Champions League 23/24 (2 Viewers)

[Frostie]

As always, it's the financial muscle of the PL exponentially eclipsing everyone else that means that it is the strongest & only getting stronger.

Can you ever imagine a scenario years ago where the 14th best team in the Prem can just go & raid European giants Ajax for their best players?

 

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[SBT]

Not really , the teams that wins the most is

So you think Real Madrid or Dortmund would win the Premier League this year? I think knockout tournaments are kind of an inexact science for judging this kind of thing. English teams have done pretty well in them for the last 20 years regardless!

 

[Grendel]

When people talk about “the best league in the world”, I take it to mean the complete package - quality and entertainment etc

I’m not sure in any case that the last 20 years of European competition makes a conclusive argument against the English league being the best and most successful (unless winning knockout tournaments is your only measure of success).

Well yes Crystal Palace vs Sheffield United sends a tingle down the spine

 

[Evo1883]

So you think Real Madrid or Dortmund would win the Premier League this year? I think knockout tournaments are kind of an inexact science for judging this kind of thing. English teams have done pretty well in them for the last 20 years regardless!

Well I think real Madrid, however we spin it went 2 matches against man city without losing , despite looking the weaker team ..

But Spanish teams have dominated European football for a long while

 

[SBT]

Well yes Crystal Palace vs Sheffield United sends a tingle down the spine

Every top league has these kind of dud fixtures…

 

[SBT]

Well I think real Madrid, however we spin it went 2 matches against man city without losing , despite looking the weaker team ..

But Spanish teams have dominated European football for a long while

Well English teams have won the Champions League every other year dating back to 2018 (a different team every time as well, in case you were worried about it being boring).

Over the 20 year period you mentioned, there have been nine Spanish champions (Barca and Real) and six English ones. I wouldn’t say it’s a landslide domination, especially when the margins in knockout football are as fine as they were in that Man City-Real Madrid tie you mention.

 

[Evo1883]

Well English teams have won the Champions League every other year dating back to 2018 (a different team every time as well, in case you were worried about it being boring).

Over the 20 year period you mentioned, there have been nine Spanish champions (Barca and Real) and six English ones. I wouldn’t say it’s a landslide domination, especially when the margins in knockout football are as fine as they were in that Man City-Real Madrid tie you mention.

We have to include the europa league too , where Spanish teams have also had huge success over the last 20 years

11 winners in the last 20 years

Premier league 3

 

[SBT]

We have to include the europa league too , where Spanish teams have also had huge success over the last 20 years

11 winners in the last 20 years

Premier league 3

I mean, it’s a stronger argument if you think we have to, but I think it’s muddied by the different number of teams who qualify for each tournament (and the number of UCL teams who fall into the Europa League after being eliminated etc). Personally I don’t think the winners of the second-most important knockout tournament ever tells you much about the true hierarchy of teams.

 

[Evo1883]

I mean, it’s a stronger argument if you think we have to, but I think it’s muddied by the different number of teams who qualify for each tournament (and the number of UCL teams who fall into the Europa League after being eliminated etc). Personally I don’t think the winners of the second-most important knockout tournament ever tells you much about the true hierarchy of teams.

But they have the most winners in both major European trophies by over double the english premier league in total over the period ,

 

[SBT]

But they have the most winners in both major European trophies by over double the english premier league in total over the period ,

As I say - I don’t value the Europa League in the same way, and the qualification rules mean it’s not always apples to apples. If people agree that winning the Europa League is an undeniable barometer of a league’s superiority then it’s very hard to argue with you though.

 

[Evo1883]

As I say - I don’t value the Europa League in the same way, and the qualification rules mean it’s not always apples to apples. If people agree that winning the Europa League is an undeniable barometer of a league’s superiority then it’s very hard to argue with you though.

Sure , but we already established the Premier league is behind on european cups too

And has just missed put on a 5th spot because our teams have done so poorly

Do we think the Premier leagues 12th placed team crystal Palace would beat sevilla who are 12th in la liga and participated in the CL this year ?

 

[SBT]

Do we think the Premier leagues 12th placed team crystal Palace would beat sevilla who are 12th in la liga and participated in the CL this year ?

Possibly? I wouldn’t have backed them to beat Liverpool at Anfield either.

I just don’t think performance in knockout tournaments tells the whole story about a particular club, or particular league’s strength - I’d have thought all Coventry fans would be acutely aware of that this year! But obviously I get your argument.

 

[Evo1883]

Possibly? I wouldn’t have backed them to beat Liverpool at Anfield either.

I just don’t think performance in knockout tournaments tells the whole story about a particular club, or particular league’s strength - I’d have thought all Coventry fans would be acutely aware of that this year! But obviously I get your argument.

Well they do have to go through group stages too

 

[SBT]

Well they do have to go through group stages too

Of course, but the margins are nevertheless fine - the last three finals have been decided on penalties. We were a couple of penalty kicks away from there being more Scottish winners than German ones over the past 30 years.

 

[Brighton Sky Blue]

Villa have won the European Cup to be fair so would argue that they're not some nobodies

Not saying they are, but they haven’t qualified for this competition in a pretty long time.

 

[HadjiChippo]

Great start from Atalanta, been all over Leverkusen in the first 10 minutes.

Still back Leverkusen to win though as Xabi Alonso seems to be reloading the save whenever they lose.

 

[HadjiChippo]

Lookman has been unstoppable early on

 

[SBAndy]

Some great pressing from Atalanta but that creates space up the pitch for Leverkusen which they seem incapable of using. The commentary is right in a sense; they need a striker on. But they also need to get the defenders moving across rather than hitting it straight towards them.

 

[Evo1883]

Amazingly , atalanta have won the copa Italia once in their history as their only major honour, now will add the Uefa Cup / Europa league