48 Comments
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Ryan O'Hanlon's avatar

Having to play the last 30 minutes of a match against a fresh Alphonso Davies is a nightmare.

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Robyn's avatar

I was just about to type the same thing. That's terrifying as a defender.

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Robyn's avatar

Coman & Davies!

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Ryan O'Hanlon's avatar

Looks like PSG just announced that Edinson Cavani is leaving the team this summer. Seems like Atletico Madrid will be the destination. Plugging 33-year-old legs into Diego Simeone's system scares me.

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Ryan O'Hanlon's avatar

Let's see if I can work my jinxing powers here: Mochengladbach look beat. No way they win this.

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Robyn's avatar

They're basically defending even when they're countering, going back and resetting if there isn't an extremely obvious attack. And I'm not mad at it. Getting a point here would be a win.

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Robyn's avatar

Ah, damn. It was coming.

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Ryan O'Hanlon's avatar

Amazing how quickly Bayern started to dominate once Davies and Coman came on.

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Blake's avatar

Great save there by Sommer

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Ryan O'Hanlon's avatar

Bayern spent a club-record fee on a young World Cup-winning defender, and they just happen to have a teenage Canadian winger who’s way better than him. Still can’t get over this.

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Charlie's avatar

Do you think they should move Hernandez to CB to succeed Boateng?

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Ryan O'Hanlon's avatar

Maybe! But it seems like they're trying to sign a right back -- Sergino Dest, maybe! -- which might mean Pavard shifts over, too.

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Hans's avatar

I say this confirms your observation of Bayern buying a boatload of young, pacey, talented fullbacks, and converting them to CBs or holding mids as they see fit

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Jack Dawson's avatar

Only Bayern could make that happen. That being said you would hate to see it

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Hans's avatar

Must be nice to put out a favored team without your game-breaking LB, and having him just as a reserve

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Jack Dawson's avatar

Somewhere in a dark Roman Abromovich is counting a stack of cash for that young World Cup winner. Can't afford the Canadian

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Ryan O'Hanlon's avatar

TITLE RACE BACK ON LETS GOOOOOOOO

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Ryan O'Hanlon's avatar

DEFUND THE POLICE AND VAR

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Ryan O'Hanlon's avatar

This xG explainer on FS1 is pretty good.

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Ryan O'Hanlon's avatar

Alphonso Davies isn’t starting. Ivan Perisic is. Smfh.

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Jack Dawson's avatar

my NGITC bingo sheet is off to a great start, really just need a Goretzka goal and a team Sam mention

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Robyn's avatar

I've been watching a lot of Gladbach this year, they've been a fun underdog to root for in the title race/Champions League spots race. Plus I enjoy the Lilian Thuram connection. Last week was a tough game to watch, and they may have cost themselves that fourth spot. But if they can salvage points in this game it would be pretty momentous! Go Gladbach!

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Ryan O'Hanlon's avatar

.Per the TV, BM edged the xG 2.3 to 2.0 ... and that's not counting the own goal (I think)

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Ryan O'Hanlon's avatar

lol, BOTH TEAMS ARE BM. Per Stats Perform, it was 1.6 to 1.2 in favor of Bayern. They've been very good, but they've also had almost all the key moments go their way since the re-start. Anyway, the title race was over before this match anyway. A brutal dropped point for Monchengladbach, who are tied on points with Leverkusen but now have played an extra match. Sorry, Robyn. But congrats to Frank. He's the first NGITC reader to ever win a bet, as far as I'm aware. Thanks for joining today, all. Be well this weekend.

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Ryan O'Hanlon's avatar

They're gonna VAR that own goal, somehow.

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Ryan O'Hanlon's avatar

And now Marcus Thurman might be hurt.

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Bub bub's avatar

Where do you think Kai havertz will go?

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Ryan O'Hanlon's avatar

Here's what the market says:

Bayern Munich +150

Chelsea +200

Liverpool +1200

Real Madrid +1200

Manchester United +1600

Barcelona +2000

Manchester City +2000

Juventus +2500

PSG +2500

Dortmund +3300

Arsenal +6600

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Anthony B's avatar

What about Sancho? Is United the runaway favorite here?

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Ryan O'Hanlon's avatar

They're the favorite, but for context: Werner-to-Liverpool was an even bigger favorite two weeks ago. The odds:

Manchester United -200

Chelsea +500

Liverpool +750

Barcelona +1100

Juventus +1400

Bayern Munich +2000

Real Madrid +2000

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Frank's avatar

Since Sam may have retired, gladbach +1.5 and 1H u1.5.

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Ryan O'Hanlon's avatar

So ... we need to root for no more goals until the second half now?

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Ryan O'Hanlon's avatar

Sorry, but also yay!

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Frank's avatar

Won't be mad at a split

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Hans's avatar

RIP Sam's degenerate pocket book

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Jack Dawson's avatar

These Gladbach kits go so hard

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Blake's avatar

Davies and Coman coming on with fresh legs. SHEESH

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Patrick S's avatar

What lessons are we taking from Bayern seamlessly returning from the COVID break while Liepzig, Gladbach, Leverkusen, etc. have all struggled a bit. Are the best teams in other leagues going to be similarly dominant? Do we think they prepared for the return differently from their opponents in any meaningful way? Were they always just way better than anyone else in Germany but Kovac was in over his head at the beginning of the season and this all would have played out the same regardless of COVID stuff?

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Ryan O'Hanlon's avatar

Not much? Too few games. Bayern, Dortmund, and RBL have roughly equivalent underlying numbers since plat resumed. I just don't really think there's much to draw. Even with the homefield stuff. Home teams are winning less often, but that's not true in the German second division. You can find all kinds of weird-looking things if you slice off a 6/7-game stretch at any point in a season.

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Patrick S's avatar

I'm just looking for a quick narrative fix where I can get it, you know? It's dry out here *ties rubber tubing around arm, reaches for Coppa Italia with a heavy sigh*

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Patrick S's avatar

Okay I wrote this two second before the OG, but the question remains

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Hans's avatar

I think bayern is just super-powered, and the Davies emergence plus Flick's relative competence in fitting the right 11s together is showing

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Hans's avatar

Sommer howls at the high press

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Charlie's avatar

I know we're watching Bayern now, but that winner from Haaland in the 95' was a thing of beauty

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Cousin_Drew's avatar

Michael Cuisance revenge game

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Cousin_Drew's avatar

Even as Bayern fan I may not watch all of this one...

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Cousin_Drew's avatar

Hernandez outside of Alaba is interesting, but not that interesting

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