Post Match Reaction - Round 16

[Nick@ManCity]

Missing

Errors
Lisbon - Sub would be 3 DMs (2 max)

Error Points
Cel = 2
Lis = 2

[JasonH@Wolfsburg]

RB Lepzeig 0-3 AC Milan

Gary is going to need an absolute miracle to make a tune with that team, it’s been left in a complete mess by Buxton.

I don’t think I could have had a more routine win if I had written the scrip myself. Dominated possession, dominated shots, although only for 4 on target and even better, inter and atletico drew which opens up the CL gap back to 12 points.

Much needed 3 points to half the rot, one last game against the mag 3 up next.

Good game Gary and best of luck to avoid a double relegation!

[JB@Norwich]

Harsh on Matty, he inherited a much worse side

[Livi@Liverpool]

Rangers 1 Barcelona 0

We deserved to lose this one and we can't complain as we merrily churn out the P tactic whilst constantly being countered with C. Mind you we did have a 50 min spell of L v P in our favour but even at that we created very little so that's disappointing.

Another injury and ironically it's to Sutalo who was part of the now infamous Anguissa (no) deal so I guess some will say that's a bit of karma. I'm hearing through the grapevine that there are calls for us to be fined significantly (for attempting to do a deal that wouldn't have broken any rules). Honestly some people need to get out more often.

Anyway congrats to Rangers in this one.

[Steve@Chelsea]

Real Madrid 1 - 2 Sporting Lisbon

Was always going to be a dodgy game with our keeper out for 3 games possibly ruining our entire season. Donnaruma misses this game, the Juve game and the CL game. During this game we won the stats 15-7 on shots and 22-10 on chances despite being down to 10 men with a red card for Sterling on just 33 minutes. It feels like we were hard done by here. Especially so as Sterling's red card and Van Dijk's late yellow card means both of those will miss the next game too verses Juve. So we have 3 out verses Juve and 2 out for the CL vs PSG including our keeper for both. Great timing. We lost and we move on.

[ChrisS]

Celtic 3 - 1 Bayer Leverkusen

After a nice run in form, Leverkusen completely crashed. Definitely was not our day as Celtic trounced us. Had it not been for a questionable penalty awarded to us, they would have kept a clean sheet. Well played Sam.

[AB@Juventus]

Real Sociedad 0 - 2 Juventus

A good win away against a team who've shown in recent games that they can get wins against good teams.

We came into the game knowing we'd likely be gifting the hosts TA but we trusted in the lads to overcome that and they did.

After a dominant start, we took the lead on 8 minutes and never looked back. We continued to control the game and just after the half hour mark we doubled our lead and switched tactics to A looking for even more goals.
We continued to be the better team up until half time and went in at the break 2 goals up.

Into the second half and it was a bit more even with us still being the better team, seeing out a comfortable 2-0 victory.

Statistically we were much the better team, limiting the hosts to just 1 shot on target. Good game Kev.

Up next is Real Madrid and I'm sure the brain trust will have been hard at work and will continue to work hard at the gameplan in order to defeat us considering we whooped PSG & Inter Milan within a 48 hour period. I'll be playing 52003C if that helps.

[Marshy@Atletico]

Inter Milan 2 Atletico Madrid 2

A must win game for 2 sides under-performing in the league predictably therefore ended in a draw. A 2-2 draw is often considered an entertaining game but this one was far from it thanks to the antics of Inter manager Garysean Wilson. With Atletico much the better side throughout and Inter stealing a lead, Wilson handed out a piece of paper that resembled the size of Bigshow's shopping receipt. On it were a list of complex instructions aimed at time wasting. The Inter players did everything they could to ensure time ticked away as the desperate Wilson watched on. 70 minutes gone and it took a stunning Skriniar bicycle kick to rocket into the net to draw the teams at 2-2. Could football be the winner? Atletico attacked and tried to grab the winner but Wilson gained a precious point that keeps him in a job for another week.

Atletico boss Simon Marsh ranted "That was a dreadful advert for football. We tried in vain to entertain but Wilsons attempts at spoiling the game were too strong. I know Wilson is under pressure to keep his job at Inter but one might question whether the FFO HQ should remove him from post for the good of the game. The amount of workload he put on the shoulders on Gnabry was probably against european working time directives and it was no surprise when Serge got himself sent off to give himself 2 games rest to recover"

Next up for Atletico is Monaco at home.

Good game GSW

[Ed@PSG]

PSG 3 - 1 Dortmund
This was a chance to put the pedal to the metal on the freeway after weeks of city driving. It was fun to just go out and attack after lots of cagey games against top half teams. I was confident that our visitors would set up tp catch ys on the break but believed that we had enough to blow them away. It took us awhile to get into our stride, but two quick goals just before half time settled any nerves. Our opponents managed a quick reply but Haaland restored the two goal cushion before the hour mark. Unfortunately on 57 minutes, Hakimi got his second yellow and that proved to be a leveller as neither team were able to add to their tally after that point. Vitinha was awarded the mana of the match award. Unfortunately, Tonali picked up his fifth booking of the campaign, and will sit out the next game along with Hakimi.

[Guest]

Inter Milan 2 - 2 Atletico Madrid

Ok so we played well enough but fell behind 1-0 and I thought here we go another game like this but we responded instantly and scored a quickfire double and from there really controlled the game well but this is where disaster strikes, Gnabry was having some hearing issues before the game but he wanted to play and the only way to communicate with him was by paper messages and well someth9ng got lost along the communication line it started off with “move into AM position” but by time it reached the player it turned into “run around between AM and FW” of course our pen stopped working and no one could tell him to stop until Atletico Madrid equalised and their cheeky manager offered up his pen ! after that an exhausted Gnabry had to go off Injured, it reminded me of all the whispers that go on in the shadows of FFO managers and how an innocent message by time it gets passed up the chain ends up completely different from the actual message but we move on with Gnabry out for two games and in the end a very confusing and messy draw with a misfiring Atletico it’s a wonder both teams managed two goals today as both usually struggle for a solitary goal, we thank Simon Marsh for the pen which we kept for his childish games ! and a lesson learned for us. Gg mate, all the best for this season

[Johnboy]

Monaco 2 - Marseille 1

We made a couple of personnel changes for this one, Haidara returned from injury to replace Pepe, who had himself been injured in the previous match, and Antonio came in to replace Awoniyi whose form has dropped recently.

The referee handed out a collection of yellow cards in the early part of the match which seemed to settle the discipline down as no further cards were handed out after the 11th minute! This did come at a cost however as the booking for Immobile means he will sit out our next match.

We opened the scoring in the 25th minute Michail Antonio celebrating his first start of the season with a fabulous solo goal, we looked to have doubled our lead through the returning Haidara 5 minutes later but it was eventually disallowed for offside.

Five minutes before half time Podence scored an equaliser for the visitors and we went into half time with the scores level, On the hour mark we made a couple of changes and they had an almost instant impact as Antonio scored his second of the game, and second of the season, to restore the advantage for Monaco.

We managed to hold on to the final whistle and come away with the 3 points which keeps us in 11th as we approach the half way point of the season.

Good game Euan, good luck for the rest of the season.