Paullow

Aye, but it's a decent consolation prize though. More matches in Europe, new clubs to face, possibly even new countries, maybe more chance for lesser like fans (like me) to see the team if drawn against a Slavia Prague / Qarabag etc. and a chance to win a trophy and get back into the CL through the backdoor if we don't do quite enough in the league, and possibly even knock out the team that finishes 5th (not sure how that would work, but would be sweet )? More matches on TV etc. We hadn't even been in the Europa League for 10 years before this season, so I'd really like our European journey to continue, even if not the ultimate goal, so I think people would be fairly split, with no universal obvious answer.

PSG would be raging in that situation if Milan broke away and went on to win the match as they (Milan) would go from 4th to 2nd out of nowhere, knocking PSG into the Europa, ha.

Hypothetical situation - Dortmund are winning 2 or 3-0, or have already won. We are drawing 0-0 and get a corner with 2 mins of injury time to play - would you bring Pope up for it?

You had me reading that over and over

To qualify odds - PSG 3/10, Newcastle 9/4, Milan 20/1 (if they win, PSG have to lose).

This will likely sound stupid, especially so close to the decision, and it's a right kick in the teeth, but at least it has caused a moment / talking point, and will likely increase the clubs profile, if throughout Europe are saying it's an awful decision. I thought the CL was possibly going to pass us by after those 2 Dortmund defeats, very tough match to come (tonight) and a real chance we would have been guaranteed 4th tonight if we had a routine loss, but hopefully this sense of injustice will spur us on. I hope that makes a tiny bit of sense.

Gutting, obviously, but still better than it was at 8pm. Dortmund know that if PSG beat them then PSG top the group, so there is an incentive for Dortmund to get at least a point, and if they do, we know a win will see us through. Plus if we are a goal down to Milan in injury time, like Paris were tonight, we know that a late point in that game would at least see is still in Europe. Just happy the Milan game is still live, and we do still have half a chance of qualifying in 2nd, but heartbreaking all the same.

Heartbreaking

1-3 Dortmund, so we should still have something to play for if PSG do come back.

VAR permitting of course.

Dortmund 2-1 up.

Milan 1-1, VAR pemitting.

If we win the League Cup then it would 'only' be the Europa Conference, and dropping into the Europa League from the CL would at least be another shot of CL qualification for next season, and a cup of course. I'd personally much prefer to drop into the Europa than finish 4th in the group, but I'd at least want the final Milan match to be somewhat live, even if a draw or loss meant elimination from Europe altogether. We could rest players, go easy etc. but worst case scenario for me would be for that Milan home match to have absolutely nothing on it, so in hoping there's at least something to play for at 10pm tonight, and I suspect the most likely outcome for that to he the case would be for Dortmund to get something in Italy tonight.

3rd still = EL, but if there's 2 home wins in the group tonight then were guaranteed 4th, and out altogether, with one match to play.

That said, I'm just not really feeling tonight for some reason. The injuries and back to back losses against the supposed weakest opposition has deflated me a bit, and I am expecting a routine 2 or 3-0 loss and will be very pleasantly surprised if we get anything. After the euphoria of the hpme PSG match, the competition does kind of feel like it's passed us by with those two losses, early kick off times and the hardest match on paper, by far, still to come. Away at Milan and Dortmund we were fairly equal odds of circa 6/4, yet barely laced a glove, whereas tonight we range from between 4 and 5/1 so it will be extremely tough (we were faves in the home PSG match, but away is a totally different proposition). If we do go 2-0 down then I may actually switch to the Milan Dortmund match in the hope the former doesn't win so that our European journey doesn't completely end tonight. Even if you think we may be better off finishing 4th than 3rd (I don't), you'd surely want that last match with Milan to be somewhat live - it would be gutting if we were out of Europe altogether, which I suspect we will, with one match still to go, especially after topping the group after 2 games, and many expecting 4 points to come from the Dortmund double header. Hope I'm wrong, and apologies if I am bringing gloom to what should be a positive thread and occasion for the club, but I'm just not really feeling it.

But after GW6, there will be no European matches until mid Feb, so plenty of time for everyone, bar Tonali, to return. Yes, with our intense style of play and fixture list, there will likely be more injuries, but that may well be the same in future years and you'd always want the team to do as best they can.

I guess a bit like Spurs vs Brighton late on last season, but the match thread will be interesting tomorrow with some saying 'gerrin Milan have scored', and others saying 'FFS Dortmund'

I'd actually 'take a loss' if it could guarantee Milan didn't win against Dortmund, just to ensure the last game has something riding on it - a shame that other match wasn't on at 5.45pm. Can't really see beyond a routine 2 goal defeat, yes that's the spirit etc., and would expect Milan to win at home and that would be a real dampened to be out completely after GW5, when we were tipping the group after GW2.

It's crazy how things can change so quickly. A few weeks ago when they went a goal up vs Chelsea, and seemingly had a second before Son's was ruled out, they were flying, looking like 29 points from 33, but suddenly lose that, lose Van de Ven and Maddison through injury, Romero and Udogie through suspension, lose their follow up match to Wolves, and pick up a few more injuries and suspensions in between. They have taken the lead in the last three matches and look like losing all 3 and going from outside title challengers and clear top 4 faves (especially with no Europe / League Cup) to all of a sudden being in a 3 or 4 way battle for 4th at best.

Thought that might have happened. Spurs stretched and Villa a lot more options off the bench to turn things in their favour. Hopefully Spurs can at least equalise.

I'm kind of leaning more towards hoping Spurs win now. I hope they at least take the lead, and then if Villa do equalise later on then it would be absolutely fine, but I think Villa will probably be faves for 4th if they do win here.

Current top 3 in the 8th tier is Stockton, Hebburn, and Consett, although they have played more games than some and Consett could get passed by a few. Good win for Newton Aycliffe to pull away from the drop zone a bit. A shame North Shields were demoted, but would be good to get as many teams as possible in this league to give it more of a local feel, more interest, and keep travel times down for the clubs as much as possible.

Aye, a few notable absentees in Maddison, Ven de Ven, Romero, and Bissouma out, and the replacements are generally not really top 10 standard. Villa very slight faves now at some places, it's pretty much the same as us vs Chelsea yesterday, us starting off slight faves, but then with the line ups / money coming in, the opponent coming in, both in and around 6/4 - if Villa were at home then Spurs would probably be nearer 4/1 with Villa's record at VP and their injuries.

Yeah, really good 'Super Sunday' today. It's great just chilling out on the Sunday with two really intriguing matches to look forward to and not need move from the couch. Hoping for Everton to win - it is more interesting with the recent developments and Luton winning yesterday, but they will more than likely to stay up, and I'd rather those points came against a rival than against the likes of Brentford, Palace, Wolves etc. Like many, hoping Spurs and Villa draw. I think if there had to be a winner then I'd rather Spurs won. I'd probably rather finish below Spurs than Villa (if had to finish below one) as it would feel less disappointing, but also with Villa's home record, an away win against Spurs (despite Spurs missing a few) would be a real statement, a platform to push on further, and it would have a few similarities to us winning 2-1 at Spurs last year after game week 12, where finishing top 4 was beginning to look like an actually possibility.

Newcastle United, Sheffield United, Man City, Chelsea, Everton, Wolves, Nottingham Forest.