lyon can advance with a victory by two or more over Leipzig (regardless of the Zenit result), or by a victory of one with a Zenit draw or worse.
Leipzig are pretty much through unless they lose by two or more, and Zenit win in Portugal

Group H
View attachment 27406

Ajax are home to Valencia. A result of any sort, or a non-victory for Chelsea, sees Ajax through. Valencia meanwhile require a result equal to or better than Chelsea's to advance.
Chelsea are home to Lille, and need either a victory or draw with a Valencia loss to advance.
Thanks PSK. What are the tiebreakers here? i.e. How can Napoli guarantee progress with a draw if Salzburg beats Liverpool? All 3 would be on 10 points in that scenario.

And I have to add just how lousy the presentation of this competition is in the US. It should be a no brainer to have each pair of group matches started at staggered times with a bajillion screens/feeds all available at once. I get infuriated just thinking about it.
 

PedroSpecialK

Comes at you like a tornado of hair and the NHL sa
SoSH Member
Dec 12, 2004
27,164
Cambridge, MA
While I'm at it, may as well look at tomorrow's matchday as well.

Group A
27407

Done and dusted. The only question is who gets into third place for UEL. PSG are home to Galatasaray, and Real Madrid travel to Belgium to play Bruges.

Group B
27408


Same story. Bayern and Spurs will play a friendly in Munich, while Red Star travel to Greece to play Olympiakos - result of any kind sees Red Star remain in third place

Group C
27411

City are through, and will likely travel to Croatia with mainly reserves. Dinamo can secure qualification with a victory only, and require a result other than a Shakhtar victory
Atalanta travel to Kharkiv to take on Shakhtar Donetsk, requiring a victory (as well as a non-victory for Dinamo Zagreb) for qualification

Group D
27412

Juventus are through, and travel to Germany to take on Leverkeusen. Leverkeusen require either a victory and an Atlético non-victory, or a draw and an Atlético loss by four or more (I believe - the h2h GD and records are even, 2 GF and 2 GA apiece, but because Atléti scored away at BayArena they should hold the tiebreaker)
Atlético are home to Lokomotiv, and can secure qualification with a victory, or a draw and a non-victory for Leverkeusen
 

Attachments

PedroSpecialK

Comes at you like a tornado of hair and the NHL sa
SoSH Member
Dec 12, 2004
27,164
Cambridge, MA
Thanks PSK. What are the tiebreakers here? i.e. How can Napoli guarantee progress with a draw if Salzburg beats Liverpool? All 3 would be on 10 points in that scenario.

And I have to add just how lousy the presentation of this competition is in the US. It should be a no brainer to have each pair of group matches started at staggered times with a bajillion screens/feeds all available at once. I get infuriated just thinking about it.
Tiebreakers look to be as follows:

1. Points in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
2. Goal difference in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
3. Goals scored in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
4. Away goals scored in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
5. If more than two teams were tied, and after applying all head-to-head criteria above, a subset of teams were still tied, all head-to-head criteria above was reapplied exclusively to this subset of teams;

6. Goal difference in all group matches;
7. Goals scored in all group matches;
8. Away goals scored in all group matches;
9. Wins in all group matches;
10. Away wins in all group matches;
11. Disciplinary points (red card = 3 points, yellow card = 1 point, expulsion for two yellow cards in one match = 3 points);
12. UEFA club coefficient.
In the situation of all three teams on 10 points:
  • Liverpool lose out to Napoli by default due to Napoli's 4-to-1 points advantage in the head-to-head.
  • Liverpool lose out to RB Salzburg unless they lose 5-4 or something to get ahead on away goals. Losing 4-3 allows RB Salzburg to advance on overall group GD as they enter this match day ahead of Liverpool.
Benfica is done in the CL and cannot advance. They could get a NIT spot with the weird result scenario that you outlined.
Hmm... looks like you're right, oversight on my part.

Benfica lost 3-1 to Zenit in their first match in Russia, and play them at home today; If Benfica win 5-0 for instance, that puts both teams at 7 points, level on points head-to-head, and gives Benfica the edge in H2H goal difference. However, Benfica beat Lyon 2-1, then lost 3-1 in the return leg, giving Lyon the edge H2H no matter what.
 

Vinho Tinto

Member
SoSH Member
Dec 9, 2003
7,046
Auburn, MA
Hmm... looks like you're right, oversight on my part.
I would have missed it too, but I was following their last game. I left my office with them up 2-0 on the brink of injury time. After I walked to my car and turned on the radio feed, I just hear the German crowd cheering and the announcer proclaiming that Benfica had been eliminated. Not the calmest way for me to start my drive home.
 

SoxFanInCali

has the rich, deep voice of a god
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Jun 3, 2005
15,568
California. Duh.
Borussia Dortmund are home to Slavia Prague, requiring an Inter loss to a Barcelona team with nothing to play for (Messi already ruled out), as well as a victory by at least two more than the margin by which Inter loses. In short, not that likely
Inter are home to Barcelona with everything to play for, and a heavily rested / rotated Barcelona squad lining up against them
Not quite following here. Inter and Dortmund both have 7 points, so Dortmund just need to better Inter's result, right?
 

PedroSpecialK

Comes at you like a tornado of hair and the NHL sa
SoSH Member
Dec 12, 2004
27,164
Cambridge, MA
Yup right you are, I wrote that without consideration for the H2H tiebreakers first (Inter has the tiebreaker there on H2H GD by 1). Updating
 

PedroSpecialK

Comes at you like a tornado of hair and the NHL sa
SoSH Member
Dec 12, 2004
27,164
Cambridge, MA
Only a matter of time before Håland gets in behind, Lovren can't match him for pace and Minamino / Hwang have good enough interplay to beat the high line. Keïta hasn't been involved as much as I'd like
 

SoxFanInCali

has the rich, deep voice of a god
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Jun 3, 2005
15,568
California. Duh.
Is there a way for Salzburg to progress with a loss here? This is a fun team to watch I’d love to see them in a knockout round
They need a win. Out with a draw or loss.

They are scary, though. Could make an Ajax-like run if they get through.
 

PedroSpecialK

Comes at you like a tornado of hair and the NHL sa
SoSH Member
Dec 12, 2004
27,164
Cambridge, MA
Salah isn't very good at playing soccer today.
He's also getting manhandled with his back to goal - basically the recipe for stopping him when he was sputtering a bit last season.

I do like the added dimension of putting long balls over the top to beat the attempts to close down on Liverpool's fullbacks on the flanks and regain possession. A couple times though late in the half, Liverpool went away from it and left themselves exposed to a counter after losing possession.
 

teddykgb

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 16, 2005
11,016
Chelmsford, MA
They need a win. Out with a draw or loss.

They are scary, though. Could make an Ajax-like run if they get through.
Yeah Ajax is exactly who they remind you of. Fearless and active. Liverpool have too much quality and RBS have to overcommit so they will get done on one of these breaks eventually but this is great football to watch.

I’m going to be pissed if Haaland really goes to United. I wish City were more linked given the history and the fact that City is resorting to floated crosses into short strikers these days. Haaland looks like a Lewandowski type in that he can play with the ball at his feet while being a unit
 

SoxFanInCali

has the rich, deep voice of a god
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Jun 3, 2005
15,568
California. Duh.
Shows you how much the ref let the teams play; there's a total of 3 minutes of stoppage time combined in the two halves.
 
Last edited:

67YAZ

Member
SoSH Member
Dec 1, 2000
8,729
Inter on the front foot so far, led by Lukaku.
As I type this, Barca carve open Inter’s back 3 leading to a great snap shot by Perez.
 

tmracht

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 19, 2009
3,070
Tough game to Rudiger to come back to its absolutely pouring.


Code:
  Pulisic-Abraham-Willian
   Kovacic-Kante-Jorginho
Emerson-Zouma-Rudiger-Azpi
          Kepa
Chelsea needs a really good result as who knows what will happen in Ajax vs Valencia.
 

JayMags71

Member
SoSH Member
JFC Christ, Bleacher Report’s studio show is a Dumpster Fire. Tim Howard to Edu and Holden: “Who do you got, Inter or Dortmund going through?”

(Awkward pause)

Edu: “uhhh... Dortmund?”

I hate the forced storylines and the bullshit camaraderie on the NFL shows, but these guys have no charisma, and lack any ability to think on their feet.
 

tmracht

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 19, 2009
3,070
Wow, Emerson had a really good pop from just outside the six yard box, keeper got down quickly and parried away luckily for the keeper it was slightly behind Emerson so it ended up going pretty center of the net. Emerson looking energetic down that left side overlapping Pulisic.
 

tmracht

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 19, 2009
3,070
Wow Kante setup by Pulisic who continues his run, Kante elects to shoot, it was blocked well the rebounded ended up a Kante volley but he pulls it just wide of the near post. But the ensuing rush, Pulisic gets Willian in behind the defense with a nice diagonal ball into space, he squares for Abraham who cheekily backheels it in. 1-0.
 

tmracht

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 19, 2009
3,070
Valencia go 1-0 up on Ajax, not a good start to the matchday for Ajax who need at least a point to go through or Chelsea dropping points.
 

tmracht

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 19, 2009
3,070
2-0 Chelsea, Azpi rises high to head home the corner. Wonderful in-swinger by Emerson to find the unmarked captain.
 

InstaFace

The Ultimate One
SoSH Member
Sep 27, 2016
21,754
Pittsburgh, PA
Lukaku rounds the keeper but also rounds the ball into touch lol
He had the chip right there, but seemed to believe he didn't have the angle.

Speaking of BAR-INT, Valentino Lazaro is surely on whatever the Austrian equivalent is of the Reggie Cleveland all-stars.
 

SoxFanInCali

has the rich, deep voice of a god
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Jun 3, 2005
15,568
California. Duh.
Dortmund are down to 10 after a Weigl red card. They are clinging to a 2-1 lead.

Inter have the ball in the net but denied by the linesman's flag for the 3rd time.
 

Kliq

Member
SoSH Member
Mar 31, 2013
22,669
What is going on in Group G is insane. At the start of the second half it was:

Leipzig
Zenit
Benfica
Lyon

Then, Zenit gets a red card and Benfica is now up 3-0, giving them second place with the GD. BUT then Lyon scores two unanswered goals to tie Leipzig and now it is in second with the GD.