Yanks Abroad Champions League All PBP [R]

CCV starts! Trusty is out, still recovering (foot). Celtic visiting Kairat (Kazakhstan) today in the second leg of their Champions League play-in playoff. Aggregate 0-0.

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Nice, early game too. Really meshes well with me not wanting to work today.

 

While we (and others) are gathered, what do you feel about combining the CL gameday threads? It works best when we have simultaneous/overlapping matches to track, as we did last season.

I see the draw is on Thursday, again with one 36-team table, and the initial matches are mid-September.

 

I love it.

Forums suffer when there are too many separate threads. I’d go a step further and formalize it as an all-European competition thread (ie - include Europa and Conference).

Should create a new one for each new season though.

 

Don't mind me, just setting the table. Please let me know if I've missed anyone. 36 teams, so 18 total matches/matchday. Ours are fairly well spread out over three days (the Europa League etc hasn't taken over Thursdays quite yet), but some of our matches do overlap.

Tuesday Sept 16

12:45 PSV v Union St Gilloise
3:00 Juventus v Dortmund
3:00 Real Madrid v Marseille

Wednesday Sept 17

3:00 Liverpool v Atletico Madrid
3:00 PSG v Atalanta

Thursday Sept 18

12:45 Club Brugge v AS Monaco
12:45 Copenhagen v Leverkusen
3:00 Frankfurt v Galatasaray

 

Here we go! Dest and Pepi both start! [Esmir B is on the bench.] PSV hosting Union St Gilloise in the first CL match.

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PSV's CL schedule looks so difficult that I will declare today's match a must-win.

Home

Union St Gilloise
Napoli
Atletico Madrid
Bayern Munich

Away

Leverkusen
Olympiacos
Liverpool
Newcastle

Last year the CL cut line (top 24) was 11 points (3 wins, 2 draws, 3 losses). PSV need to win today and look for a couple more wins. Maybe the stronger teams will advance early and let up at the end, as sometimes happens. Can't count on that, though.

 

ooooooooffff... bad news for PSV early: Saibari misses a relatively easy shot, then on the other end... Pepi commits a penalty while defending a long-throw

soft foul and the USG player exaggerated a bit, but it was a pretty clear contact.

edit: PK converted, and PSV are down 0-1 at home

 

USG are finding a lot of space on Dest's side of the pitch...

 

lol, just put on my headphones and caught that a USG defender is named:



spelled "Mac Allister". Still funny.

 

PSV are looking... out played? But seem to be waking up after the first 15'

 

He’s the older brother of Alexis Mac Allister on Liverpool.

Classic Argentine family, that. Kevin, Alexis, and Francis Mac Allister.

 

Ah! I guessed Argentinian due to the last name, but didn't know he was related!

Wild that the parents didn't name one Buzz.

 

Dest with a wasteful pass turnover, then dribble over the endline after getting it back. Lock in, son.

 

Can't believe this Promise David / Akinpelu guy was signed to Tulsa's youth team a few years ago, then signed in freaking Malta, and now has a Champions League goal. Sometimes guys rise quickly. Seemingly more often if they're random Canadians.

 

I looked him up wondering if he was related to Jonathan, and it turns out that he was in TFC's youth academy before Tulsa. Born in nearby Brampton

 

Annnnnd... PSV are in real trouble. They let a USG player practically dribble the whole defense before scoring

Resulted from a Pepi turnover. Rough return to Europe for El Tran.

 

2-0 USG - Pepi dispossessed directly leading to the goal. Pepi was arguably fouled while being dispossessed, but no VAR bailout.

 

PSV goes into half-time down 0-2, and boy howdy has it been a poor performance for them across the board.

 

PSV makes two changes to start the 2nd half, but both Yanks stay on the field

 

McKennie starts for Juventus. Campbell is on the bench for Dortmund.

Weah starts! for Marseille at Real Madrid.

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Pepi subbed off in the 74th with the lowest ratings of any player on the pitch. Still 2-0 USG.

 

Welp, at least Pepi can’t be blamed for the third USG goal. Man…this result is so damn unfortunate for PSV. I think today’s opposition was the “easiest” on paper for PSV.

 

Well, I guess we can call this a statement game for PSV

 

I know UCL just started with several games to go, but PSV losing to that club at home does not bode well for their advancement. They'll need to pull off some upsets along the way to survive.
Sorry to heat the Pepi struggled.