Key occasions
I believe Curtis Jones is enjoying down the left, not on the level of a diamond.
“Lifeless rubber it might be,” says Stephen Carr, “and a staff chosen with a watch on Sunday, however I’m not wanting ahead to this. I additionally should not have any beer in the home.”
You may comply with Marseille v Spurs right here, with Scott Murray. I’m watching Liverpool v Napoli, Sporting v Eintracht, and the targets present.
Throughout Europe, groups emerge from tunnels.
End result correction
Uefa’s web site had Porto beating Atléti 3-0, when it was truly 2-1 – maybe somebody forgot which staff was which – but it surely doesn’t alter the basics. Porto win the group, atléti exit.
I really feel like I’ve virtually forgotten how good Sánchez was. His switch to Man United isn’t the worst of all-time as a result of he was free they usually removed Mkhitaryan into the cut price, but when somebody had informed you he was going to be an entire bust, you’d nonetheless by no means have guessed simply how a lot of a bust he’d be.
Napoli and Bayern are each bidding for a 100% group document. That’s solely occurred 10 instances beforehand:]
Milan 92-93
PSG 94-95
Spartak Moscow 95-96
Barcelona 02-03
Actual Madrid 11-12
Actual Madrid 14-15
Bayern 19-20
Ajax 21-22
Liverpool 21-22
Solely a kind of sides lifted Huge Ears: Bayern 19-20.
“This Tottenham staff is identical which chased the sport and gained it at Bournemouth so not shocked about Gil’s omission”,” says Yash Gupta. “Moura lastly seemed like himself since his harm and so issues look easy. Smartest thing with Gil is he will be launched in any stage of recreation – profitable or chasing a aim. His chaotic play will get all the eye however his technical skill is among the many greatest on this squad. Even Conte admitted it final season and once more this season.”
I simply don’t get the 3-4-3 – basically, in that it leaves you outnumbered within the center and large, but additionally with these gamers. If Spurs have been my staff I’d be wanting Conte to at the very least play 3-5-2, with somebody – Moura or Gil, I assume – breaking by means of the centre.
Outcomes – Porto win Group B, Membership Brugge come second, Leverkusen into Europa League, Atlético de nada
Porto 2-1 Atleti
Leverkusen 0-0 Brugge
On this present day in 1963, Mark Hughes was born. I’m unsure I’ve ever seen a greater first contact than his nor big-game participant than him, and this compilation video, displaying the total vary of his skill, is my favorite of its style.
On which level, it’s nonetheless Porto 2-0 Atléti and Leverkusen 0-0 Brugge. Ought to it keep that means, Porto will win the group, Brugge will take second, Leverkusen will go into the Europa playoff and Atléti will take the stroll of disgrace.
I do love a membership Twitter asserting targets in opposition to it and it is a goodun – the emoji numbers, and particularly the total stops
As for Napoli, they play most of their huge hitters, and I’m wanting ahead to watching Osimhen and Kvaratskhelia – who isn’t. I hope each keep by means of the winter window, as a result of their staff not solely have a fantastic likelihood of profitable Serie A, however the firepower to provide grief to any staff, any time.
My guess is that Liverpool play a diamond in midfield with Fabinho on the base, Milner and Thiago the edges, and Jones roaming behind Firmino and Salah. I preferred the look of Jones when he first got here by means of – the power to run with the ball in midfield could be very helpful, and he jogged my memory a little bit of Steve McManaman. However he’s not fairly come on, so must take probabilities like this one.
Grown adults newest:
Liverpool, in the meantime, obtained the excellent news that Jürgen Klopp has no plans to resign – his agent mentioned so earlier. He has seemed drained lately, as have his staff, and it appears unlikely he’ll get the funds essential to rebuild – getting gamers as sensible as Mané and Salah for lower than £70m isn’t occurring once more, and it’s additionally unlikely they’ll nail so many purchases in a row. Anyhow, Robertson, Elliott, Gomez and Nunez are omitted, with Tsimikas, Milner, Konaté and Jones coming in.
I’d questioned if Antonio Conte would possibly choose Bryan Gil, who made a distinction when he got here on in opposition to Sporting final week. Not an enormous distinction, his staff have been simply dreadful previous to. However Conte has his methods, so it’s a one-paced central-midfield with none critical creativity, with one wing-back who’s over the hill and one other who’s underneath it. They’ve nonetheless bought Harry Kane, although, and I’d anticipate them to do sufficient tonight for that cause. However it’s very onerous to see the place they’re going.
Proper, let’s have some groups:
Group A
Liverpool: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Tsimikas, Fabinho, Thiago, Milner, Jones, Salah, Firmino. Subs: Kelleher, Adrian, Gomez, Elliott, Ramsay, Robertson, Nunez, Carvalho, Bajcetic, Phillips.
Napoli: Meret, Di Lorenzo, Ostigard, Kim, Olivera, Ndombélé, Lobotka, Anguissa, Politano, Osimhen, Kvaratskhelia. Subs: Idasiak, Sirigu, Jesus, Mario Rui, Zanoli, Elmas, Gaetano, Zerbin, Zielinski, Lozano, Raspadori, Simeone.
**
Rangers: McGregor, Tavernier, King, Sands, Barisic, Davis, Arfield, Tillman, Sakala, Kent, Colak. Subs: McCrorie, McLaughlin, Matondo, Kamara, Morelos, Wright, Devine, Fraser, Lowry, Allan.
Ajax: Pasveer, Timber, Bassey, Alvarez, Wijndal, Bergwijn, Taylor, Tadic, Sanchez, Kudus, Berghuis. Subs: Stekelenburg, Gorter, Klaasen, Brobbey, Ocampos, Kaplan, Rensch, Blind, Lucca, Grillitsch, Magallan, Conceicao.
—–
Group C
**
—-
Group D
Marseille: Lopez, Bailly, Balerdi, Tavares, Rongier, Guendouzi, Clauss, Veretout, Harit, Mbemba, Sanchez. Subs: Ngapandouentnbu, Blanco, Gigot, Gerson, Payet, Suarez, Beneath, Kolasinac, Kabore.
Tottenham Hotspur: Lloris, Perisic, Dier, Lenglet, Davies, Sessegnon, Bentancur, Hojbjerg, Lucas, Son, Kane. Subs: Forster, Royal, Spence, Doherty, Sanchez, Tanganga, Skipp, White, Bissouma, Sarr, Bryan.
**
Newest scores: Porto 2-0 Atlético de Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen 0-0 Membership Brugge. As issues stand, it’s Leverkusen who’ll go into the Europa, with Atléti going dwelling; for that to alter, Atléti should both draw or win, or Leverkusen should lose.
Preamble
The group stage of the Champions League has been criticised for years and rightly so: it exists to earn a living, not as a result of it’s one of the simplest ways of structuring a contest. However the perspective to it of individuals in England has additionally been criticised and rightly so: the richest golf equipment strolling by means of to the knockouts doesn’t make it essentially boring.
However tonight’s leisure is a tough promote as a result of, of the 4 teams in motion, just one is within the stability. Marseille v Spurs will be adopted with Scott Murray – Spurs want a degree and Marseille want a win, Sporting v Eintracht. Sporting, in the meantime, are by means of with a draw, and likewise in the event that they and Spurs each lose; Eintracht must win.
In any other case, Rangers want a five-niller to pip Ajax to Europa League playoff motion, and course we’ll even be protecting Liverpool v Napoli. If the previous beat the latter’s 4-1 outcome when the groups met in Italy, they’ll prime the group, however the recreation needs to be enjoyable no matter penalties. All of which is to say: it’s on!