UEFA Champions League And Europa League thread

  • Thread starter Dennisch
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Morning after the night before and I’m still struggling to believe what we did.

The whole team were immense, but praise to Klopp for getting them in to the right mindset. They never stopped chasing the ball.

Ranks alongside 2005 as our greatest European night.

That game had a ripple effect even over here to America. It takes quite a lot for a "soccer" game to hit mainstream media over here or even be a lead story on the sports channels. But last night ESPN had the game in a "lead story" category in their crawl at the bottom of the screen with some facts about how big a betting favorite Barcelona were and how no English team had made back to back Champion's League finals since Manchester United.

One of the biggest if not the biggest shows on ESPN is the 11pm Sportscenter with Scott Van Pelt. He's sort of their big time sports anchor there now. He always leads off his show with something called "The best thing I saw today" and last night it was the Liverpool team singing "You'll never walk alone" with the Anfield crowd at the end of the game. Now usually anything dealing with (and I'm sorry for using the American term again here) soccer if it makes sports shows at all is buried in the last segment of the show. But last night Scott Van Pelt and all of the other ESPN Sportscenter shows had it in the lead segment right behind the NBA playoffs and a Game 7 in the NHL playoffs. That's pretty big.

But it didn't stop there. Every morning when I wake up I watch a show on the NFL channel called "Good Morning Football". Today they told the story about Liverpool's comeback and showed some highlights and said how "soccer" playoffs are decided over two legs, one home and one away. They used that scenario to say which NFL playoff games from last year they would like to see a second leg played if NFL playoffs worked like that. Of course one host said Rams/Saints after that debacle last year with the no call pass interference. Another one picked Saints/Eagles where a dropped pass lost the game for the Eagles and the other one picked Chiefs/Patriots where the Chiefs were one offside call away from winning that game and going to the Super Bowl.

And there were other mentions and highlights of the game scattered all across American media last night and this morning so that game sent shockwaves over here to this side of the Atlantic.

Now then Liverpool still hasn't won anything yet. That wasn't a Championship game. There's still one more to go. It's like an American NFL team having a miraculous comeback in their conference championship game then getting blown out in the Super Bowl.
 
Right its one team in the final and the other to be decided tonight, Ajax v Tottenham with Ajax 1-0 up from the first leg, Son Heung-Min is back for Tottenham following he suspension for the first leg which will be a huge boost for them.

What are we saying?!
 
Hold on a minute...

3-0 at half time, but two quick goals for Spurs...

Could it happen again??!
 
@Dennisch right now
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So I was halfway through writing a post about how an Ajax vs Liverpool final was uncallable. But then...
 
Wanted to say something yesterday after that incredible upset by Liverpool, but man!! This is a much better upset!!:eek:... What a last second goal!!! :eek::eek:

My condolences to you @Dennisch ...
 
Do you know something, I've wanted us to meet Ajax in Europe for years, so even at 2-2, I thought at least it was a classic - but then to go and win it - like that - oh my days!!!
 
Found in the comments under the highlights of that match
"Matthijs de Ligt and Frenkie de Jong part of a team that go 3-0 up and bottle it in the Champions League... They already have the Barca DNA."
 
Just like last night it was absolutely incredible!!

The game looked done at half time as Ajax was far superior to Spurs in the first half, but then Lucas Moura happened!, two goals in four minutes and the winner in the 96th minute, two amazing night....Football is ****ing brilliant!!
 
Found in the comments under the highlights of that match
"Matthijs de Ligt and Frenkie de Jong part of a team that go 3-0 up and bottle it in the Champions League... They already have the Barca DNA."
Ajax didn't bottle anything, it was a classic that could of gone either way.
 
Ajax didn't bottle anything, it was a classic that could of gone either way.
The defender kicking the ball out of the keeper's hands for the second Spurs goal was pretty stupid. Although it might have been a dull finish without that.
 
Ajax's Champions League campaign.

It started in July with the qualifying rounds.
They played six games before the group stage.
Unbeaten in the group stage.
Didn't lose a single away game.
Two draws against Bayern Munich.
Eliminated Juventus.
Eliminated Real Madrid.
96th minute goal denies a place in the final.

👍👍
 
If you're Liverpool are you nervous to be facing Tottenham because it's going to be hard to be a team 3 times in one season? Especially after the way the last one ended at Anfield.
 
If anything it's probably better for them as it's a more known opponent, but at this stage they both have a chance but Tottenham are definitely playing beyond their Teams ability at this point.

Shame about Ajax but I hope they can keep most of this team, Ajax belong in this part of the competition, it's been a long time.
 
If you're Liverpool are you nervous to be facing Tottenham because it's going to be hard to be a team 3 times in one season? Especially after the way the last one ended at Anfield.
I'd much rather we faced Tottenham than Ajax. Liverpool know Tottenham and know how to beat them. Ajax have been giant killers this season in the CL, and you'd bet they'd be up for an upset in the final.

It'll be a good final though. Both teams got through to it on pure passion and determination. Be prepared to board that emotional rollercoaster on June 1st again.
 
Another crazy 2nd leg yesterday. I was rooting for Ajax but that was a masterful 2nd half from Spurs.

A Champions League final without Barca, Madrid, Juve or Bayern. It has been a while since that happened.
 
Curiously, both finalists share the same bizarre dilemma - what do they do if their star players are fit and able to start?

In the event both are fit by 1st June, should Kane start for Spurs and should Salah start for Liverpool?

On the face of it, it sounds like a no-brainer... but, both teams have just achieved what must rank among their best ever results without their 'best' player.

I personally reckon that (presuming both are fit), Kane should start on the bench for Spurs, but Salah should probably start for Liverpool.
 
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