Champions League, Europa League & Europa Conference League 23/24

[Winston Biscuit]

15 goals in 16 games for Bellingham in all comps so far at RM. already the most goals he has scored in a season.

[6ft Kerplunk]

HJK Helsinki vs Aberdeen was a more entertaining watch than you'd think. Started watching it just because it was snowing and the pitch was getting covered and I was hoping for a dodgy penalty decision where the ref couldn't see the lines. Aberdeen were 2-0 down about halfway through the first half and seemingly getting outplayed. Absolute screaming half-volley from far out got them back into it just before half time and that turned the game around. Pitch got cleared at half time but it was still snowing. Ref had to stop the match a few minutes into the second half cos the Aberdeen supporters were lobbing snowballs at the HJK defenders as they were behind the goal Aberdeen were attacking. Aberdeen then equalised but the pitch was getting worse and HJK started to look more likely to score again. Play then stopped for 10 minutes so they could get 3 snowploughs on to clear the pitch again. After that break Aberdeen took control of the game and should've gone ahead but kept leaving themselves wide open at the back so HJK had the better chances as the pitch got covered again. Match should probably have been abandoned but the ref clearing wanted to get out of Helsinki quickly rather than hanging around to play the remaining time today.

[Winston Biscuit]

Alan Shearer has said he spoke with UEFA after the Newcastle game, with regards to the PSG penalty, and they told him it was an error and they were angry about it but wouldn't be making a public comment on it

[Sanguine]

Girona currently a comfortable 12 points inside the CL qualifications spots in La Liga. Is there anything 'official' on the ownership link to City, or is it only rumour that the Spanish side would not be allowed into the competition?

[Sanguine]

With Pope and Dubravka injured, Lorus Karius is set to play for Newcastle tonight, his first CL appearance since the disastrous 2018 CL final.

[Winston Biscuit]

Girona currently a comfortable 12 points inside the CL qualifications spots in La Liga. Is there anything 'official' on the ownership link to City, or is it only rumour that the Spanish side would not be allowed into the competition?

City Group are not the majority shareholder in Girona so I don't think its an issue, but they do have to make a few changes before they can both be in the CL, like you can't have the same board members on 2 clubs in the same comp etc.

Also UEFA are looking at changing the multi club ownership rules before the start of next season anyway so who knows what may change ($$$$$$$$$$$$$$)

[Winston Biscuit]

Coefficient update for the extra CL spot after Newcastle CRASH OUT of Europe, and Milan go through to the Europa


1. Germany, 13.36
2. Italy, 13.14 
3. England, 12.13
4. Spain, 12.06
5. France, 10.42

[NathStPaul]

With Pope and Dubravka injured, Lorus Karius is set to play for Newcastle tonight, his first CL appearance since the disastrous 2018 CL final.

I felt really sorry for him at the time, saw a lot of him when he played in Germany as a youngster, he is a really good keeper. Understandably that horror show in the Champions League final destroyed him.

[Stranded]

Bit of a bizarre end to the Rennes - Villareal game last night. Rennes have a free-kick deep in stoppage time losing 3-2, knowing a draw would see them top the group and avoid a play-off against a side relegated from the CL.

Free kick hits the post, resulting in a bit of a melee before the ball is knocked home for the equaliser. VAR reviews the goal and it disallowed. The reason, after the free kick hit the woodwork, it bounced back out of the box directly to the player who took the free kick, he then played the ball again. As the ball had not touched another player, this is against the rules and an indirect freekick is to be given to the opposition .

[NathStPaul]

Would certainly be interested to hear why the on-field referee didn't know that particular law.

[Winston Biscuit]

Xavi announced one team for their game, then later retracted it and announced another which this time included Lewandowski starting and Gundogan on the bench.

Spanish press say Laporta forced Xavi into bringing these 2 players in. They were already qualified so were putting out a weakened team, the claim is that Laporta told Xavi the club needs the money from winning that 1 game so he had to add those players in. Gundogan had already been told he was being rested and when added back in kicked off about it, agreeing to be a sub.

They lost the game anyway. Xavi gave an odd post match interview where he said it was unnecessary for those players to be involved.

[Clyde1998]

Coefficient update for the extra CL spot after Newcastle CRASH OUT of Europe, and Milan go through to the Europa


1. Germany, 13.36
2. Italy, 13.14 
3. England, 12.13
4. Spain, 12.06
5. France, 10.42

With the results last night, the top eight this season are currently, with the remaining teams left in Europe in brackets:

1. Italy - 14.000 (7 - 3 UCL; 3 UEL; 1 ECL)
2. Germany - 13.642 (6 - 3 UCL; 2 UEL; 1 ECL)
3. England - 13.625 (6 - 2 UCL; 3 UEL; 1 ECL)
4. Spain - 12.687 (6 - 4 UCL; 1 UEL; 1 ECL)
5. Czech Rep - 12.000 (3 - 2 UEL; 1 ECL)
6. Belgium - 11.600 (3 - 3 ECL)
7. France - 11.583 (6 - 1 UCL; 4 UEL; 1 ECL)
8. Turkey - 10.500 (2 - 1 UEL; 1 ECL)

The draws for the Champions League knockouts, and the Europa League and Conference League play-offs (Round of 32) take place on Monday. Teams from the same group and country cannot play each other at this stage.

In the Champions League, Arsenal and Man City are both seeded. In the Europa League: West Ham, Brighton, Rangers and Liverpool are all group winners, so get a bye into the Round of 16. Aston Villa have bye to the Round of 16 in the Conference League.

[Clyde1998]

Saudi Arabia are in talks with uefa about having a team in the CL

I wonder what came of this. Just noticed Al-Ittihad were knocked out the Club World Cup by African and Egyptian champions Al Ahly at home 3-1 on Friday; appears to have been an even game (stats wise). Kanté, Fabinho, Benzema and Jota (off the bench) all played. I think we should be adding Egyptian sides to the Champions League before Saudi sides based on that

If you're going to add non-UEFA sides to the Champions League - surely you'd want Brazilian and Argentine sides first (although that won't make UEFA as much money).

[Winston Biscuit]

Scrap the CWC and run an 8 team tournament of the 4 Champions League semi finalists and the 4 Copa Libertadores semi finalists. Hosting rotates between Europe and South America. Watching an English club go down and play Boca Juniors at La Bombonera would be unreal!



(I mean, obv just scrap the CWC, but if you have to have something in its place then have that^)

[Sanguine]

CL R16 draw today. Naturally all the runners-up will want to draw Sociedad. PSG will get Real or Bayern. City will get Copenhagen. No-one will want Inter, who were strangely rubbish in the Group Stage.

Group winners: Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Arsenal, Real Sociedad, Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Barcelona
Runners-up: RB Leipzig, PSV Eindhoven, FC Copenhagen, Napoli, Inter Milan, Porto, Paris Saint-Germain, Lazio

Simpler draw for the organisers, with all English and Spanish qualified sides being group winners, and all Italian teams as runners-up, far fewer ties that can't happen, for association reasons, than usual. In fact it's just Leipzig against Bayern/Dortmund.

[Hendo]

CL R16 draw today. Naturally all the runners-up will want to draw Sociedad. PSG will get Real or Bayern. City will get Copenhagen. No-one will want Inter, who were strangely rubbish in the Group Stage.

Group winners: Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Arsenal, Real Sociedad, Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Barcelona
Runners-up: RB Leipzig, PSV Eindhoven, FC Copenhagen, Napoli, Inter Milan, Porto, Paris Saint-Germain, Lazio

Simpler draw for the organisers, with all English and Spanish qualified sides being group winners, and all Italian teams as runners-up, far fewer ties that can't happen, for association reasons, than usual. In fact it's just Leipzig against Bayern/Dortmund.

FC Porto v Arsenal
Napoli v Barcelona
Paris St-Germain v Real Sociedad
Inter Milan v Atletico Madrid
PSV Eindhoven v Borussia Dortmund
Lazio v Bayern Munich
FC Copenhagen v Manchester City
RB Leipzig v Real Madrid

Winners for me in bold.

[NathStPaul]

I'm not sure if I am re-writing history but Man City's draws in any competition always seem so favourable.

[Sanguine]

I'm not sure if I am re-writing history but Man City's draws in any competition always seem so favourable.

City's R16 draws.

23/24 FC Copenhagen
22/23 RB Leipzig
21/22 Sporting Lisbon
20/21 Borussia Mönchengladbach
19/20 Real Madrid
18/19 Schalke 04
17/18 Basel
16/17 Monaco

There have been a lot of big clubs floating around these draws, City have certainly 'done well' in R16 to avoid them, Real excepted, in the last few years.

[paultheroyal]

CL R16 draw today. Naturally all the runners-up will want to draw Sociedad. PSG will get Real or Bayern. City will get Copenhagen. No-one will want Inter, who were strangely rubbish in the Group Stage.

Group winners: Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Arsenal, Real Sociedad, Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Barcelona
Runners-up: RB Leipzig, PSV Eindhoven, FC Copenhagen, Napoli, Inter Milan, Porto, Paris Saint-Germain, Lazio

Simpler draw for the organisers, with all English and Spanish qualified sides being group winners, and all Italian teams as runners-up, far fewer ties that can't happen, for association reasons, than usual. In fact it's just Leipzig against Bayern/Dortmund.

FC Porto v Arsenal
Napoli v Barcelona
Paris St-Germain v Real Sociedad
Inter Milan v Atletico Madrid
PSV Eindhoven v Borussia Dortmund
Lazio v Bayern Munich
FC Copenhagen v Manchester City
RB Leipzig v Real Madrid

Winners for me in bold.

If it results go by "big names" that will be a blockbuster quarter final draw.

[Winston Biscuit]

CL R16 draw today. Naturally all the runners-up will want to draw Sociedad. PSG will get Real or Bayern. City will get Copenhagen. No-one will want Inter, who were strangely rubbish in the Group Stage.

Group winners: Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Arsenal, Real Sociedad, Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Barcelona
Runners-up: RB Leipzig, PSV Eindhoven, FC Copenhagen, Napoli, Inter Milan, Porto, Paris Saint-Germain, Lazio

Simpler draw for the organisers, with all English and Spanish qualified sides being group winners, and all Italian teams as runners-up, far fewer ties that can't happen, for association reasons, than usual. In fact it's just Leipzig against Bayern/Dortmund.

FC Porto v Arsenal
Napoli v Barcelona
Paris St-Germain v Real Sociedad
Inter Milan v Atletico Madrid
PSV Eindhoven v Borussia Dortmund
Lazio v Bayern Munich
FC Copenhagen v Manchester City
RB Leipzig v Real Madrid

Winners for me in bold.

Dortmund are struggling this season, while PSV are top of the Eredividie with 16 wins out of 16

also if we are looking for a 'surprise' winner in the R16 I could see Real Sociedad putting up a good fight against PSG