UCL Draw, ConcaCup, Europa League and More

Let's talk football

There is too much football. I can admit that. I have Fubo and when I navigate to the soccer section it is a long list of games played from the morning to the late evening. This of course doesn’t include the Paramount+ games streaming. You can catch up on all the Serie A games from the weekend if you wanted. For live stuff, Mondays there is usually an English league game on the mid-afternoon (in America). The Champions Leauge — aka the UEFA Champions League is played Tuesday and Wednesdays. The UEFA Europa and Conference Leagues are played Thursdays. There is usually a Friday league game or two on as well. Then of course Saturday and Sunday are full of football league games. This weekend will include some English FA Cup action. Football never sleeps.

A few years back my wife said that she didn’t like how there was no “soccer season.” There was no break. The summer months bring international football. Then it is pre-season friendlies (or MLS) and then it is right back into the league season.

When I was only into the traditional US sports — baseball, American football, basketball — there was the promise of an off-season. There is no such thing here, folks.

All that noted, it was a busy week in the world’s game.

English League

Arsenal are your table-toppers after beating Brentford 2-1 through a couple of goals via Rice and Havertz. Yes, those guys for whom they paid over 186 million. Seems like a good investment. Brentford are 15th in the league and escaping a relegation-fighting squad is not normally impressive but as with all league games, the impressive part is in winning while competing on multiple fronts. The league season is a marathon, and a slight stumble lets your competitor gain a couple of steps. That final week of the season comes up quickly and there are no points available to make up a gap because they were lost on match day 20 when your keeper had the yips and your striker was shucking chances and your midfield was injured. So it goes.

Arsenal won to go top and Liverpool and City played the last meeting between Klopp and Guardiola in the league to a draw. For neutrals, it sets up a fantastic finish to the league season that should see the March 31st matchup between City and Arsenal all-but-decide the season.

1. Arsenal - 64 points +46 GD

2. Liverpool - 64 points +39 GD

3. Man City - 63 points + 35 GD

Meanwhile in the race for the fourth and maybe¹ final Champions League spot is a wild one. Aston Villa, guided by one-time Arsenal man Unai Emery and his modified 4-4-2 system are currently on 55 points, while Tottenham are on 53 points with one fewer game played. Oh, and Spurs dominated Villa 4-0 this past weekend. Perhaps Villa were saving up their efforts for the Europa Conference League battle vs Ajax yesterday where they also dominated 4-0. Aside from the slip up vs Spurs, Villa have been good. They take on West Ham, currently 7th in the table at 43 points (12 off Villa) but having just overturned a 1-0 loss at Freiburg with a 5-0 win in the Europa League.

Spanish League

I have to admit that I watch a lot of La Liga so I am a little more biased in that I care a bit more about the mid-table sides. There are a few reasons for this. The first is that ESPN+ is easy to stream while doing something else. The other is that it is a very good league. The quality of play is high — both tactically and technically. Also, there is the corruption. It makes for some good drama.

No hay liga right now. That is to say Real Madrid have a seven-point lead with ten games to play. Girona led for a while before being beat up by Real Madrid and losing to Athletic Bilbao. Girona are really just happy to be here. Barcelona are a (distant) third at 61. I say distant because they are not playing well at all. Each week is a grind to find a goal — 1-0 vs Mallorca for example — and injuries throughout the squad. Xavi already said he will step down ² and there are literal children playing big time minutes. If Barça weren’t such an outlier in expectation the fans would be ecstatic at the current performance. Lamine Yamal, and Cubarsi played outstanding minutes midweek in the second leg vs Napoli. They are carrying this squad. It is quite incredible. Yet, the specter of financial strain looms. I dare say that makes Barça like everyone else. Who among us doesn’t have a little unexplainable debt?

Meanwhile Atleti are fourth on 55 points. They are the only squad to have beaten Real Madrid (twice, once in the league and once in the cup). They should be better and yet have lost seven times in the league. Before beating Inter Milan midweek, they dropped a game away to Cadiz. We’ll get to the Champions League in a second but just know that Memphis Depay was the hero — scoring the tying goal and otherwise wreaking havoc on the Inter backline. Well that same Memphis started vs Cadiz and looked like the worst version of Memphis: sort of half-jogged around waiting for a good ball that never came. He was loose with the ball when he got it and was just not at the races. You could argue that he is a rhythm type of player who needs touches to feel the rhythm of the game. You could say he needs to be on a team on the front foot, with lots of possession and a guy that can unlock a low back line. I would agree. He was amazing in a short shift vs Inter. This is Memphis, however. You find his highlights and wonder how he isn’t playing every minute every week. But you watch him vs Cadiz and you see.

In other news Celta Vigo fired Rafa Benitez, as they were destroyed 0-4 by Real Madrid and sit just two points above Cadiz in 17th. Almería and Granada will be relegated barring a dramatic surge. Cadiz, Rayo, Celta, and Mallorca with maybe that Sergio Ramos-led Sevilla making an appearance will be your relegation battle these next two months. Sevilla are on their third manage this season, and dropped out of European competition early. They had push for a couple of late goals to draw away at Almería and really if UDA weren’t awful they would have routed your Sevillanos. They skied some sitters. Sevilla had to push for two 80+ min goals to briefly go up 2-1 before Milovanovic scored for the home side to end things in a draw.

Germany, France, Italy

In Germany it is Leverkusen’s league to lose. They are up ten points over Bayern and control their destiny. Thus far the biggest challenges to them came from Qarabag — in the Europa League. The upstart-to-watch is Stuttgart. Last year they finished 16th, the relegation playoff squad. ³ Now they are in a UCL place. Last year’s darlings were Union Berlin. The continental hangover has pushed them to 14th.

In France PSG lead by 10 points over Brest, the surprise team of the season. Marseille are struggling through internal turmoil that saw them go through three coaches this season but Pierre-Emerick Aubamayeng is still scoring goals for them. PSG are coasting, while everyone else battles it out for the rest of the spots. The French league is talented but thin — they went from 20 teams to 18 this season — as it is a selling league. Teams essentially restart every year so it is difficult to figure who is good or merely just the team winning despite themselves.

In Serie A, Inter are 16 points clear. They were very good last year but again — Italy is another league with lots of turnover, creative accounting, and weirdness. Roma are 5th but famously fired Jose Mourinho and hired Danielle DeRossi while enduring a solid season. AC Milan are good, but still grind out results. They dropped to the Europa League after exiting the UCL group of death. There are rumors of some dislike with Rafa Leão wanting the spotlight and resenting Christian Pulisic? They are second. Juvenus, with no European competition are in third by a point. Meanwhile, the exciting team is Bologna. Thiago Motta is the latest coach with an exciting system that values possession and encourages marauding centerbacks to get forward. They sit fourth. Remember Napoli? They won the league (over 2nd place Lazio) but now sit 7th. They dropped out of the UCL and will lose Osimhen this summer. This is Italy. Oh an Lazio boss Sarri quit, after complaining about his support from the bosses. His Lazio challenged Bayern for a bit, but they never were as good as his Napoli sides. From second to (currently 9th) and about 7 points from European competition.

Europe

Okay, both Arsenal and Atleti went through on penalties. This was the first time in something like a decade that we’ve seen PKs decide a knockout round. The switch from away goals rule probably made for some more exciting games in this respect, but I do agree that there was some added drama to that rule.

Atleti-Inter

The first leg was dominated by the Nerazurri and that’s where the regret should lie. Diego Simeone played conservatively and was always looking to make the big push at home in Madrid. He was criticized (again) and it worked in his favor. Inter scored through DiMarco’s inside move to get a pass from Barella and finish with his weaker right foot. It was beautiful and it looked like Atleti were done. Instead, Griezmann scored with a gorgeous pirouette and flick with his left foot. He was everywhere, he was world-class. He found spaces, controlled the pace, and was the main attacking threat. He had been out a month and looked slightly rusty to start, but came through with the goal and nearly the game-winning assist. Riquelme skied the chance that would have sent Atleti through but instead they had to slog through extra time and penalties. I mentioned Memphis and his quality — he came on and got into a good position for a cross from Correa — always good for some trickery and some frustration — but flick it in with his heel. He turned but couldn’t get the power. Then he fired near post from just outside the box, hitting the post. Finally, he took in a inch-perfect pass from Koke in the box, controlled with his left as he moved left, and turned with his right foot to go across Yann Sommer and finish just inside the post.

The penalties were a case of nerves. Atleti’s Memphis banged his in. Alexis was nervy and missed. Saúl the same. Davy Klassen for Inter missed. Riquelme, Acerbi, Correa all made it and Lautaro Martinez kicked it into the stands. For Lautaro it was a terrible ending. He set up Thuram and Barella for some one-v-ones and both were wasted. The tie should have been Inters as they had multiple chances over two-legs but couldn’t finish them the way they needed to. So it goes.

Arsenal-Porto

Pepe is 41. Arteta is 41.

Troussard scored a beauty thanks to an even better dribble-assist from the captain Ødegaard. Everything after that was a slog, with Porto grunging up the game. The story was David Raya stoning Wendell and Galeno in the penalty shootout. You might remember that Galeno scored the golazo at the Dragao to beat Raya in the 90th in the first leg.

Porto played the way they know how to play and nearly pulled off the upset. Credit to them for executing their plan. “Arsenal tried to play, we tried to win” said the coach after the first game.

The Draw

Arsenal vs Bayern
Real Madrid vs City

Atleti vs Dortmund
PSG vs Barca

These are all juicy matchups. Atleti vs Dortmund is a couple of teams that are underperforming in the league but rostered with talent that can win a game on a day. PSG and Barca both want the ball, but PSG have the best player in the world and a former Barca guy in Dembele and the former coach of the squad. Barca have children.

Arsenal are very good, and Bayern are very talented. The story is Kane, former Spurs man, taking on Arsenal. Bayern are off the pace with a lame duck head coach but one who has won this tournament before and prepared for Arsenal while with Chelsea. Real Madrid and City face off for the third season in a row. Must-watch.

Concacaf Cup

Are you staying up late from Tuesday-Thursday to watch this on FS1/2 and listening to a remote announcer squint his way through the proceedings? Me too. I’ll keep it short and say this: Messi is still in, and put on a performance over two legs (two goals) as they won 5-3 over Nashville on aggregate. Luis Suarez is still Luis Suarez just a step slower. They take on Rayados starting April 2nd. Monterrey beat FC Cincinnati 3-1 over two legs with Brandon Vazquez getting two goals over his team over two legs.

Chivas nearly overcame a 3-0 deficit after the first home game (ConcaCup still uses away goals). Chicharito came on but didn’t do much but foul someone. Tigres handled Orlando. Columbus, current MLS Cup champs, beat Houston 2-1 over two legs. Herediano are the lone non-North American squad to still remain. They beta SV Robinhood, a semipro team from Suriname squad 3-1.

The story of this round was Pachuca terrorizing Philly 6-0. Salomon Rondon had a hat trick. It was a complete dominant performance. It has MLS considering changing the rules ahead of the Leagues Cup.

Tigres vs Columbus
CS Herediano vs Pachuca

New England vs América
Inter Miami vs Monterrey — I am hyped to see Messi to to Mexico, folks.

Europa League etc

This is longer than I planned so I will just say that Olimpiacos overcame a 4-0 first leg. Villareal nearly did the same over Marseille with the former Marseille coach. Qarabag had Bayer Leverkusen down 2-0 in the first leg and the second and it took comebacks in both to overcome. Leverkusen were beneficiaries of a red card early — but still went down 2-0 after that. Shick scored in the 90+3, and then the 90+7 to put them up 5-4 on aggregate.

Credit to Qarabag who played football and weren’t scared.

1. I say maybe because the new CL system is convoluted and might earn another spot for the best league. That is not the Premier League at the moment. All of those big time wins in the Europa League for Spain and Italy? They add up.

2. So there are hints and rumors that he will stay on. Like, the main rumor was that he was pushed out in the first place but if he can engineer a top-four finish and a semi-final-or-beyond UCL move? With kids? Wow who would do better?

3. In Germany the 16th placed team is not relegated automatically, but joins the promotion playoff. Stuttgart stayed up.