UEFA Champions League Qualifying Rounds 2019-20

[HajdukSplit]

Positive start by APOEL, missed some good chances already

 

[HajdukSplit]

Ajax settles down as the game went on but didn’t really test the keeper. APOEL have some pacey wingers but mostly sitting back now

 

[Ajacied]

Ajax is playing awful again this early in the season. I also want Marin out. He’s not Ajax material. I hope Overmars sees that as well and acts on it with the market still open for a day or 10, but probably not. I want Dest over Mazraoui as well.

 

[Savi]

Brugge scored an early penalty goal at LASK but haven't done much else besides sitting back

I thought LASK were going to be a bit like Salzburg but they're definitely not. It's not pretty football by any means. A lot of running, very physical play, high pressure.

 

[Halladay]

APOEL has come really close to scoring this half.

 

[Juve]

What a stupid foul.

 

[Ajacied]

Wow. Might be the worst game Ajax has played in years. Absolutely awful. Easily the worst game since they lost to Rosenborg at home two years ago, which I attended in person. Only Onana (8/10), Tagliafico (6/10) and Martinez (6/10) had an okay-ish game. APOEL showed more character and guts.

• Mazraoui 1/10 - Dreadful. Red card. Poor decisions. Shouldn't be starting anymore. He's a liability and brings nothing offensively anymore. Dest is more than ready to replace him.
• Marin 1/10 - Dreadful. Did absolutely everything wrong, including the most simple things. Not Ajax material. What a flop.
• Veltman 2/10 - Fails to organize the defense and makes poor decisions. Nearly scored an own goal. Just a fill in for Alvarez/Schuurs, so can't be that mad.
• Blind 3/10 - Is hurting with Marin next to him. Weak in passing today.
• Neres 1/10 - Awful game. Nothing worked.
• Tadic 4/10 - Fought hard and created a few minor opportunities, but was far from his usual self.
• Van de Beek 4/10 - Had some great runs without the ball, but missed two decent chances.
• Ziyech 3/10 - Lost a lot of balls. No magic this time.

Ten Hag deserves some blame as well for not adjusting in time.

I miss Frenkie and Matthijs. Schöne, too. He was miles better than the Marin we've seen so far.

 

[HajdukSplit]

Pogatetz is still around?

Away wins for Brugge and Slavia and they are in good shape to progress. Ajax should be favorited at home but 0:0 at home isn’t too bad for APOEL if they can score first

 

[Savi]

Pogatetz is still around?

Yeah but he looks his age

Anyway. Brugge were much better in the second half and really should have killed the tie already. Plenty of excellent chances but just bad finishing which almost drove me nuts.
LASK looked gassed towards the end, they spent way too much energy in that first half. Won't count them out just yet though, last round they won at Basel.

 

[Savi]

Wow. Might be the worst game Ajax has played in years. Absolutely awful. Easily the worst game since they lost to Rosenborg at home two years ago, which I attended in person. Only Onana (8/10), Tagliafico (6/10) and Martinez (6/10) had an okay-ish game. APOEL showed more character and guts.

You should draw absolutely zero conclusions from playing a Cypriot team. I have never seen any team play a good game against a club from Cyprus. Literally everyone plays down to their level, more than any other club/country combination.

 

[Ajacied]

You should draw absolutely zero conclusions from playing a Cypriot team. I have never seen any team play a good game against a club from Cyprus. Literally everyone plays down to their level, more than any other club/country combination.

I get that, but even the most simplistic things went wrong. Ajax has played vs aggressive, defensive, park-the-bus sides before but they never played this bad. Poor decisions all around.

 

[Halladay]

Sweet goal for Olympiakos.

 

[HajdukSplit]

Dinamo totally dominating Rosenborg, probably should score a couple more

Zvezda with a big away goal in Switzerland

 

[HajdukSplit]

Olympiakos up two now, Krasnodar were very disappointing

 

[Savi]

Krasnodar looks dreadful

 

[HajdukSplit]

Olympiakos pretty much through winning 4:0 as Greek football needs some positivity after the last few years although that club is very corrupt itself

Dinamo with a comfortable win over Rosenborg though they stopped playing in the second half

Young Boys-Zvezda will be interesting in the 2nd leg, though Zvezda are strong at home so I would say they are slights faves now

 

[PanniniClaus]

Olympiakos up two now, Krasnodar were very disappointing

They scored some beauties.

 

[HajdukSplit]

Olympiakos with the away goal and should be through despite conceding first. Rosenborg get the crucial first goal against Dinamo. Not much going on between CZ-YB

 

[HajdukSplit]

Zvezda-Young Boys is a snooze fest and even the atmosphere died down in the stadium. Don’t think there was a shot on target either end except a long range effort from YB

 

[HajdukSplit]

Zvezda score on their first real chance and YB need to score twice which looks difficult for them

 

[HajdukSplit]

Young Boys have about 10 mins to score, only tie still in the air with Olympiakos and Dinamo Zagreb making the CL

 

[HajdukSplit]

Zvezda hold on, Young Boys had a decent chance in the 92nd minute but Borjan tipped the shot over the bar. So they make the CL in consecutive seasons while Olympiakos and Dinamo make their return to the competition

 

[Ajacied]

Van de Beek and Eiting injured, Mazraoui suspended, yet Marin won't start. Ten Hag opting for an Alvarez - Martinez - Ziyech midfield. I get not playing Marin, but he's making some weird decisions of late. I think Alfred Schreuder, who left to coach Hoffenheim, will be missed more than anyone realizes.

 

[Savi]

Isn't Blind playing in midfield?

 

[Ajacied]

Isn't Blind playing in midfield?

No.

It's:

-------------------- Ziyech -----------------
--------- Martinez ------ Alvarez --------
Tagliafico - Blind - Veltman ------ Dest