UCL talking parts: Matchday 8’s have to-gape games, Man Metropolis’s stir, extra

We’re racing immediate against the halt of the UEFA Champions League league allotment, and the accelerate for positions is on the whole initiating to heat up.

Arsenal sit pleasing atop the standings with an unblemished yarn after crusing past Internazionale but below that? That is where it undoubtedly will get though-provoking.

Tottenham Hotspur are in a gravity-defying fifth space, while Manchester Metropolis‘s shock loss to Bodø/Glimt leaves them out of the Prime 8. Then there are some huge golf equipment — hi there Napoli — in hazard of being eradicated totally.

With appropriate one spherical of fits left for groups on the bubble to punch their tickets to the knockout allotment, read on as ESPN consultants Rob Dawson, Sam Tighe, Julien Laurens and Gab Marcotti provide their thoughts on Matchday 7.

– Observe the corpulent UEFA Champions League desk

– Lindop: If Liverpool have to reach success, all roads lead thru Szoboszlai

Q1. OK, with one sport left to approach, which club faces the most though-provoking make-or-die fixture in MD8 brooding referring to the desk?

Laurens: As we said final 300 and sixty five days, one in every of the principal issues about this unique Champions League format with a 36-crew league allotment is that it could well in all probability well provide us a principal MD8 every 300 and sixty five days, with suspense, jeopardy, sexy permutations and loads at stake. It became as soon as the case final 300 and sixty five days, and it could well in all probability be the identical all over again next week. And for me, the most though-provoking make-or-die fixture is never any doubt Napoli vs. Chelsea.

Pitting Antonio Conte and the Italian champions against his mild club for a living in the knockout playoffs, it will most in all probability be a humiliation for Scott McTominay & Co. to make outside of the Prime 24. An absolute disgrace. They trust 90 minutes to play and three parts famous, or they’re going to be the laughingstock of European soccer. Equally, the Blues could per chance also need one thing from the game to ensure a Prime 8 make and steer clear of the additional two games that they’d trust in the occasion that they had been dropped into the playoff spherical. The Diego Maradona Stadium shall be corpulent of stress and stress, specifically for the dwelling aspect.

One other factor to endure in thoughts: When the unique format of the competitors became as soon as presented, many said that it will most in all probability be dreary ensuing from with 24 groups to plow thru, the whole huge golf equipment would invent it. Now unsure about that this 300 and sixty five days…

Tighe: Paris Saint-Germain and Newcastle United are sixth and seventh in the desk after seven games. They fragment the fourth-most though-provoking purpose difference in the competitors to this point (+10) and are successfully sitting pleasing. However they play every other on the final matchday, in Paris, and the actual fact is that the loser will gain dumped into the playoffs. Within the occasion that they diagram, they’re going to per chance both crawl in — Chelsea, Barcelona, and Manchester Metropolis are appropriate just among the groups that could per chance per chance leapfrog them in that fret.

Now, as final season proves, slipping down into that playoff mire is never undoubtedly basically terminal: PSG did so, beat Brest 10-0 on combination and aged it as a bounceboard to pass on and gain the whole factor.

However in conjunction with games to the agenda is never any longer a steady knowing, and for Newcastle in explicit, it could well in all probability per chance gift undoubtedly negative to their ability to carry watch over the load.

Dawson: Man Metropolis vs. Galatasaray. Metropolis will invent it to the knockout rounds no topic happens, but they’re going to trust corrupt recollections of what can happen if you make no longer make in the Prime 8. Closing season, they had been compelled valid into a playoff with Precise Madrid and had been with ease dumped out. Pep Guardiola could per chance per chance no longer have to threat a repeat.

They settle on to beat Galatasaray on the Etihad, but then they’ll trust to trust beaten Bayer Leverkusen and Bodø/Glimt. Marc Guéhi is likely to approach in for his Metropolis debut against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League on Saturday. Then all over again, the England defender could per chance per chance no longer be eligible to face Galatasaray and with Josko Gvardiol and Rúben Dias peaceful sidelined, it be likely to point out Guardiola have to return to Abdukodir Khusanov and Max Alleyne at center support. It became as soon as a nervy time for Metropolis against Membership Brugge on Matchday 8 final season and it could well in all probability per chance also fair successfully be all over again against Galatasaray.

Marcotti: It is no longer steadily make-or-die for Metropolis, PSG or Newcastle, is it? Extra love make or play an additional two fits. Boo-hoo. My heart bleeds for you. So, I could decide Jose Mourinho’s Benfica vs. Precise Madrid (heck, it could well in all probability per chance also fair be the final time we gain to focus on him in a Champions League contest this season). Mourinho’s aspect had been beaten at Juventus, but it absolutely could per chance per chance need been a totally different sage if no longer for Vangelis Pavlidis‘ slipping when taking his penalty and falling on his bottom?

The upshot? They desire a bunch of other outcomes to pass their system AND they have to gain in the Bernabéu. Irrespective of. Mourinho won over and over on the Bernabéu before (OK, largely while managing Precise Madrid, but peaceful…) and, against this star-crossed model of Madrid, who’s to divulge he can’t summon up satisfactory of the mild unlit magic to spring the impossible, if no longer the very no longer likely?

Q2. Speaking of Manchester Metropolis, they appear to be imploding on a couple of fronts, losing ground to Arsenal in the Premier League and taking a weakened aspect to the Arctic Circle in MD7 where they had been comprehensively beaten by Bodø/Glimt. Antoine Semenyo and Guéhi trust arrived to augment issues, but is that satisfactory for Guardiola to work his system out of this jam?

Tighe: It became as soon as frankly fabulous to be taught about Man Metropolis reduce to ribbons by Bodø/Glimt. They looked love scoring every time they attacked — a successfully-extinct cliché, but on this occasion absolutely appropriate. The bottom is artificial and the weather pleasing, sure, but the whole club operates on a worth range worth about one tenth of Erling Haaland‘s market worth alone.

Most referring to of all became as soon as the dismay efficiency of Rodri, who became as soon as bypassed over and over in midfield, sooner or later main him to commit two yellow-card challenges in the dwelling of a minute. Neither Guéhi or Semenyo can fix that explicit plight of the pitch, even supposing the mild could per chance per chance carry extra organisation to a defensive line that in the meantime lacks it, and can’t constantly depend on what’s in front of them to block the worst of it. Semenyo’s work rate and urgent could per chance per chance also support, but he can’t support in Europe till February on the earliest.

Dawson: Man Metropolis don’t appear to be playing successfully, but Guardiola could per chance per chance no longer be panicking appropriate but. The crew is in a no longer easy 2nd after depressed performances against Manchester United and Bodø/Glimt. They’re negative defeats for numerous reasons, but the considerations don’t appear to be terminal.

Guardiola has been compelled into pairing Khusanov and Alleyne at center support in the absence of Gvardiol and Dias. Alleyne became as soon as playing in the Championship as as of late as Fresh Year’s Day; to that halt, Guéhi solves a huge enviornment and Dias shall be support soon. Rodri’s invent is troublesome, but Nico González has been significantly higher this season and have to no longer be too far-off from making his return from hurt.

Despite losing in Norway, Metropolis are peaceful going to reach the knockout rounds of the Champions League, are successfully-positioned to reach the Carabao Cup closing, trust a quite mushy FA Cup fourth tie against Salford Metropolis and are peaceful appropriate about in the Premier League title urge. Yes, it seems corrupt on paper, but it absolutely’s peaceful far too early to write them off.

Laurens: After what we seen against Man United on Saturday, there became as soon as no right surprise to peek Metropolis struggling even extra in the grueling Arctic Circle conditions, on a plastic pitch, and against a steady crew noteworthy brisker than them: Bodø/Glimt’s final unswerving sport became as soon as six weeks ago.

Guardiola is obviously responsive to his crew’s present considerations and there are many, from Rodri’s disastrous invent, injuries all around the living, Phil Foden‘s disappearance, Haaland’s worst profession invent (one purpose on penalty in his final eight games in all competitions), and a miles too passive press mixed with a silly excessive defensive line. Plus there’s the collective wrestle to protect in transition, an rising older Bernardo Silva (he became as soon as suspended on Tuesday), and a a must trust imbalance tactically!

Unbiased perfect fortune to Pep in attempting to style out all of those considerations. Here’s as corrupt a Man Metropolis crew as we’ve viewed since … October 2024, the final time they persisted this form of disturbing urge of invent.

Marcotti: Rob is appropriate that Pep could per chance per chance no longer be panicking (weirdly, panicking infrequently helps) and that the fret is peaceful initiate (sure, they’ll peaceful gain the Quadruple … even supposing I’d no longer wager the mortgage on it). However the considerations are evident and, as Juls writes, hunch past the Bodø/Glimt defeat, which became as soon as a basic “trap” sport.

Guéhi helps ensuing from he’s per chance higher than any central defender on Metropolis’s books (as opposed to Gvardiol, per chance), but it absolutely peaceful skill hitting the bottom working by spirited from a support-three to a support-four in mid-season. That is never any longer constantly easy to make, specifically in a congested agenda. Semenyo is a are residing body who does many issues successfully, even supposing I’m unsure he strikes the needle straight away. After which there’s the elephant (OK, colossal Norwegian) in the room and his depressed invent.

To me the most though-provoking enviornment is tactical and one in every of identification. If, because the in-the-is conscious of expose me, mild Liverpool assistant coach Pep Lijnders became as soon as brought in to support the different Pep flip this into extra of a press-oriented aspect, I hang it be comely to position a question to what they’ve been doing since training camp. A month ago, the Athletic ranked Premier League groups by PPDA (passes per defensive action) which is a measure of urgent depth. Metropolis had been 16th, sandwiched between Everton and Burnley. It feels to me they have not fully embraced the urgent identification but also don’t appear to be moderately ready to return to being a purely possession aspect that makes their superior ability gain games. That is one thing Guardiola wants to style out in training.

Q3. Barça hang leaking dreams — six of their final four games, in conjunction with two corrupt concessions at Slavia Prague — while Madrid’s fans continued to mumble their displeasure at Vinícius Júnior and Jude Bellingham despite the broad gain over AS Monaco. Which Spanish crew is higher-positioned to gain it or invent the deepest urge?

Marcotti: It could well also fair seem counterintuitive since Barcelona came inner a whisker of reaching the final final season and Precise Madrid trust modified their manager and are a miniature a dumpster fireplace by system of morale, but I’m picking Madrid here. And, no, it be no longer ensuing from of the broad gain over Monaco (who came into the game having misplaced seven of their final eight). Pretty ensuing from they’ve the principle substances for Champions League success. goalkeeper in Thibaut Courtois, goalscorer in Kylian Mbappé and, undoubtedly, the weight of ancient past.

Journey matters and so does having guys who’ve been there and completed that. There is not any longer noteworthy surroundings apart the 2, to be fair. However I will not gain past Barcelona’s defensive foibles. In past games it became as soon as the excessive line or appropriate randomly losing opponents in the sphere (love on the weekend against Precise Sociedad) this time, in the 4-2 gain over Slavia, it became as soon as plight objects. Yes, Joan García can stand on his head, and, sure, Lamine Yamal and Raphinha can carry you, but because the competitors wears on, that you would be capable to per chance per chance also’t appropriate depend on scoring three or four after recognizing the opposition a couple of dreams.

Dawson: It is constantly no longer easy to gape past Precise Madrid in the Champions League. Even in a turbulent season that you would be capable to no longer wager against them. The LaLiga title shall be made up our minds by consistency. The Champions League is totally different. Extra so than in home games, European knockout ties are made up our minds by moments. And the one factor Precise Madrid trust is broad avid gamers who can originate magic in huge moments.

It is miles never any longer to divulge that Barcelona make no longer trust exact avid gamers — undoubtedly they make. However there are tight and tense games in the latter rounds of the Champions League and generally that you would be capable to per chance per chance also very successfully be left wanting a purpose out of nothing. Precise Madrid trust extra of that variety of participant than some other crew in Europe, which could per chance per chance be why they’ve had this form of successful ancient past in the competitors.

Laurens: Barcelona for me. Their attacking powers are so exact that they’ll undoubtedly beat any individual on their day, whereas I make no longer impart it be the case for Precise Madrid. With the ball, this Barça crew is so significantly higher collectively than the Merengues. Obviously, the defensive fragility and the excessive line invent them susceptible, specifically in transitions but I peaceful would no longer have to face them in the knockout phases. They score extra balance going forward as successfully, specifically in the occasion that they’ve learnt from their mistakes from final season.

Tighe: I undoubtedly have to hang appropriate to my preseason Champions League winner decide in Barcelona, making this a 2-2 destroy up between us … but I will not make it. I’m appropriate too spooked by Pedri‘s hamstrings! He pulled up all over again on Matchday 7, which is unpleasant news brooding about Barça could per chance trust to gain next week to stable a Prime 8 space.

Gazing this crew with and without Pedri gives two entirely totally different experiences. With him? they’ll beat any individual. Without him? They could per chance well also fair undoubtedly lose to appropriate about any individual. If his health became as soon as assured, I’m able to be in a position to gape past the defensive foibles that Gab mentions — but mixed? It is this competitors’s mild most though-provoking friend, Precise Madrid, who gain the nod.

Q4. 5 English groups are in the Prime 8, and which could be six by the halt of the league allotment. Is that a direct for UEFA? Is the Premier League’s dominance here to carry?

Dawson: Essentially based purely on revenues, wage payments and switch spending, the Champions League desk seems the style it wants to be. The Mighty League exists, it appropriate goes by a totally different name. It is miles never any longer constantly followed that Premier League golf equipment had been in a position to make direct of their monetary could per chance per chance to dominate in Europe. English golf equipment trust won far fewer Champions League titles over the final 15 years than they’ll trust to trust completed.

That said, per chance having six Premier League golf equipment in the Champions League Prime 8 is never undoubtedly principal for the competitors. The total point of the tournament is pitting golf equipment from totally different worldwide locations against every other. It will most in all probability be a shame if, as an illustration, it became as soon as an all-English lineup in the semifinals. Must you’ll want to be taught about that, that you would be capable to per chance per chance also gape one thing identical accurate now with Manchester Metropolis, Newcastle, Arsenal and Chelsea facing off in two-legged ties to reach the Carabao Cup closing.

Marcotti: Let’s leave the mountainous, over-arching conclusions as soon as the league is over, we could per chance per chance? Newcastle whisk to PSG, who shall be extremely motivated, Tottenham hunch to Eintracht Frankfurt, who’re a pile of turds accurate now, but hey, it be Spurs (and, extra severely they’ve bigger fish to fry). Man Metropolis? I agree with they’re going to gain at home to Galatasaray and be appropriate pleasing, but who is conscious of? And before we gain carried away, let’s also remind ourselves that three of the six Premier League groups (Newcastle, Chelsea and Manchester Metropolis) trust as many parts as Wearing CP and Atalanta, we could per chance per chance?

However yeah, we make no longer need the Champions League desk to expose us that the Premier League is the most though-provoking league in the realm. And while it could well in all probability per chance also fair seem as if it be a depressed season domestically ensuing from all people is to this point in the support of Arsenal in the English desk, it could well in all probability per chance also be appropriate down to this form of component as strength in depth. As Rob parts out, if you’ve extra resources and extra cash than most and if you play tough, successfully-ready (and successfully-resourced) opponents per week it could well in all probability well invent you higher.

Laurens: Indubitably no one is bowled over by this! Although when the Premier League became as soon as having an average season, English golf equipment are peaceful by far the most though-provoking and strongest golf equipment in Europe. All six of them in the Prime 8 undoubtedly, if Manchester Metropolis weren’t all around the living. As intelligent as MD8 shall be next week, this has no longer a steady Champions League campaign to this point both. The stage has no longer been principal, which has also helped the English golf equipment to divulge even extra their domination. How far could per chance per chance they hunch? May per chance well well we’ve all six in the final 16? What about six out of eight in the quarterfinals in the occasion that they steer clear of every other in the outdated spherical? Four in four in the semis? An all-English closing? Let’s gape how dominant they’ll and will most in all probability be.

Tighe: Clearly, because the guys point out, a league’s strength is mostly linked to its spending vitality, and the Premier League blows all people else out of the water. Presumably the one factor that can outing the six English groups up is the proven fact that their week-to-week is so no longer easy and so draining (because the stage of the tenth- or 15th-positioned club is outwardly so excessive) that it burns them out before season’s halt.

It is successfully documented that Newcastle wrestle to preserve their depth the whole system till May per chance also fair, and naturally both Chelsea and Manchester Metropolis competed deep into the Membership World Cup final summer season, per chance paving the style for them to plunge flat bodily before the campaign ends (are we seeing signs of that already? I believe the answer is sure).

Even the stacked squad Arsenal trust constructed could per chance per chance conceivably wrestle to pass the whole system in four competitions. Who is conscious of what the subsequent few months has in retailer?

And finally, a bit gape-in at Liverpool. Mohamed Salah has returned to the foremost-crew squad after the Africa Cup of Nations — after his incendiary interview that made us all impart he became as soon as leaving the club this iciness — and the Reds picked up a 3-0 gain at Marseille, but is there sufficient cause for celebration? And where does Salah — who had 28 touches in a moderately aloof 90 minutes — slot in this crew both this season and past?

Marcotti: First of all “made us all think he was leaving the club this winter”? Focus on to your self! It would peaceful happen, the window is initiate for one other 10 days, but it absolutely’s laughable how those zillionaire Saudi gives appear to be taken for granted, eh? I said on the time I wasn’t convinced he’d leave and, obviously, with Alexander Isak injured, I’m much less convinced now.

As talked about, there are 10 days left in the window, but when Salah’s thoughts became as soon as made up, he don’t trust started on Wednesday and Liverpool will most in all probability be bringing in a change. If Salah doesn’t leave, the Reds can’t add any individual to the squad so, merely put aside, Arne Slot has to invent it work. And I hang he’ll are trying. Salah completed 90 minutes in a totally different continent on Sunday and 90 minutes all over again against Marseille. To me that says Slot will score a system to invent it work and, in my opinion, I hang this model of 4-field-2 (or no topic you’ll want to call it) could per chance per chance also furthermore be an efficient system of utilizing him (as I’ve argued before). It could well no longer be with Salah initiating every sport, but he’ll be in the combine.

Dawson: It seems from the outside love an uneasy truce. Salah’s destroy at AFCON looks to trust taken the sting out of the fret, which is correct news for Slot in the immediate-term. Aloof, it could well in all probability well simmer underneath the bottom for the relaxation of the season. For no topic reason, Salah is never undoubtedly as efficient as he became as soon as final campaign, that suggests he’s liable to being dropped for prolonged lessons. It is specifically appropriate while Slot tries to search out a arrangement to carry some consistency support to performances and outcomes.

It absolutely feels love the origin of the halt of Salah’s profession at Anfield. Slot can only put collectively the fret as most though-provoking he can till the summer season when Salah could per chance per chance also furthermore be moved on. Salah is never undoubtedly an odd any additional so, as soon as in some time, it be going to gain awkward for the Dutchman, but he has to position the crew first.

Tighe: My overriding feeling looking out at that sport became as soon as that here is never any longer “Salah’s team.” Even for the length of the principal Sadio Mané and Roberto Firmino skills, it became as soon as peaceful his; he became as soon as peaceful the foremost man. However now it be totally different. All season, Dominik Szoboszlai has been digging this crew out of quite loads of sized holes, and Hugo Ekitike has persistently impressed along with his overall play. The total exact moments in this if truth be told pleasing gain on the Vélodrome revolved around the Hungarian. He pulled tainted and took the free kick that snuck underneath the wall and gave Liverpool the lead, and it became as soon as his fabulous first-time flick that spread out the passage for the third purpose.

Within the halt, we could per chance per chance gape support on issues and take hang of show off of it considerably healthy that the Reds weaned themselves off Salah while he became as soon as peaceful in situ — somewhat than him impulsively departing final summer season — but whether it be worth the drama that is unfolded in the task, I’m no longer so sure.

Laurens: I make no longer impart Salah suits in this crew anymore. I became as soon as on the Vélodrome on Wednesday, and he could per chance per chance also fair as successfully no longer trust completed. He neglected a huge likelihood, one which he would trust underneath no circumstances squandered before, by making the sinister resolution and he didn’t carry noteworthy to the crew at all in or out of possession.

On this unique Liverpool where hang an eye on is key with the four midfielders: Florian Wirtz, Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch and Szoboszlai — there’s never any room for him undoubtedly. Slot could per chance per chance also fair as successfully trust completed Curtis Jones or Cody Gakpo somewhat than Salah. The Liverpool boss could per chance per chance give him one other likelihood in Premier League against AFC Bournemouth on the weekend but, against a depressed Marseille aspect, we didn’t gape satisfactory from the Egyptian to trust earned it.