Rennes against Boys: the UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2020/2021 thread

xp guardian journos plagiarising less prominent journos tweets is it

I'm sure they are taking the defeat well in the Madrid pre-ah. pic.twitter.com/AcFiDaPmC2

— Gavin Cooney (@gcooney93) May 5, 2021

not Chelsea's weekend so far. that first 30 secs were insane. lieke martens tho. running the game.

🚨 Noticia @partidazocope

💥 Informa @isaacfouto

💣 La @UEFA tiene la intención de expulsar de la @ChampionsLeague a @RealMadrid, @FCBarcelona y @JuventusFC por la Superliga

💸 Además se exponen a una fuerte multa económica

📻 #PartidazoCOPE pic.twitter.com/2RnXq2qiuT

— El Partidazo de COPE (@partidazocope) May 25, 2021

No suggestion that English clubs might be affected yet.

Why would they be exempt

The only reason I can imagine is they all dropped out and the rest kept the idea alive longer.

Ah, justice

So Man City v Chelsea again next year?

Hate to admit it but the game has been great so far.

Is this on YouTube? Sounds like a great game tbh.

Yes, on YouTube.

It's not bad at all for a game with no palatable outcome

Nice appetiser for the Euros, the surrogate 2022 world Cup

happy for tuchel and havertz

Happy for Kanté!

Really wanted that Mahrez ball to go in for the game to go extra time, it was a fun match.

Chelsea are scum but pretty hilarious that Guardiola has once again failed abjectly to do the very thing he was hired to do.

sacked in the morning

Please.

Wanted the final annulled and every Chelsea fan who went to Porto to get covid but they totally played City.

don't like de bruyne but when a guy spends five minutes on the ground concussed, maybe don't immediately start grabbing and patting his head once he gets up

Thought that shoudve been a red tbh

Chelsea were excellent, just excellent. Decisions and execution individually all over the pitch just at an extraordinary high level

away goals abolished, which i get even though i am a fan of them. what i don't get is having 30 mins of extra time before pens in event of an aggregate draw, seems unfairly weighted in favour of whoever has the 2nd leg at home.

Away goals are great, fucking uefa

True.
I'm not sure what I think about that change but I kinda liked that away goal rule although I agree that it was difficult to justify nowadays.

xpost

Why is it difficult to justify nowadays? What's changed?

for elite teams i assume ease, comfort and time of travel.

Sorry, don't understand.

away goals rule was instituted when plane travel was slower and less comfortable, and some teams even travelled via bus to neighbouring countries. accommodations could be unpleasant, training facilities sub-par. football was also a lot less developed so teams weren't taking their sports scientists and nutritionists with them, these roles not existing then.

back in the day many uk teams have sob-stories about mammoth journeys to eastern europe, dingy digs, dodgy food, training in car-parks. all that jumpers for goalposts "real football" type shit.

now it's millionaires taking a flight, usually just for a few hours, going to an interchangeable luxury hotel that could be in any city, having an identical routine pre and post-match in terms of food, training in comparable facilities etc.

Indeed but why is it difficult to justify the away goals rule nowadays? It was introduced in the era when teams might have to play a third match to settle a match, and that's not about to happen again, and also to stop teams parking the bus in away ties.

Is the theory that penalty kicks are a fairer way to settle ties?

By the way, when I said, "What's changed", I meant from last year, not from 1965.

jim that's a solid summary of where the rule came from but away goals always create a tactical slyness that will be missed, just another bland step to TV mulch

Four penalties in the first half of Sevilla - Salzburg, three of which went to Salzburg, two of which were missed.

salzburg have been great.

United will be extremely lucky if they get a draw, at this rate.

lol

deserved for allowing him to stay at the club

watched the last 15 of this man u game, seemed like utd had decided a draw was enough, from early in the second half, what was lingard thinking making that pass, did he just want an assist and didn't care for who?, why were cronaldo and penandes hooked early in the 2nd half? was jaded poncho even playing?, is cavani now behind martial, who came on and didn't even touch the ball, weird game, I have questions

Wan-Bissaka was sent off in the first half, although that doesn't adequately explain the total capitulation followed

Cavani is injured

10 men vs. 11 young boys.

yeah, I didn't see any meaningful football in the last 15, til lingz decided suicideball was the answer

Barcelona's kit is unspeakably awful.

this superleague is mint

What a shower of dismaying cowards this spurs squad consists of

Ref and linesman are not at it, hes just seen an anklebreaker on Lucas and let it go unremarked

So poor. Deservedly losing to a very limited side.

For the second time in a week.

Individually so dreadful that it would almost make you miss that the interplay has been much, much worse

Take your equaliser and fuck off

Real Madrid 2-1 down at home against Sheriff Tiraspol.

Stunning goal too.

4 assists from Curtis Jones tonight