Other games (2024/25)

[alexf]

Shame we won't be playing this version of City in a few weeks once all their new signings have settled in.

[Pokerprince2004]

Absolutely mental that after 7 games Man City are 25th and out of the qualifying zone. You'd have thought when it started they'd probably top the table. Even a draw next Wednesday and they're out. Shame they're at home to a minnow still strong favourites to qualify but a bit of jeopardy to make it interesting 

[KaKa]

1 minute ago, The College Dropout said:

This group stage has been fun man.  
 

Real, Bayern, PSG, Juve and more all I the play offs.  
 

PSG and City fighting to even make the play off. 
 

Is the playoff just 1 KO round right? Top half team is at home?

 

Think the playoff is over two legs.

[The College Dropout]

2 minutes ago, Lush Vlad said:

Yeah. They’re at home to Club Brugge. PSG away to Stuttgart who are 22nd and 24th.
 

They’ll creep in 24th out of 24. 

All clubs have something to play for right?

 

[Paully]

On 21/01/2025 at 13:30, Paully said:

I have to say I think the new CL format has been superb (raging it didn’t come in last season!) and it’s completely wide open going into the last two games!

 

PSG vs Man City tomorrow is a HUGE game!

100% this for me!

[The College Dropout]

Just now, KaKa said:

 

Think the playoff is over two legs.

Ok perfect.  Need that for Villa and for them to win.  

[ponsaelius]

Can somebody remind me what is great about this CL format?

 

Other than City potentially going out (but ultimately not) there is literally nothing at stake. 27th-36th are all completely out with nothing to play for whatsoever. There's a handful of teams with a chance of either moving into top 8 or dropping out to the marginally more onerous punishment of having yet more fucking games. It's not even like the placing matters once you're guaranteed top 8 - so Barca/Liverpool etc have no motivation whatsoever either. At least with the old format winning the group remained a clear carrot.

 

They've all played an extra two games for less drama, and any drama there is remains confused and hard to follow due to the random nature of the fixtures.

 

No wonder there's empty seats at games, it's a total mess.

 

 

Edited 6 hours ago by ponsaelius

[SUPERTOON]

6 minutes ago, Joe1984 said:

Top 8 auto qualify. 9-24 do playoffs.

 

 

One or two legs ?

[healthyaddiction]

4 minutes ago, alexf said:

Shame we won't be playing this version of City in a few weeks once all their new signings have settled in.

To be fair, none of their new signings so far get into their first 11.

[JUICE690]

What do we need to happen? For a 5th CL spot?

[Erikse]

10 minutes ago, Lush Vlad said:

Yeah. They’re at home to Club Brugge. PSG away to Stuttgart who are 22nd and 24th.
 

They’ll creep in 24th out of 24. 

 

They'll go above Club Brugge if they beat them anyways. So it will be atleast 23rd.

[The College Dropout]

2 minutes ago, ponsaelius said:

Can somebody remind me what is great about this CL format?

 

Other than City potentially going out (but ultimately not) there is literally nothing at stake. 27th-36th are all completely out with nothing to play for whatsoever. There's a handful of teams with a chance of either moving into top 8 or dropping out. It's not even like the placing matters once you're guaranteed top 8 - so Barca/Liverpool etc have no motivation whatsoever either.

 

They've all played an extra two games for less drama, and any drama there is remains confused and hard to follow due to the random nature of the fixtures.

 

No wonder there's empty seats at games, it's a total mess.

Been a lot of fun matches which for me is the main thing. 
 

20 clubs with something meaningful to play for heading into the last game. Only 6 teams through already or basically through.  That didn’t happen before. 

[Pata]

Shame Stuttgart and PSG play against each other on the last week.

[The College Dropout]

And FWIW Celtic will be playing CL football in February.  Celtic will play a minimum of 12 CL games.  I’m sure they won’t get much more money for it from uefa but atm that feels nice. 

[Geordie Ahmed]

I know it won't stay this way but currently in the play offs we have Bayern Vs Real Madrid, which would make for class viewing 

[Geordie Ahmed]

1 minute ago, The College Dropout said:

And FWIW Celtic will be playing CL football in February.  Celtic will play a minimum of 12 CL games.  I’m sure they won’t get much more money for it from uefa but atm that feels nice. 

Minimum of 10 isn't it?

[black_n_white]

Man City look weak as piss, gone are the days they keep the ball for 90 mins.

[The College Dropout]

Ending the CL teams dropping into the Europa League also makes the Europa a better competition. 

[The College Dropout]

1 minute ago, Geordie Ahmed said:

Minimum of 10 isn't it?

Sorry yes 10.  

[ponsaelius]

4 minutes ago, The College Dropout said:

Been a lot of fun matches which for me is the main thing. 
 

20 clubs with something meaningful to play for heading into the last game. Only 6 teams through already or basically through.  That didn’t happen before. 

 

There's been a load of utterly inconsequential shite from what I've watched. Has had the air of regular season NBA. Nobody really particularly arsed because they're all guaranteed to progress in some form or another. Inter had their ressies out for the Arsenal game and rested for the weekend because it was basically done and dusted at MD4.

[Paully]

12 minutes ago, ponsaelius said:

Can somebody remind me what is great about this CL format?

 

Other than City potentially going out (but ultimately not) there is literally nothing at stake. 27th-36th are all completely out with nothing to play for whatsoever. There's a handful of teams with a chance of either moving into top 8 or dropping out to the marginally more onerous punishment of having yet more fucking games. It's not even like the placing matters once you're guaranteed top 8 - so Barca/Liverpool etc have no motivation whatsoever either. At least with the old format winning the group remained a clear carrot.

 

They've all played an extra two games for less drama, and any drama there is remains confused and hard to follow due to the random nature of the fixtures.

 

No wonder there's empty seats at games, it's a total mess.

 

 

 

There seems to have been a load more better matches in this stage and loads more clubs have more to play for going into the last round of fixtures!

[ponsaelius]

3 minutes ago, Geordie Ahmed said:

I know it won't stay this way but currently in the play offs we have Bayern Vs Real Madrid, which would make for class viewing 

 

No guarantee you have that at all, there's a rather complex fresh draw for the Play Off round.

[ponsaelius]

Just now, Paully said:

There seems to have been a load more better matches in this stage and loads more clubs have more to play for going into the last round of fixtures!

 

It's just not true, very few have anything in particular to play for, and there is almost no jeopardy. At worst you end up still through in a play off anyway.

 

City are the only jeopardy and they'll get through anyway. They'd have also struggled in a group format this season anyway based on their form.

[Erikse]

9 minutes ago, Pata said:

Shame Stuttgart and PSG play against each other on the last week.

 

Why? Man City will surpass Club Brugge with a win, it doesn't matter.

[Geordie Ahmed]

1 minute ago, ponsaelius said:

 

No guarantee you have that at all, there's a rather complex fresh draw for the Play Off round.

Yeah, I just realised I totally misread it

 

Obviously still games to play but as things stand Bayern/Real will face Celtic/Juve

 

But there's almost no chance the group positions stay as they are