Champions league & Europa leagues 2025-26

[sussexpob]

The response of Mourinho is disappointing, and shows that European football still doesn't take racism seriously.

It was a disappointing thing to say, especially when in the moment it happened Mourinho seemed to be supporting Vinicius on the sideline. I think Mbappe hit the nail on the head when he said it was up to the Benfica players to decide on what the truth will be, and to speak up for the greater good to ensure justice is served.

But sadly, Mourinho's words just show the partisan nature of football. He decided to defend his own team and justify his own supporters actions... when he could have made a choice to show that he is on the right side of history.

But the guy is a total dildo, so did we expect any different?

[Durhamfootman]

Forest take a 0-3 win over Fenerbahce back home

Palace only managed a 1-1 away draw with Zrinjski

[sussexpob]

I thought Leverkusen was bad, but it seems the away end in Mostar was a chicken pen!!

[Durhamfootman]

I assumed that the round of 16 matches in the CL was drawn out of a hat, but seemingly if Newcastle complete their victory next week, they will go on to face either Chelsea or Barcelona, so clearly the draw is made with paired seedings based on league position. I don't think I ever fully understood that before

So I'm going to say that if Newcastle made it into the last 8 (big if, particularly if it's Barca) then the QF would be against one of whoever is left standing at the end of the Liverpool or Spurs round of 16 matches. I think... although it's very confusing, yet at the same time it kind of makes a fair bit of sense

[sussexpob]

I assumed that the round of 16 matches in the CL was drawn out of a hat, but seemingly if Newcastle complete their victory next week, they will go on to face either Chelsea or Barcelona, so clearly the draw is made with paired seedings based on league position. I don't think I ever fully understood that before

Its really simple. The first 8 teams in the league stage are seeded, the 9-16 positions are seeded in the 2nd phase only, and the last 8 are unseeded.

In the second phase, this means that the best qualified position plays the worst... Real Madrid (9th) v Benfica (24), Inter (10) v BG (23).... etc etc. In the round of 16, the system then assumes that the seeded team wins their 2nd phase game, as it matches the seeded top 8 teams to the 2nd seeded group, not the unseeded team. So Real Madrid and Inter being the strongest side in the 2nd phase would play the worst performing seeded team in the round of 16, ie Man City (8th) or Sporting (7th), and the best team in the league phase (Arsenal) gets 15-16th place, the worst seeded side. Which exact tie occurs is decided by a draw next week after the round is complete, and that will set the route to the final.

The seeding comes a little unstuck if a bottom seed wins the 2nd phase. Inter lost 3-1 on Tuesday night, so there is now a chance Man City play 23rd seed, which would be the exact opposite of what the system is trying to achieve... bottom of top 8 v bottom of top 24.

[Durhamfootman]

Liverpool's complaint last year was that their reward for finishing top after the group phase was a tie against PSG who, after a really poor group phase, found themselves in the middle of the play off pile.......... before going on to beat all the PL clubs one after another en route to winning the whole thing

my reaction to that was 'tough titty... learn how to take a penalty!'

it's a simple game, really

[sussexpob]

Liverpool's complaint last year was that their reward for finishing top after the group phase was a tie against PSG who, after a really poor group phase, found themselves in the middle of the play off pile..........

A lot of clubs last year put out B teams early in the competition, assuming the extra games and the format made qualification a foregone conclusion, and then found out after 4-5 games that they needed to pull their finger out as they suddenly were in danger. PSG only made the knockouts by beating Man City away last game, and I think they were behind 2-0 at one point in the 2nd half. IIRC correctly, they also knocked out City by beating them (maybe wrong).

[sussexpob]

my reaction to that was 'tough titty... learn how to take a penalty!'

That first game that Liverpool won was legitimately crazy, PSG had like 40 shots, hit bars, keepers backsides, posts, shots scrapping 1cm past the post, but could not for their life but the ball in the net.... and then Liverpool had the ball once in the PSG final third and scored with their only half-chance. The 2nd tie I think PSG also battered them for most of it. It was a miracle they got to penalties.

I can imagine if Liverpool had been unlucky and been knocked out first game against the Champions, I could get the bitterness..... but PSG were miles the better team.

They deserved to win the competition, because in the important big matches, no one really got near their level. I don't like PSG but it felt right they won.

[Durhamfootman]

my younger grandson is at SJP tonight for his 10th birthday. I think it's only the second time he's been there

So far he's seen Newcastle race into a 2 goal lead, then 6 minutes of madness that saw Qarabag score, Newcastle reply straight away, then concede a pen... saved by Ramsdale followed by a goal scored from the rebound

I imagine he's loving every minute of it

[Durhamfootman]

Inter are out. Magnificent result for Bodo/Glimt

[Durhamfootman]

Inter out, Napoli out, Juve under the cosh, Atalanta similar

Serie A is struggling. By tomorrow they might only have Bologna, Fiorentina and Roma flying the flag in the Europa and Conference leagues

I'm going to assume that with all 6 teams through to the last 16 of the CL, the PL will have 5 teams in the CL next season.... plus Newcastle as reigning CL champions, of course

[Durhamfootman]

I can't help but think that Newcastle will draw Chelsea in the last 16. With the two last 16 CL fixtures sandwiching the PL meeting between the two teams it would mean that they would have to play each other 3 times in a week, which makes it feel like a foregone conclusion to me

I don't even want to think about Barcelona, tbh

[Durhamfootman]

Inter out, Napoli out, Juve under the cosh, Atalanta similar

Atalanta go through with a late, late penalty, 3 red cards too over the same incident, so there must have been a lot of argy bargy as well. Tempers must have flared, as they say

Serie A, not completely dead

[sussexpob]

Atalanta go through with a late, late penalty, 3 red cards too over the same incident, so there must have been a lot of argy bargy as well. Tempers must have flared, as they say. Serie A, not completely dead

The penalty will no doubt cause a lot of upset for Dortmund. The ball bounced behind the defender, he goes to back heel it, the attacker shoves his head at it and gets a boot to the face.....

Unless referees want defenders to watch strikers score, I don't see what hes done wrong. The striker would have known he was going to get a kick in the chops going at it....

[Durhamfootman]

Forest are testing their supporters nerves atm. They've just pulled a goal back to give themselves a bit of breathing space after going two down defending a three goal win last week

Palace have a 1-0 lead, so will also have their fans biting their nails

over the two weeks, there seem to have been an awful lot of away wins in the two Europa leagues, which has surprised me a little bit