Credit to Lyon; they took the chances when they got them, but c'mon man! Wtf! Even with Pep's over-tinkering, City created the overwhelming majority of chances. Maybe you pin the first half on Pep, but in the second half, Laporte fell, Sterling missed, and Ederson biffed. Game over. That's what makes knockout soccer beautiful, I guess. The best players in the world fuck up all the time, but over a 38-game season or even a two-leg tie, it evens out. One game, though? You can't come back.
OK, I'm done for the day. Love you guys. Hope you enjoy doing these as much as I do. Enjoy the narratives over the next few days, and let's hope the semifinals produce the same amount of bonkers shit that these four games have. The Champions League is the best. See you back here on Tuesday.
Sterling turning that situation -- running away from goal, to a bouncing ball, with a defender on his back -- into a high-quality chance is so, so good.
Better end to the half from City, and I do wanna say: Lyon are a pretty good defensive team. It's not like you can just roll it out there and score on them. Plus, I think Cornet's finish was way more impressive than it initially looked. However! City are supposed to be as good as Bayern Munich. That was ... not it.
The different situations of on-the-way out players fascinates me. Sometimes coaches will just stop using players if they know they're leaving (see: Can, Emre). Other times, they'll build their teams around them (see: Ramsey, Aaron). And sometimes a coach will announce a guy's impending departure ... and then immediately start him in the biggest game of his career (see: Garcia, Eric).
Kyle Walker 1) kept the runner onside, and 2) stopped running back after the ball was played when he mayyyybe could've gotten pressure on Cornet if he kept the recovery-run going.
PSG, Atleti and now Man City all put on more defensive starting 11s like they're trying not to make mistakes in the first 45 and win the last 45. But if you think you're more likely to win the last half, aren't you just better off doing that for the full 90?
Ryan, I think I remember you making this point during the last world cup, but I think it is relevant here: dominant teams should try to make games higher scoring when playing an inferior opponent. I am a dumbass when it comes to soccer, but from a game theory perspective, more scoring lessens the impact of randomness in a sport like soccer where individual goals can be lucky.
Standard practice, though, seems to be the "defense wins championships" line of thinking. Pep is not the only one: Tuchel loves to play very defensive/conservative lineups for PSG, for example. Didier Deschamps won the world cup with an embarrassment of attacking talent by playing 4 CBs and trying to win every game 1-0.
My guess is that Pep's been triggered by all the bad bounces that have gone against his teams in the CL over the past five/six years, so he trotted out this lineup that should theoretically at least limit the bad bounces, even if it muted his own team on the attacking end. And, well, you can never eliminate the bad bounces ...
I hate to be a stereotypical “pep tinkers too much” guy but I’m not sure this setup gets the best out of any of the city players. Fernandinho is probably better with a close outside back, walker doesn’t go forward much anymore, de bruyne is better shifting right from the middle, not starting there, etc
This is insane. The Champions League is the best competition in sports. I would absolutely wear a hat and even consider getting a tattoo on my lip.
The final stats:
-xG: City 2.58, Lyon 0.97
-Shots: City 17, Lyon 7
-Final-third passes: City 103, Lyon 30
-Penalty-area passes: City 11, Lyon 7
Credit to Lyon; they took the chances when they got them, but c'mon man! Wtf! Even with Pep's over-tinkering, City created the overwhelming majority of chances. Maybe you pin the first half on Pep, but in the second half, Laporte fell, Sterling missed, and Ederson biffed. Game over. That's what makes knockout soccer beautiful, I guess. The best players in the world fuck up all the time, but over a 38-game season or even a two-leg tie, it evens out. One game, though? You can't come back.
It's lit. The French league is the best of the Big Five European leagues, clearly.
OK, I'm done for the day. Love you guys. Hope you enjoy doing these as much as I do. Enjoy the narratives over the next few days, and let's hope the semifinals produce the same amount of bonkers shit that these four games have. The Champions League is the best. See you back here on Tuesday.
Sterling turning that situation -- running away from goal, to a bouncing ball, with a defender on his back -- into a high-quality chance is so, so good.
Better end to the half from City, and I do wanna say: Lyon are a pretty good defensive team. It's not like you can just roll it out there and score on them. Plus, I think Cornet's finish was way more impressive than it initially looked. However! City are supposed to be as good as Bayern Munich. That was ... not it.
The different situations of on-the-way out players fascinates me. Sometimes coaches will just stop using players if they know they're leaving (see: Can, Emre). Other times, they'll build their teams around them (see: Ramsey, Aaron). And sometimes a coach will announce a guy's impending departure ... and then immediately start him in the biggest game of his career (see: Garcia, Eric).
Pep's about to get eliminated because his one great defender fell down.
Weeeeeeeeeeeeeee
Caqueret just kneeling behind the wall is killing me.
xG update: 1.86 to 0.42 ...
"And Pep has parity" is a good in-the-moment call.
I have no idea what this lineup is. Might be the weirdest, least-explicable-to-the-layman lineup I've seen Pep. Also, what happened to Bernardo Silva?
I want Guardiola to overthink so much that he ends up playing his normal team
Kyle Walker 1) kept the runner onside, and 2) stopped running back after the ball was played when he mayyyybe could've gotten pressure on Cornet if he kept the recovery-run going.
Moussa is the King Dembele
Pep doesn't suffer from male pattern baldness he's just bald from rubbing his head thinking about how he can kneecap his teams in CL knockout games..
Amazing to see these Private Equity wankers get what they deserve
PSG, Atleti and now Man City all put on more defensive starting 11s like they're trying not to make mistakes in the first 45 and win the last 45. But if you think you're more likely to win the last half, aren't you just better off doing that for the full 90?
no surprise lyon are beating these english farmers
oh no oh nooooooooooo
Correct me if I'm wrong, but is the fake crowd-noise machine chanting "Oh, Kev-in De Bruy-ne"?
Looking forward to a full revised Dembele rankings pod
UEFA having their CAS revenge
Ryan, I think I remember you making this point during the last world cup, but I think it is relevant here: dominant teams should try to make games higher scoring when playing an inferior opponent. I am a dumbass when it comes to soccer, but from a game theory perspective, more scoring lessens the impact of randomness in a sport like soccer where individual goals can be lucky.
Standard practice, though, seems to be the "defense wins championships" line of thinking. Pep is not the only one: Tuchel loves to play very defensive/conservative lineups for PSG, for example. Didier Deschamps won the world cup with an embarrassment of attacking talent by playing 4 CBs and trying to win every game 1-0.
Thoughts on this rambling, half-baked take?
sterling lmfaoooooooooooo
i know we already established ligue 1 as best of big 5 but crazy lyon was in 7th 1 when they cancelled
One way to solve your years-long left back problems: don’t have a left back!
Is pep still wearing cargo pants?
This will be a horrible VAR situation
Lyon have looked dangerous as soon as they started to try attacking again. Was ... Pep right?
I think I would like to see Mahrez on for Fernandinho at half.
My guess is that Pep's been triggered by all the bad bounces that have gone against his teams in the CL over the past five/six years, so he trotted out this lineup that should theoretically at least limit the bad bounces, even if it muted his own team on the attacking end. And, well, you can never eliminate the bad bounces ...
Aouar😍
Pep really played 3 CBs and 2 DMs in a game against inferior opposition where you should be pressing to score as much as possible. Incredible stuff
Have said for a while that the French league is underrated (strokes chin)
What’s the definition of dummy?
I know it’s a dumb one but if City blows this game, the narrative that Pep can’t win CL without Messi would gain a lot of traction
Surely Mahrez on after half?
I’m generally fairly pro-VAR but that Lyon goal was a great example of how it can really take the air out of an exciting moment, right?
No English or Spanish teams in Semi Finals, just like we all imagined
"Those from the gastronomic capital have cooked up something scrumptious" 👍👍👍
LE WHAT
.99xg?!
David Silva could double the size of his statue outside the Etihad if he pulls city back
Man. Sterling is a fucking superstar.
Sterling with that Phonzie Davies patience in the box.
yeah, he is a bad man
Nice clearance by cancelo from lyon’s box
I hate to be a stereotypical “pep tinkers too much” guy but I’m not sure this setup gets the best out of any of the city players. Fernandinho is probably better with a close outside back, walker doesn’t go forward much anymore, de bruyne is better shifting right from the middle, not starting there, etc