So you think Real Madrid or Dortmund would win the Premier League this year? I think knockout tournaments are kind of an inexact science for judging this kind of thing. English teams have done pretty well in them for the last 20 years regardless!
When people talk about “the best league in the world”, I take it to mean the complete package - quality and entertainment etc
I’m not sure in any case that the last 20 years of European competition makes a conclusive argument against the English league being the best and most successful (unless winning knockout tournaments is your only measure of success).
So you think Real Madrid or Dortmund would win the Premier League this year? I think knockout tournaments are kind of an inexact science for judging this kind of thing. English teams have done pretty well in them for the last 20 years regardless!
Well English teams have won the Champions League every other year dating back to 2018 (a different team every time as well, in case you were worried about it being boring).
Over the 20 year period you mentioned, there have been nine Spanish champions (Barca and Real) and six English ones. I wouldn’t say it’s a landslide domination, especially when the margins in knockout football are as fine as they were in that Man City-Real Madrid tie you mention.
Well English teams have won the Champions League every other year dating back to 2018 (a different team every time as well, in case you were worried about it being boring).
Over the 20 year period you mentioned, there have been nine Spanish champions (Barca and Real) and six English ones. I wouldn’t say it’s a landslide domination, especially when the margins in knockout football are as fine as they were in that Man City-Real Madrid tie you mention.
I mean, it’s a stronger argument if you think we have to, but I think it’s muddied by the different number of teams who qualify for each tournament (and the number of UCL teams who fall into the Europa League after being eliminated etc). Personally I don’t think the winners of the second-most important knockout tournament ever tells you much about the true hierarchy of teams.
I mean, it’s a stronger argument if you think we have to, but I think it’s muddied by the different number of teams who qualify for each tournament (and the number of UCL teams who fall into the Europa League after being eliminated etc). Personally I don’t think the winners of the second-most important knockout tournament ever tells you much about the true hierarchy of teams.
As I say - I don’t value the Europa League in the same way, and the qualification rules mean it’s not always apples to apples. If people agree that winning the Europa League is an undeniable barometer of a league’s superiority then it’s very hard to argue with you though.
As I say - I don’t value the Europa League in the same way, and the qualification rules mean it’s not always apples to apples. If people agree that winning the Europa League is an undeniable barometer of a league’s superiority then it’s very hard to argue with you though.
Possibly? I wouldn’t have backed them to beat Liverpool at Anfield either.
I just don’t think performance in knockout tournaments tells the whole story about a particular club, or particular league’s strength - I’d have thought all Coventry fans would be acutely aware of that this year! But obviously I get your argument.
Possibly? I wouldn’t have backed them to beat Liverpool at Anfield either.
I just don’t think performance in knockout tournaments tells the whole story about a particular club, or particular league’s strength - I’d have thought all Coventry fans would be acutely aware of that this year! But obviously I get your argument.
Of course, but the margins are nevertheless fine - the last three finals have been decided on penalties. We were a couple of penalty kicks away from there being more Scottish winners than German ones over the past 30 years.
Some great pressing from Atalanta but that creates space up the pitch for Leverkusen which they seem incapable of using. The commentary is right in a sense; they need a striker on. But they also need to get the defenders moving across rather than hitting it straight towards them.