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GWT: Champions League - League Stage

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JoVel said:
I appreciate Real showing what would've happened anyway, even if BVB had finished those chances in the first half of the final. I now don't have to feel too bad about it.
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Nah Terzic can coach miles around Sahin, he wouldn't have made those suicide subs
 
luiginb said:
Nah Terzic can coach miles around Sahin, he wouldn't have made those suicide subs
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BVB's hopes arguably ended in that game as soon as Terzic made his first sub though.

Vinicius vs Emre Can, this can only end well.
 
It’s crazy how true to form both of these clubs turned out to be….once again.

BVB always come up short. Madrid always find a way to win. Always.
 
Just would like to emphasize how unbelievably stupid it is to willingly and strategically tilt the pitch and give away possession to a side with such elite attacking quality. I mean….are you TRYING to lose???
 
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Toure finally wins it in stoppage time for VFB after a goal called back for a sketchy handball, and a missed pen.

JoVel said:
I appreciate Real showing what would've happened anyway, even if BVB had finished those chances in the first half of the final. I now don't have to feel too bad about it.
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That team had some courage. This team is just flat
 
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Tbf for a while it looked like it was going to end in a 2-2 draw because Madrid weren't doing much after they tied it. But then in true Madrid fashion, Courtois make a somewhat lucky save and 30 seconds later Vasquez cuts through the defense with some luck as well and scores, and then Dortmund were done.
 
Moncherry said:
I've come around to it. Other than the fact that teams are all directly competing against each another with different fixtures, it's much more intriguing than the previous group stage. The last few matchdays will be chaotic.
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The balancing is completely wrong. You have Pot 4 teams that got way easier fixtures than Pot 1 teams, and they are just running up goal difference on cannon fodder. The quality of the games and matchups aren’t better. You can say maybe it’s a good thing that teams can’t waive the white flag as earlier, but I just have such an issue with the way that this was balanced
 
Savant said:
The balancing is completely wrong. You have Pot 4 teams that got way easier fixtures than Pot 1 teams, and they are just running up goal difference on cannon fodder. The quality of the games and matchups aren’t better. You can say maybe it’s a good thing that teams can’t waive the white flag as earlier, but I just have such an issue with the way that this was balanced
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It feels a bit like the NFL.
You go through teams that are 4-3 like the Colts, and then you realize they beat just the absolute worst teams for the 4 wins.
So much depends on the division and who you're lucky or unlucky to play that season, that you really don't get the full picture of how good a team is based on record.
You'll have a 10-7 team in the playoffs - who got there because of a weak schedule (Bears have the softest schedule this season), and a 8-9 team missing out. Then you realize the 8-9 team played against much better teams almost every week.
But a win is a win, and 3 pts in the CL is still 3 pts, regardless if you beat RM, City or Dinamo Zagreb.

The schedule and the draw decides SO much. Any group/league where teams play semi-random other teams, and another team plays another set of teams, means there's a good dose of luck involved.

That, plus the actual games being... "meh" (unless your own team is involved) and I very much preferred the old format.

Yesterday, it was RM-BVB and not much else as a neutral. Today it's Barca-Bayern (though I have the Dinamo game on as well) and that's pretty much it.
More is not always better. I doubt City beating on Sparta or Young Boys - Inter will be massively attractive and alluring for neutrals.

Just take pot 1 teams.

RM plays: Stuttgart, BVB, Lille, Brest, Milan, Liverpool, Atalanta, Salzburg.
Two teams from Germany, two from France, two from Italy, one from England, one from Austria.
7/8 teams come from the "top-5" leagues.

CIty plays: Inter, Slovan, Sparta, Feyenoord, Sporting, PSG, Juve, PSG, Brugge.
2 from Italy, 1 from Czechia, 1 from Slovakia, 1 from Belgium, 1 from Holland, 1 from France, 1 from Portugal.
3/8 from the "top-5" leagues.

Their strength of schedule is not remotely similar.
And that's just comparing the two favorites.
There are likely much worse examples, I just CBA researching.

But TLDR, more teams doesn't mean more quality matches, and I preferred the old format.
 
cgf said:
If you didn’t watch Stuttgart - Juve yesterday, that’s on you, not the format :dunno:
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Well:
A - I was watching RM - BVB
B - I was NOT watching Juve, not Stuttgart. Somehow, the football world thinks Mottaball is some new version of attacking football - when it's basically Allegriball, with small changes. Juve games are boring.
So, nothing against Stuttgart.
 
Savant said:
This new format is so ass
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Actually, it has been fine for the most part. We're seeing a ton of different results we would not have seen in the group segments. I do think it needs to be cleaned though, it has been rough around the edges and I think the schedule is one of those aspects.
 
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