[FOOTBALL] Midweek Football Thread - Champions League and Europa League DECIDERS

[Weaver]

Tuesday 8th
Group A: PSG (Qualified) vs Shakhtar
Real Madrid (Qualified) vs Malmo

Group B: PSV vs CSKA
Wolfsburg vs Man Utd

Group C: Benfica (Qualified) vs Atletico Madrid (Qualified)
Galatasaray vs FC Astana

Group D: Man City (Qualified) vs Borussia Moenchengladbach
Sevilla vs Juventus (Qualified)


Wednesday 9th
Group E: Bayer Leverkusen vs FC Barcelona (Qualified)
Roma vs BATE Borisov

Group F: Dinamo Zagreb (Out) vs Bayern Munich (Qualified)
Olympiakos vs Arsenal

Group G: Chelsea vs FC Porto
Dynamo Kiev vs Maccabi Tel Aviv (Out)

Group H: Gent vs Zenit (Qualified)
Valencia vs Lyon (Out)


Thursday 9th
6pm kickoffs:
Ajax vs Molde
Fenerbahce vs Celtic

Bordeaux vs Rubin Kazan
Sion vs Liverpool

Dortmund vs PAOK
Qabala vs Krasnodar

Midjityyland vs Club Brugge
Napoli vs Legia Warsaw

Rapid Vienna vs Dinamo Minsk
Viktoria Plzen vs Villarreal

Groningen vs Braga
Slovan Liberec vs Marseille

8.05pm kickoffs:
Dnipro vs Rosenberg
St, Etienne vs Lazio

Korce vs Lokomotiv Moscow
Sporting CP vs Besiktas

Fiorentina vs Belenenses
Poznan vs Basel

Anderlecht vs Qarabag
Spurs vs Monaco

APOEL vs Sparta Prague
Tripolis vs Schalke

Bilbao vs Alkmaar
Partizan vs Augsburg

[Reg]

Good job, Weaver.

I'll be watching United tonight and expect booing, then Gary Neville's debut in the big Valencia game tomorrow.

[SvN]

Giggsy's mates putting the boot into van Gaal

[Max Power]

United fielding someone I've never heard of at full back. I reckon they'll draw 0-0 and PSV will bottle it so they go through anyway. Gladbach to win at City.

[Ian]

That's Moyes' first signing you're talking about, Max. Show some respect.

[Max Power]

The start of something magical. The Moyes era.

[Ian]

Not that I'm keen on van Gaal apparently considering us to have TWO right-backs when we could be putting people there out of position when Darmian's elsewhere, but what can you do?

[SvN]

This lad is something special

[Waffdon]

Mata isn't on the wing? offft

[SvN]

Beauty of a finish

[Benny]

That buildup :drool:

[Waffdon]

My fuck, that was a beauty.

[Max Power]

Draxler is quality.

What's the LVG plan B with Fellaini already on?

[Reg]

On first look a lovely goal (still good) but Schweinsteiger got done way too easily there.

In other news, Wolfsburg's keeper looks like a cross between the guy from The Big Bang Theory and Robert from Everybody Loves Raymond.

[SvN]

Verela has fallen over three times now. Is he wearing slippers?

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Monchengladbach have been great to watch this year.

I hope they go on to win the Europa.

[SvN]

Pretty sure thats a ridiculous decision at first glance. Doesn't look like he was interfering to me.

[Vim]

Really fuck you Morata. He's played like twice in the last month and both times missed absolute sitters. Zaza looks a better pick than him at the moment. Wake up please.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

The ref has bottled it.

[Reg]

Pretty sure thats a ridiculous decision at first glance. Doesn't look like he was interfering to me.
He was clearly effecting the keeper.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

He was clearly effecting the keeper.

Affecting...

I disagree with you though, which should come as no surprise.

[Reg]

He was clearly in the keeper's line of sight. How can he know what Mata is going to do? He can only guess, so his decision and dive are influenced by Mata being ahead of the defence.

[Boom-Boom]

That's a great decision from the linesman. If you follow the rules no one can argue with it.

[SvN]

Yep I've changed my mind after seeing the replay. The keeper clearly hesitated because he thought Mata was going to touch it.

[Toby]

Mata obviously interefered with play. It was hilarious how the commentators went from, "great finish from Mata if he got a touch on that" to, "well, was he really interfering?"

[SvN]

I do think it's a tad unlucky to have been ruled out, though. A lot of linos would've given that.

[Vim]

Who's that Rico kid in goal for Sevilla? He's made 3 world class saves already.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Elbows at it again.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Ronaldo on his own has more goals in the group stage than 23 of the 32 teams.

Jesus.

[Waffdon]

Wolfsburg should stop pretending to defend and just go at them.

[Vim]

How are City looking? We've just gone down (massively undeserved but hey) against Sevilla.

[Boom-Boom]

How have Wolsfburg not scored in the past 10 minutes.

[Waffdon]

Van Gaal is trolling someone.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Nick Powell is still alive?

[Boom-Boom]

As average as I think he is surely Young should be coming on in a scenario like this over Nick Powell.

[SvN]

CSKA winning. Lol.

[Lee]

Lucky bastards.

[Vim]

If that Morata miss has cost us the fucking season I'll be absolutely fuming.

[Lee]

Turns out PSV were just having a bit of a laugh.

[Waffdon]

If that Morata miss has cost us the fucking season I'll be absolutely fuming.

Lol what.

[Vim]

Lol what.

If City go on to win, then we'll come second in the group and probably get one of the unbeatable teams in the round of 16. Morata missing an absolute sitter in the first half was a massive point in the game.

Now Dybala hits the bar. :moop: We've been so unlucky today.

[Vim]

There we go. Well done on ruining a season in 90 minutes.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Gahahahaha

What a way to grab an equaliser :D

[Waffdon]

What an absolute dinghy.

[Boom-Boom]

You've got to laugh. Fucking hell.

This must be torture for United fans.

[Waffdon]

This is great. In before another Moscow goal.

[Lee]

I thought United could defend? That's appalling.

[Sam]

Haha, priceless.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

:moop:

Fuck the Champions League, it's all about the Europa.

[Waffdon]

Or not. 2-1 PSV.

[Sam]

2-1 psv :d

[Lee]

And now PSV score. Bye bye then United.

[Sam]

Thursday night it is, this should be fun.

[Vim]

What a shit night.

[Vim]

Another big miss from Morata. :D Go back to Madrid.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

If Martial had brought that down, fucking hell.

[Sam]

Bit of a crap group to conspire not to get out of.

[Vim]

I don't want to see Morata again. Play Chiellini upfront or something.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Just sack him now.

[Waffdon]

I don't want to see Morata again. Play Chiellini upfront or something.

Was he shit last season as well?

You'll end up drawing Wolfsburg or Chelsea/Porto after all the crying.

[Davgooner]

Europa wankers.

:drink:

[niko_cee]

Now that City have finally managed to win a group watch them get PSG in the last 16.

I don't know what the United contingent are moaning about. It's an established historical fact that you can't get out of a Champions League group without Luis Suarez up front.

[Vim]

No he was great in the second half of last season. He's been meh so far this season, scored a great goal against City but tonight he quite literally cost us the first place in the group. Had he scored from 2 meters in the first half, we'd have just killed the game.

@Waff

[Jeet]

That's the prem 4th CL spot gone then to Italy.....

[Waffdon]

He cost me £155 today. Proper cunt, agreed.

[Kikó]

That was entertaining. Absolutely batshit mental all game but we attacked with some kind of verve and intent. Shame that meant we couldn't defend for shit but I'd much rather see us play like that than the turgid stuff we've been churning out.

Fellaini is as fucking useless as van Gaal.

[Giggles]

Did they escape the Europa?

[Bob Sacamano]

They're no mugs :drool:

[Max Power]

Some big guns and some entertaining sides in the Europa already.

[Kikó]

And United.

[niko_cee]

That's the prem 4th CL spot gone then to Italy.....

Not really, unless the Italian teams manage to draw Chelsea and City respectively in the last 16. Then maybe.

[Max Power]

And United.

Despite being hideously dull they are still undoubtedly a big gun.

Knocked out by the Nevilles and Peter Lim in the quarters I reckon.

[Reg]

Despite being hideously dull they are still undoubtedly a big gun.

Knocked out by the Nevilles and Peter Lim in the quarters I reckon.
Valencia have a very good chance of going through tomorrow.

That was an entertaining United game, felt like a struggle for both sides all the way through.

[Lee]

That Valencia game is my choice tomorrow night.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/35046866

The broken man is broken yet again.

[Reg]

Last week on Football Weekly they said he'd missed 72(I think) Liverpool games.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

2012-13: 16 out of 21 games (76.19%)

2013-14: 33 out of 43 games (76.74%)

2014-15: 18 out of 58 games (31.03%)

2015-16: 6 out of 23 games (26.09%)

I make that 75 missed.

Those are the games he has appeared in.

[Samadini]

He's just a shit Dean Ashton.

[Reg]

Bloody hell.

Surprised it's only 6/23 this year. Although how many of those has he actually been fully fit for, and not just only a bit broken?

Apparently in Germany there's a lot more incentive to return back from injury quickly, because after 6 weeks of injury you're down to 6k euros a month.

[niko_cee]

They must have a crackerjack players' union.

[Boom-Boom]

2012-13: 16 out of 21 games (76.19%)

2013-14: 33 out of 43 games (76.74%)

2014-15: 18 out of 58 games (31.03%)

2015-16: 6 out of 23 games (26.09%)

I make that 75 missed.

Those are the games he has appeared in.

As much as I dislike Liverpool it's a real shame to see his career drift along like this. He looked phenomenal during 2013-2014.

Wilshere, Walcott and Sturridge don't have much luck. Not good for England.

[Gray Fox]

When he's not broken he's the 2nd best striker in the league, imo. That's not counting the Vardy party. It's just a shame that we haven't been able to sort his issues out.

[Lewis]

It's getting a bit Louis Saha, where you wonder how much of it is in his head. Jurgen 'Jurgen Klopp' Klopp seemed to be suggesting as much the other day with his pain comments.

[mugbull]

Why do you always put someone's full name, in quotations, in between his first and last names? What does that achieve?

[Toby]

It's not always a full name, Mok 'Mokkers' Bull.

[Byron]

Yeah, what Toby 'Tobias' said.

[Mazuuurk]

'Byron'

[Toby]

Could have done with a vBookie poll on whether Mourinho still has a job tomorrow.

[Jimmy Floyd]

No Italian coefficient threat this year. Maybe next year if we have a complete shocker, but they're just not strong enough.

The race this year is whether Russia can get up to 3 places, displacing France or Portugal.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Chicharito :drool:

What a don.

[Waffdon]

Ozil is ridiculous.

[phonics]

The team above you in the league having a -5 goal difference. Interesting game now.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Arsenal comfortable. Bring on the second round exit.

Speaking of which, Abramovich grinning like a Cheshire cat in the stands. Believe, you gulaging bastard.

[Reg]

Ángel Di María was the quick, world-class wide player Van Gaal yearned for when taking over in July 2014. He was acquired for a British record £59.7m and lasted a season before the manager discarded him. A footballer whose dribbling and game-breaking talent made him man of the match in Real Madrid’s Champions League triumph two months before joining United seemed almost instantly to make Van Gaal suspicious of these same abilities. So, why buy him at all?

:cool:

:gs:

[Kikó]

United being the only team stinking their way out :cool:

[Jimmy Floyd]

Gaz Nev doing a tribute act with Valencia fortunately.

Please let us draw Gent in the last 16. Would be so many seething gooners.

[Reg]

Not going well for Gary. Although they had a probably legitimate goal ruled out that would have given them a 1-0 lead.

Nice goal from Lyon, they definitely don't look as bad as the record till now suggests.

[phonics]

Phil got a draw with Barcelona.

[Reg]

Yeah, they played well on the weekend. They've been pretty good tonight to be fair.

[Max Power]

Gent in the last 16 :cool:

The state of that group though.

Roma going through with six points and -5 GD :sick:

[Raoul Duke]

Why doesn't Wenger take Giroud off if he's crippled and scored a hat-trick?

[Jeet]

674708615589138435

[Davgooner]

Well fuck me.

[Sam]

Didn't see that coming, great though.

[phonics]

674709612009037824

Bosh.

[Sam]

United with the most resources and out. Still find it rather funny.

[igor_balis]

My interest in West Brom and football as a whole has shrunk to the lowest it has been since I was about 3, yet I still take great joy in the failures of the big teams. Am I just becoming a bitter cunt?

[Jeet]

My interest in West Brom and football as a whole has shrunk to the lowest it has been since I was about 3, yet I still take great joy in the failures of the big teams. Am I just becoming a bitter cunt?

Pulis in charge , don't blame you

[Kikó]

United with the most resources and out. Still find it rather funny.

They also do have the worst team out of the lot of the English teams (which is why we finished 4th and at best, will do so again this year. If it wasn't so boring, I'd laugh with you.

[Jeet]

I'll laugh with you Sam.

Always funny when ManUtd are shit.

[Jimmy Floyd]

What's really funny is Swansea going in for Avram Grant.

But don't worry, it's a well run club, they know what they're doing.

[Kikó]

He's won trophies with top top teams and guided Chelsea to a final once. Top man for the top job.

Curbs can take over when they're in the Championship.

[Sam]

They also do have the worst team out of the lot of the English teams (which is why we finished 4th and at best, will do so again this year. If it wasn't so boring, I'd laugh with you.

I was supporting Wolfsburg (albeit for the connections with Wolves). It was generally funny to watch.

[Sam]

My interest in West Brom and football as a whole has shrunk to the lowest it has been since I was about 3, yet I still take great joy in the failures of the big teams. Am I just becoming a bitter cunt?

Just a general thing round the Midlands tbh. Only realised this lunchtime that we are actually on TV against Forest tomorrow night. I won't watch it though that being said.

[Jeet]

It was the Bendtner connection really.

[Kikó]

Ogden is linking Giggs to Swansea. Could be some truthiness to it.

[Ian]

Please let that happen.

[Kikó]

Some top reds here - http://player.bfi.org.uk/film/watch-elland-road-football-control-1976/

That fashion :cool:

[Waffdon]

Diego Milito has retired. I fucking loved him as a 'lil teenager, for some reason.

[Spoonsky]

Shit. Me too. Probably because he came around at my very peak level of interest in soccer. I still have an Inter jersey from 2010 with his name on it.

[Shindig]

I'm surprised Walter Samuel's only a year older.