Man Utd vs Portugal

Nice opener to the group this, A game that really Man Utd would have expected to win. Utd as expected started brightly and with the crowd behind them carried the game to their Portugese opponents but struggled to break-through....The deadlock was finally broken with a proper sucker-punch as a long ball over the top by Medel found Benteke who powered through the centre-backs too easily before drilling home. Utd in fairness battled on and rescued a point from a lovely taken penalty from Cavani.

final score 1-1
Benteke (Medel) Cavani

MOTM - Cavani - Led the line well and gave his teama solid platform to build on

Germany v Portsmouth

Heavy favourites Portmsouth were inder the cosh early doors and conceded early as Cabaye drilled home from range in 3 mins, they went for the second but couldnt get passed a resolute Portsmouth defence, the away side came more into it as Gundogan took control of the midfield and he sent Morata away with a sublime pass tfor the striker to equalise before HT. Bringing on fresh legs in Martial after the hour helped as again Gundogan playued him in and his pace saw him round the defence to score whjat was the winning goal on 73 Mins

Germany 1 - 2 Portsmouth
Cabaye(3)
Morata 44(Gundogan)
Martial 73(Gundogan)
MOTM - Gundogan

Spain v Aston Villa

A very well drilled home side stuck to there task and proved tough opposition for Aston Villa, there resilance was a tough barrier for Villa to break down and they just couldnt. They tried from range but they could get that goal they wanted

Spain 0 - 0 Aston Villa
MOTM - San Jose

Newcastle vs Fiorinter Milan

This was a master-class in the dark arts by this throwback 70's Italian team, cynical tackles and clock management were key in this victory - Newcastle on paper have the better players but Fioreinter Milan have a lovely chemistry about them and on the day their smash and grab football got the job done.

FT Newcastle 1-2 Milan
Sturridge (Salah) Dzeko (Bonaventura) Yaya (Tello)

MOTM - It's not often that a sub gets man of the match but Yaya came on rolled back the years and really took the game by the scruff of it's neck

AS Rovenli v Liverpool

A tough opener for Liverpool against very stubborn Italian opposition, AS stuck to there task and held Liverpool back v an onslaught of attacks. Typically Italian defending very well. Although not creating much. Danilo in particular doing very well just ion front of the defence to limit the Italians. A bad challenge on Lukaku saw the visitors earn a penalty in which Griezmann converted to give the away side a very good first 3 pts.

AS Rovenli 0 - 1 Liverpool
Griezmman (72, Pen)
MOTM - Danilo

Bayern Dortmund v Leicester

There first forray into Europe and against a very good German side, who took the lead early with Leicester looking nervous. Sanches playing a good ball through after dispossessing Bazoer, Muller picked up turned and shot into the top corner. This gave Leicetser a boot up the backside and they came more into it and the halft time whistle came to early as they pushed on. Better in the second half and were rewarded when Correa got free down the left to cross in for Costa to bullet home. This is how it ended and a good away point for Leicester

BD 1 - 1 Leicester
Muller(Sanches, 16)
Costa(Correa, 59)
MOTM - Sanches

Arsenal 2-2 Chelsea
Ronaldo (Marchisio) di Maria (Valero) ; Neymar (Gabigiol), Pogba (Neymar)

Arsenal went with a strong team, but gave themselves a lot of work to do. The home side bossed the midfield, but were tripping over themselves at times with so many central players, Oscar didn’t quite cut it for me as the player to run in behind, another player here could’ve made the difference. Defensively, Kondogbia might have helped screen the 3 cbs behind better than Marchisio, but we’ll never know. Chelsea were forced to play on the counter due to Arsenal’s setup. The pace of Chelsea’s attacking trio dragged the Arsenal back 3 about and created space for Pogba and Neymar to exploit in the middle. Both teams created good chances, but neither one could pull away.

Spain 2 – 0 Olympique PSGonaco
Messi (Iniesta), Bale (Isco)

The home side were simply too good, they dominated play but found it difficult to make the breakthrough. Messi did with a wonderful goal, and once they did the game opened up a little and they were able to get a 2nd. The away side were a solid defensive unit for the majority of the match till they conceded but struggled to build attacks, bar some wonderful Ben Arfa solo play, so the pressure was almost always on them at the back.

EL Group B

Aston Villa 1 - 0 Germany
Reus - 51
MOTM - Reus

Spain 1 - 2 Portsmouth
Aduriz 17
Lewandowski (Payet, 33)
Payet (FK, 54)
MOTM - Payet

EL Group A

FiorInter Milan vs Man Utd
First things first – Lubo’s side looks far better balanced than his effort in the cup (Need to stop playing players out of position though). Rof’s line up was the same as last week so I’ll save me fingers by not repeating how I like his set-up and that it’s good ole fashioned counter-attacking etc etc. I think Lubo’s side would make decent head-way but against a well drilled Italian side happy to play on the break and congest the midfield there isn’t enough of a spark there to unlock the door – (Ozil and Mor would be swamped by Ramires and N’Zonzi) – The lost slot probably didn’t help Lubo – plus being away effectively saw him starting 4 slots down

Fiorentina Milan (removed the Inter on principle) 2-0 Man Utd
Dzeko (Bonaventura) Subotic (Bonaventura corner)

MOTM – Jacky B – fantastic game by the Milanista – pace and trickery cause Ginter (A CB) more problems than he could handle

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Arsenal 0 - 2 Barcadrid
Messi x 2

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* Arsenal 2 - 0 France

Batman got the other goal

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Group A

Round 1
Germany v Liverpool
Spain v Leicester

Round 2
Leicester v Germany
Spain v Liverpool

Round 3
Germany v Spain
Liverpool v Leicester

Round 4
Liverpool v Germany
Leicester v Spain

Round 5
Germany v Leicester
Liverpool v Spain

Round 6
Spain v Germany
Leicester v Liverpool

Group B

Round1
Newcastle v Italy
Portsmouth v Chelsea

Round 2
Chelsea v Newcastle
Portsmouth v Italy

Round 3
Newcastle v Portsmouth
Italy v Chelsea

Round 4
Italy v Newcastle
Chelsea v Portsmouth

Round 5
Newcastle v Chelsea
Italy v Portsmouth

Round 6
Portsmouth v Newcastle
Chelsea v Italy

Group A

Round 1
Portugal v Holland
Stoke v Arsenal

Round 2
Arsenal v Portugal
Stoke v Holland

Round 3
Portugal v Stoke
Holland v Arsenal

Round 4
Holland v Portugal
Arsenal v Stoke

Round 5
Portugal v Arsenal
Holland v Stoke

Round 6
Stoke v Portugal
Arsenal v Holland

Group B

Round 1
Spain v Italy
Aston Villa v France

Round 2
France v Spain
Italy v Aston Villa

Round 3
Spain v Aston Villa
France v Italy

Round 4
Italy v Spain
France v Aston Villa

Round 5
Spain v France
Aston Villa v Italy

Round 6
Aston Villa v Spain
Italy v France

Champions League GW1 results

Germany vs Liverpool

Tough game this for Liverpool who for me struggled to really get a foothold in the game, just felt the Germans controlled the middle of the park and really stifled the scouse attacks.
I did think Liverpools attack would cause the Germans defence a lot of problems, not seen huge amounts of Orban or Toprak but never been hugely struck when I have seen them.
Muller is a striker for me who I’ve never felt was particularly great at anything but seems to have the knack for goal scoring and so it proved decisive today.

Germany 2-1 Liverpool
Muller x2 ( Kroos, Alaba)
Dybala (Phillip)

Motm – Muller


Spain vs Leicester
I said the Scouse had a tough game, well it was even tougher for the Linekers boys. Rof rested a few players claiming one eye on the league but we all know he’d have got spanked so this was just excuse getting in

The Spanish hybrid team is superb and that front three would trouble anyone let alone a defence of Stones and Otamendi.
I liked ROF’s tactics and think against lesser opposition it would work and they could dominate the ball and create their own chances, just felt a weakened side against such a strong one was always an impossible task….unless of course they had to use a Mitre Delta, then they’d have a chance

Spain 3-2 Leicester
Messi x2 (Isco Bale) Isco (Iniesta)
Guedes (Ndidi) Correa (Oyarzabal)
Motm – Neuer


Newcastle vs Italy
I really like Newcastles version of the 3-4-3, pure pace outwide of Salah and Mane with Suarez through the middle is frightening, there only weakness for me is Florenzi, but they have far too much in the tank for Serie A’s finest and it’s a straight-forward 2-0 win

Suarez x2 (Salah,Mane)

MOTM - Radja



Portsmouth vs Chelsea

Shows the strength of the pompey squad that Rooney make half a dozen changes and still put out a good side, Mertens has shown he can play as the central striker and bring the goals and with Eriksen and Dembele he’ll pose Chelsea a fairfew problems.

Fan makes a few changes of his own but also retains a pretty strong side, I say it a lot and I think it’s the case again today…the best way to disarm a 3 man defence is to stretch the play but I don’t think Chelsea’s “wingers” are that kind of wide man. I felt they’d come inside too often and it’d get congested, equally Pompey’s “wedge” formation up-top occupies too much middle ground.

All in an all an entertaining enough score draw

Pompey 1-1 Chelsea

Mertens (Eriksen)
Jesus (alli)

MOTM - BIscuits

Group A - Round 1


Portugal v Holland
Fairly even game this one as two fairly attacking sides went toe to toe and produced an entertaining game. Holland have a bit more speed and youthful exuberance in their side which made for some lovely attacks but a lot of inexperienced defending and break downs between the forwards, whereas Portugal had more discipline and better possession but at times struggled with the pace of the game. In the end though their midfield showed more control and they gave the side a platform to go and win the game, as difficult as it was.
Portugal 3-2 Holland
Portugal Scorers: Jonas(Gomes) 31, Gaitain(Brahimi) 38, Dost(Brahimi) 84
Holland Scorers: Lozano(Propper) 17, Van Ginkel(Van Aanholt) 66
MOTM: Yacine Brahimi

Stoke v Arsenal
Two sides going for very youthful looks today, in fact you’d have been mistaken for thinking Arsenal’s keeper is the grandfather of many team mates and opposition players today. Both sides played expansive attacking football looking to use the widths and it was a joy to watch. Gelson and Lemar for Stoke were a constant threat and Mboula and Deulofeu showed glimpses of the potential they have. In midfield Stoke had the better of things with Soler in particular really impressing. Both back lines made a number of errors which both keepers had to be alert to but in the end Stoke had the better of the game, Arsenals experience of the bench however got them a good point.
Stoke City 2-1 Arsenal
Stoke scorers: Rashford(Lemar) 27, Malcom 87
Arsenal scorers: Berardi(Lo Celso) 54, Mandzukic(Hamsik) 90+2
MOTM: Carlos Soler

Group B - Round 1
Spain v Italy
A bit of a drab affair this one, Spain’s 3-5-2 was solid through the middle and stifled their opponents, but didn’t really allow them to attack with Torres and Vietto unable to make any real mark on the game, Saul tried but failed to be a link to them, it was obvious throughout they needed more pace or a couple of wingers but nothing came about. Italy tried to break the door down but just couldn’t manage it.
Spain 0-0 Italy
MOTM: Inigo Martinez

Aston Villa v France
A comfortable game here for Aston Villa, with the French side no where close to their standards, with a slow, ponderous midfield not aided by the slow lazy play of their strikers. It allowed Villa to control the game in midfield and even with the god awful defensive set up of “i will sit off my opponents till they reach our box”, Villa didn’t ever look like being tested at the back.
Aston Villa 2-0 France
Villa Scorers: Cavani(Modric) 23, Cavani(Mkhitaryan) 82
MOTM: Edinson Cavani.

Need to amend my score to 2-2