Paullow

Hell of a free kick scored by Ferencvaros. Could be an interesting last 10 mins + stoppage time in Baku. Qarabag 2 Ferencvaros 3 (agg 5-4).

Another win for Whitley Bay who move 4 points clear at the top of NL1. Kendal made a strong start and some fancied them for a promotion push after ending last season fairly strong, but they lost at home to newly promoted Horden who leapfrog them into 3rd. I'd prefer Kendal not to be promoted because they will almost certainly end up in the NPL West and it will be a bit of waste of a spot in terms of the North East and I want that NPL East division to have as many local sides as possible (probably lose 1-3 this season, the way some have started). Newcastle Blue Star made a shocking start by their standards, but they got a big win tonight.

Looking like two former European Champions will be out within hours of each other to two group stage debutants in Almaty and Pafos.

Not sure he totally meant it, but it looked class

PAFOS!!!!

Quite looking forward to the Celtic and Red Star matches coming up, especially with their being a better than 1 in 8 chance that we face the winners. Celtic still a reasonable favourite to progress, despite not winning at home, and the Pafos-Red Star match looks very finely poised after the result in Belgrade last week. Bodo-Graz looks over as a contest, but the 2 competitive ties follow on from each other on Amazon Prime and TNT respectively.

Ideal draw for me would be Pot 1 Real Madrid (A) Bayern (H) We've played all the others since the PL began, so would be nice to get some glamour teams we haven't played before in recent memory, if at all. None of those will be easy, you could maybe say Dortmund aren't as strong as the other sides, especially with them struggling in the league last season, but then we thought that in 2023 and they were the only team we didn't take any points from, so would probably prefer to avoid them this time. Any points here would be a bonus, but Villa did beat Bayern at home last year, so a home win certainly wouldn't be beyond us against any of those. Pot 2 Bodo Glimt (H) Slavia Prague (A) I can recall us playing Olympiacos, Marseille, Sporting (a few times) and PSV, so would be nice to get someone else, but would be fine if we did get any of those. If you draw Bodo then you want them at home - playing them at home would be one of the easier on paper of the 16 possibilities in this pot, but away would be significantly tougher than some of the others. Prague away sounds ideal, a great trip for the fans, not too far away, and a match we really should be winning. Pot 3 Brugge (A) (H) - no real preference, maybe Frankfurt just about the easiest on paper, but all look to be around the same standard and no real gifts or nightmare draws We've played Brugge competitively (likewise Juventus, Frankfurt and Leverkusen, not counting the recent SELA matches with Ath Madrid and Villarreal), but I think in this instance it would be best to play them here, and if we were away, it would guarantee a home match against any of the others, where we would likely be betting faves vs any of them Pot 4 Qarabag (H) Pafos (A) I wouldn't like Qarabag away as it doesn't seem the best trip for fans, would almost certainly be on earlier, and would probably be a bit of a banana skin, but them at home would be ideal (similar with Almaty if they get past Celtic). Pafos would at least be a great trip for the fans even if it isn't the closest geographically. There does seem more discrepancies between some of these sides, Galatasaray (A) and Bilbao (H) wouldn't be ideal, but I'd like to think we'd get 4 points from most of the possible combos. Think it's just Bilbao and Monaco that we have played from this group, although we have played Celtic a lot of times in friendlies and drawing a Scottish team wouldn't be great from a fans perspective, I don't think, especially at home. In terms of worst, from a top 24 POV, something like the below would be grim R Madrid (H), PSG (A), A Madrid (H), Benfica (A), Napoli (H), Sporting (A), Galatasaray (A), Balbao (H)

Yeah, I was going to mention that earlier. I hadn't seen the National North table but saw they were 4 from without conceding, and even today, went behind early but turned it around. They ended last season terribly and seems Geoff Thompson is still owner despite wanting to sell it for pretty much all of last season, but a great start. Not sure if much has changed, but I see they they have local (to us) striker Cedwyn Scott playing who spent the last 2 years in League Two. Spenny started OK too, but seems like they are struggling to score.

Speaking of 90+8, Ashington equalised late vs Blyth Spartans to draw 1-1. Heaton battered 1-5 at home to Consett. Just having a look at the attendances and 3,162 at Hednesford against Rushall in tier 7. Hednesford were a Conference team when I was growing up in the mid 90s, but feels like they have been in obscurity for years, but that's a hell of a crowd. You kind of expect those numbers at this level from the likes of Macclesfield and Bury who were former league clubs and relatively big towns, but I didn't expect those numbers from Hednesford.

Fuckin hell, 90+8 minute winner for them. 3-4.

Yeah, 4 local matches in that league today, Blyth Town the side to miss out and they are away at Hallam in Sheffield Dunston vs Redcar Ath (1pm) Bishop Auckland vs Newton Aycliffe Blyth S vs Ashington Heaton Stan vs Consett Stockton vs Morpeth and Whitby vs Hebburn in the league above. They should have really swapped those fixtures and had Morpeth vs Hebburn and Stockton vs Whitby as both would have been more of a derby on Bank Holiday. It's Morpeth vs Hebburn on Tuesday 9th September.

Zirkee 87 last season (Martinez 78 as well that season, but doesn't really count). Fernandes 90+1 in 2023/24 Garnacho 90+3 in 2022.23

I swear Man Utd always get 90+2 minute winners vs Fulham. Can remember Garnacho, Fernandes (at least once) and I'm sure others as well, so while Fulham seem on top now, I'm still bracing the inevitable.

FFS, just realised I had this on pause and am about 10 mins behind and reading this thread back. It's just gone 1-4 where I am.

Awful from the keeper. It might bring Sunderland fans down down a peg or two if nothing else, given how poor WHam have been again.

I'm going for Fenerbahce-Benfica, probably the closest tie on paper, lots of familiar faces on display, especially for Fener (who ironically have an Englishman in their XI who I've never heard of)

Those watching a CL qualifier on TNT tonight, which one are you going for?

This is getting tasty. The petty twat in me hopes he stays here for another 3 years doing absolutely nothing and then leaves as a 29 year old with his prime years spent playing against Rochdale U23s. One thing for certain come Monday, first home game of the season, night match, bank holiday weekend, normally a bit of a spice in the fixture as it, mignifide ten fold this time, the atmosphere should be pretty intense in the MNF.

A decent point, positive first half and I'm sure most would have definitely taken that at 12.30pm. We'll probably both finish in and around each other again, so the mindset from both should be win at home and take a point away. If you ranked the 38 league games on paper, Villa Park will be in the top 8 most difficult for sure.

Picked my 15 on my lunch break earlier, but have completely forgot to pick my 11 and captain and stuff, great start. No idea who they will have put in.

Hibs back in front on agg. Cracking match.

AZ, Roma was a straight 1-0 defeat on agg.

I've always hated away goals as it's awful if you're watching as a neutral and wanting pens. Win the home leg 1-0 and go 1-0 up away and the tie is just about done (well, unless you're playing Sporting, ha), but Newcastle's European record certainly hasn't changed my mindset. One of my earlier memories of football was losing against Bilbao in the mid 90s, then Partizan, I was at the 4-4 Troyes match, and without Googling, I'm sure there was another away goals defeat, maybe Roma/Milan

Partizan down to 10, as they were in the first leg.