GWT: Champions League - Matchweek 6

[Savant]

Disagree bigly. Bayern-PSG, LFC-Real, & BVB-Chelsea, are premier matchups between teams that nobody would've blinked at seeing in the QF or SFs before the season. While Brugge-Benfica, Milan-Tottenham, Frankfurt-Napoli, & Inter-Porto, all look to be very competitive ties.

RBL-Citeh is the only match-up that I don't expect to be very competitive, but even that one could see an upset if Haaland isn't fit and/or Pep over-corrects.

BVB and Chelsea are both bad. The fixture is just a vessel for Todd to slobber all over Bellingham. I agree on RBL/City. And they played last year too. Tottenham is horrible to watch and Milan isn’t as good as last year. Inter x Porto is just a beat ‘em up. Brugge and Benfica is cool because this is a fun Benfica team and they’ll get to the quarters but this isn’t exciting to me

 

[cgf]

BVB and Chelsea are both bad. The fixture is just a vessel for Todd to slobber all over Bellingham. I agree on RBL/City. And they played last year too. Tottenham is horrible to watch and Milan isn’t as good as last year. Inter x Porto is just a beat ‘em up. Brugge and Benfica is cool because this is a fun Benfica team and they’ll get to the quarters but this isn’t exciting to me

*sigh* EPL fans, what can be done?


BVB isn't bad at all, they need a 6 to be really great, but fixing their defense has them stronger than they've been in years...and with Mouki's ascent they're not even holding themselves back by starting Modeste.

Chelsea may suck right now...they're not even top 4 in the EPLol this season...but, like Liverpool, they have the talent to get their s*** together by the knockouts.

Milan isn't as good as last year but that just means they're on tottenham's level and it should be a close matchup for neutrals...ditto Inter-Porto & Frankfurt-Napoli.


While Brugge-Benfica should just be spectacular football. Both are very fun teams to watch and since both are "playing with house money" to some extent, they should stay brave. This could be the tie of the tourney if things don't change dramatically.

 

[Chimaera]

I think it's way too early to say that any of these clubs can be written off (I mean, I guess beyond Brugge, and likely historically the Portuguese sides). The World Cup break and the time these knockouts resume are years away.

 

[Chimaera]

One other thing to think about is when the season picks back up post World Cup, who out of the clubs will be in a title race?

Madrid are going to be neck and neck with Barca. No resting there. City and Bayern could be in title races. You could see a BVB or Milan also entire their races, heck, maybe even make Napoli work some.

 

[Savant]

*sigh* EPL fans, what can be done?


BVB isn't bad at all, they need a 6 to be really great, but fixing their defense has them stronger than they've been in years...and with Mouki's ascent they're not even holding themselves back by starting Modeste.

Chelsea may suck right now...they're not even top 4 in the EPLol this season...but, like Liverpool, they have the talent to get their s*** together by the knockouts.

Milan isn't as good as last year but that just means they're on tottenham's level and it should be a close matchup for neutrals...ditto Inter-Porto & Frankfurt-Napoli.


While Brugge-Benfica should just be spectacular football. Both are very fun teams to watch and this could be the tie of the tourney.

I mean where do you compare this Dortmund team to other Dortmund team? Where do you compare this Chelsea team to other Chelsea teams? This is not a good matchup right now

 

[cgf]

I mean where do you compare this Dortmund team to other Dortmund team? Where do you compare this Chelsea team to other Chelsea teams? This is not a good matchup right now

With a high-end 6, this would easily be the best Dortmund team since Tuchel failed to win the league with more pts than Klopp ever got. With Ozcan in that role, it's between this team and the peak they hit with Haaland & Favre.

...but I favor this team over any of the Haaland-teams unless Haller's eventual return throws them out of whack. Despite wasting so much time starting Modeste over Moukoko, they're just 3pts back of Bayern.


Chelsea has struggled hard to start this season, but they've still got plenty of talent and more than enough time to get it together by the knockouts.

Just seems weird to go after chelsea and not Liverpool, when Chelsea are ahead of LFC despite how badly they started the season.

So I feel like either we should s*** on the Real-LFC tie too because of Liverpool's current form, or we should give Chelsea the same benefit of the doubt.

 

[Savant]

With a high-end 6, this would easily be the best Dortmund team since Tuchel failed to win the league with more pts than Klopp ever got. With Ozcan in that role, it's between this team and the peak they hit with Haaland & Favre.

...but I favor this team over any of the Haaland-teams unless Haller's eventual return throws them out of whack. Despite wasting so much time starting Modeste over Moukoko, they're just 3pts back of Bayern.


Chelsea has struggled hard to start this season, but they've still got plenty of talent and more than enough time to get it together by the knockouts.

Just seems weird to go after chelsea and not Liverpool, when Chelsea are ahead of LFC despite how badly they started the season.

So I feel like either we should s*** on the Real-LFC tie too because of Liverpool's current form, or we should give Chelsea the same benefit of the doubt.

I have no problem pooping on the RM-LFC tie. I will join you. I give the same benefit of the doubt, but not in the way you are thinking. I’m shorting everyone. These aren’t fun matchups

 

[cgf]

I have no problem pooping on the RM-LFC tie. I will join you. I give the same benefit of the doubt, but not in the way you are thinking. I’m shorting everyone. These aren’t fun matchups

Feels like you're just s***ting on everything; those ties will still be interesting to neutrals even with how bad the EPL teams in those ties have been playing this season. And if those teams play up to their talent, the football could be great too.


PS- I still don't get how any hardcore fan can be anything but hyped for the Brugge-Benfica matches. The team names may not be as hype for casuals as Real & Liverpool or PSG & Bayern, but the football should just be exceptional.

 

[Savant]

Feels like you're just s***ting on everything; those ties will still be interesting to neutrals even with how bad the EPL teams in those ties have been playing this season. And if those teams play up to their talent, the football could be great too.


PS- I still don't get how any hardcore fan can be anything but hyped for the Brugge-Benfica matches. The team names may not be as hype for casuals as Real & Liverpool or PSG & Bayern, but the football should just be exceptional.

I’m more interesting in Brugge vs Benfica than any of the matchups involving English teams.

I do not think these are fun matchups. If you disagree that’s okay too

 

[Incubajerks]

I think it's way too early to say that any of these clubs can be written off (I mean, I guess beyond Brugge, and likely historically the Portuguese sides). The World Cup break and the time these knockouts resume are years away.

Brugge and EF had a rather prohibitive draw, the others are too early to predict. In any case, anything can happen.

 

[Power Man]

Yeah I'm not doing any prediction


Especially not this year with a WC in the middle of the season

 

[Power Man]

One other thing to think about is when the season picks back up post World Cup, who out of the clubs will be in a title race?

Madrid are going to be neck and neck with Barca. No resting there. City and Bayern could be in title races. You could see a BVB or Milan also entire their races, heck, maybe even make Napoli work some.

The good news for City : Haaland and Mahrez won't be going to Qatar so that's a plus for them; (yes Mahrez had a poor start but he was excellent in the last 2 CL games and if history is any indication, he will be a key player in the later stages of that tournament)

Salah will rest as well, so I guess that's the silver lining for Liverpool

 

[Chimaera]

The good news for City : Haaland and Mahrez won't be going to Qatar so that's a plus for them; (yes Mahrez had a poor start but he was excellent in the last 2 CL games and if history is any indication, he will be a key player in the later stages of that tournament)

Salah will rest as well, so I guess that's the silver lining for Liverpool

Really most of Liverpool will get rest (or least won't play a lot).

Virgil will play. Henderson should go, but how many matches might be a toss up. Trent might make the squad (only because of injuries) but he likely won't play. Gomez might have made a late push, but he won't likely get picked.

Konate could get picked, but playing is the question.

Fabinho / Alisson will get picked, and Alisson will play some.

Nunez will go, and play.

That's kind of it.

Jota would have played a lot, but he's hurt.

 

[gary69]

This. Part of why I hope germany goes on a deep run is so that Bayern will be drained when the club season picks back up

Depends which Costa Rica shows up. Some tournaments they don't do anything, and in other tournaments they suprisingly progress from a tough group.

 

[gary69]

Two of the last three finals already at this stage is certainly tough draw. PSG and Messi with Barca have quite a lot of history with Bayern.

 

[Moncherry]

Depends which Costa Rica shows up. Some tournaments they don't do anything, and in other tournaments they suprisingly progress from a tough group.

The Costa Rica whose core players are all on the wrong side of 30 and past it, finished fourth in CONCACAF, and got outplayed by New Zealand (along with benefitting from some questionable officiating) will show up, and do nothing.

Wait this is the Champions League thread.

 

[Power Man]

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Didn’t want Chelsea. Not because they are so great, but because whenever I see Chelsea play, it sucks all the joy out of me. What a miserable team they are to watch. To be fair, still a team on their day that can beat anyone. Would rather them be out of our way and suck the joy out of some other tie.

This one could go either way and I think is a true toss-up.

I mean where do you compare this Dortmund team to other Dortmund team? Where do you compare this Chelsea team to other Chelsea teams? This is not a good matchup right now

Let me take the middle ground as the neutral in this debate between the two of you fighting over how good my club actually is.

This Dortmund team is average compared to some of our best teams of late.

They don’t allow many goals, but have little plan to score them because Terzic has no game plan. He’s a David Quinn style motivator with weak tactical prowess for a coach.

We play almost all on the counter against good teams, and our only natural winger is injured and only 18, so we don’t pose that much of a threat in scoring goals against good teams.

Saying that, we do have a good record against good teams under Terzic. It’ll come down to injuries for us. That seems to get us every time we play a big game. It’ll be a matter how many and who are injured at that time.

With a high-end 6, this would easily be the best Dortmund team since Tuchel failed to win the league with more pts than Klopp ever got. With Ozcan in that role, it's between this team and the peak they hit with Haaland & Favre.

...but I favor this team over any of the Haaland-teams unless Haller's eventual return throws them out of whack. Despite wasting so much time starting Modeste over Moukoko, they're just 3pts back of Bayern.


Chelsea has struggled hard to start this season, but they've still got plenty of talent and more than enough time to get it together by the knockouts.

Just seems weird to go after chelsea and not Liverpool, when Chelsea are ahead of LFC despite how badly they started the season.

So I feel like either we should s*** on the Real-LFC tie too because of Liverpool's current form, or we should give Chelsea the same benefit of the doubt.

Just for fairness sake, RB, LB, and lack of wingers are bigger issues than Ozcan. He’s a good player. Maybe not one of the best 6’s in the world, but an upgrade over almost everyone we’ve had there in recent years. Once Dahoud comes back, we’ll finally have some depth.

 

[Rob]

PSG likely out again in the round of 16

 

[Scandale du Jour]

PSG likely out again in the round of 16

The sooner they go out, the better.

 

[Lambo]

Very bad draw for german teams! Probably all out!

 

[Evilo]

Number of times top 10 teams were drawn to another top 10 team in the first KO stage since 2010.

I guess that's called bad luck. I guess.

 

[bluesfan94]

Number of times top 10 teams were drawn to another top 10 team in the first KO stage since 2010.

I guess that's called bad luck. I guess.

There're only 9 teams listed; do you know who the 10th is? Also, I wonder how much of this has to do with the number of teams France gets through to that stage

 

[Evilo]

There're only 9 teams listed; do you know who the 10th is? Also, I wonder how much of this has to do with the number of teams France gets through to that stage

No I don't.
And the number of teams would mean Juve wouldn't have the best draws.

 

[bluesfan94]

No I don't.
And the number of teams would mean Juve wouldn't have the best draws.

Perhaps, but I feel like Italy has snuck in someone more often than France. Then again, I could be completely misremembering and that's selling Monaco short. One sec let me check it out.