Europe

Chelsea 3-1 Portsmouth

Spins - Chelsea, Chelsea, Chelsea

Whilst the slots were closer than the spins would indicate, I always find it difficult with 3 spins for one team to then justify a 1 goal gap.

Home advantage slots will always help of course, but if I have to find a weakness that Chelsea would exploit it would definitely be the inexperienced Pompey full backs. Gifted without doubt but perhaps too big a game for them today.

Pompey had enough about them to get a vital away goal, but with a two goal advantage Chelsea are in the driving seat.

Goals:
Mbappe (Neymar), Grealish (FK), Haaland (Pen)
Ronaldo (Vlahovic)
Motm: Mbappe

Tottenham 2-1 Leicester

Spins - Spurs, Leicester, Spurs

Two teams that tend to go for the jugular but have an uncanny ability to be exceptionally strong defensively at the same time.

Home advantage always gave Spurs an edge, but it wasn't by much.

Spurs closing up shop towards the end ensured that Leicester had to make do with the away goal which more than keeps this tie on a knife edge.

Goals
De Bruyne (Sancho), De Bruyne (no assist)
Fernandes (Thiago)

Motm: Fabinho

Soton vs Newcastle
Always gonna be tough to turn around a 2 goal deficit but with home advantage and a fair amount of attacking talent Nadz has a slight chance. That Soton back-three is solid a little too French but solid none the less, and they’d certainly keep the Barcodes well marshalled, not a fan of the faux-wing backs but, with nothing to lose and the need for goals huge this is a gamble that needs taking. I like the front-two but I’m just not sure they’re clinical enough to turn the tide in a big game.
This Newcastle side really is in with a good shout of pushing lesta and Spurs all the way next season, it’s brimming with quality and no real weakness other than cough coman cough. I did think the Soton back-three could cope mostly because even in a 3 man attack I don’t see much width there, I don’t see salah making those unselfish runs out-wide to take a man away, he’s just not that kind of player (you see him more than me, maybe I’m wrong)
Anyways with home advantage on his side Nadz, takes a slender slot lead into the fruity

Fruity, Soton/Soton/Newcastle

Soton 1-0 Newcastle (AGG 1-2)
Greenwood (Rashford)
MOTM – Valverde

A good win for Soton but ultimately they fell just short


Sheffield United vs Leeds

Leeds travel down the M1 to take on their Yorkshire rivals, they have a slender 1 goal lead, but Welshy’s boys have an all important away goal on their side.
I like welshy’s side, I also like there’s no knee-jerk to the first leg loss, great side great tactics, strong defence and a lot of match winners up top, tactics as always very sound.

Lubo has become the thinking man’s Tino, switches it up and gives him a side with a strong spine, keeping it tight at the back and giving his side something to defend. I like the side/tactics and no discernible weakness in any of it

Slots are even going into the fruity (before Home adv)

fruity: Draw/Sheff/Draw

Sheffield 1-0 Leeds (AGG 2-2 Sheff Utd win on away goals)
Suarez (Mahrez)

MOTM – Suarez

A win by the tightest of margins here, could only ever be narrow with the slots being equal and only 1 positive spin out of three. Welshy sneaks into the final, and commiserations Lubo, you did a grand job and the tactical versatility will stand you in good stead

Portsmouth 3-1 Chelsea (Agg. 4-4)

Pens:
Portsmouth win 1-0 on penalties.

Similar to the first leg in that whilst the home team held the advantage it looked more feasible that a 1 goal advantage would have been the most that either team could expect on the day. Tie won for Chelsea surely?

Fireworks at Fratton Park however as the fruity brings out 3 Portsmouth wins and as in the first leg for Chelsea, we must treat both teams equally.

Portsmouth's tactics managed the need for attack and defence exceptionally well, whilst Chelsea were in all fairness so near to that second away goal that would have sent them straight through.

Chelsea evaporated in the penalty shootout however, with Pompey equally dire until their 4th effort found the back of the onion bag.

Goals:
Vlahovic x 2 (Jota, Berardi), Insigne (Vlahovic)
Havertz (Mbappe)
Motm: Vlahovic - a real handful throughout the game and he's on a roll at the moment

Leicester 2-1 Spurs (Agg 3-3)

Leicester win 3-2 on pens

Knife edge second leg which could have swung either way. It was as always difficult to separate these two who are both tactically top notch. Spurs won't be adding to their two trophies this season after missing out in the penalty shootout as it's the Foxes who claim the narrowest of victories over the two legs to make their way into the champions league final.

Goals:
Mount (Fernandes), Fernandes (pen)
Griezmann (Sane)
Motm: Fernandes - involved in both goals during the 90 and ensured that Leicester got over to the perfect start in the shootout

Sheffield Utd vs Newcastle

------------------------Patrício
Maehle, Andersen, T. Silva, Grimaldo
-------------Cristante, Höjbjerg
-Mahrez-----------James---------Mertens
-------------------------Suárez

Subs: Meret, Lamptey, Ampadu, Gallagher, Isco, Brandt, Ibrahimovic

Vs

_____________Navas
Trent_____Dias______VVD_____Kostic
____________Casemiro
_______Llorente_____Gundogan
Salah_________Andre___________Son

Subs: Koke, Tomori, Fabian, Eriksen, Olmo, Coman, Raul

The first thing I notice about Sheffield United these days is the strength Welshy has on the bench, the likes of Zlatan and Isco are genuine match-winners, Brandt seems to have been around forever, and the signing of Christante is a good pick-up, I remember signing him back in the day for 500k.
The sides well balanced, the defence is solid and I like the two #6’s a lot, you already know I rate the front-four. Our 4-2-3-1 is set up to have that wonderful ‘springy' quality - it absorbs pressure without breaking and then snaps back with surprising force. – Much like one of those welsh longbows?
Tactics as ever are on point and I think a final 15 min salvo from Zlatan and Isco would be a handful for a tiring defence.

Newcastle have a great side, it’s right up there with the best in the league and like Sheffield they have fantastic bench options to, Olmo is a genuine talent, and Eriksen/coman/raul can turn a game.

Ludy I like the tactics, I like your take on Pep’s city and I think you have the players to pull it off BUT I do still think that TAA is wasted in that role, because for me he’s better off as the marauding RB that Klopp utilises rather than trying to make him a sort of B2B midfielder, even more so because he has “real like” team-mate Mo Salah ahead of him, you already have that kind of chemistry, so why tinker?

The defence is one of the best if not the best in the league and the front-three are really good, I like the midfield I think…I’m harsh on midfields though and it’s just missing the magician in there…but all in a great side and very good tactics.

All things considered Newcastle take a slender lead into the fruity

Fruity:- Draw/Newcastle/Blades

Sheffield Utd 2-3 Newcastle A.E.T
Mahrez (Suarez) Zlatan (Isco)
Salah (Llorente) Gundogan (Casemiro) Raul (Eriksen)

MOTM – Casemiro

Really close game, that truly could have gone either way, commiserations Welshy, I’m sure you’re side will come again, Congrats Ludy <bubbles>

Portsmouth 1-2 Leicester

Spins - Leicester, Pompey, Leicester

I think that Tino is the most unique tactician in the league, never afraid of the unorthodox and the way that they are prosed always makes them exceptionally believable.

The difficulty that teams have playing against Leicester is that they do everything well. Be that starting lineup, tactics and exceptionally good use of subs week in and week out.

This was a close game. Portsmouth have a strong team, Neymar a very interesting addition and he got off the mark for his new club today.

There wasn't much in the slots as you can imagine, but Leicester would have been the bookmakers favourites and they do enough on the day to take the cup back home.

Goals: Neymar (Kessie)
Martinez (Mount), Sterling (Fernandes)
Motm: Marquinhos

Champions League
Round 1
Chelsea v Arsenal
Spurs v Leicester

Round 2
Leicester v Chelsea
Spurs v Arsenal

Round 3
Chelsea v Spurs
Leicester v Arsenal

Europa League
Round 1
Liverpool v Brentford
Man City v Newcastle

Round 2
Newcastle v Liverpool
Man City v Brentford

Round 3
Liverpool v Man City
Newcastle v Brentford

Conference league
Round 1
Man Utd v Watford
Wolves v Leeds

Round 2
Leeds v Man Utd
Wolves v Watford

Round 3
Man Utd v Wolves
Leeds v Watford

Game 1
Champions League
Chelsea v Arsenal
Spurs v Leicester

Europa League
Liverpool v Brentford
Man City v Newcastle

Conference league
Man Utd v Watford
Wolves v Leeds

Game 2
Champions league
Leicester v Chelsea
Spurs v Arsenal

Europa League
Newcastle v Liverpool
Man City v Brentford

Conference league
Leeds v Man Utd
Wolves v Watford

Game 3
Champions league
Chelsea v Spurs
Leicester v Arsenal

Europa league
Liverpool v Man City
Newcastle v Brentford

Conference league
Man Utd v Wolves
Leeds v Watford

Europa League

Liverpool 0 - 2 Brentford
Broja, Guehi(Odegaard x 2 )

Man City 2 - 0 Newcastle
Benzema(Nkunku), Nkunku