GWT: Champions League - League Stage

[Savant]

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.

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.

So here is the thing, it’s not the NFL. And while the Americanization of European sport is happening, it’s completely unnecessary here. NFL (regular season) schedule is not a good comparison because it’s not seeded. UCL is seeded. What’s the point of finishing in Pot 1 if a Pot 4 team is going to get an easier schedule? It makes no sense. For example, Aston Villa got the easiest fixtures compared to the three English teams that finished in higher pots than them. That’s simply should not be happening in a seeded draw. Combining that with the extra games and an extra round for all but eight of the advancing teams, this is not an improvement

Yeah it could certainly be tweaked for next year; for example maybe if you finish Pot 1 you get an extra Pot 4 opponent and one less Pot 2 opponent; but the whole thing is such a cash grab that UEFA/club owners/etc would probably not want to sacrifice and extra high profile game for an easier game. That’s why this is bad. And the fact that the change was unnecessary in the first place

 

[Duchene2MacKinnon]

There’s just too many games. I think UEFA realized a super league will happen and decided to make their own.

 

[cgf]

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.

That game was anything but boring

There’s just too many games. I think UEFA realized a super league will happen and decided to make their own.

Yeah, but I don’t really mind. The CL group stage certainly had its own flaws.

 

[Savant]

There’s just too many games. I think UEFA realized a super league will happen and decided to make their own.

Maybe? But is it a super league if Young Boys and Slovak Bratislava are in it? Either way - someone was doing way too much

 

[Jack Straw]

B04 go up 1-0. Wirtz, naturally.

 

[cgf]

Wirtz with a cool finish for the opener.

B04 go up 1-0. Wirtz, naturally.

If the refs hadn’t screwed us against Spain again ; Flo would be a shoe in for the BdO

 

[Jack Straw]

Wirtz with a cool finish for the opener.



If the refs hadn’t screwed us against Spain again ; Flo would be a shoe in for the BdO

Another little display of brilliance just now but no goal.

 

[Evilo]

Brest ties it on a beauty goal by Lees Melou.

 

[S E P H]

How has Atalanta looked so far? I won't be able to watch today which is why I ask. They should win against Celtic right?

 

[ScottishCanuck]

How has Atalanta looked so far? I won't be able to watch today which is why I ask. They should win against Celtic right?

Relentless but poor finishing.

Leaving a lot of space on the counter but Celtic poor at exploiting it.

 

[Jack Straw]

I think he got the ball but not sure if he got Hoffman first or not

 

[cgf]

Giving Tah a yellow after the non calls on Coulibaly is pretty funny even if you’re rooting for Brest

 

[ScottishCanuck]

Hell of an effort from Celtic tonight. Nice way to bounce back from Dortmund. I think most teams in Europe would take a point in Bergamo. Certainly at our level.

 

[Evilo]

Sorry Xabi, you just don't beat Brest this year in the CL even with extra time.

I think he got the ball but not sure if he got Hoffman first or not

You should take a look at the pen called by the ref in the PSG PSV game yesterday.
Guy hit Ascensio behind his thigh and the ref gave a pen.
Somehow VAR thought it was a clear and obvious error and called the ref who thought the contact was too light to give a pen.
But how is that a ref mistake if Ascensio was really hit?

 

[Savi]

Great pass from Fermin and nice finish from Raphinha

 

[Scomerica]

Hell of an effort from Celtic tonight. Nice way to bounce back from Dortmund. I think most teams in Europe would take a point in Bergamo. Certainly at our level.

Leipzig and Brugge at home are winnable. Good chance of going through. Still have CCV to come back as well (not that Scales or Trusty did bad today)

 

[Jack Straw]

Kane not offside this time

 

[Savi]

What's up with that high line against the Bayern offense. Pretty suicidal

 

[Evilo]

How can this goal be allowed for Barca, especially without VAR?

 

[Savi]

How can this goal be allowed for Barca, especially without VAR?

That would have been extremely harsh to call that off

Fermin with 2 assists already

edit: Raphinha gets another

 

[les Habs]

What's up with that high line against the Bayern offense. Pretty suicidal

I’ve said that earlier in the season with regards to league matches. Part of it is down to the players right now with Martinez and Cubarsi, neither of whom are going to win any races.

How can this goal be allowed for Barca, especially without VAR?

The second? I’d have called it off, but that sort of thing goes unpunished often enough as does much worse.

 

[Evilo]

That would have been extremely harsh to call that off

Fermin with 2 assists already

edit: Raphinha gets another

Extremely hard? That's an obvious foul that leads directly to a goal.
Obviously called had it been the other way around.

The second? I’d have called it off, but that sort of thing goes unpunished often enough as does much worse.

Sure but called 100% of the times it leads to a goal. Rarely otherwise I agree.

 

[luiginb]

Fermin weighs 50 kilos wet, I don't think a hand on Kim's back is enough to put the defender off balance

 

[Evilo]

Fermin weighs 50 kilos wet, I don't think a hand on Kim's back is enough to put the defender off balance

Hand? He clearly pushes him while in the air. The size and weight doesn't matter.

 

[les Habs]

Raph exploding this season. Olmo was just talking about his influence the other day. His work ethic out there is an example of leading by example.