RealGM

New season, new thread. Discuss the Champions League (and qualifiers/playoff games) in here.



Current holders are Chelsea, which is their 2nd CL title.

Benfica set to play Spartak Moscow August 4th and 10th in qualifying round.

This pits current Benfica manager Jorge Jesus against Rui Vitória. The latter succeeded the former, when Jesus first left two time defending champion Benfica in the summer of 2015, to manage Lisbon rival Sporting. Rui Vitória followed up Jesus' b2b by making it a threepeat. Jesus would often take credit for Vitória's success with Benfica, as his own Sporting struggled. Rui would equally often clap back. Their passive-aggressive back and forths were legendary.

Jorge Jesus is... quite the character.

lol take it ease
that was from back in my HS school days

I think the favorites for the coming season, in descending order, are: City, Bayern, PSG.

So original

SgtPepper wrote:I think the favorites for the coming season, in descending order, are: City, Bayern, PSG.

So original

Bayern won't. They've gotten worse.

Made the same mistake as in 2013. Didn't invest after their triple season.

So far at best a lateral swap between Alaba and Upamecano. Positions 13-26 on their squad are full of scrubs like Ulreich, Sarr, Richards, Roca, Cuisance.
They are **** whenever they have to rely on them in UCL.

Not going to be enough to compete for the title. Semi final max.

They added Upamecano, a WC central defender, while getting rid of the 2 worst starters in their squad. Even Sule, who was used less than those 2, on average had better form than them. I think Bayern was putting those 2 in the shopping window.

The 2 positions I think they could use help in are cm and cf, where the latter has no proximate cover and the former is a bit thin.

SgtPepper wrote:They added Upamecano, a WC central defender, while getting rid of the 2 worst starters in their squad. Even Sule, who was used less than those 2, on average had better form than them. I think Bayern was putting those 2 in the shopping window.

The 2 positions I think they could use help in are cm and cf, where the latter has no proximate cover and the former is a bit thin.

More than anything they need a reliable winger.

Sane at this point is a proven loser in big games. Always takes the wrong decisions.
Gnabry hasn't been able to conserve his 2019/20 form. Especially not in UCL.
Coman isn't reliable mainly due to injuries.

Never understood why they didn't try to bring back one of Perisic or Countinho. They were perfect backups for Coman and Gnabry and always produced even in limited minutes. Coutinho probably too expensive but Perisic himself would've been a better and much cheaper purchase than Sane.

Alphonso Davies at LB might give them a boost if he is 100%. Feels like he hasn't been 100% ever since his ankle injury.

Benfica whipped out the 3-4-3 formation to beat Spartak 2-0. Wonderful start.

The 3-4-3 strikes again! PSV handed a 2-1 defeat in the first leg of the CL qualifier in Lisbon.

Starting to love the younger centreback tandem emerging under veterans Vertonghen and Otamendi, in Lucas Verissimo (6'2'') and Morato (6'3'').

Lucas has just been called up for his first national squad game as a top 4 Brazilian CB, and Morato's vision and passing on the pitch is incredible for his age.

HOOOO! Benfica fought through, being down a man by the 30 minute mark in Eindhoven.

CL draw is Thursday.

Well that didn't work.

The UCL-Draw is now beginning.

Plastic teams meet in Group A.

Group stages are just a waste of time.

HIF wrote:Group stages are just a waste of time.

Gotta say my interest in this upcoming UCL season is at an all-time low.

It's all about money nowadays but a return to two legged knockout cups would make the matches more interesting for the fans and reduce the number of games players have to play in a season and as a consequence reduce injuries and the need to have 25 elite players in your squad.

Fair and actually urgent point about reducing the number of games, but personally, I'm fine about the money. The CL is arguably the biggest sports league on the planet. It should be making that sort of money. The only problem with the cash flow is how it's enhanced disparities without any hope for an effective European-wide scheme for revenue sharing in sight.

Good start for Man Utd.