Champions League, Europa League & Europa Vauxhall Conference League 25/26

[South Coast Royal]

Bayern Munich and PSG do look a cut above the rest at the moment and it is a shame that the final won't be between them.
As for Liverpool last night there were spells when they showed a bit of their old saves and the tackle by Maquinos on VVD in the first half was fantastic.

Once Ekitike went off though we knew that Isak would only play for 45 minutes or so therefore at that point the game was over.

A swap deal this Summer between Curtis Jones and Vitinha would be a good move but , more seriously, there has been talk of Barcola who would be most welcome.

[Sutekh]

Bayern Munich and PSG do look a cut above the rest at the moment and it is a shame that the final won't be between them.
As for Liverpool last night there were spells when they showed a bit of their old saves and the tackle by Maquinos on VVD in the first half was fantastic.

Once Ekitike went off though we knew that Isak would only play for 45 minutes or so therefore at that point the game was over.

A swap deal this Summer between Curtis Jones and Vitinha would be a good move but , more seriously, there has been talk of Barcola who would be most welcome.

The game/tie was over as soon as the teams were announced for the game in Paris. Would love to have seen a Klopp Liverpool play PSG as no way would that have been so negative in just trying to avoid defeat.

Arne is so risk averse and very few top level successful managers get to be that by covering their arses in the first and foremost. Certainly football played without at least some risk is largely just pants.

Don’t think he will at all, but there was rumour earlier in the season of Enrique moving on in the summer, if that did come to pass he could have any manager job he wanted (wonder if RC could tempt him with a real long term project ).

[Beaulux]

looks legit

[Sutekh]

Bella’s pregnant, how’d that happen?

[Winston Biscuit]

Emily Belmont?!

[Winston Biscuit]

This Bayern Vs Real Madrid game is sensational! Consecutive nights of amazing football

[Clyde1998]

Saw an incredible stat: since the introduction of second teams from the same nation into the Champions League in 1998-99, this will be only the fifth occasion where the four semi-finalists have come from different countries and the first in consecutive seasons:

2004: Portugal; France; Spain; England
2010: Italy; Germany; France; Spain
2018: Spain; England; Germany; Italy
2025: France; Italy; England; Spain
2026: France; Germany; England; Spain

Just five in twenty-seven seasons.

[Sutekh]

Saw an incredible stat: since the introduction of second teams from the same nation into the Champions League in 1998-99, this will be only the fifth occasion where the four semi-finalists have come from different countries and the first in consecutive seasons:

2004: Portugal; France; Spain; England
2010: Italy; Germany; France; Spain
2018: Spain; England; Germany; Italy
2025: France; Italy; England; Spain
2026: France; Germany; England; Spain

Just five in twenty-seven seasons.

It was, of course, a regular occurrence for the 40 years or so before the inclusion of as many also-rans as it takes to ensure as many “names” as possible get to stay on the gravy train

[katweslowski]

Watched most of the Bayern vs Real Madrid game. A few thoughts - none of which are very insightful or even informative, but just random thoughts:

1) Watching the game, I just couldn't believe just how fast the game was, how intense, exciting, how quickly it was moving. There was very little stupid games by the players or petty fouls, it just seemed an allround very good game.

2) Following on from this point, it makes me realise just how utterly shit League One and potentially some Championship games are. Like when Reading have several games of no actual shots on target, yet last night's game was continual, endless surges forward, fast balls through the middle, continual pushes forward. No sideways playing nonsense.

3) Olise really is fecking amazing isn't he? The speed of his feet, agility, strength, just composure was amazing. I'd say the same for Kane - he just looks such a solid player

4) I've said it before, and I'll say it another 50 times. The German stadiums, league and atmosphere is about 14535% better than the UK. I sometimes flick between the Saturday night game on Sky and then the Bundesliga and the noise, crowd involvement is just so much better. Stadiums in the premier league and lower down just seem so dead and silent.

5) Arsenal really really really need to give up their attempts at tifos. Again, I was watching both games at the start as the players came out. Bayern had this huge, 3-tier display and a real solid presence from the crowd and stadium in general. Arsenal come out and some shitty little tifo which is basically just a flag of some of their players is hanging down at the front whilst the crowd sing "North London 4eva"

6) Arsenal haven't a hope in hell in the next round. The other teams are just in a totally different class and level. I think they'll get easily beaten.

[BRO_BOT]

Saw an incredible stat: since the introduction of second teams from the same nation into the Champions League in 1998-99, this will be only the fifth occasion where the four semi-finalists have come from different countries and the first in consecutive seasons:

2004: Portugal; France; Spain; England
2010: Italy; Germany; France; Spain
2018: Spain; England; Germany; Italy
2025: France; Italy; England; Spain
2026: France; Germany; England; Spain

Just five in twenty-seven seasons.

It was, of course, a regular occurrence for the 40 years or so before the inclusion of as many also-rans as it takes to ensure as many “names” as possible get to stay on the gravy train

Yeah, it was better when LFC played Crusaders of Northern Ireland and Trabzonspor of Turkey to reach the quarter-finals. Or that time they defeated Finnish champions Oulun Palloseura (who?), Aberdeen, and CSKA Sofia to qualify for the semi-finals,

[Royal Rother]

1) Watching the game, I just couldn't believe just how fast the game was, how intense, exciting, how quickly it was moving. There was very little stupid games by the players or petty fouls, it just seemed an allround very good game.

I believe Arsenal have the players capable of playing that way, Arteta chooses safety first and it's a bloody shame. It's so deep in their psyche now that they can't lift themselves to play consistently at pace. Odegaard is the only one who always tries to inject rapid movement into their play, always scampering around - he would fit into either Bayern or Real Madrid very well. Clearly the injuries haven't helped but he is becoming a bit of a misfit at Arsenal.

[Winston Biscuit]

Watched most of the Bayern vs Real Madrid game. A few thoughts - none of which are very insightful or even informative, but just random thoughts:

1) Watching the game, I just couldn't believe just how fast the game was, how intense, exciting, how quickly it was moving. There was very little stupid games by the players or petty fouls, it just seemed an allround very good game.

I watched the whole Bayern game, and the night before I watched the whole Atletico game, and it feels like a real treat. 2 sensational game of football, absolutely played at the highest level with drama spilling out everywhere.

[katweslowski]

Watched most of the Bayern vs Real Madrid game. A few thoughts - none of which are very insightful or even informative, but just random thoughts:

1) Watching the game, I just couldn't believe just how fast the game was, how intense, exciting, how quickly it was moving. There was very little stupid games by the players or petty fouls, it just seemed an allround very good game.

I watched the whole Bayern game, and the night before I watched the whole Atletico game, and it feels like a real treat. 2 sensational game of football, absolutely played at the highest level with drama spilling out everywhere.

It makes the Premier League even harder to watch as the inevitable and soul destroying repetition of the goal keeper once again dropping the ball to the nearest defender, followed by about 20 passes at the back before they lose possession around the half way line.

It's so incredibly dull.

The only teams that don't play like that are Newcastle, Leeds, Villa sometimes and maybe Crystal Palace. There may be others, but they're the ones I've noticed.

[Sutekh]

Saw an incredible stat: since the introduction of second teams from the same nation into the Champions League in 1998-99, this will be only the fifth occasion where the four semi-finalists have come from different countries and the first in consecutive seasons:

2004: Portugal; France; Spain; England
2010: Italy; Germany; France; Spain
2018: Spain; England; Germany; Italy
2025: France; Italy; England; Spain
2026: France; Germany; England; Spain

Just five in twenty-seven seasons.

It was, of course, a regular occurrence for the 40 years or so before the inclusion of as many also-rans as it takes to ensure as many “names” as possible get to stay on the gravy train

Yeah, it was better when LFC played Crusaders of Northern Ireland and Trabzonspor of Turkey to reach the quarter-finals. Or that time they defeated Finnish champions Oulun Palloseura (who?), Aberdeen, and CSKA Sofia to qualify for the semi-finals,

Glad you agree. Nothing wrong with a proper knockout cup competition that demanded you had to be at your best every game and the luck of the draw either aiding or wrecking your chances to progress. But those were the days the European competitions actually meant something more than an annual £€£€£€£€ grab for what is mainly all the domestic failures.

[Beaulux]

Agreed on the Bayern v Real match, obviously, a very high level of skill and drama, but at the same time there definitely was a ridiculous amount of play-acting/ diving/ holding one’s leg/ forehead in agony where necessary etc etc. Yes, it does detract to an extent.

OTOH the Arsenal performance was dreadful, but I guess they only needed a nil nil.

[Royal Rother]

Agreed on the Bayern v Real match, obviously, a very high level of skill and drama, but at the same time there definitely was a ridiculous amount of play-acting/ diving/ holding one’s leg/ forehead in agony where necessary etc etc. Yes, it does detract to an extent.

OTOH the Arsenal performance was dreadful, but I guess they only needed a nil nil.

...sending them into the biggest game of the season brimming with confidence.

[Sanguine]

Bayern Munich and PSG do look a cut above the rest at the moment and it is a shame that the final won't be between them.
As for Liverpool last night there were spells when they showed a bit of their old saves and the tackle by Maquinos on VVD in the first half was fantastic.

Once Ekitike went off though we knew that Isak would only play for 45 minutes or so therefore at that point the game was over.

A swap deal this Summer between Curtis Jones and Vitinha would be a good move but , more seriously, there has been talk of Barcola who would be most welcome.

Liverpool have a host of problems - but losing Ekitike until near Xmas as soon as Isak returns to the side is just cruel.
Shame for Ekitike - his form has dropped off a little second half of the season, but he would have been a good watch at the World Cup.

[katweslowski]

Can we stop this shit?

[Stranded]

Europa League semi finals

Nottingham Forest v Aston Villa
Sporting Braga v Freiburg

Conference League

Rayo Vallecano v Strasbourg
Shaktar Donetsk v Crystal Palace

[Sutekh]

Europa League semi finals

Nottingham Forest v Aston Villa
Sporting Braga v Freiburg

Conference League

Rayo Vallecano v Strasbourg
Shaktar Donetsk v Crystal Palace

Villa’s to lose.