GWT: Champions League - League Stage

[Savant]

Nah, once PSG and Real Madrid struggled in the group phase, everybody knew there was going to be big matchups facing them.

Belgian and Dutch teams being surprises had nothing to do with draw or not rewarding group stage success.

Theres big matchups in every R16 draw. That had zero to do with the group stage. Old format didn’t seed teams and then ignore the seeding. There was no difference finishing 1st or 8th. And as Evilo said, this was not correctly balanced in the first place.

Any way, for the curious folks here’s what the bracket would have looked like if it was seeded like any other seeded tournament in every other sport that uses a seeded bracket

1. LFC
16. Brugge
X
8. Villa
9. Dortmund

5. Atletico
12. PSV
X
4. Inter
13. PSG
-
6. Leverkusen
11. Bayern
X
3. Arsenal
14. Benfica

7. Lille
10. Real Madrid
X
2. Barcelona
15. Feyenoord

 

[bluesfan94]

There was no difference finishing 1st or 8th.

Yes there was.

 

[Savant]

Yes there was.

I mean if we want to go over semantics, sure. But again there’s no logic to seeding the draw and the 1 seed gets a tougher opponent than the 8 seed. That doesn’t make sense

 

[robertmac43]

Arsenal should be more then good here.

 

[Power Man]

Arsenal should be more then good here.

It’s the Arsenal

Anything can happen

 

[robertmac43]

It’s the Arsenal

Anything can happen

That is true. I still haven't mentally recovered from the Monaco debacle a decade ago.

 

[spintheblackcircle]

PSG
Villa
Madrid
Arsenal
Milan
Bayern
Lille
Barca

...hmm....I think PSG are going to take it over Barca. I have time to change my mind

 

[Duchene2MacKinnon]

Theres big matchups in every R16 draw. That had zero to do with the group stage. Old format didn’t seed teams and then ignore the seeding. There was no difference finishing 1st or 8th. And as Evilo said, this was not correctly balanced in the first place.

Any way, for the curious folks here’s what the bracket would have looked like if it was seeded like any other seeded tournament in every other sport that uses a seeded bracket

1. LFC
16. Brugge
X
8. Villa
9. Dortmund

5. Atletico
12. PSV
X
4. Inter
13. PSG
-
6. Leverkusen
11. Bayern
X
3. Arsenal
14. Benfica

7. Lille
10. Real Madrid
X
2. Barcelona
15. Feyenoord

I can get behind this but its too NA for me. I dont hate hate it tho.

I like the draw, chaotic and unpredictable. LFC got jobbed but thats because PSG wasn't supposed to finish that low.

LFC should still win. They are the best team in the world.

 

[Savant]

I can get behind this but its too NA for me. I dont hate hate it tho.

I like the draw, chaotic and unpredictable. LFC got jobbed but thats because PSG wasn't supposed to finish that low.

LFC should still win. They are the best team in the world.

I simply think if you are going to seed teams (NA or not) you have to stick by those seeds. Yes, it probably sounds like sour grapes, (and maybe it is to an extent), when the team that finishes first gets the bad draw; but it doesn't change the fundamental sports thing here that the top seed should be playing the bottom seed. That's it. I don't think it matters that PSG finished that low. It matters that they didn't finish the lowest. And if LFC (or PSG) are going to win they probably would have to play each other at some point anyway. Under the old format its simply just another tough draw. Under the new format its just goofy.

The real winner today was Barcelona though. They will be in the final. I think Atletico make it out the other side and I probably won't watch the game unless one of the Cules here are putting me up. (or if I am in Spain). But again, the funny thing about that is I would still think that would be the final matchup if the draw had been seeded properly! Go figure.

 

[bluesfan94]

I mean if we want to go over semantics, sure. But again there’s no logic to seeding the draw and the 1 seed gets a tougher opponent than the 8 seed. That doesn’t make sense

That’s what happens when upsets occur. Sometimes the 1 seed in March madness gets the 8 seed and the 4 gets a 12. The one change I would have made is to ensure that the better seed gets home field second.

 

[Savant]

That’s what happens when upsets occur. Sometimes the 1 seed in March madness gets the 8 seed and the 4 gets a 12.

That's not what happened here though. They needlessly threw everything in the blender so they could get another draw out of it. There were established seeds. There was no need for a re-draw. In March Madness, the winner of 1x16 plays the winner of 8x9 no matter want.

Better example - on the play in games for March Madness, each of those know what seeds they correspond to as well. What happened here is if the March Madness play in games happened, and then there was a random draw to see which play in team got which tournament team in the next round.

Last year the play in games determined two 10 seeds (to play a 7 seed) and two 16 seeds (to play a 1 seed). What happened here was if the 1 seed had to play a 10 seed instead of a 16 seed due to a random draw.

The one change I would have made is to ensure that the better seed gets home field second.

This would also have been a nice , sensible, incentive

 

[JeffreyLFC]

I hope you feel the same way about those other teams : Arsenal, Sporting, Bayer, etc...

I think Brest were just not up to par with the rest of the CL league. I looked up there results and they did not win against any top side either, they beat lower team, good on them, but still how in hell they managed to finish that high and above City or PSG is mystery. Some of these other results (you are showing) were also terrible and these team were not up to par for the Cl either. Anytime you condede in the double digits in two leg, it's horrible look no mater who are the teams.

Also enough Brest talk, they are out.

PSG are most likely the best team in the world at this moment. They should be favourite for the CL.

 

[JeffreyLFC]

LFC should still win. They are the best team in the world.

This current LFC of the past 4 or 5 games have zero chance against PSG. They are struggling badly and look like the lack of depth is catching them. I think LFC run end in this round which is a shame because for as bad they have been lately they were still the best team in Europe for the first quarter of the year and got rewarded by playing the most in form team in Europe.

 

[Savant]

This current LFC of the past 4 or 5 games have zero chance against PSG. They are struggling badly and look like the lack of depth is catching them. I think LFC run end in this round which is a shame because for as bad they have been lately they were still the best team in Europe for the first quarter of the year and got rewarded by playing the most in form team in Europe.

Two things.

I don’t think PSG is thrilled to be playing LFC either. Even if we are in a bit of a rut this is going to be a slobberknocker. It’ll be fun to watch.

If we go out, maybe it helps us in the league; City had plenty of R16 exits themselves and it helped them quite a bit.

Yes optimistic but honestly just looking for a fun matchup and I’m glad we are playing a team that we haven’t played in a while.

 

[Evilo]

Let's not forget PSG is inexperienced, young and with very few players with CL experience (Marqui, Donna, Hakimi, Dembele).
They are not favorites.
But their form is superb and Pool's isn't.
We know this can turn on the slightest thing though and usually experience is key on those details.

 

[Power Man]

Let's not forget PSG is inexperienced, young and with very few players with CL experience (Marqui, Donna, Hakimi, Dembele).
They are not favorites.
But their form is superb and Pool's isn't.
We know this can turn on the slightest thing though and usually experience is key on those details.

Experience isn’t always a guarantee but f success tbh
It does help
I think Liverpool wins but it’s not gonna be easy
But PSG can pull it off
I would say 55/45 Liverpool

Le football ça va vite, a couple of weeks I would have said LFC without hesitation

 

[Brunkmeister]

It’s more than two weeks until the first leg so a lot can still happen until then. It changes fast in football sometimes.

 

[bluesfan94]

What happened here is if the March Madness play in games happened, and then there was a random draw to see which play in team got which tournament team in the next round.

It actually wasn't a random draw! Obviously March Madness isn't a perfect comparison for multiple reasons, but the point is that in bracket formats without reseeding, if upsets happen, the next round will be impacted.

I get you're upset that Liverpool got the unlucky draw of PSG, but that is because PSG finished where they did.

 

[Savant]

It actually wasn't a random draw! Obviously March Madness isn't a perfect comparison for multiple reasons, but the point is that in bracket formats without reseeding, if upsets happen, the next round will be impacted.

No this isn't correct. The teams know who they are playing based on where they are assigned/where they finished. That is not what happened here. I don't see how this wasn't reseeding either. March Madness is not a perfect comparison because it doesn't operate the same, but March Madness is a sane, replicable, established manner of doing a bracket. Lets not move the goal posts here. What happened with UCL is akin to reseeding March Madness after the play-in games. Its nonsensical and unnecessary.

I get you're upset that Liverpool got the unlucky draw of PSG, but that is because PSG finished where they did.

I don't care that they got PSG. Benfica is tough too. I care they didn't get Brugge because Brugge was the lowest seed and LFC is the highest seed. If LFC got Benfica, they still wouldn't have gotten the lowest seed. Thats the point. Obviously this is something that comes off a lot less controversial when you don't get PSG, but that doesn't change the fundamental error here.

 

[Power Man]

It’s more than two weeks until the first leg so a lot can still happen until then. It changes fast in football sometimes.

true true

 

[Evilo]

I don't care that they got PSG. Benfica is tough too. I care they didn't get Brugge because Brugge was the lowest seed and LFC is the highest seed. If LFC got Benfica, they still wouldn't have gotten the lowest seed. Thats the point. Obviously this is something that comes off a lot less controversial when you don't get PSG, but that doesn't change the fundamental error here.

Benfica this season isn't tough. I'd say possibly the easiest team left.

 

[Duchene2MacKinnon]

Evilo scours the internet to find something to laugh at Barca for.

Idk what’s worse calling el chiringuito a journalism.

Or the fact that it’s supposedly a Barca journalist. Most Barca fans wanted psg, spanking Brest isn’t going to scare anyone.

 

[les Habs]

Evilo scours the internet to find something to laugh at Barca for.

Idk what’s worse calling el chiringuito a journalism.

Or the fact that it’s supposedly a Barca journalist. Most Barca fans wanted psg, spanking Brest isn’t going to scare anyone.

I just find it hilarious that being happy about a favorable draw is something so awful.

As for the draw itself, Benfica aren’t the Benfica right now and not going through would be bad.

 

[Savant]

Benfica this season isn't tough. I'd say possibly the easiest team left.

Benfica can put up offense. They dropped 4 on the team they are playing in KO a month ago. They aren’t the favorites, they aren’t PSG but any team that can score is going to be dangerous

 

[Evilo]

Benfica can put up offense. They dropped 4 on the team they are playing in KO a month ago. They aren’t the favorites, they aren’t PSG but any team that can score is going to be dangerous

Frankly they're bad.

Evilo scours the internet to find something to laugh at Barca for.

Idk what’s worse calling el chiringuito a journalism.

Or the fact that it’s supposedly a Barca journalist. Most Barca fans wanted psg, spanking Brest isn’t going to scare anyone.

Is literally a PSG account lol
And after looking up, she IS a Barca journalist. Writing for Sport about everything Barca.

As for fans wanting PSG I loled.