UEFA Champions League 2017/18

[MDK]

I stuck a quid on United to win 1-0. So I expect it'll end up 6-0.

[stokeriño]

And then we gift them a second.

Can this please be the reverse of the home game, where they ship a two goal lead to draw 3-3?  

[MDK]

El Shaarawy in TOTW in FIFA.

[stokeriño]

Meanwhile, Qarabag are 1-0 up at Atleti.  

[Kaney]

Bayern are one nil up but Celtic have been playing out of their skin, very unlucky not to have scored. The scoreline is to be expected but we've given a great account of ourselves so far.

[MDK]

1 minute ago, Kaney said:

Bayern are one nil up but Celtic have been playing out of their skin, very unlucky not to have scored. The scoreline is to be expected but we've given a great account of ourselves so far.

You are always a winner in my heart

[Baddar]

Poor Svilar.

[MDK]

That second Roma goal was shocking. I didn't see it first time around. 

[Baddar]

I fucking love Eric Bailly.

[stokeriño]

3-0 Roma

We don't deserve anything from this game. Everything we've done has been soooo sloppy.

Here comes Danny Drinkwater to save the day!  

[Kaney]

Celtic equalise!

I didn't say anything. Shut up.

[stokeriño]

WHAT A RESULT~!

...Atletico being held to a 1-1 draw at home to Qarabag, I mean. Not our game. That was a shambles.  

[Taxation is Theft]

https://deadspin.com/man-united-exploit-teenage-boner-for-victory-1819662779

WHO OK'D THIS HEADLINE???

[The Lusophone]

That is not ok.

[MDK]

That Chelsea defensive display was one of the worst I've seen. I'd be livid if Orient did that.

[The Lusophone]

Chelsea are missing Matic massively. Hige mistake to sell.

[Adam]

43 minutes ago, MDK said:

That Chelsea defensive display was one of the worst I've seen. I'd be livid if Orient did that.

Don't Orient play like that most weeks?

[MDK]

2 minutes ago, Adam said:

Don't Orient play like that most weeks?

Yes.

Shut up.

[stokeriño]

45 minutes ago, MadJack said:

Chelsea are missing Matic massively. Hige mistake to sell.

Only in terms of depth with injuries. But if we had Matic last night and played him instead of Fabregas in midfield, I doubt we'd have done any better. Both Matic and Bakayoko are at their best when they're allowed to be mobile (read: undisciplined) in midfield, and playing them together would leave just as many chasms but without Cesc's occasionally-good passes. Alternatively, playing Matic instead of Bakayoko would have been just as bad, with the only difference being that the most one-footed player ever was now on the pitch to limit our passing range.

Theoretically the argument is that we should have been playing three in central midfield instead of two (e.g. 3-5-2 instead of 3-4-3), so that we weren't outnumbered by Roma in that area. But bizarrely we've looked even more shocking in defence when using that formation lately. I don't know why that is. Possibly a combination of worse hold-up play from the front pair and the fact that 3-5-2 tends to be coupled with playing Azpi at RWB as the 'defensively-minded choice'...when actually it just limits our attacking play on the right, which is all the more crucial because we've already removed someone like Pedro from the pitch to get this formation in the first place.

Obviously the solution is for Kante to be back, because he's worth two men on his own.

And let's be honest: the absence of Matic or even the absence of Kante doesn't explain the utter shit-show the back three were. I know that protection from midfield makes any defence look better (just like good defence makes goalkeepers look better), but the degree and frequency of the cock-ups were staggering. How could ALL THREE of them chase the same man down, to leave the other completely free for the square pass? Ridiculous.

[Baddar]

Is Kante likely to be back on Sunday?