[FOOTBALL] The Magic of the UEFA Super Cup and Carabao Cup

[Pleb]

(Kickoffs all 19:45 unless stated)

UEFA Super Cup
Real Madrid v Manchester United (BT Sport)

EFL Cup first round (selected ties)

Today

Accrington Stanley v Preston North End
AFC Wimbledon v Brentford
Birmingham City v Crawley Town
Bristol City v Plymouth Argyle
Cardiff City v Portsmouth
Coventry City v Blackburn Rovers
Exeter City v Charlton Athletic
Forest Green v MK Dons
Luton Town v Ipswich Town
QPR v Northampton Town
Rotherham United v Lincoln City
Wigan Athletic v Blackpool
Reading v Gillingham - 20:00

Tomorrow

Colchester United v Aston Villa (Sky Sports)

Thursday

Bury v Sunderland (Sky Sports)

Other EFL Cup first round ties...

Midweek football

Let's hope the European Community Shield lives up to the hype of McGregor/Mayweather.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Surely the first time Rotherham v Lincoln has ever been a 'selected tie'.

[Lewis]

Nonces vs Ponces.

[bruhnaldo]

Super cup!

Edit: Holy shit this no-caps thing is really grinding my fucking gears.

[Pleb]

Surely the first time Rotherham v Lincoln has ever been a 'selected tie'.

Random useless fact: First time Rotherham United has played Lincoln City in the League Cup since August 1973 so this tie probably deserved a "selected tie" tag.

[Shindig]

This is the first time a league cup sponsor has drawn an actual puzzled look from me. Why can't nobody tie that down for a decade?

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I didn't even notice that until you pointed that out.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Strong side.

[Giggles]

This still in Monaco? Stadium looks bigger.

[Trancemeister]

This still in Monaco? Stadium looks bigger.

Skopje, Macedonia

[Pleb]

United 1-0?

[Reg]

Big and fast United team this. I've a feeling Mata will be used much less this year.

[Amigo]

Fucking lol at that dive by Mkhitaryan.

[Lewis]

Big and fast United team this. I've a feeling Mata will be used much less this year.

I imagine he basically backs up for Paulp Ogba now (with a switch to 4-2-3-1), so at the same time he has a more defined role and won't have to piss about on the wing.

[Reg]

Think United are 5-3-1-1 which is possibly Mourinho's "big game" formation this season. Lingard left wing back.

It looks 4-3-3/4-2-3-1 sometimes but you can tell when they defend.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Robbed.

He was offside.

[Lewis]

United look very well-drilled when Madrid are attacking. Unlucky, Luke Shaw.

[Lewis]

Nemanja Matic has been impressive, and it must be nice for Zinedine Zidane to see Antonio Valencia up close, but Madrid are obviously just better.

[bruhnaldo]

Matic had a nice little diagonal ball late in that half the likes of which I haven't seen in a United side for years.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Lolkaku.

[Lewis]

Now we're talking.

[Giggles]

Does Martial fit into any of this at all or does Mourinho still hate him?

[Lewis]

That was all Fellainimania.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Poacher

[Spikey M]

Southend getting donned by Newport

Left out of the opening post as well, Pleb, you FUCKING Pleb.

[randomlegend]

Rashford really is the real deal. Even vs a team like this Madrid side he looks threatening.

[Lewis]

Stapling him on the pitch. What a beast.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

As if Fellaini actually came off worse in a clash of heads

[Giggles]

What is the point in keeping him on in what is essentially a friendly?

[Lewis]

You need your best and most inspirational players out there regardless.

[Pleb]

Southend getting donned by Newport

Left out of the opening post as well, Pleb, you FUCKING Pleb.

My bad. Will select better cup ties next round

[Reg]

As shown by Ronaldo and Rashford tonight, the idea of kicking the ball in the airhole/pumphole/hole for freekicks still being seen as a viable option is crazy.

[randomlegend]

Eh, not that bad. Got outplayed for some fairly long periods but also had some good chances. Considering how good Madrid are I'm not too disappointed.

Matic looked very good, as did Rashford (miss aside). Roll on West Ham.

[randomlegend]

As shown by Ronaldo and Rashford tonight, the idea of kicking the ball in the airhole/pumphole/hole for freekicks still being seen as a viable option is crazy.

Valve

[Giggles]

Kenny Cunningham has just said Herrara isn't good enough and they should be breaking the bank to bring in Oxlade Chamberlain

[Pen]

Yeah, can't be too disappointed with that. Looked like it was going to be a raping after that second goal. Fellainimania ran wild.

[Reg]

Oh, yeah.

[Lewis]

I'm not watching a full season of Marcus Rashford wasting set pieces.

[Baz]

As shown by Ronaldo and Rashford tonight, the idea of kicking the ball in the airhole/pumphole/hole for freekicks still being seen as a viable option is crazy.

Why?

[Pen]

What's with the number 4 on the Madrid shirts?

[Reg]

Why?

Because the success rate is abysmal. Ronaldo, for instance, is considered a good freekick taker only because the few freekicks that do miraculously go in are exciting to watch.

[CJay]

I'm not watching a full season of Marcus Rashford wasting set pieces.

What's up with that? He took a few last season and did the same thing, iirc.

That miss was very poor as well.

[Lewis]

He scored one, and presumably fancies himself as being good at them. Paulp Ogba is clearly 1) miles better than anyone else in the team at them; and 2) not so amazing in the air that you can justify him not taking them, so if he isn't back on them soon then put it down to MIND GAMES.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Mourinho teams are always strangely shit at set pieces. His Chelsea sides had Drogba knobbing them at the near post and Lampard spaffing them onto the District Line.

[John]

Because the success rate is abysmal. Ronaldo, for instance, is considered a good freekick taker only because the few freekicks that do miraculously go in are exciting to watch.

Was considered a good free kick taker. People seem to have caught on since stats started coming out showing he had the worst success rate in Europe of people who'd taken over a certain number. He only gets to keep taking them because he's the top man. If Benzema was doing what Ronaldo does he'd have had his parking space taken off him years ago.

[randomlegend]

EDIT: fixing link

[Lewis]

He tweeted it himself.

[niko_cee]

Was Bailly suspended last night or should I be having concerns about putting him in my fantasy team?

[Mazuuurk]

Was considered a good free kick taker. People seem to have caught on since stats started coming out showing he had the worst success rate in Europe of people who'd taken over a certain number. He only gets to keep taking them because he's the top man. If Benzema was doing what Ronaldo does he'd have had his parking space taken off him years ago.

While I wont dispute that Ronaldo is grossly "overrated" (if, like you say, he still is at this point) at Free kicks.

But at the same time, I always thought the stats were a little "unfair" in a way because he always seems to take a shot from just about anywhere, where most other players would do some sort of whipped lob into the box from. Which is retarded in it's own way of course but still kind of skews the stats = skill mechanic a bit.

[John]

That's just nonsense.