UEFA Champions League And Europa League thread

[Dreadmed]

PSG just beat Inter Milan 5-0 in the most dominant, one-sided Champions League final you will ever see.

Desire Doue ran the show with two goals and an assist. Hakimi, Kvaratskhelia and Mayulu with the other goals, so well deserved for PSG as they have been the best team all season, Inter Milan didn't really have any answers.

"Best team all season" is a bit of a stretch, they were well off the pace at the start (IIRC it was 4 or 5 points after their first 5 games of the group stage).

I would agree they've been the team to beat since the new year though, KK's signing especially was key. Even then it was a fairly close run thing when they did the 3-peat on the English teams through the knockouts; first they went to penalties against Liverpool after losing at home (admittedly a 9/10 on the smash+grab scale) and they had to weather a fightback from Villa in the QF's to finish 5-4 on aggregate (aided by a sloppy last-minute concession in the first leg). Arsenal was a closer contest than the final score looks on paper.

And then there was the final... and it's another one of those where I wonder how different it would've been if they had been up against the other semi-finalists. There was no doubt in my mind at the time that Liverpool vs Ajax would've been better compared to the dross that was the 2019 final, and in this case I'm also convinced that Barca wouldn't have wilted like Inter did tonight.

 

[Liquid]

Mbappe doesn't win the Champions League.
State-owned club does.

Is this a happy final or a sad final?

 

[daan]

Mbappe doesn't win the Champions League.
State-owned club does.

Is this a happy final or a sad final?

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I don't mind. I prefer they won it now than when they tried to buy it with Messi, Neymar and Mbappe. They probably still bought it but it doesn't seem as obvious. However, I find it weird that a team younger than me has won the champions league.

 

[Liquid]

I don't mind. I prefer they won it now than when they tried to buy it with Messi, Neymar and Mbappe.

I get that. Luis Enrique is a great manager and has created a great team. But their ownership model remains a stain on football. Tough for me personally to balance out.

Relatedly, I'm seeing lots of people complaining about the fact that PSG finished so low down in the league phase. That I have no problem with. It's a marathon not a sprint and:

1. They clearly improved once the league phase is over.
2. If you're a "big boy", you should be able to beat any one at any time. Gone out? Well, you weren't good enough. End of.
3. If your complaint is that teams get through who shouldn't have, you'd have hated the old Champions League group format.
4. If you wanted it to finish at the league phase, congratulations, you've just approved the repulsive Super League.

I enjoyed the new format, just a shame on the winners. It's not perfect but it is an improvement on boring group stages. There were more games with more on the line and big clubs sweating about going home early is always great.