So I'm not one to say I told you so, but I do want to re-emphasize that you just can't tell what's going to happen after Day 1 of results, as AS Monaco 0-3 FC Porto amply illustrates. FCP goes from group bottom to second by two clear points and +1 goal differential. And after Besiktas shellacs Leipzig, also seems they're no chumps though the home loss to them is still not great. Hope this continues to be a strong week for Portugal. I'd like to see at least four points tomorrow, and honestly Benfica needs to get three of them away to Basel the way they stank up their first game. Sporting looks sharp and I don't discount the possibility that they draw or even beat Barca at the Alvalade.
Seems I was wrong again. Rather than shit their pants into the Europa League, it seems Benfica is actually rubbing itself in its own feces and even attempting to eat it, and shit it out again. Truly remarkable stuff.
Benfica need a overhaul next season, however the debt has not been going down significantly (if at all) the last 7 years, so extra debt or years in a bind. We do not have many players we can see for big money...might not make Europa this year.
Hahaha. Well you are talking to a man who had his family incessantly question why he was buying Euro 2016 final tickets a year before the tournament. At the time I felt I knew Portugal would be victorious. Now, it seems it was all really just divine intervention.
Yeah, that was an absolutely putrescent outing for which fecal analogies are entirely appropriate. No earthly clue what the hell that was. And while a recovery from a weak Day 1 showing is possible, two consecutive defeats basically mean that Benfica would be lucky to get into the Europa League. As for Sporting, they played well but still lost to an elite team in Barcelona. I recall this happening a lot in previous years, when they seemed like they were forever coming close to results against big-name teams (Real Madrid, IIRC) then crapping out at the last minute. I am glad they played well and their high level of play bodes well for their European campaign (even if that just means that they stand a good chance if they end up in the EL) but it would be nice to see them finally actually win against a major power instead of get moral "victories". Finally, tough loss by Vitoria today in a game they should have been able to get at least some points from, but Braga really saved our bacon with a last-minute winning goal to salvage some points and take pole position in their group. Two wins and three losses isn't great but it's a hell of a lot better than a win, a draw, and three losses.
Doesn't Sporting generally play well in Europe against good teams....and lose? And then proceed to play awfully against weaker teams and crash out? Sounds like Sporting. Porto's result shows this group is wide open. Leipzig is a team on the ropes, but I don't think they are weaker than the rest. Anything can happen here, from progress to 4th place. Benfica..... I want Portuguese teams to win but if non-Porto teams are going to lose, better if they are humiliated like that.
We're quite behind Russia in 6th atm but we can recover in the europa league. Sporting - looks set for at least Europa league and on paper has a team which can go far in EL, although the league title is still the priority Porto - they had a big win at Monaco yes, but they did lose to Besiktas at home which hurt, its too early to say they'll progress in the UCL, for the rankings sake it would be better to go to Europa League and have one of those seasons where 3 Portuguese teams were in the semi-final. Braga - 2 wins out of 2, looking good to progress Vitoria - doesn't look like they'll make it, hopefully they can get some more points in the group though Benfica - has the toughest task, UCL is probably a stretch but EL is still possible; have Basel at home they must win and they have to go beat CSKA in Russia (a direct rival in the rankings so a win would be huge).
3 games, 3 defeats. At this point we need them all to go to Europa League to get points because it's not gonna happen in CL. Truth is we are where we deserve to be.
I think Sporting can still beat out Juventus (potentially) but even if they don't, it'll be a blessing having them go to the Europa League, as they could actually win that if they are properly firing on all cylinders. Porto and Benfica disgust me too much to even comment.
We're still far from Russia who is in 6th place, but we're also comfortably in 7th. Which means no 3rd CL spot in 2019/20 season. We also have more points this season than Germany surprisingly. England having a stellar season in Europe and becoming the dominant force again.
Rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated. Rumors of my being kidnapped by a Colombian drug cartel and held for ransom have been only slightly exaggerated. In any event. Yes, of the three weeks I was AWOL we suffered through a truly humiliating week of five losses in five games, and then two slightly better weeks. This most recent one was actually pretty good, save for Benfica's execrable pants-shittery. Good wins from Sporting and Braga, a credible tie from Porto, and while Vitoria got pasted, they were away to the group leader. Benfica, you and I are not on speaking terms. So here's where we stand going into the final week of the group stage: --Braga is guaranteed to advance. They will likely advance as group winners, unless they lose and Ludogorets wins. --Benfica is out, guaranteed group bottom. --Porto advances so long as they match or exceed Hoffenheim's points next game. But they can do no worse than third. --Sporting need to win and have Juventus not win to advance. But they too can do no worse than third. --Vitoria G still has a chance. They need to beat Konyaspor at home (plausible) and hope Red Bull Salzburg beats Marseille in France (possible). The first tiebreaker is head to head record, which would favor Vitoria because while they and Marseille are tied with a win apiece and 2 goals apiece, Vitoria has the away goal. Don't count them out! Overall, we're not doing too poorly on the season, but the bad news is that Russia is doing great and has stretched their lead on us by about 2 points. Benfica's self-soiling played a large part in this; by losing twice to CSKA they gifted Russia about a full point's swing in the standings. But are still look certain to get three teams through, maybe four, it just remains to be seen in which competitions. Honestly would not be bad for Sporting to go to the Europa league and then do some major damage there to rack up points.
Loving the Benfica shitting-themselves memes. I personally see it more as bathing in its own excrement, but to each his own. Sporting could make quarters of the CL or win the EL. The former would be better for them (more prestige to go deep into the CL & more money than winning the EL), the latter for Portugal.
OK ladies and germs, the group stage of the 2017-18 Champs League is in the books, and the final day results are as follows: --Benfica concluded its execrable, excrement-covered walk of shame with a 0-2 home loss to FC Basel, securing zero points on six games in what is without question the worst group stage performance by any Portuguese team in the history of the UCL. They scored one goal and conceded em-effing 14 in those games. Nice job, guys. --Sporting lost 0-2 at Barcelona, but Juventus' 2-0 win at Olympiakos meant that no result would have advanced them. Sporting instead moves on to the EL, after getting a very credible 7 points in a tough group. --Porto records a thumping 5-2 win over AS Monaco and proceeds to the knockout rounds as group runner-up, after a Besiktas team that got 14 points in the group stage (!!). For what it's worth, possible FCP foes next round include: Manchester United, Paris, Roma, Barcelona, Liverpool, Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur Tomorrow we will see if Braga confirms group leader position (likely) and if Vitoria G can pull off a major upset and advance (unlikely but not impossible). After today's games, we now sit sixth in Europe overall, behind both Russia (1 point back) and France (.5 points back). So it would be really nice to see some teams from those countries stumble tomorrow, and makes the long shot possibility of VG advancing past l'OM especially critical.
Not a great day. Braga loses at home 1-2 to Istanbul Basakesir, a team that had already been eliminated. They still manage to top the group though, and will advance in first place. Vitoria's long shot at qualifying fell short when they tied Konyaspor at home, and even a win would have been moot because Marseille drew anyhow. From six, there are three. One in the CL (Porto), two in the EL (Braga, Sporting). May tomorrow's draw be ever in their favor.
Porto vs Liverpool Sporting vs Astana Braga vs Marseille Considering the other teams Porto could face, Liverpool was probably the best option. Sporting get a good draw, but traveling to Kazakhstan might be a factor. Braga with a tough draw. But they have beaten Marseille before.
Tough but fair draw. I don't have a sense of the other opponents, honestly. Liverpool is having a good but not world-beating season in England. Man City or United would have been much harder draws. Teams from farther out than Eastern Europe are always a wild card to me; I dismissed Besiktas at the beginning of this season and look what happened there. @fdasilva is dead right that the travel to these far-off places always makes the away leg more challenging. In terms of Marseille, Vitoria Guimaraes beat them home and away when you consider away goals, so Braga could certainly advance, though I wouldn't say they're clearly favored. Interesting ties. Could easily see all three advancing or none of them. Two would be a decent outcome, especially if Porto is one of them. But if we're going to stay within range of France and Russia in the overall European classification, we'll need to win all three. Braga v Marseille is especially important as a zero-sum with France's UEFA points.