2023-24 UEFA Champions League

Garzorico

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122032818#Comment_122032818

I’d like to see Dortmund or PSG win it. The other 2 have won it too many times.

~Rebel~

My order of preference now would be; Dortmund, Bayern, Madrid, PSG.

I like Luis Enrique, but I can only ever wish failure on the oil state owned clubs for the way they're warping football.

TheCitizen

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122032636#Comment_122032636

A mistake.

Officer999

Has there ever been a round of greater CL quarter finals than this year?

IncognitoMan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122032784#Comment_122032784

Endrick as well so you would think one of Vini or Rodrygo make way this summer for a big fee and that allows Madrid to balance the books

Someone is gonna get a really good player. Hopefully not City

~Rebel~

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122032942#Comment_122032942

Totally forgot about Endrick joining them too… man, what a bloody squad.

spockety

That Silva penalty goes in and he's a genius. Only problem was the keeper didn't dive. Lol.

IncognitoMan

Pep for all his brilliance, he really should have more to show for his time at City and even Bayern before in the CL.
It's a real stumbling block for a man who is so in control domestically.

When you look at the leagues around Europe this isn't exactly a golden era for the Spanish or Italian teams etc..
You have teams fighting relegation in the PL with more money than teams fighting for Europe in the other big leagues.

So what is the difference? What stops the Pep machine in Europe that sides domestically can't?

The deck has been stacked in Pep's favor for over a decade now and he has fallen short in Europe almost yearly.

One thing I do notice with their games in Europe is the ref is far far quicker to book their players for the early cynical foul where it is obvious that it was just to stop a breakaway. Does this have any impact?

~Rebel~

Not that he particularly needs more acclaim - but how good is Carlo Ancelotti?

Like, he came through that same era as the likes of Mourinho, and Rafa (same early/mid-60s age bracket as them too), but has lasted the test of time so much more effectively. 20 years and 21 years since his first League and Champions League wins respectively, and he's looking in great shape to capture both this year again.

League wins in Italy, England, France, Germany, and Spain, with four Champions Leagues in the bag (and counting).

Just incredible.

eagle eye

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122032987#Comment_122032987

He won the Champions league last year and got beaten by the other superpower in world football on penalties tonight. That's hardly a failure.

eagle eye

It is some run of head coaches at Milan, Sacchi followed by Capello and then Ancelotti.

ctrl-alt-delete

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122032709#Comment_122032709

Obviously there is always a chance but looking at the game itself, and comparing it to the 2nd leg of last year's semi at the Etihad in terms of match stats - it is pretty mental that Madrid have progressed this time.

IncognitoMan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122033090#Comment_122033090

He’s had the best squad in Europe for most of the last 8/9 seasons and has 1 win to show for it.

Again, during an era where the traditional European superpowers haven’t been as strong as they traditionally have been before

There’s definitely questions there

NIMAN

SO happy to see City out, hate Pep. Battered Madrid tonight but something seemed off with them, like you knew they weren't going to score.

Tired legs now, and dropped heads, to take on Chelsea at the weekend. As much as I hate Chelsea too, would be funny if Pep was to lose that one too.

Fair play to Madrid. They dug very deep last night. A lot of their players were out of their feet for a lot of the 2nd half last night. I thought there was no way they'd survive extra time, but they did. They are masters in the CL, so dogged. Think this competition is wide open now, could see any of the last 4 winning it.

Not sure how the Irish media are going to cope now with none of their beloved EPL teams in the competition. They are so biased when they are commentating on the games, you know they really want them to win.

Anyone know if that's England not getting a 5th CL spot for next season?

theoneeyedman

Real seemed happy to let any of City's slue of centre backs have tge ball, and doubled up on the attacking players when they needed to. Gvardiol for instance isn't going to hurt you, apart from the one off fluke last week when he threw his right foot at it and it went in. Lightening doesn't really strike twice, and with him, Akanji, Diaz, Rodri recycling slow possession there wasn't a lot of threat. Grealish just slowed things up so muck and it played into Reals hands.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122032863#Comment_122032863

As soon as the final whistle went and City were thankfully beaten I suddenly realised how much I hate Madrid, Bayern and PSG 🤣

On a side note the finals are in Wembley and Dublin this year so all the English teams getting knocked out (looks likely tonight) will be hugely disappointing for many.

Fitz*

Pep saying that Akanji, KDB & Haaland all asked to be subbed off.

Did they actually, or is he throwing them under the bus?

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122033400#Comment_122033400

I'de say he is secretly delighted when Haaland has a bad game. Can't be having fellas showing up his "genius" tactics with simple old school football.

Suvarnabhumi

Kyle walker 34 sprinting past 20 year olds in the 110th minute. Nothing to see here 😂

CalamariFritti

Tuchel deserves a lot of credit here. Martinelli, Saka, Havertz didn't happen at all, Oedegaard only a little bit. To be fair the same goes for Kane.

But overall Bayern neutralised the Arsenal attack very well and generally bogged Arsenal down into a tactics battle while making sure that the few chances that were going to happen mostly fell to the Bayern side. Kudos. Cracking goal from Kimmich who closed Martinelli off completely. Neuer strong, too.

As for Dortmund, just wow.

Be some laugh if we had a Bayern Dortmund final just like the last time the CL final was in Wembley. It could happen too. Dortmund can do PSG and Bayern … if it had been City I dont think Bayern could do it, but they can do Real, have done it before.

All in all a great day at the office for the Bundesliga clubs. Expect no less from Leverkusen tonight.

Fitz*

It would be some redemption for Dortmund, and the likes of Reus, to get one over on Bayern.

Deserve to go out for this

https://twitter.com/matt_4d/status/1780717557722271936?t=juzDuPnMzWzwI7XgYO4seA&s=19

SlickRic

The Champions League is the greatest competition in the world. It just is.

The reason it is, is because you have to show all sides of yourself as a team in order to win it. Some will call it 'just a cup competition', but in reality, it's the one competition where you cannot hide. you simply have to face a couple of elite opponents at some stage. You actually very rarely 'get lucky'.

League campaigns test your durability and consistency.

The Champions League tests just how good you are in big moments when it really matters; because you have to, at the business end of the competition, do it against players and managers that are basically your equals. No bigger test.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122033665#Comment_122033665

I think losing the away goal has been a resounding success too. Maybe it's coincidence that we are getting these mad ties the last few years but I think it's been a big factor.

IncognitoMan

I much prefer the no-away goal setup as well.

City didn't beat Real in either game in the tie but could have walked into the semi-finals on away goals. It never felt right.
You should have to beat your opponent, simple as.

NIMAN

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122033512#Comment_122033512

Generally has Vini Jr in his back pocket any time they meet.

jacool

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122033179#Comment_122033179

Germany move into second place now.

Its Leverkusen, Bayern and Dortmund vs Villa, Liverpool and West Ham. Its one point each now for every tie won from here on in (is how I read it!!)

hawaii501

How are Italy so high up?

They had no-one in the quarters of the champs league?

NIMAN

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122033846#Comment_122033846

It isnt just this season.

Is it over last 5?

citytillidie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122033873#Comment_122033873

It is just this season

citytillidie

How are Italy so high up?

They had no-one in the quarters of the champs league?

Wins in other comps not all about the Champions League

Pauliedragon

A bit off topic but it seems Leverkuson are fully owned by a pharmaceutical company what happened to the 50+1 it seems a lot of Germans resent them for this.

Dick phelan

Ancelotti is the best manager in the world. Not Pep or Klopp. Has done it in every major league and not always had the deck stacked massively in his favor.

Sugarlumps

Arsenal -

GLaDOS

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122033944#Comment_122033944

They were originally a company team for Bayer, they basically got an exception for historical reasons

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122033925#Comment_122033925

Italy used to get hammered in the rankings back when they stuck their noses up at the Europa League but copped on when the Germans took 3rd from them as the Italian Champions League results started to slide.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122033949#Comment_122033949

Also doesn't make a fool of himself on the side line or spend every minute talking about being a football philosopher while tearing the stomach off himself.

jacool

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122033925#Comment_122033925

Yes, they still have 4 clubs in Europe, and no other country has.

NIMAN

Ancelloti is old school.

He's not one of these overly dramatic, the cameras on me type managers like Klopp, Arteta or Pep.

No histrionics, falling to his knees, clapping every single thing his team does and jeering up the crowd.

Just gets on with winning.

NIMAN

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122033121#Comment_122033121

Must have been the Spanish government who helped them, or their training ground being sold 20 years ago, or some other conspiracy.

eagle eye

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122033805#Comment_122033805

From my reading of that a Leverkusen win seals it for the Bundesliga. Max the Premier league can earn is 8, a loss for West Ham makes that six 6 ÷ 8 = .75, that's not enough even without adding 1÷ 7 for the Leverkusen win.

I love it that the Premier league lose out but I think it's a bad system. In my opinion the points should be higher for the Champions league to the Europa league and higher for the Europa league to the conference one. I don't think that would help the Premier league but I just think it'd be fairer. If a league have four teams in the last eight in the Champions league it should be worth a lot more than four in a combination of the other two.

SlickRic

Ancelotti is, somehow, the most underrated manager of all time.

jacool

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122034185#Comment_122034185

I'd say Everton would take him back too - 43% win rate

BenK

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122033949#Comment_122033949

What seals it for me is that he made Everton look decent…

breezy1985

He said that when he took the Everton job he thought his days of managing top teams was over.

theoneeyedman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122033944#Comment_122033944

Owned by Bayer Pharmaceuticals.

AFAIK, it's called 'grandfathering' a rule, or some similar term. Bayer set it up as a works team kinda (not uncommon at the time, PSV would have been another example), and them owning and controlling the team predates the Bundesliga and the 50+1 rule by a long way. It's the same logic that allows classic cars to not have seat belts, they were not a requirement say back in the 1950s, so it's unfair to expect them to be in place now. I don't know if there are other examples of this in German football, it's possible.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122034603#Comment_122034603

Wolfsburg are a Volkswagen works team.

Wolfsburg were also coached by Wolfgang Wolf in the 00's

munchkin_utd

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122034068#Comment_122034068

Yes, if Leverkusen win then they get the place and not the premier league

I was thinking about it and giving equal weight to the europa and conference as the champions league is actually a pretty fair thing to do.

On one side you are rewarding teams down the table domestically with an extra place for teams down the table domestically. So logical and fair.

on the other, very strong and rich leagues that have strength in depth will do better, and deservedly so if you have really good teams in your domestic league stacked with highly paid players from every corner of the world unlucky to have missed out on the champions league, a competition matching their ambitions and salary - compared to paltry substandard inferior leagues making do with many more domestic players that are dominated by one team that win 11 in a row. You know, leagues like the Bundesliga that the UK media dismisses compared to their beloved premier league. Even Spain is dismissed as theres no strength in depth - but by giving the lower european competitions equal standing this strength in depth (or lack of it with micky mouse inferior leagues) then the better superior league gets more places in the champions league

Oh, hang on….. that didnt work out did it ?

What happened to this strength in depth that makes the premier league so much superior to everything else on the planet ?

Osmosis Jones

There's a lot of "huh no premier league teams??? I thought they were good though????" talk for what amounts to 1 poor season in Europe for the English clubs.

Prem teams have won the UCL in 3 of the last 6 years, with 7 Prem teams featuring in those 6 finals. It's been a very good decade for English clubs in European competition.

theoneeyedman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122034655#Comment_122034655

I thought of them alright, wasn't 100% sure about the ownership. Hoffenhiem are another one, owned and controlled by the owner of SAP, think they fell foul of the 50 plus 1 rule a few years ago, and had to rejig shares or something to get around it.

trashcan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122034655#Comment_122034655

Best team/manager combo name ever ? 😃