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2023-24 UEFA Champions League and Europa Conference League

The knockout round draws were held today.

Champions League:
Porto v. Arsenal
Napoli v. Barcelona
PSG v. Real Sociedad
Inter v. Atletico Madrid
PSV Eindhoven v. Borussia Dortmund
Lazio v. Bayern Munich
Copenhagen v. Man City
RB Leipzig v. Real Madrid

In the Europa League, all 3 Premier League teams won their groups, so West Ham, Brighton and Liverpool await winners of the knockout round between the 2nd place teams and teams that dropped from the Champions League. In the Conference League, Aston Villa won their group, so they await winners of the knockout round between the 2nd place teams and teams that dropped down from the Europa League.
 
Not sure if anyone else just suffered through watching VIlla vs Ajax, but if you didn't, consider yourself lucky. Horrible game and one of the worst refereeing performances I've ever seen in my life. Clearly not up for the moment at all and way over his head in this one.
 
VinatieriDefinesClutch said:
Not sure if anyone else just suffered through watching VIlla vs Ajax, but if you didn't, consider yourself lucky. Horrible game and one of the worst refereeing performances I've ever seen in my life. Clearly not up for the moment at all and way over his head in this one.
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And yet, no harm done. I had it on in the background while I was in a biz zoom, which may color my perception a bit. It probably also factors in that I don't give a crap about this competition.
 
Agreed on caring about the competition. As much as both yellows were an absolute joke (especially the first one), I don't mind Konsa having to skip the follow up match. I do feel like we keep rushing back Pau and he keeps reinjuring himsefl, so I wish we would stop doing that.
 
Yeah, Konsa is far more important to have for the Prem games. A forced weekday game off is a plus in that regard. Agree on Pau, although if I'm honest Lenglet hasn't been as terrible as people act like he is.
 
My issue with Lenglet is he's so damn passive. I've never seen him attack a situation and he's been burned multiple times by pulling up and letting balls go thinking they will be harmless and having an attacker race by and get on the end of it. He's decent in possession, but he does every once in a while make an absolute horror pass in the buildup and gift the opposition a chance on goal out of nothing.
 
Sure ... all true. But as an insurance policy in a season where they really needed one, he's been good value.
 
The quarterfinal draws were held today

Champions League:
Arsenal v. Bayern Munich
Atletico v. Dortmund
Real Madrid v. Man City
PSG v. Barcelona

Europa League:
AC Milan v. Roma
Liverpool v. Atalanta
Bayer Leverkusen v. West Ham
Benfica v. Marseille

Conference League:
Brugge v. PAOK
Olympiacos v. Fenerbahce
Aston Villa v. Lille
Viktoria Plzen v. Fiorentina

So England and Italy advance 4 clubs, France, Germany and Spain advance 3. Arsenal and Man City are on opposite sides of the draw, but the Gunners would have to get past their historical tormentors to get to the final. Greece has 2, both in the Conference League on opposite sides of the draw. An all Greek final in Dublin?
 
andyt said:
The quarterfinal draws were held today

Champions League:
Arsenal v. Bayern Munich
Atletico v. Dortmund
Real Madrid v. Man City
PSG v. Barcelona

Europa League:
AC Milan v. Roma
Liverpool v. Atalanta
Bayer Leverkusen v. West Ham
Benfica v. Marseille

Conference League:
Brugge v. PAOK
Olympiacos v. Fenerbahce
Aston Villa v. Lille
Viktoria Plzen v. Fiorentina

So England and Italy advance 4 clubs, France, Germany and Spain advance 3. Arsenal and Man City are on opposite sides of the draw, but the Gunners would have to get past their historical tormentors to get to the final. Greece has 2, both in the Conference League on opposite sides of the draw. An all Greek final in Dublin?
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I think the Conference League final is in Athens, so ... yeah, an all Greek final would be massive. I'd like to see a little club from the Midlands of England hijack that plan though. I guess. It's hard to get too fired up about the 3rd tier tournament, to be honest.
 
jeffbear said:
I think the Conference League final is in Athens, so ... yeah, an all Greek final would be massive. I'd like to see a little club from the Midlands of England hijack that plan though. I guess. It's hard to get too fired up about the 3rd tier tournament, to be honest.
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Yeah, the Europa League final is in Dublin. The Champions League final is at Wembley.
 
jeffbear said:
I can just about stomach rooting for Arsenal. When it comes to City, I'm OK rooting for Jack to do well ... and that's it. I find it impossible to root against that perfect little moron.
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City is a weird one for me, since my hatred of the team is entirely based on ownership and what they represent. I don't really dislike their fans overall, it's not their fault that they were purchased by a nation state and while newer fans have only seen winning, any long term fan spent their entire life wandering in the wilderness before finding the promised land in recent history. Plus the players are generally likable. Obviously I will always have a soft spot for Jack, but I don't see how anyone could dislike De Bruyne. The only player I can see someone actively disliking would be Kyle Walker for the whole constant cheating on his wife thing, but they don't have a Bruno Fernandes type player where everyone just hates them.

Arsenal on the other hand are tied with Spurs as the fanbases I find the most annoying. I know they're such big rivals and I wouldn't want to take sides so I just equally hate both fanbases. Obviously Man U are the worst fanbase, but it's kind of fun watching them suffer with the knowledge that they are a mediocre team and a horribly run organization and even with the Glazer's giving up some control, that's not going to change any time soon.
 
Oh, if I lived in England I would 100% dislike Arsenal because of that fan base. But I live in the States and 90% of the Wenger era bandwagon fans have moved on to either City or whatever team Messi plays on at the moment. What's left seem to be mostly the truly loyal and the people who enjoyed the Arse because of the style of football they played. And I can understand and support those things.
 
jeffbear said:
Oh, if I lived in England I would 100% dislike Arsenal because of that fan base. But I live in the States and 90% of the Wenger era bandwagon fans have moved on to either City or whatever team Messi plays on at the moment. What's left seem to be mostly the truly loyal and the people who enjoyed the Arse because of the style of football they played. And I can understand and support those things.
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That’s why I started watching them. It was beautiful soccer.
 
andyt said:
That’s why I started watching them. It was beautiful soccer.
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They still play nice football. Nothing like the halcyon days, but easier to watch than your average EPL hoofers for sure. The option to play watchable soccer has seemingly has never occurred to Man United, for example.
 
PKs sure are emotionally draining. The world's number one, Emi Martinez made the game winning save after the ref went to give him a yellow and then remembered that he had given him a really bad early yellow for "time wasting" and immediately rescinded it. One of the most shocking things I've seen from a ref who was par for the course for horrific European refs. My heart is still racing, I still hate shootouts, but they are much nicer when you win.
 
So it’s up to Villa to hold England’s coefficient and get the 5th UCL spot. Liverpool and West Ham went out today, Arsenal and Man City yesterday. Italy moved 3 teams through with Atalanta and Roma in the Europa League and Fiorentina in the Conference League.
 
VinatieriDefinesClutch said:
PKs sure are emotionally draining. The world's number one, Emi Martinez made the game winning save after the ref went to give him a yellow and then remembered that he had given him a really bad early yellow for "time wasting" and immediately rescinded it. One of the most shocking things I've seen from a ref who was par for the course for horrific European refs. My heart is still racing, I still hate shootouts, but they are much nicer when you win.
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It's like the man was conceived in a lab specifically to play goal in shootouts. Emi and Alyssa Naeher man ... money on PKs.
 
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