Champions League Group Game 1 PMR

[Johnboy]

None missing

Errors

Juv - = sign missing from a conditional
Lee - error in conditional
Mnc - error in PK:

[Steve@ManUtd]

Atletico Madrid 1-0 MANCHESTER UNITED

Not a great game by us, we gambled the starting XI slightly, and it wasn't the right call in hindsight. Once Madrid switched their set up they got hold of the tie and deservedly won. Another day we get the early goal and its a different tie but today was a game where when the E works, it works. Yea they did switch it up later on but the main damage was done in that first half period.

Not too much to get down about really, its a group of 6 games, and we know we need some big results so we'll go again.

[Steve@Chelsea]

Real Madrid 3 - 2 Aston Villa

Villa came came to pass and move, but they didn't get to the line much. They had a lot of the ball, but didn't do much with it in terms of key passes. There was a few tactical switches throughout the game from both sides, but it seemed to be the A vs P combo which always worked in our favour. Tadic amongst the goals again, showing what a shrewd signing he was, but it was left to Rodrygo to be the hero for the Galaticos scoring the late goal despite us being down to ten men at the time. GG Ian, well played, and a good effort.

With new signing VVD's red card, it means he swaps with fellow defender Varane on the ascence list for the next match.

[Marshy@Atletico]

Atletico Madrid 1 Manchester United 0

With Roma the strongest of the quartet, winning home games is a must in this group campaign. Atletico have struggled to turn performances into results all season and this was almost another repeat. They would be a good side if all the cogs worked at the same time. Atletico spiced up the tactics and took an overall shot count of 22-12. With chance after chance spurned it only seemed a matter of time before Musso spilled one into his own net but fair play to him his season could have started with an important clean sheet. Vinicius has not recovered since seeing his agent try and kill a cat live on tv and he could not bag from 10 shots! It was left to a first goal from a defender, Frimpong to get the important goal

Marsh commented "Naturally we have to be pleased to get off to a win. We have a tough group so are in a good position. It was frustrating that we could not score some more goals. 2 or 3-1 would have been a more accurate scoreline but we just cant do the business in the penalty boxes this season. Back to the training ground".

GG SteveO

R_Nainggolan improved his shooting skills boosting the managers options from the bench.
R_Nainggolan 36 bel 1 4 16 15 22 1 80 381 5

[Ian]

Real Madrid 3-2 Aston Villa

A goal resulting from the very first action of the game was a very ominous sign that this tie was going to quickly go away from us but switching to a counter attacking game we levelled shortly into the second period. Madrid soon nudged ahead once again but again we pegged them back, this time not long after going behind. Maybe sticking with a counter attacking style would have served us better but thats hindsight stuff and the home side found a winner late on.

[Derek]

Roma 5 1 Southampton

Nice to get back to winning ways after a poor run.

We never do well in this competition so no doubt we'll screw it up. We've got tougher games to come and Outten & Marshy won't be so easy to overcome.

gg Jamie

[Guest]

English Torino 4 - 8 Inter Milan

Not what I expected at all, the champions league is a tough competition with the very best sides taking part so to come to Arsenal and smash 8 goals past them on their own pitch was great, we started the game countering as we were unsure how open Arsenal would be and they matched us on that tactic so a boring and cancelling each other game i thought was incoming, but no what a game with 12 goals, we raced into a 4-0 lad by the 40th minute and looked comfortable i thought game over i must admit but credit to Arsenal they did not give up and by the 65th minute we were winning 5-4 but the quality of the boys form so far shown through and we turned the screw on Arsenal and finished strongly where we scored another 3 goals, in truth both sides had similar amount of chances but today we were just clinical and got off to the best possible start in such a difficult group. gg mate

[Livi@Liverpool]

Man City 4 Barcelona 2

When it comes to the Champions League we either seem to go all the way and win it or crash out in the group stage - this result suggests it could be the latter this season

We looked to have set up well and took the lead and everything appeared to be going well but the sending off of Ben White looks to have screwed it for us, playing away to a side with the quality of City with ten men for an hour is asking a lot and despite going 2-0 ahead just after HT we quickly conceded a pen and then an equaliser right after that. We took off a def and threw on a midfielder in an attempt to be positive (not anticipating we'd be down to 10 men) and that definitely didn't help as we conceded another couple of goals.

No question City were worth their win come the final whistle but it's a feeling of frustration over that red card.

Plenty games still to go to turn things around but won't be easy. Inter are a bit of a bogey side for us and Arsenal are a quality outfit too.

Played Nick

[AB@Juventus]

Burnley 1 - 5 Juventus

We came into this one thinking Burnley would either play P or C so we opted to play P ourselves in the hope we'd match them if they played P, but they countered us with a C tactic.

A mistake in my sheet took us from 51004 to 32221 (Idiot) but it seemed to work as we instantly took the lead and once again, a surprise to me, we went A (Double idiot).

Burnley spent the next 10 minutes all over us until they made it 1-1 and we were back to 32221P vs their C.
On 21 minutes, the hosts switched tactics to P alongside us and for the first 7 minutes after this, controlled the game and it seemed only a matter of time until they took the lead, however it was in fact us who scored the next goal as, after a slow start, Joao_Felix netted his 3rd in 3 games.

The game was now P vs A and after some back and forth, we doubled our lead on 36 minutes which prompted us to change back to P, and Burnley back to C. Burnley had the better of the game until half time and would have felt unlucky not to have reduced the deficit as we went into the break leading 3-1.

Into the second half and after an even first 15 minutes, Burnley went for it, switching to A against our P but it was US who scored the next goal making it 4-1 on 78 minutes and then wrapping up the game with a 5th on 87 minutes after switching back to A after the 4th.

Statistically we were better in every category and were well worth the comfortable win, perhaps not by a 4 goal margin but we clicked today and earned a fantastic result.

Good game Simon.

[Andy@Berlin]

PSG 1 - 1 Chelsea

Against this quality of opposition, I didnt expect a lot to be honest. But we set up well and made ourselves difficult to beat, gaining a creditable draw. Yes if you look at the stats they tell you PSG were probably the better of the two sides on the day, but when it comes down to digging in, believing in yourselves, away from home against surely one of the favourites for this competition, then you see Chelsea. Great point for us which gives us confidence for the rest of the group matches. Good game mate.

[Darren]

Arsenal 4 - 8 Inter Milan

The first game of the Champions League and it turned out to be a crazy game that saw twelve goals. Id be lying if I didn't look at the stats and be thinking that we didn't deserve a score line like that but it was what it was and we saw ourselves well and truly beaten in round one. We were hoping our good form in the League would se us get something from that and going by the stats, another day we would have done but it was one of those results we put behind us now and focus on the next one. Played mate.