OT: 2021 - 2022 Football / Calcio / Futbol / Fußball Thread

[JedB]

Originally Posted by wc1934

DUH

Good result for Jose. Did you see him after the match - very emotional.

Does he no longer look like he's just sucked on a lemon?

[martl]

If Real takes the cup on Saturday, 2022 will be the last hurrah of the old school managers

[JedB]

Originally Posted by martl

If Real takes the cup on Saturday, 2022 will be the last hurrah of the old school managers

I'm just hoping for a good game.

Going to be a good weekend:
UCL Cup
MotoGP / 2 / 3
F1

[echappist]

Here we go, starting elevens as follows.

Liverpool (4-3-3) Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, van Dijk, Robertson; Henderson, Fabinho, Thiago; Salah, Mane, Diaz.

Real Madrid (4-3-3) Courtois; Carvajal, Eder Militao, Alaba, Mendy; Kroos, Casemiro, Modric; Valverde, Benzema, Vinicius Jr.

LFC starts no fewer than four players who were recent injury doubts (though I think Salah and van Dijk are both fine). Personally, I'd have preferred seeing Thiago being subbed-in at ~60 minutes.

Real starts its fabled Modric-Kroos-Casemiro midfield, with Alaba returning from injury.

All to play for. I can't wait for this to start.

I still remember that match from four years ago. Ugh wouldn't be a bad way to sum that up. Hope the Scousers complete the cup treble tonight.

[martl]

I don't care for either team much, like, at all, in fact I hate both of them. But the most unbearable thing in football is the smug face of Klopp winning, so I hope Benzema can do something about it

[Pumablk]

Originally Posted by martl

I don't care for either team much, like, at all, in fact I hate both of them. But the most unbearable thing in football is the smug face of Klopp winning, so I hope Benzema can do something about it

I laughed hard at this because it’s so true. For today only,

Hala Madrid!

[echappist]

Madrid can never be written off, regardless on what the XG bean counters say.

Commiserations, Scousers. Hope you lot win the league or the big ears next year.

[wc1934]

RM - 14 CL trophies - twice as many as its nearest competitors.
What makes them so good?

[martl]

Originally Posted by wc1934

RM - 14 CL trophies - twice as many as its nearest competitors.
What makes them so good?

buying the best players on the planet en gros without having to bother about financing for a few decades may have helped. also Pool seemed to not have much of a plan in the second half, they attacked fiercely but it all seemed a bit random.

on the pitch yesterday: Kroos, Alaba, Thiago (Bayern München), Konate, Keita (RB Leipzig) Firmino (Hoffenheim) on the benches Matip (Schalke), Klopp (BVB) and Ancelotti (Bayern München) - german cup final really

[Pumablk]

Nottingham Forest back in the top flight after 23 years. What a crazy turnaround. Bottom early in the season to promotion. Huddersfield should feel a bit hard done by with a couple of (clear, imho) penalty shouts. Entertaining game with huge $$$$$ on the line along with promotion, obviously.

[Beldar77]

Originally Posted by martl

buying the best players on the planet en gros without having to bother about financing for a few decades may have helped. also Pool seemed to not have much of a plan in the second half, they attacked fiercely but it all seemed a bit random.

on the pitch yesterday: Kroos, Alaba, Thiago (Bayern München), Konate, Keita (RB Leipzig) Firmino (Hoffenheim) on the benches Matip (Schalke), Klopp (BVB) and Ancelotti (Bayern München) - german cup final really

Calling Ancelotti German or giving the Bundesliga credit for him is a stretch.

Point taken with the rest.

[BobC]

Originally Posted by Pumablk

Nottingham Forest back in the top flight after 23 years. What a crazy turnaround. Bottom early in the season to promotion. Huddersfield should feel a bit hard done by with a couple of (clear, imho) penalty shouts. Entertaining game with huge $$$$$ on the line along with promotion, obviously.

It will be interesting to see how Forest fare in the Prem next year. Sometimes promoting too quickly can cause a quick relegation then the wage bill "hangover".

It's nice to see storied clubs like Leeds & Forest back in the top flight. I will be pulling for Nottingham Forest in particular next season (especially as my team Watford was relegated).

[wc1934]

35 yo old (in a few weeks) Messi looked so rejuvenated - look out Qatar!!
Painful to watch my Azzurri.

[kytyree]

I thought Italy might be up for that match since they had a chance to win something, but I guess I can see it going the other way too.

I'd rather see more of matches like that than some of the other stuff the international squads are doing right now. Nations League doesn't hold much interest to me.

Ukraine played with a lot of intensity today, there for a bit it looked like they might run out of gas but they got it done.

[echappist]

Oh my, Scotland is a bit sh**te. Playing at home, two games away from WC qualification, and this was all it could muster...