UEFA Champions League 2023/24 Season

[BITCOIN4X]

~Snip

In fact, last season Haaland could not do anything well in the last two matches After that, Haaland's dedication to hope's journey to the final is the best of all. So it is not right to criticize him with the last two matches.

No one is criticizing him, but some people only take into account some of his weaknesses in the last two Champions League matches last season. Haaland didn't contribute much to the final as he didn't score, but it's not a big deal as long as Manchester City are able to win the title. As people say, Manchester City is a team and they should play to the strengths of the team instead of just winning because of one player.

I think Pep Guardiola understands very well how to play Haaland. He doesn't have to score every game, but Haaland is a real threat to goalkeepers and defenders alike. Haaland was the top scorer of the Champions League last season, he is also the top scorer of the Premier League, that is the best record for his first season.

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[MAAManda]

Most likely this round is Panathinaikos last step in the UCL because the bookies are very much on Braga side with smaller odds, we can see in the image below that SC Braga gets @1.65 odds while Panathinaikos has @5.4.

Image Source: Rollbit

But what makes this match interesting is that this opportunity is the first meeting for the two teams in history, they have never met before even in a friendly match, so, of course the result of the match will be very difficult to predict, it doesn't mean that Panathinaikos with their big odds will lose easily. About surprising us a second time? it's possible, nothing is impossible in football.

If I'm not wrong, Panathinaikos and never played against Braga but according to the past results for both teams, I can say Braga can't have too much chance against Panathinaikos in this game because were can see their performance in the Portuguese league was not good at all to race with Panathinaikos especially when we know Panathinaikos has beaten Marseille and they have better atmosphere comparing to Braga.

If so, how can you explain the odds in the bookies? bookies are not that stupid to side with a team that is having a bad performance. I still believe that Braga will dominate the match, but for the result it's difficult to even predict because the two teams have never met before. Talking about predictions, what are your predictions for this match later? I mean the exact score that will probably arise.

[Rikafip]

If I'm not wrong, Panathinaikos and never played against Braga but according to the past results for both teams, I can say Braga can't have too much chance against Panathinaikos in this game because were can see their performance in the Portuguese league was not good at all to race with Panathinaikos especially when we know Panathinaikos has beaten Marseille and they have better atmosphere comparing to Braga.

Just because Panathinaikos beat Marseille (something barely anyone expected) doesn't automatically mean that they are now favorites against Braga who is still a very decent team that beat TSC easily. Its gonna be a close duel imho as PAO is a tough team and if i learned anything its that you never bet against Greek teams. 

The game I am most interested is tomorrow night, AEK vs Dinamo Zagreb. I saw the first game live few days ago and its an understatement if i say that I was disappointed with my team's (Dinamo) performance, especially in the 2nd half when they totally disappeared and let AEK dominate the game. I usually don't bet against the team I root, but I don't think that Dinamo has chance of getting further in CL this year. Hell, even beating Sparta Prague (opponent if we get kicked by AEK) in Europe League qualifiers doesn't seem probable which means conference league this year.

[Doell]

Panathinaikos were a surprising team to have advanced to the final qualification round. I was really surprised to see them eliminating Marseille despite getting behind by 2-0 first in the rematch. It looks like Marseille are still not fully ready with their new manager Marcelino.

But I think this round will be the end of the road for Panathinaikos. I respect their determination and their motivation must be much higher now. However their opponent is going to be Braga which are doing good so far. I think we will see the quality difference especially in the match Braga's home.

What do you think about it? Can Panathinaikos surprise us twice? 

Yes, Panathinaikos surprised me a lot too, Marseille was unlucky losing by them.
Next their opponent is Braga, I'm not too sure that Panathinaikos can win that match or can surprise us twice, although they could make a surprise win against Marseille before but Braga is quite tough opponent. Bruma is also currently on fire in two matches in the champions league, He was able to secure 2 goals and one assist, an impressive record.

[Rockstarguy]

About Haaland in the Champions League, I can say that he has been quite impressive in this tournament also. He scored so many goals here last season. Maybe he couldn't make much impact on the semi finals and the finale but I can't overlook his overall effort just because of that.

Manchester City are playing great as a team. They don't rely on only one player such as Haaland. The semi finals and the finale were great examples for that. It is the truth that Haaland is an important piece of the puzzle. But Guardiola has a system working like a clockwork now. Even when Haaland isn't in-form the rest of the players can make up for that.

I just know every player in Manchester City has a role to play, Manchester City does not really rely on any player for victory to take place, I think this is one the secret for success in winning trophies. Haaland played major role last season for Manchester City in premier league and in Champions league though in the semi finals and finals game he could not score goal for Manchester city because he was thoroughly marked by the opponent playing against Manchester City because he was a threat to them.

[Asiska02]

About Haaland in the Champions League, I can say that he has been quite impressive in this tournament also. He scored so many goals here last season. Maybe he couldn't make much impact on the semi finals and the finale but I can't overlook his overall effort just because of that.

Manchester City are playing great as a team. They don't rely on only one player such as Haaland. The semi finals and the finale were great examples for that. It is the truth that Haaland is an important piece of the puzzle. But Guardiola has a system working like a clockwork now. Even when Haaland isn't in-form the rest of the players can make up for that.

This is a very good strategy that many teams are unable to decode from Pep Guardiola till now. He always have a way to play around with the team he’s facing by using a single player to lure the attention of their opponents to while others will do the work of this player. He has been doing that for quite sometime now and always get it right. This is perfection and he can’t be counter with easily through this method. Haaland has not lose form yet and I see him doing great things this season too, looking from his first match this season against Burnley, he could be the highest goal scorer again by the end of this season.

[tiCeR]

About Haaland in the Champions League, I can say that he has been quite impressive in this tournament also. He scored so many goals here last season. Maybe he couldn't make much impact on the semi finals and the finale but I can't overlook his overall effort just because of that.

Manchester City are playing great as a team. They don't rely on only one player such as Haaland. The semi finals and the finale were great examples for that. It is the truth that Haaland is an important piece of the puzzle. But Guardiola has a system working like a clockwork now. Even when Haaland isn't in-form the rest of the players can make up for that.

This is a very good strategy that many teams are unable to decode from Pep Guardiola till now. He always have a way to play around with the team he’s facing by using a single player to lure the attention of their opponents to while others will do the work of this player. He has been doing that for quite sometime now and always get it right. This is perfection and he can’t be counter with easily through this method. Haaland has not lose form yet and I see him doing great things this season too, looking from his first match this season against Burnley, he could be the highest goal scorer again by the end of this season.

But this isn't really a strategic element that Pep Guardiola is deliberately including into his game. It is rather the genius of Haaland that forces the opponent to keep him covered for the full distance and in every position because he knows how to strikes from everywhere within a blink of an eye. This is what Guardiola and Manchester City bought when they paid the transfer fee for him. There is no magic or genius on behalf of Guardiola that Haaland forces several players at the same time to prevent him from scoring. But I think this is what extraordinarily good players are all about.

You can also take Mbappe here and guess what, the opponent is forced to play defensively more careful than if a team attacks without Mbappe being part of their offense. But I agree that this is so impressive how Haaland is effective even when he doesn't score a goal because all other players get chances they would otherwise not have gotten.

[Google+]

About Haaland in the Champions League, I can say that he has been quite impressive in this tournament also. He scored so many goals here last season. Maybe he couldn't make much impact on the semi finals and the finale but I can't overlook his overall effort just because of that.

Manchester City are playing great as a team. They don't rely on only one player such as Haaland. The semi finals and the finale were great examples for that. It is the truth that Haaland is an important piece of the puzzle. But Guardiola has a system working like a clockwork now. Even when Haaland isn't in-form the rest of the players can make up for that.

In fact, last season Haaland could not do anything well in the last two matches After that, Haaland's dedication to hope's journey to the final is the best of all. So it is not right to criticize him with the last two matches.

Haaland was at the peak of his career last season, because He joined Manchester city last season and immediately won the treble winner with Manchester city. I admit that this season he has a lot of big hopes to break the record again in the domestic league or Champions league, indeed sometimes it requires a strong push from his team-mates and hope they do it like they did last season.

Why criticize Haaland performance, everyone saw his impressive performance last season and Manchester city is a team filled with quality players so if Haaland has trouble scoring goals then other players can do it.

[len01]

About Haaland in the Champions League, I can say that he has been quite impressive in this tournament also. He scored so many goals here last season. Maybe he couldn't make much impact on the semi finals and the finale but I can't overlook his overall effort just because of that.

Manchester City are playing great as a team. They don't rely on only one player such as Haaland. The semi finals and the finale were great examples for that. It is the truth that Haaland is an important piece of the puzzle. But Guardiola has a system working like a clockwork now. Even when Haaland isn't in-form the rest of the players can make up for that.

In fact, last season Haaland could not do anything well in the last two matches After that, Haaland's dedication to hope's journey to the final is the best of all. So it is not right to criticize him with the last two matches.

for some reason Haaland could not do anything in the last two games and for me that not a bad thing because I know that Man City players are very solid and Guardiola always says if you do not rely on one player but all Man City players have an important role as long as they have the opportunity to score do not waste. on the one hand, Haaland in last season match did not have many opportunities because the opposing defense players had been set to focus on every gap that Haaland had, so naturally he could not do anything, but as I said earlier, if all Man City players have a role It is important that when he has the opportunity to score, Rodri takes advantage of this opportunity to score.
this is the strength of Man City which means not only from the coach and Haaland but also all City players.

[Docnaster]

About Haaland in the Champions League, I can say that he has been quite impressive in this tournament also. He scored so many goals here last season. Maybe he couldn't make much impact on the semi finals and the finale but I can't overlook his overall effort just because of that.

Manchester City are playing great as a team. They don't rely on only one player such as Haaland. The semi finals and the finale were great examples for that. It is the truth that Haaland is an important piece of the puzzle. But Guardiola has a system working like a clockwork now. Even when Haaland isn't in-form the rest of the players can make up for that.

In fact, last season Haaland could not do anything well in the last two matches After that, Haaland's dedication to hope's journey to the final is the best of all. So it is not right to criticize him with the last two matches.

for some reason Haaland could not do anything in the last two games and for me that not a bad thing because I know that Man City players are very solid and Guardiola always says if you do not rely on one player but all Man City players have an important role as long as they have the opportunity to score do not waste. on the one hand, Haaland in last season match did not have many opportunities because the opposing defense players had been set to focus on every gap that Haaland had, so naturally he could not do anything, but as I said earlier, if all Man City players have a role It is important that when he has the opportunity to score, Rodri takes advantage of this opportunity to score.
this is the strength of Man City which means not only from the coach and Haaland but also all City players.

Erling Haaland is unarguably the most prolific striker in Europe at the moment and that numbers strongly backs up that claim. The number of goalscoring records he's broken and created after his first season at Manchester City last season is a true testament that he's gonna be one of the biggest players of his generation.
However I think he's a good finisher that's always at the right place whenever his team is on the attack. His foot works on the ball whenever he's in possession of the ball isn't as good as his finishing and that's the area he has to work. He mustn't rely on good passes to score goals. What makes a striker to be termed "complete" is if he can fall deep when his team isn't breaking the defense, collect pass, dribble past one or two players before scoring or creating a good chance for his team to score. If Haaland can learn and efficiently know how to dribble with the ball, he'll have better goalscoring records than Ronaldo and Messi in the future if you ask me

[piebeyb]

Why criticize Haaland performance, everyone saw his impressive performance last season and Manchester city is a team filled with quality players so if Haaland has trouble scoring goals then other players can do it.

Yes, that's what I saw where Haaland had trouble scoring goals because he was guarded closely by Intermilan defenders during the UCL final, he could barely do anything, but they misjudged it turned out that it wasn't Haaland as the main striker who could score goals there because there were several other players who ready to score goals as long as there are gaps in the opponent's back line, I think we all know that even though he failed to score but other players can score goals for Manchester City seen in the quarter-finals, semi-finals to the UCL final last season.

But besides that, Haaland was also the top scorer in the EPL last season, so for him, maybe he will do the same thing in the EPL this season, it's just for the start of the season, and right now he hasn't done much, of course, after yesterday's holiday, his team needs to adapt again to playing on the pitch, so we'll see in the next game. i believe haaland will prove he is not infertile 

[Litzki1990]

About Haaland in the Champions League, I can say that he has been quite impressive in this tournament also. He scored so many goals here last season. Maybe he couldn't make much impact on the semi finals and the finale but I can't overlook his overall effort just because of that.

Manchester City are playing great as a team. They don't rely on only one player such as Haaland. The semi finals and the finale were great examples for that. It is the truth that Haaland is an important piece of the puzzle. But Guardiola has a system working like a clockwork now. Even when Haaland isn't in-form the rest of the players can make up for that.

The good performance of a striker is not only measured by the goals scored in the matches they play, but I think their performance can also be seen by how much they influence the game. Haaland is a player who can make a positive impact on a game, even if he doesn't score a single goal during the match. That's why Pep Guardiola gives him minutes if he is available in the squad list.

If we consider a striker in the squad with the equation that he must score goals, we are wrong. A striker not only scores goals but also tries to create goals with his team mates but also a striker makes an impact in a match which causes the team to do well. Many times it is seen that the opponent plans with only one main striker which gives the rest of the players a chance to do well in that match. When the opponent's target is only on one main striker, that main striker tries to score with other players instead of scoring, thereby allowing other players to score. 

Haaland is an all-time regular for Manchester City and I don't think Pep Guardiola will ever consider Manchester City starting XI without him. When Haaland is included in the starting XI, the opposing manager will have extra plans for him which will give the rest of the players a chance to perform well in the match.

[marcous]

If we consider a striker in the squad with the equation that he must score goals, we are wrong. A striker not only scores goals but also tries to create goals with his team mates but also a striker makes an impact in a match which causes the team to do well. Many times it is seen that the opponent plans with only one main striker which gives the rest of the players a chance to do well in that match. When the opponent's target is only on one main striker, that main striker tries to score with other players instead of scoring, thereby allowing other players to score. 

Haaland is an all-time regular for Manchester City and I don't think Pep Guardiola will ever consider Manchester City starting XI without him. When Haaland is included in the starting XI, the opposing manager will have extra plans for him which will give the rest of the players a chance to perform well in the match.

True, Halaand is not only tasked with scoring goals but creating spaces and assists. Pep knows his opponents very well, and when Halaand doesn't get a creative opportunity due to tight marking then the rest of the squad will do the job as they are evenly matched in squad depth.

The match against Newcastle in the second week will prove the depth of Man City squad, several key players are currently injured. This is the perfect time for a back-up to show similar qualities on Pep.

[shogun47]

If we consider a striker in the squad with the equation that he must score goals, we are wrong. A striker not only scores goals but also tries to create goals with his team mates but also a striker makes an impact in a match which causes the team to do well. Many times it is seen that the opponent plans with only one main striker which gives the rest of the players a chance to do well in that match. When the opponent's target is only on one main striker, that main striker tries to score with other players instead of scoring, thereby allowing other players to score. 

Haaland is an all-time regular for Manchester City and I don't think Pep Guardiola will ever consider Manchester City starting XI without him. When Haaland is included in the starting XI, the opposing manager will have extra plans for him which will give the rest of the players a chance to perform well in the match.

True, Halaand is not only tasked with scoring goals but creating spaces and assists. Pep knows his opponents very well, and when Halaand doesn't get a creative opportunity due to tight marking then the rest of the squad will do the job as they are evenly matched in squad depth.

The match against Newcastle in the second week will prove the depth of Man City squad, several key players are currently injured. This is the perfect time for a back-up to show similar qualities on Pep.

But I think that this quality has decreased quite a bit now for Manchester City since Gundogan and De Bruyne are out of their game. That is a really panful loss for them and compensating for two players of that calibre who in conjunction also organized the whole game and the midfield is impossible.

I don't know how Guardiola will go about this problem and whether they can fix it to a degree that they are as strong as last season. I believe that this season is going to be quite a bit tougher for them than last season.

[Pulsar77]

What a coincidence that PSV and Rangers meet up again in the Champions League qualification round. They faced each other in the previous season as well and the side to leave the rematch happy was Rangers. But it was a pretty tough matchup which resulted in a 3-2 score on aggregate.

Maybe this is the revenge time for PSV. I really liked PSV in the previous season. They were amazing in the Eredivisie. If they keep up the good work they can get one step ahead of Rangers here. But still it is a matchup that they should be careful about. PSV are playing away first and they are very slightly favourite. But I expect a draw with goals at the end truthfully.

[Jody.Drummer]

~Snip

In fact, last season Haaland could not do anything well in the last two matches After that, Haaland's dedication to hope's journey to the final is the best of all. So it is not right to criticize him with the last two matches.

No one is criticizing him, but some people only take into account some of his weaknesses in the last two Champions League matches last season. Haaland didn't contribute much to the final as he didn't score, but it's not a big deal as long as Manchester City are able to win the title. As people say, Manchester City is a team and they should play to the strengths of the team instead of just winning because of one player.

I think Pep Guardiola understands very well how to play Haaland. He doesn't have to score every game, but Haaland is a real threat to goalkeepers and defenders alike. Haaland was the top scorer of the Champions League last season, he is also the top scorer of the Premier League, that is the best record for his first season.

Criticism, praise is a very common thing in football, all players must have felt it whether it comes from management, supporters or from other parties.
Decreasing and increasing the performance of a player is also a very natural thing, we don't always see the best game from players in every match, not just Haaland.
The role of the striker in my opinion has been misunderstood over the years, yes many people think the striker must always score goals. In fact, there are other roles that must be played, for example opening up space for teammates or other things. It doesn't have to be scoring goals, the role of helping colleagues to score goals is also a role that a striker must play.

[topbitcoin]

What a coincidence that PSV and Rangers meet up again in the Champions League qualification round. They faced each other in the previous season as well and the side to leave the rematch happy was Rangers. But it was a pretty tough matchup which resulted in a 3-2 score on aggregate.

Maybe this is the revenge time for PSV. I really liked PSV in the previous season. They were amazing in the Eredivisie. If they keep up the good work they can get one step ahead of Rangers here. But still it is a matchup that they should be careful about. PSV are playing away first and they are very slightly favourite. But I expect a draw with goals at the end truthfully.

This could be a good revenge game but for now in the first leg PSV have a lot of pressure.
The first leg of the Play Off is at Rangers which of course this will give them an advantage because they play home and with the advantage of this militant fan will put more pressure on PSV.

On the other hand, PSV have had a good goal productivity so far in the previous qualifying phase and this will be a good capital only I still feel that they will still play a little safe to prepare the second leg well.

[rendravolt]

About Haaland in the Champions League, I can say that he has been quite impressive in this tournament also. He scored so many goals here last season. Maybe he couldn't make much impact on the semi finals and the finale but I can't overlook his overall effort just because of that.

Manchester City are playing great as a team. They don't rely on only one player such as Haaland. The semi finals and the finale were great examples for that. It is the truth that Haaland is an important piece of the puzzle. But Guardiola has a system working like a clockwork now. Even when Haaland isn't in-form the rest of the players can make up for that.

I just know every player in Manchester City has a role to play, Manchester City does not really rely on any player for victory to take place, I think this is one the secret for success in winning trophies. Haaland played major role last season for Manchester City in premier league and in Champions league though in the semi finals and finals game he could not score goal for Manchester city because he was thoroughly marked by the opponent playing against Manchester City because he was a threat to them.

It is true that in important matches such as the semifinals or the Champions League final last season, Erling Haaland seemed to disappear on the field and his role as the pillar of the team at that time was immediately replaced by other Manchester City players who had freer opportunities to score goals. I don't think it's a problem as long as the team can use every player available and actually I'm quite annoyed because Pep Guardiola very rarely changes his players in the second half. So when they should have had the opportunity to score goals through supersub players, they still relied on the players who were there from the early minutes.

[rozak]

It is true that in important matches such as the semifinals or the Champions League final last season, Erling Haaland seemed to disappear on the field and his role as the pillar of the team at that time was immediately replaced by other Manchester City players who had freer opportunities to score goals. I don't think it's a problem as long as the team can use every player available and actually I'm quite annoyed because Pep Guardiola very rarely changes his players in the second half. So when they should have had the opportunity to score goals through supersub players, they still relied on the players who were there from the early minutes.

that's a strategy that has been held by Pep for a long time. he will not arbitrarily replace their players unless it is in a state of urgency. it seems he has full confidence in the performance of the players he chooses in every game.
Haaland is not invisible, but increasingly powerful opponents recognize that Haaland is a serious threat. and they need to stop Haaland on full guard. it creates opportunities for other players that City can rely on because of the defensive gaps created by Haaland.

[KTChampions]

It is true that in important matches such as the semifinals or the Champions League final last season, Erling Haaland seemed to disappear on the field and his role as the pillar of the team at that time was immediately replaced by other Manchester City players who had freer opportunities to score goals. I don't think it's a problem as long as the team can use every player available and actually I'm quite annoyed because Pep Guardiola very rarely changes his players in the second half. So when they should have had the opportunity to score goals through supersub players, they still relied on the players who were there from the early minutes.

It's not a problem at all because before Haaland came to City they had won the Premier League by more points than last season and despite Liverpool being only one point behind, their title looked undeniable. Haaland is an option (very cool option) but I think he is much less important than the KDB, so I'm looking forward to a more competitive season this time around.