UCL Week 6 - Qualification for Europa is at stake!

Time to Mo Vaughn

RIP Dernell
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Mar 24, 2008
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Almost an amazingly boring set of matches/outcomes possible considering it's the final week of the group stage.

Tuesday matches:
Group A: Napoli and Liverpool have both qualified
Group B: Brugge and Porto have both qualified
Group C: Bayern and Inter have both qualified
Group D: This will be some fun. Sporting vs Eintracht and Marseille vs Spurs. Each team controls their own destiny and will be through with a win and out with a loss. Draws set up Spurs and Sporting to advance. Games at 4ET.

Wednesday matches:
Group E: Chelsea has qualified. Milan plays Salzburg and goes through with a win or draw. Salzburg goes through with a win. Game is at 4ET.
Group F: Read Madrid have qualified. Leipzig plays Shakhtar Donetsk and will go through with a win or draw. Shakhtar advances with a win. Game at 1:45ET.
Group G: Man City and Dortmund have qualified.
Group H: PSG and Benfica have qualified.
 

Kliq

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I've got a baaaaaaaaaaddddd feeling about this Spurs game today. This is the exact kind of away in Europe game they like to have embarrassing losses at.
 

scott bankheadcase

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I've got a baaaaaaaaaaddddd feeling about this Spurs game today. This is the exact kind of away in Europe game they like to have embarrassing losses at.
Well the good news is that Conte won't be on the touchline because of his red card. So we got that going for us....
 

Morgan's Magic Snowplow

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No idea why Klopp is playing his strongest team here rather than getting some rest. They would need to win by four goals against a red hot Napoli to finish first in the group and winning the group isn't really some massive prize anyway.
 

67YAZ

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Steve Nash just got fired from the Nets. Maybe he can call into tomorrow's UCL pre-show.
 

67YAZ

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No idea why Klopp is playing his strongest team here rather than getting some rest. They would need to win by four goals against a red hot Napoli to finish first in the group and winning the group isn't really some massive prize anyway.
100% agree. I understand Klopp believes in playing his best together as often as possible to build fluidity and he's eyeing the WC break.

But...upcoming schedule: @Spurs on Sunday, Derby in FA Cup on Weds, Soton on Saturday. I would have rotated around the fact that Liverpool needs all 6 EPL points here.

What I would have done today (in the 4-4-2 Diamond/4-2-3-1 thingy Klopp has been trying out):

Alisson
Ramsay, Konate, Gomez (gulp), Tsimikas
Bajcetic, Milner, Carvalho, Jones
Nunez, Firmino.
 

SocrManiac

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I’m torn between getting Konate some match time or shoving him in bubble wrap.

The lineup is an awkward mess. He isn’t rotating the key guys, nor is he giving his team the best chance to win. The match isn’t meaningless, but it’s close. It’s bizarre.
 

Time to Mo Vaughn

RIP Dernell
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Alexis Sanchez, Guendouzzi and Nuno Tavares playing against Spurs right now. This is a trip as an Arsenal fan.

Hopefully after going up a few goals, Marseille can put in Kolasinac.
 

DJnVa

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Son just got cracked, concussion check ongoing.

EDIT: Looks decidedly not good.
 

Kliq

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Given that they haven't conceded a goal you really can't say that it has been THAT bad. But Spurs have had an AWFUL first 25 minutes.
 

Morgan's Magic Snowplow

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100% agree. I understand Klopp believes in playing his best together as often as possible to build fluidity and he's eyeing the WC break.

But...upcoming schedule: @Spurs on Sunday, Derby in FA Cup on Weds, Soton on Saturday. I would have rotated around the fact that Liverpool needs all 6 EPL points here.

What I would have done today (in the 4-4-2 Diamond/4-2-3-1 thingy Klopp has been trying out):

Alisson
Ramsay, Konate, Gomez (gulp), Tsimikas
Bajcetic, Milner, Carvalho, Jones
Nunez, Firmino.
Looking at the CL group stage some more, I may have underestimated the value of winning the group, especially for an English side.

If Spurs manage to win their group and PSG hang on to win theirs (uncertain, but assume it for the moment), then if Liverpool finish second they will be drawn against one of Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, PSG, or Porto. Win the group and you're likely facing one of Club Bruges, Inter, AC Milan, Sporting Lisbon, RB Leipzig, BVB, or Benfica. Most years the winners and runners up pools are closer in terms of opponent quality but not this year.
 

DJnVa

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Given that they haven't conceded a goal you really can't say that it has been THAT bad. But Spurs have had an AWFUL first 25 minutes.
But they're not even challenging OM until they're in the final 3rd. I get doing that against some squads, but they should be able to just take it to them.
 

Kliq

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Bissouma on for Son. Interesting they didn't use Gil. Probably going to park the bus more and hope Kane/Moura can conjur up something. Not great.
 

Jimy Hendrix

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Bissouma on for Son. Interesting they didn't use Gil. Probably going to park the bus more and hope Kane/Moura can conjur up something. Not great.
Conte currently "minute 75 and we need something" trusts Gil, not yet more than that.
 

DJnVa

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So, for the record--Son, Kulu, Richarlison all out injured. I mean, come on...
 

DJnVa

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Sessegnon whiffs on a clearance but Lloris saves their bacon with great save.
 

DJnVa

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It says Spurs have 35% possession and there is no way that's correct. None.
 

Morgan's Magic Snowplow

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Sporting score and are therefore topping Group D as things stand.

If that result holds, Spurs have far greater incentive to try to win this game as finishing second will leave them with a R16 matchup from Napoli, Porto, Real, Bayern, PSG and topping the group will almost certainly leave them a far easier tie.
 

Time to Mo Vaughn

RIP Dernell
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Sporting score and are therefore topping Group D as things stand.

If that result holds, Spurs have far greater incentive to try to win this game as finishing second will leave them with a R16 matchup from Napoli, Porto, Real, Bayern, PSG and topping the group will almost certainly leave them a far easier tie.
I mean right now they look like they'll massively struggle to even advance let alone worry about position.

Marseille will likely go into half up 1-0, but if I had to guess xG for the first half it'd probably be something like 1.75 - .1 in favor of Marseille.
 

Jimy Hendrix

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Spurs have just been a shocking first-half team this year. Results have been very good, but they have been Burnley for the first half of a wild number of their matches.
 

Gunfighter 09

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Spurs did not look organized at all defending that corner. Six guys in a line defending along the six yard box and nobody in front of them.

The half time crew just covered it, Sess ushered it out and the Spurs players thought it was a goal kick, then the ref let OM take the corner quick while half o the Spurs team were standing around doing nothing. .
 

67YAZ

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Milner off with a possible head injury? Elliott on in his place.

Liverpool-Napoli ended about bang even in the first half - 52-48% possession for Pool, 1 shot on target each, similar number of passes.

I'd love for the Reds to nab this win for morale, but winning by 4 is but a dream.
 

PedroSpecialK

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Great ball by Kvaratskhelia but it looks like Ostigard was off?

Razor thin but ultimately chalked off. Doesn't really matter, if it's not a 4-goal margin it's a dead rubber anyway. Thought Klopp would've rotated more heavily with this jaded squad but what do I know
 

Kliq

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Spurs somehow managing to take it to OM and Llenglet ties it with a header following excellent service from Perisic off a set piece.
 

Merkle's Boner

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This Marseille crowd, which was annoyingly loud in the first half, has become incredibly more subdued in the second. Even before the Spurs goal.
 

Mighty Joe Young

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Great ball by Kvaratskhelia but it looks like Ostigard was off?

Razor thin but ultimately chalked off. Doesn't really matter, if it's not a 4-goal margin it's a dead rubber anyway. Thought Klopp would've rotated more heavily with this jaded squad but what do I know
it may be a dead rubber as far as the group stage standings … but winning the game is not an immaterial result. CL prize money is something like £.1.5m per win. (Edit .. make that €2.8m)
 
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Kliq

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Hoj was running like he had a piano on his back, I can't believe he scored.
 

Kliq

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Tough for Marseille, who are now out of Europe completely with that last goal.