Football: Roll of the Dyche

[Soylent Brown]

City are without both Walker and Cancelo. Not sure if Walker will be back in time for the second leg though.

[lacuna]

Jammy bastards...

[Corvinus85]

What is this game? Real got 3 mostly out of nothing.

[Corvinus85]

32 minutes ago, Soylent Brown said:

I'm a bit concerned that this semi-final has used up all of the week's goal budget.

I would be surprised if Liverpool and Villarreal manage 4 goals between them let alone 7.

[Mark Antony]

Great game 

[Daemon the Leaner]

Well this was a bit looking like the 2016/17 City. When Otamendi, Kompany etc were still around

Also, despite not being very good, Real still scored three past City, which would be a dream for most of PL sides. I guess the City players love shooting themselves in the foot in the CL latter stages

[Spockydog]

 

[Corvinus85]

So Villa are doing the Everton method, but probably more efficient.

[Soylent Brown]

It's gone kind of as expected so far.

Liverpool have mostly played well, though we could do with moving the ball around a little quicker.

Fabinho has been sloppy, and it would be nice if Salah stopped spooning his shots.

[Spockydog]

Fascinating game. I have a sneaky feeling Unai is going to cheese his way to the trophy. 

[Corvinus85]

About time. 

[Soylent Brown]

A bit lucky with the first goal, but the second was really nice.

[Consigliere]

This has been a horribly one-sided game. Villarreal have absolutely no answer to Liverpool's press and are thus pinned in their own half and have offered zero attacking threat.

[ljkeane]

Decent enough result for Liverpool but that’s not a disaster for Villarreal with the home leg to come. I think they would have taken that before the game.

[Iskaral Pust]

Dominant performance by Liverpool as they suffocated Villarreal.  It could have been a larger margin but OTOH you can see how Villarreal have frustrated their prior opponents.  They’re not out of the tie but they’ll have to risk their defensive shape to chase two goals.  And it seemed like Klopp was happy enough at 2-0 to start resting players rather than push hard for more.

Liverpool’s MF controlled the game.  None of the forwards have been in consistent scoring form yet in 2022 but we’re on a great run regardless.  Fabinho scored a few in January, then Jota scored some important goals, even Konate scored three recently, and lately Mane has found his shooting boots again.  We’re finding a way so far.

Next game is tough: early start away to Newcastle with little rest.  I don’t know if we can keep playing Thiago and Fabinho every match but there’s a huge drop off without them.  And Jones is out sick at the moment.

[Iskaral Pust]

Ancelotti is Littlefinger: chaos is a ladder.  If RM had tried a low block against City then they would have been picked off eventually.  Opening the game up into a chaotic back and forth paid off pretty well for them.  City are fortunate that away goals no longer apply.

Ancelotti and Benzema will get plaudits for that but they were pretty lucky.  City could have scored more, and Real’s penalty was from an unforced error.  I’m not sure they can rely on being that lucky again, even at home.

[BigFatCoward]

Villareal to win would have potentially to beat the most historically successful clubs from the big 4 leagues in 4 successive games. Juve, Bayern, Liverpool, RM. 

if they pull it off it would be some achievement for a city of 50,000. 

[Mark Antony]

Joyce also confirms Liverpool are in for Aurelien Tchouameni this summer

[Mark Antony]

7 hours ago, Iskaral Pust said:

Benzema will get plaudits for that but they were pretty lucky.  City could have scored more, and Real’s penalty was from an unforced error.  I’m not sure they can rely on being that lucky again, even at home.

Casemiro being back should help. Though City will probably have Cancelo and maybe Walker back. Should be a great 2nd leg

[The Young Maester]