UEFA Europa League 2022/23

[The Lusophone]

16 hours ago, Adam said:

Surely there isn't a problem when they get knocked out in the next round?

What's great is that this could apply to any of the cups.

Face Villa in the third round (both Palace and Leeds also have Prem opposition so the problem may resolve itself anyway), get a Spanish team in the Europa and I'm sure we'll find a way to lose to a Championship side in the FA Cup again.

[Baddar]

We're winning all 3 cups and coming 2nd in the league though? 🤷‍♂️

[The Lusophone]

5 minutes ago, Baddar said:

We're winning all 3 cups and coming 2nd in the league though? 🤷‍♂️

To add a fake treble to our real one?

[Baddar]

Why not?

[Lineker]

 

[Chris2K]

The first three teams drawn being Barcelona, Man Utd and Juventus is crazy.

[gunnar hendershow]

For those who like the assume it's all rigged, well, Barcelona vs Man Utd in the knockout round instead of the semifinals probably pours some water on that.

[Twist]

12 minutes ago, damhausen said:

For those who like the assume it's all rigged, well, Barcelona vs Man Utd in the knockout round instead of the semifinals probably pours some water on that.

Based on current form maybe they just don’t have faith in either team making it that far.

(I don’t buy into it being rigged).

[Lineker]

Europa League Round of 16 draw

• FC Union Saint-Gilloise v Union Berlin
• Sevilla v Fenerbahce
• Juventus v SC Freiburg
• Bayer Leverkusen v Ferencvaros
• Sporting Clube De Portugal v Arsenal
• Manchester United v Real Betis
• Roma v Real Sociedad
• Shakhatar Donetsk v Feyenoord

[Dang117]

Another trip to Spain for United, some interesting ties in this round

[gunnar hendershow]

5 minutes ago, Dang117 said:

Another trip to Spain for United, some interesting ties in this round

Both Italian clubs are in really spicy matchups that I could see each losing.

[Colly]

BT Sport continue to be awful, Scholesy and Hargreaves being completely non partisan and complaining about the handball rule. Fuck all wrong with that, just piss poor defending and a lovely finish from Ayoze.

[The Lusophone]

I mean he's used his arm to control it and whilst under the rule it's fine, just like the one at Middlesbrough last season, it will never not be jarring to me that players are allowed to get away with handball now.

[Colly]

Under any definition of the handball law other than that short period (was it a season?) where accidental handball at any stage in the buildup ruled out goals it's the same though, accidental handball isn't handball.

There's maybe a debate as to whether it was accidental or not (I don't agree that he controlled it with his arm, he chests it and there's a touch of his forearm that doesn't do much if anything, so VAR is unlikely to overturn), but Scholes was asking for a law change just as Rio was earlier in the week. God knows what either of them wanted them changing too, but whinging is easy punditry and that's what BT Sport have.

Just checked, 2020/21 was the only time that goal would have been ruled out for accidental handball, before and after unless the ref deems it a deliberate handball (I.e. an actual handball) it stands.

[Kaney]

Out on pens. Two bad luck injuries to Saliba and Tomiyasu fucked our game plan completely. Clearly a far better team when Partey and Odegaard were on but just couldn't do enough. Ramsdale guessed the right way on ever pen but just never had confidence he was saving one so bleh. Seeing lots of people say they don't care, they're glad we lost etc which is mental. The prem is absolutely not even close to being a lock so snubbing your nose at the europa league and even wishing that your own team loses is pathetic. I'm gutted.

[Colly]

My biggest bugbear in football is fans (and it's usually Internet fans rather than matchgoers) thinking their club is bigger than competitions. I get the business types at the club balancing winnings against costs, but fans being happy to be out of a cup? Miserable.

[Baddar]

Arsenal going out certainly opens things up a bit more for us, but as long as Sevilla are still in, we're likely fucked anyway.

Fully anticipating going from two games against Sociedad, Barca and Betis to playing Sevilla in the quarters.

Just caught the Sporting equaliser. Holy shit.

[Lineker]

8 hours ago, Baddar said:

but as long as Sevilla are still in, we're likely fucked anyway.

 

[gunnar hendershow]

The minute I saw that post I went "they're absolutely drawing Sevilla".

[Lineker]