Sport correspondent quickly sums up the results of the group stage that has come to an end UEFA Champions League. There were sensations.
Tournament table
No hint of Manchester United's former greatness. The Red Devils are having one of their worst seasons in recent years. At the moment, the Mancunians have played 24 matches in all tournaments, and exactly half of them ended in defeat. The team of Erik ten Hag, who can’t find himself in the world’s top team, is outside the top 5 of the English Premier League (EPL), and is now also knocked out by the blows of fate in the Champions League. Fourth place in Quartet A with Bayern, Galatasaray and Copenhagen – this has not happened since the distant 2005/06 season. And four points in six meetings became an anti-record for the Mancunians. Moreover, not a single Premier League club has finished fourth in the Champions League group twice… An absolute horror for the three-time winners of the tournament.
And while fans are wondering how their favorites hit yet another rock bottom, the famous journalist Piers Morgan does not misses the opportunity to remind the audience that Cristiano Ronaldo was considered unsuitable for the current Manchester United.
The “Group of Death” spared Paris. In Quartet F, on the eve of the final round, only Borussia Dortmund secured access to the playoffs. The other three teams – PSG, Newcastle, Milan – were fighting for the second spot, in which Paris was in a better position. Just win in Germany and don't look back at the events in England. But no, it was a draw, and the guests had to save themselves – 1:1.
In a parallel match, Newcastle took the lead at home in the match with Milan, but ultimately missed out on victory (1:2) and a ticket to the European spring. We still praise the English for their great return to the Champions League, the defeat of PSG was fiery! We also congratulate the French champions on their nervous advance to the playoffs and see off the Italians to the Europa League. Which, of course, is depressing for Milan, which literally played in the Champions League semi-finals in May.
The real kings of the Champions League, Real Madrid and Manchester City, become the best clubs in the group stage: the 14-time winner of the main club tournament of the Old World and the current owner of the “eared” trophy won all six matches. The Royal Club beat Napoli, Braga and Union twice each with a total score of 16:7, while the City (total score 18:7) dealt with Leipzig, Young Boys and “Red Star”.
In general, complete dominance.
Note that for the “cream” this is the third Champions League draw, when the team scores the maximum points in the quartet (previously this happened in the 2011/12 and 2014/15 seasons). “City” made such a noise for the first time.
Previously, this peak was conquered by seven clubs: “Milan” in the 1992/93 season, “PSG” (1994/95), “Spartak” Moscow (1995/96), “Barcelona” ( 2002/03), Bayern (2019/20, 2021/22, 2022/23), Ajax and Liverpool (both in the 2021/22 season).
Who else deserves praise?
- “Real Sociedad” , for which Russian national team player Arsen Zakharyan plays, took first place in the Champions League group for the first time in history;
- Copenhagenreached the Champions League playoffs for the first time in 13 years. The Danes left behind both the Turkish champion Galatasaray and the long-suffering Manchester United;
- Shakhtargained three victories, but to qualify from the group this it was not enough. But the Ukrainians defeated Barcelona itself and are heading into the Europa League with their heads held high.
Among the football players, we note Erling Haaland (Manchester City), Rasmus Hoylund (Manchester United) and Alvaro Morata (Atlético), who scored five goals each and became the top scorers of the group stage, the oldest goal scorer in the Champions League, Pepe (Porto) ) and… Lazio goalkeeper Ivan Provedel. In the first round, a goalkeeper with Russian roots saved the Romans from defeat by scoring against Atlético in the 95th minute!
Who did they forget to scold?
- Sevilla, despite the return of Sergio Ramos, failed. Now the club will not play in the European Cup playoffs for the first time since 2013;
- “Benfica“made it to the League of Legends, already not bad. But four defeats in six meetings – this indicator certainly does not paint the champion of Portugal and the winner of the 2022 World Cup Angel Di Maria;
- “Celtic “still poorly represents Scottish football in Europe. The Celts have four losses and are bottom of the group for the second season in a row.
Draw soon Teams will be divided into two pots: seeded (first places) and unseeded (second). Rules? There are only two. At the stage of the 1/8 finals, clubs from the same country and from the same group are separated.
The draw for the 1/8 finals of the UEFA Champions League will take place on Monday, December 18. The ceremony will begin at 14:00 Moscow time.
As for the final, the decisive Champions League match will be played at London's Wembley on June 1, 2024. The main arena of England, opened in 2007, will host the final Champions League for the third time (four more were at the old stadium); before that, the best teams in Europe came to the “Home of Football” in 2011 and 2013.
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