Association Football 2023/2024 Discussion Thread

[NewYorkExpress]

Apparently signing one player really can make all of the difference. Just days after officially signing Casemiro from Real Madrid, Manchester United is steamrolling through Liverpool 2-0 at Old Trafford, despite Liverpool having possessed the ball for almost double the amount of time of Man U.

Casemiro was literally watching from an executive box.

Says more about Liverpool then...though they are getting back into this one. Mohamed Salah scored a couple of minutes ago to make it 2-1.

[Mike88]

This also happened this weekend around here:

https://twitter.com/LongBallFutebol/status/1561467837927022592

The goal celebration was quite surprising, but the player, Yago Cariello, responded by saying that he didn't "strafed" Vitória fans but was responding to the racist chants from Vitória supporters towards his team.

Portimonense ended by defeating Vitória de Guimarães by 2-1.

[NewYorkExpress]

A warm welcome back to the Ukranian Premier League! Their season starts this weekend.

[Blow by blow, the passion dies]

I watched Palmeiras against Flamengo this Sunday

[NewYorkExpress]

Officially advancing to the UEFA Champions League Group Stage, Benifca (defeating Dynamo Kyiv), Maccabi Haifa (defeating Red Star Belgrade) and Viktoria Plzen (defeating FK Qarabag).

Tomorrow will be the second legs of the remaining three playoff round matches, Bodo/Glimt vs Dinamo Zagreb (Bodo/Glimt leads 1-0 on aggregate), PSV Eindhoven/Rangers (tied at two on aggregate) and Trabzonspor/FC Copenhagen (Copenhagen leads 2-1 on aggregate).

[NewYorkExpress]

Fulham lost badly to Crawley Town in Carabao Cup action today, 2-0, in what's honestly a pretty serious upset (Fulham being a recently promoted Premier League side, Crawley Town having finished last season mid-table in League Two).

[NewYorkExpress]

Other than the aforementioned Champions League qualifying matchups, the other big game tomorrow is a really odd and out of place friendly between Barcelona and Manchester City, taking place at Camp Nou.

[NewYorkExpress]

Advancing to the UEFA Champions League Group Stage: Dinamo Zagreb (defeating Bodo/Glimt), Rangers (defeating PSV Eindhoven) and FC Copenhagen.

[NewYorkExpress]

UEFA Champions League Group Stage draw is done.

Group A: Liverpool, Ajax, Napoli, Rangers
Group B: FC Porto, Bayer Leverkusen, Atletico Madrid, Club Brugge
Group C: Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Viktora Plzen
Group D:  Eintracht Frankfurt, Tottenham Hotspur, Sporting CP, Marseille
Group E: AC Milan, Chelsea, RB Salzburg, Dinamo Zagreb
Group F: Real Madrid, RB Leipzig, Shaktar Donetsk, Celtics
Group G:  Manchester City, Sevilla, Borussia Dortmund, FC Copenhagen
Group H: PSG, Juventus, Benfica, Maccabi Haifa

[Fight for Trump]

Man, imagine away days in Pilsen.

[NewYorkExpress]

We've got a pretty decent set of matchups this weekend. Lazio/Inter Milan on Friday and Chelsea/Leicester City, Bayern Munich/Borussia Monchengladbach (Monchengladbach is in a three team group in second in the Bundesliga with Union Berlin and Mainz at seven points, two behind Bayern Munich) and Juventus/Roma on Saturday.

[NewYorkExpress]

The Europa League Group Stage draw is done.

Group A: Arsenal, PSV, Bodo/Glimt, FC Zurich
Group B: Dyanmo Kyiv, Rennes, Fenerbache, AEK Lacarna
Group C: Roma, Ludogorets Razgrad, Real Betis, HJK Helsinki
Group D: Braga, Malmo, Union Berlin, Union Saint-Gilliose
Group E: Manchester United, Real Sociadad, Sherrif Tiraspol, Athletic Club Onomia Nicosia
Group F: Lazio, Feyernood, Midtylland, Strum Graz
Group G: Olympiacos, Qarabag, Freiburg, Nantes
Group H: Red Star Belgrade, Monaco, Ferencvaros, Trabzonspor

[JGibson]

The UECL group stage:


Group A: İstanbul Başakşehir, Fiorentina, Heart of Midlothian, RFS
Group B: West Ham United, FCSB, Anderlecht, Silkeborg
Group C: Villarreal, Hapoel Be'er Sheva, Austria Wien, Lech Poznań
Group D: Partizan, FC Köln, Nice, Slovácko
Group E: AZ Alkmaar, Apollon Limassol, Vaduz, Dnipro-1
Group F: Gent, Molde, Shamrock Rovers, Djurgårdens IF
Group G: Slavia Prague, CFR Cluj, Sivasspor, Ballkani
Group H: Basel, Slovan Bratislava, Žalgiris, Pyunik

[NewYorkExpress]

Lazio moves into the lead in Serie A, at least for the moment, following their 3-1 victory over Inter Milan.

[NewYorkExpress]

Liverpool annihilates Bournemouth 9-0, ties the record for margin of victory in an English Premier League Match.

[Blow by blow, the passion dies]

Liverpool annihilates Bournemouth 9-0, ties the record for margin of victory in an English Premier League Match.

Somewhat predictable

[Alcibiades]

Wow, Arsenal really are looking good. Not the prettiest of performances today, but we showed real fight. I wonder though, considering recent history, when I can start to believe…

[NewYorkExpress]

Wow, Arsenal really are looking good. Not the prettiest of performances today, but we showed real fight. I wonder though, considering recent history, when I can start to believe…

It's Arsenal's best domestic start since the 2003-2004 season.

That said, I'd be at least somewhat worried about their European prospects. Their Europa League group (PSV, FC Zurich, Bodo/Glimt) isn't a walk in the park, though at least it isn't as difficult as Manchester United's group.

[NewYorkExpress]

Looks like whatever passes for an upset today in the Power Five Leagues might be Lens defeating Rennes 2-1 to move to the top of Ligue 1 pending the outcome of tomorrow's PSG/Monaco game at Parc des Princes.

[NewYorkExpress]

Celtic also won 9-0 yesterday, equaling the record margin of victory in the Scottish Premier League.

[DavidB.]

Man United just bought Ajax winger Antony for € 100 million.

[NewYorkExpress]

If it isn't for the fact that Real Madrid again seems unbeatable, and Barcelona's in an impossible Champions League Group, I'd say a La Liga/Champions League double is very much doable for Barca this year the way they've played so far. They destroyed Real Valladolid 4-0, and the only league game they've dropped any points in so far was the opener against Rayo Vallecano.

[Fight for Trump]

Man United just bought Ajax winger Antony for € 100 million.

Money which Ajax will use to develop at least 5 top players, while Man Utd limp into a Europa League position again.

[Lechasseur]

If it isn't for the fact that Real Madrid again seems unbeatable, and Barcelona's in an impossible Champions League Group, I'd say a La Liga/Champions League double is very much doable for Barca this year the way they've played so far. They destroyed Real Valladolid 4-0, and the only league game they've dropped any points in so far was the opener against Rayo Vallecano.

Barcelona definitely look a lot better than they did a year ago. I'm inclined to agree that Real Madrid will probably defend their La Liga title, and that Barcelona is in what's probably the toughest Champions League group. However, even if it could easily go the otherway, I think Barcelona will make it out of their group behind Bayern Munich and ahead of Inter Milan.

[Lechasseur]

Wow, Arsenal really are looking good. Not the prettiest of performances today, but we showed real fight. I wonder though, considering recent history, when I can start to believe…

It's Arsenal's best domestic start since the 2003-2004 season.

That said, I'd be at least somewhat worried about their European prospects. Their Europa League group (PSV, FC Zurich, Bodo/Glimt) isn't a walk in the park, though at least it isn't as difficult as Manchester United's group.

I honestly think Arsenal will finally qualify for the Champions League this year, I'm very optimistic for them for the first time in a while.

And I think they will win their Europa League group. Not a walk in the park, but definitely doable.