2025-26 Champions League Semifinals, Final

1st Leg

Paris-St Germain 5-4 Bayern Munich

Man, I thought Bayern's two games against Real Madrid in the qaurters were the two best matches I'd see this year--nope! This opening leg leapfrogged both of those games. Back and forth action, both teams were capable of scoring or taking over at a moment's notice. I thought PSG was the best team in the whole tourney and I had Bayern 3rd behind Real Madrid (whom they beat), this is your championship right here. Do not miss the 2nd Leg! 

Atletico Madrid 1-1 Arsenal

Tight, both teams were competent but rarely felt like either team was ever gonna break through on the other. Two penalty kicks were all they could muster. Two evenly matched teams, neither as good as the two squads on the other side of the bracket, but both capable of giving those squads a serious sludge match. Just as good as PSG-Bayern but in the opposite direction. Good stuff.  

2nd Leg

Bayern Munich 1-1 (agg 5-6) Paris-St Germain

PSG found the net almost instantly in this game and on the one hand, man, a two goal lead felt insurmountable; on the other other hand, I immediately thought "this isn't the only goal we're gonna get in this game!" While the game had some furious offense, it wasn't until extra time that Bayern finally scored. I was a little surprised that these offenses that have just blasting people for weeks on end couldn't get more scoring going, but it was a competitive, entertaining back and forth game. (One note: I thought the ref did not have good game, took him a while to really establish control of the match and that alone may have thrown off Bayern's attack)

Arsenal 1-0 (2-1) Atletico Madrid

Another tight one, Arsenal found a sliver of space right before halftime and that was all it took. I thought Atletico was the better team but they just couldn't break through, just couldn't find the goal. Arsenal is a good team that stays within its team defense and makes the most of its counter-attacks. Nothing flashy, they just dug in and got it done against a solid squad. 

Final Prediction

Arsenal has slogged their way to the final without a high powered offense or even a noteworthy defense; they play as a single unit and when they keep themselves in check, they're just a mighty tough out. They don't seem like the kind of squad you typically see in the Champions League final, they're a workmanlike side that moves in lockstep and plays opportunistic offense, rather than riding some hot shot up front. I don't want to diss them, they're a hell of a squad, but I don't feel the star power of this side, just their team concept. Is that enough to slow PSG?

PSG goes and goes and goes and that alone outscores most everyone they play. They don't have Neymar or Messi or Mbappe any more, but they still feel loaded with stars and above average role players. They recover well and counter attack like the Showtime Lakers, they are not intimidated and I expect them to control the match from beginning to end. But that doesn't mean they'll score or that they'll escape Arsenal's opportunism.

I think this goes to OT. PSG is too furious to give Arsenal many chances, but Arsenal can bunker with the best of them and I don't think either team will get much done against the other. An extra 30 minutes should probably favor PSG, but I think it goes to PK's--and that's a coin flip. Can't wait! 

Final

Arsenal 1-1 Paris-St. Germain (PSG wins on PKs)

Arsenal scored an early goal and that felt like the best possible way to start the game: it would force PSG to ramp up the offense right away. But PSG struggled in the 1st half, Arsenal's tight D made it tough to get much going beyond midfield. PSG opened up a bit after halftime but a PK (the right call) was all they could muster. That said, I thought the 2nd half was exciting stuff, both teams had chances but both played even better defense. I predicted OT and PKs and I was right. Just kept waiting for PSG to find a way through the Arsenal backline but after 120 mins, it just didn't happen. 

I used to hate PKs but I've come to enjoy them, good tension and this one was no exception. Arsenal acquitted themselves admirably all the way through the tourney this year and they had their chance.  Hail PSG, back to back champs! 

2025-26 Champions League Quarterfinals (2nd leg)

Quarterfinals 2nd Leg

Atletico Madrid 1-2 Barcelona (agg 3-2)

Wow!  I figured Barca would come out swinging, so I was not too surprised when they scored in the 5th minute (though the bad giveaway in Atletico's defensive half was a bit odd).  Not surprised, either, when Barca tied up the aggregate just a few minutes later, on some crazy action in front of the goal. But I was pleasantly surprised when Atletico responded before halftime and re-took the lead.  (Interesting that the refs missed rather obvious corner kicks for each team, either or both really could've shaken up this match--both sides were balling out in the 1st half). In the 2nd half, I thought Atletico was the better side, felt just as dangerous on the attack and even tighter in the back. I thought the off-sides call that negated what would've been the tying goal for Barca was the right call, but I thought the red card on the defense a little later on was a bit much (the other defender was right there and the contact was a foul but not a dangerous play or anything). I knew Barca would be back in this game, knew this was gonna be a good one. Seeing Atletico go through feels like the better team won.  

Liverpool 0-2 Paris SG (agg 0-4)

Yeah, Liverpool just never got anything going in either leg. They held out as long as they could, PSG didn't seal it til relatively late in the 2nd half. But, Liverpool had no attack at all, so its not like there was much chance of them tying it up. PSG is the best team I've seen in this tourney, Liverpool is a nice squad but they just don't have the firepower to hang with this loaded PSG squad. 

Bayern Munich 4-3 Real Madrid (agg 6-4)

What a great match! Back and forth action throughout, both teams were dangerous at all times, tons of goals, and capped off by one of the most cold-blooded goals I've ever seen! Bayern is back, man! They've been good-but-just-not-there for a few years now but they seem to have shed whatever was ailing them--and they seem to have pawned it off on Real Madrid. Real is still really really good but this year's model is snakebit: bounced in the Copa del Rey (in the round of 16!), quarters in the Champions League (to rejuvenated Bayern Munich), and a distant 2nd in La Liga (to Barca), where they have a ton a of head scratching finishes this season. Gonna be a struggle of a summer in Madrid (well, not on the Atletico side of town).

Arsenal 0-0 Sporting CP (agg 1-0)

Sporting is rugged, man, nothing comes easy against these guys. But they also don't sport much of an attack, so not surprising that Arsenal was able to make their one goal (their one moment of brilliance in 180 minutes against Sporting) hold up. Tricky now, though: Sporting made for such a weird competitor, it's kinda hard to tell how good Arsenal is. 

Semifinals

Paris Saint-Germain - Bayern Munich

This is your final right here. I think PSG is the best team I've seen in this tourney, I think Bayern is the 2nd best team--and arguably playing even better right now. PSG better get a decisive result at home because going back to Munich is not gonna be much fun this year. *popcorn munch*

Atletico Madrid - Arsenal 

Atletico had to go against well-known foe (Barcelona), while Arsenal went up against a scrappy batch of nobodies (Sporting CP), so.....which is the better team? On the one hand, it's easy to say that Arsenal probably would've fallen to Barcelona; on the other, I can totally see Sporting CP giving Atletico Madrid the fight of their lives. So....which is the better team? I have no idea. My gut says Atletico has been playing harder and finding more success this season but Arsenal is right there with them....so which is the better team? I look forward to finding out. 

2025-26 Champions League (Quarterfinals)

1st Leg

Real Madrid 1-2 Bayern Munich

Wonderful soccer! Both teams were dangerous all the way through, Bayern was able to finish right before half and then again right after, but Real never went away, back and forth action and Madrid was able to claw back a goal. Over the last few years, Bayern has been close but they just haven't been themselves lately--they're starting to look like the old Bayern again. Real is strong, they can be frisky on the road, but I think Bayern finishes this back home. Ought to be a classic either way. 

Sporting CP 0-1 Arsenal

Arsenal's goal came in the 90th minute, Havertz finds the hole in the defense, expertly takes down the pass and sneaks it past the keeper. Whew! The whole match long I was thinking the Arsenal was the better team, the more confident in possession, but Sporting just keeps coming, they never let up, and if I was an Arsenal fan I'd sure feel better with a goal on the road. Didn't feel like that goal was coming, but they snuck one in at the last minute and I think Arsenal's looking pretty good going back home. That said, Sporting is relentless, they don't know how to stop, so Arsenal should coming out looking to add to that lead. 

Barcelona 0-2 Atletico Madrid

Just not Barca's day, seemed like every promising attack went awry, unlucky bounces on defense, goofy red card, Atletico just kinda did whatever they wanted on this day. They'll probably regret not scoring more because I doubt Barca will be this bad in the return match. Atletico's looking good but I wouldn't count out Barca just yet.  

Paris-St. Germain 2-0 Liverpool

Liverpool's press defense was rugged for about 10 minutes--didn't feel like PSG was ever gonna cross midfield! But PSG did, got into the box, scored a weird-looking goal and that was that. Liverpool never got any offense going, PSG thoroughly dominated the 2nd half. I suppose Liverpool has a puncher's chance back at home, but PSG is clearly the better team and with a two goal advantage, I'd be pretty surprised if Liverpool gets 'em back.   

2025-26 Champions League (Round of 16)

1st leg

Galatasaray 1-0 Liverpool

For the first few minutes of the game, Galatasaray kept giving the ball away in their own backfield--over and over again!--that it felt for a while like they were never going to get the ball across midfield and were desperately trying to give the game away as quick as possible. But soon enough, they did finally move the ball downfield, got a corner and scored in the 5th minute. Liverpool must've felt shell shocked: they had already blown a half dozen good opportunities before the audience was even paying attention and now they're down 1-0. After that it was a fairly even game, they each had a goal taken away: Liverpool for a handball (correct call) and Galatasaray for an offside (eh, that was 50-50, the dude really wasn't in the play). I expect Liverpool to put up a fuller richer effort back in England, so this one is not over.

Atalanta 1-6 Bayern Munich

Bayern came to play, Atalanta didn't know what hit them. Bayern scored, then scored again almost instantly, then scored again almost instantly, then peppered the keeper a few more times before the half and it was clear pretty quick that this one was over. I honestly snoozed through most the 2nd half, every time I looked up Bayern had scored again. Atalanta is here because Dortmund collapsed badly in the last round, not saying they don't belong here but they clearly weren't ready for Bayern. This one's over. 

Atletico Madrid 5-2 Tottenham

Oh man! Early on, the keeper lost his balance and it was 1-0; a minute later the defender loses his footing and it was 2-0; keeper slips again, 3-0 before the game has even started. Tottenham did well to keep playing, keep pushing, they got back a coupla goals, but this will be one of those matches that Tottenham fans remember for years and years. Does Tottenham have a shot back home in the next leg? I doubt it, man, they shouldn't get crushed this bad again, but this was bad enough. I definitely like Atletico's chances to move on. 

Newcastle United 1-1 Barcelona

Oof! Really thought Newcastle outplayed Barca, they really came to play while Barca felt like they were just chillin'. Thought Newcastle did a good job on the attack, pushed Barca back consistently, kept them out of scoring range pretty effectively. Felt let a hard earned draw, then Newcastle got a stunning goal in the 87th minute and it seemed like Newcastle was gonna score the stunning upset. Then in extra time, a foul in the box (the right call, it was a legit foul) and Barca scratches back the draw with a buzzer beater. Ooooooohhhhhhhhh maaaaaaaannnnnnnn. Still live in the 2nd leg, if Newcastle can pick up where they left off with the attacking intensity, they can catch Barca waffling, this one's definitely still in play. 

Leverkusen 1-1 Arsenal

Arsenal felt to me like the better side, but in the first half they played to a straight nothing-nothing draw. Right out of the half Leverkusen connected on a corner kick and it felt like that was gonna be all the scoring. But Arsenal found the net with a PK (I'm blanking on the play, don't remember if I thought it was the right call or not), just before the close and they're going back to England with an even chance to move on. Leverkusen is a nice team but they didn't feel dangerous on the attack, I think I'd take Arsenal to move on. 

Bodo 3-0 Sporting CP

Bodo! Never heard of Bodo before but when they scorched Inter Milan in back to back games in the round of 24, they definitely caught my attention. They're grit and grind, man, they hustle, they make the plays that the preening rock stars of soccer never follow through on and that edge has served them well so far, I can totally see it working through at least one more round. But, then again: I thought this match was actually pretty even with Bodo being uniquely successful on their chances, but I didn't think they overwhelmed Sporting by any means. Can Sporting can go back home and find 3 goals? I dunno, maybe, I can't rule it just yet because I don't know these teams at all. I'm all into Bodo, rooting for them, certainly looking good (so far), but Sporting still has a chance to move on and I expect them to bring it in the 2nd leg. 

Paris-St Germain 5-2 Chelsea

(Did I watch this one? I'm not remembering this one)

Real Madrid 3-0 Manchester City

1st half hat trick for Valverde and that was pretty much it for Man City. They were nice goals, too, they weren't cheapies, they were sweet. Didn't feel like Man City couldn't hang, just that Real made the most of their chances. Real's in the driver's seat but Man City can have a good day, too, so worth keeping an eye on.  

2nd leg

Sporting 5-0 (AET) Bodo (agg 5-3)

Ahhh, yeah....that's too bad. I was all in on Bodo fever but this result was not particularly surprising. Bodo had no attack at all, they seemed to think that just bunkering was going to be good enough and that did not work. Hey, even in the 1st leg I didn't think Bodo wildly outplayed Sporting, I just thought they converted their opportunities better. But in the 2nd leg, Sporting attacked nonstop--even through 2 OT periods--and Bodo just never got any offense going at all. Sorry, Bodo, I was rooting for you, but your time was up. Sporting is frisky, gonna be a tough out.

Arsenal 2-0 Leverkusen (agg 3-1)

Felt bad for Leverkusen's goalie, he made a ton of great saves--and Arsenal's goals were both untouchable, certainly not his fault. But Arsenal attacked and Levekusen just didn't, Leverkusen just didn't generate much going forward. The 1st leg was even, maybe Arsenal was a tad better, but in the 2nd leg I thought Arsenal dominated Levekusen. Hard to tell, actually, how good Arsenal is, Leverkusen didn't put up enough of a fight to really bring out Arsenal. 

Manchester City 1-2 Real Madrid (agg 1-5)

Real just got it done, Man City tried but they couldn't get anything consistent going forward and they had 2 goals taken away for off-sides (both calls were correct). I thought Man City did their best and it just wasn't good enough. As for Real, didn't even think they played their best. 

Chelsea 0-3 Paris SG (agg 2-8)

Oh, Chelsea. Blasted in the first game, out of sorts in the 2nd leg, too. PSG finished their chances, Chelsea did not. 

Barcelona 7-2 Newcastle (agg 8-3)

Wow, a really tight, tense match....for the 1st half. Barca was getting goals but Newcastle was matching and they never seemed rattled, felt like Newcastle had...I dunno...figured something out, because they didn't seem afraid of Barca. Then Barca got a PK right before half (ehh, I get the call, there was contact, but I would've let it go, I think it was a 50/50 call) and snatched the lead. But before you know it, Barca scored three quick goals and, well, that was that. Felt bad for Newcastle, they were really bringing it for about 45 minutes but they couldn't make it mean anything. Barca is definitely looking good.

Liverpool 4-0 Galatasaray (agg 4-1)

Similar to the Barca match, it was tense and tight and a fascinating match until halftime. Then Liverpool just kept scoring in the 2nd half and Galatasaray just couldn't stop them. I thought Liverpool was the better team throughout, it was only a matter of time before Liverpool found the goal. But once they did, good lord, the avalanche just kept getting bigger and bigger as it came down the mountain. 

Tottenham 3-2 Atletico Madrid (agg 5-7)

Fun match, Tottenham balled out but they couldn't keep Atletico off the scoreboard and that was just it. Atletico is looking good, thought Tottenham was actually a pretty good opponent.

Bayern Munich 4-1 Atalanta (agg 10-2)

Didn't watch any of this, didn't have to, it was plainly obvious from the first leg that Atalanta just wasn't up to this. Bayern is heating up, gonna be a tough out. 

2025 Champions League (semifinals)

Arsenal 0-1 Paris St-Germain

Paris St-Germain 2-1 Arsenal

Arsenal was on fire earlier in this tournament, but PSG cooled them off right quick. In two games, Arsenal's attack was non-existent, only a single late goal on their tally sheet. PSG was the better team on both sides, controlled the ball, controlled the tempo and rather easily won both of these matches. Good games but PSG was the clear better team in both matches. 

Barcelona 3-3 Inter Milan

Inter Milan 4-3 (ET) Barcelona

Whoa! I spent a week telling my soccer-phobic friends that if they were only going to watch one soccer match this year, it should be that first match between Barca and Inter. Now I've got to implore them to watch TWO games this year because that second match was even better! Inter opened the scoring in the 1st leg with a masterful opening rush that started with them getting pushed back to their own goal line, then punting to midfield, connecting on a quick pass, a swift push up the wing, which led to one of the loveliest (cheeky!) backheel goals I've ever seen. So, the first minute of the game pretty much got you ready for a barn burner. The next 219 minutes were pretty good, too! Coming in I thought Barca was the best team in the tournament, but Inter has really impressed me. Inter's attack is strong, their defense is holding up and they ran past the best team, so they are a deserving finalist. 

Final

PSG - Inter Milan

Gonna be a good one. PSG has the star power but Inter just keeps getting it done against top flight competition, so I'm going with Inter.

2025 Champions League (Round of 16) (2nd leg)

Barcelona 3-1 (agg 6-1) Benfica

Yeah, Benfica just didn't have it.  Barca was aggressive, they got goals and kept the backline tight. Barcelona is looking good but Benfica perhaps didn't give much push back. 

Bayer Leverkusen 0-2 (agg 0-5) Bayern Munich 

Jeez, kinda felt sorry for Leverkusen on this day. Last year, Leverkusen broke through, bested Bayern and generally had a monster season. But that does not seem to be holding up and the Bundesliga is back to normal with Bayern dominating all over again. Here, Leverkusen just couldn't get anything done. Bayern's looking good, but again, playing such a familiar opponent doesn't really suggest how they'll do going forward.

Inter Milan 2-1 (agg 4-1) Feyenoord

(Didn't watch)

Liverpool 0-1 (PKs) (agg 1-2 on PKs) Paris St. Germaine

Fun game, tight game. PSG scored early and made it hold up through a long OT and PK's. My gut is PSG is the most dangerous team right now. 

Lille 1-2 (agg 2-3) Borussia Dortmund

Dortmund was the better team but, man, it didn't really feel like it through most of these two legs. Dortmund is playing better in European competition than in Germany but they still feel rickety to me and getting the quarterfinals should probably be seen as a real triumph for this squad. 

Arsenal 2-2 (agg 9-3) PSV Eindhoven

(Didn't watch) Looks like a fun one, but I never got around to it. 

Aston Villa 3-0 (agg 6-1) Club Brugge

(Didn't watch) Brugge was so overmatched in the first leg that I never felt the need to watch the second. Looks like I didn't miss much.  

Atletico Madrid 1-0 (PKs) (agg 1-2 on PKs) Real Madrid

Fun game! Atletico scored early, looked like they were primed to really put it on Real, but Real stayed tough and the PKs were a real nailbiter. Real is looking pretty good, kinda feel like they (or PSG) vanquished the most worthy opponent. 

Quarterfinals

Arsenal - Real Madrid (two good teams both playing well; guess I'll take Real)

Bayern Munich - Inter Milan (Bayern is feeling it, but with that continue against an Italian side? Inter is riding high off a drubbing, will that serve them well against Bayern? I'll take Bayern)

Barcelona - Borussia Dortmund (Barca is rounding into shape, Dortmund feels like they've been getting lucky draws; I'll take Barca)

Paris-St. Germaine - Aston Villa (I think PSG is the best team and even though Villa has their offense rolling right now, I gotta stick with PSG)

2025 Champions League (Round of 16) (1st leg)

Club Brugge 1-3 Aston Villa

Brugge came into this tourney looking like the #16 seed and when Villa scored in the first few minutes, felt like it was gonna be a long day for Brugge. But they got the equalizer pretty soon after and hung tough until a really unfortunate own goal doomed them. A late PK just finished it and Villa looks set to move on.  

Dortmund 1-1 Lille

Dortmund took the lead before halftime, felt like they were going to close it out. But, no. Lille got the equalizer fairly late, setting themselves up for a grudge match in the 2nd leg.

PSV 1-7 Arsenal

(Didn't watch this one, scoreline would suggest Arsenal is gonna move on)

Real Madrid 2-1 Atletico Madrid

Man, close match, even match, but Real snaked a late goal to steal the victoy. Not over yet, Atletico will be a tough out in the return match. 

Feyenord 0-2 Inter Milan

Feyenord played hard but Inter was the better team and should be ready to close out in the 2nd leg. 

Bayern Munich 3-0 Bayer Leverkusen

Munich scored early, added a PK and Leverkusen was just out of this match right away. Great victory for Munich, they're clearly in the driver's seat heading back to Leverkusen (who finally put the stomp on Munich last season), who have a seriously uphill climb ahead of them. 

PSG 0-1 Liverpool

(Didn't watch this one--though I'm eager to catch the 2nd leg. Still anyone's ball game)

Benfica 0-1 Barcelona

Bad beat for Benfica. They got an early red card on Barca (just missed out on a PK) and generally played better from beginning to end. But one bad giveaway in the backfield (yipes! What a shitty pass!), and a brilliant strike and the game got away from them completely. Benfica played hard, feels like they'll be bringing it in the 2nd leg, but, man, one mistake was all it took to get them beat in this match.

2024 Champions League Final

Real Madrid 2-0 Borussia Dortmund

Dortmund came in as the mighty underdog, the pluckiest team in this year's competition if not the best; Real came in as the overlord, the faves, the ones everyone just expected to win. Well, they did.

I thought Dortmund pretty well dominated the offense for the first 70 or so minutes of the game. They pushed forward effectively numerous times, never finding the back of the net but generally looking more dangerous than Madrid. 

Then in the 71st minute, Dortmund gave up a corner, parried it away rather easily, but they failed to properly clear and Madrid got an extra rip at the goal, resulting in another corner. Not a big deal, really, but something felt off about that play. Even the commentator suggests that it was a bad giveaway by the Dortmund defense. 

Sure enough, seconds later, Carvajal connects on a header, skips past the keeper to the wide open far net. Just like that...

But because Dortmund's attack had been better than Madrid's, it still felt like there was time to reach the draw. Then in 82nd minute, Vini struck off a bad giveaway by the Dortmund defense (check it out: Bellingham is celebrating before Vini even takes the shot). That was ball game, just 10 more minutes of watching the clock run out after that. 

For the most part Dortmund really was the better team on this day, but two bad moments in the backfield is all it takes. Hell of a run by Borussia Dortmund but Real Madrid struck like champions and took home the trophy (and they've already announced that Kylian MBappe is joining the roster). 

2024 Champions League (Quarterfinals (2nd Leg))

Borussia Dortmund 4-2 (agg 5-4) Atletico Madrid

Great game! Thought Atletico came out flat, Dortmund pretty well dominated the 1st half, up 2-0 at halftime. Then Atletico came alive, netted two quick goals to steal back the overall lead and seemed like they were going to ride out the listless Dortmund side. Then it was Dortmund's turn to get hot and they netted two late goals to steal the victory. Tons of action, lots of sloppiness in the goalie boxes, chippy fouls, pissed off ref and a home crowd going wild by the end. Fun ride of a game, not sure how much further Dortmund can go, but they were the better side overall here. There's been a lot of scoring so far this year, if Dortmund can keep it going, they can hang with anyone. 

Barcelona 1-3 (agg 3-4) Paris St. Germaine

Barca got the early goal, felt like they were on their way, but PSG's dominance in the 2nd half was much too much for Barca to hang with. Barca just never got anything going after that early goal (Lewandowski is going to waste in Barcelona). PSG feels like the best team left to me. 

Bayern Munich 1-0 (agg 3-2) Arsenal

Never felt like either team controlled the attack, each team had moments but for the most part the defenses stood up strong. One moment of brilliance (Guerrero searching swing pass into the box, Kimmich steps into the empty space for the perfect header) and that was about it. Not a boring match but neither side exhibited anything like dominance. So does Bayern have their shit together? Well, most teams would be happy to be in the Champions League semifinal, but this squad still feels shell shocked from their early season woes. 

Manchester City 1-1 (agg 3-4 (PKs)) Real Madrid

Feel like I gotta start out by saying it felt to me like Man City was the best team in this year's tourney.  Yeah "was" as in, they're no longer around. The opening of the game was some serious chess match stuff where it felt like Man City wanted to suck Real into pressing on defense, but Real held their shape and sagged to prevent any kind of deep penetration. Real was able to create the slightest ripple in Man City's back line and scored an early goal. But Man City wasn't going away, so not a shock that they were able to tie it up and send this on in to penalty kicks. Shame to lose Man City (the Stefon Edberg of soccer), but Real Madrid is rounding into shape, gonna be a tough out going forward.

Semifinal

I gotta go with Real Madrid over Bayern and PSG over Dortmund. The German sides have done well to get here, but I think this is where it ends for both of them.

2024 Champions League (Quarterfinals (1st Leg))

Arsenal 2-2 Bayern Munich

Arsenal opened the scoring on a lovely touch finding a momentary hole in the back line. Bayern's equalizer came from a botched pass out of the Arsenal defense (dude, crappy pass, crappy reception, bad giveaway). Bayern took the lead before halftime on a PK (good call). Arsenal secured the draw with some lovely touches in the box leading to a wide open strike. Bayern put one more off the post but couldn't convert and Arsenal had non-call in the box go against them (uh, looked like a penalty to me). Thought Bayern was the better team, they've been shaky all season long and they did let Arsenal get to goal twice, but if Bayern keeps to this level, they can advance. Even up going back to Munich, I gotta go with Bayern to try and salvage what has been a disappointing season.

Real Madrid 3-3 Manchester City

First: all three of Manchester's goals were awesome! That 2nd minute free kick goal was just not something I saw coming (neither did Real). Real bounced back nicely netting two goals (both deflections, fwiw) within the next ten minutes to hold the halftime lead. Felt like Real was gonna hold up but Man City got two quick goals--both nasty rips from the top of the box--to steal the momentum. But Real was able to secure the draw with a bullet from Valverde. Both teams were active, both teams attacked (and yet both were sturdy in the back), lots of action throughout, I wanna say the winner of this match moves on but everyone scored goals, too, so this might be all offense down the stretch. I like Man City to get the W back at home. 

Atletico Madrid 2-1 Borussia Dortmund

Atletico opened the scoring in the 5th minute off a bad giveaway in the backfield led to the nifty finish (keeper was cooked).  Atletico extended the lead before halftime on another bad giveaway from the Dortmund defense. Felt like this might be a boat race, but I thought Dortmund pretty well dominated the 2nd half--hit the crossbar a million times!--but were only able to get back one goal (only a really nice spinning recovery rip). If Dortmund covers their mistakes, they've still got a shot at moving on, as Atletico is nice but hardly feels dominant. 

Paris SG 2-3 Barcelona

Barca opened the scoring before the half by capitalizing on chaos in front of the goal to stick an empty netter. Dembele got the equalizer right after halftime (with just a postage stamp of space!). PSG came right back and took the lead on a lovely finish as the overlapping run into the box found another postage stamp of space. From that point on, I thought Barca took over and were able to steal back to more goals: Rafinha with a perfect touch on an overhead cross into the box and a corner. Both teams are fairly evenly matched but Barcelona going back home with a lead is gonna be tough to beat. 

2024 Champions League Round of 16 (2nd Leg)

Bayern Munich 3-0 (agg 3-1) Lazio

Not saying Bayern has completely righted the ship (although dropping 7 goals back in the Bundesliga in their very next match might be a better indicator), but they were clearly in control of this match throughout. Bayern attacked at will, Lazio just never could get the ball forward and never seemed dangerous at all. Is Bayern ready to go on a run? Well, this is the best they've looked all season so....maybe. 

Real Sociedad 1-2 (agg 1-4) Paris St. Germaine

(Didn't watch it; accidentally caught the score at a bar, wasn't shocked) PSG controlled both games, scored a ton, and while Sociedad didn't challenge them much on the defensive end, the offense still showed up and balled out, feels like the star power at PSG is ready to get it done. 

Real Madrid 1-1 (agg 2-1) Leipzig

Good form for Real. Not exactly a dominating victory but they were the better team pretty much the whole time. Leipzig was able to quickly counter Real's goal early in the 2nd half but couldn't muster much else after that. Real handled a lesser opponent but they kinda got lucky (phantom off-side that wiped away a Leipzig opening goal in Game One) and never really shined out (though they never really had to). Hard to tell how good Real actually is. 

Manchester City 3-1 (agg 6-2) Copenhagen

Copenhagen's two goals were both sweet, they are definitely the funnest so-so team I've seen in a long time. But they couldn't come close to Man City's firepower. Man City is looking pretty good, but let's be honest: they had pretty soft competition in this round. They scored, they moved the ball and they even overcame the weird offensive onslaught of Copenhagen, I'm not sure I think Man City is the best team so far, but they're up there.

Barcelona 3-1 (agg 4-2) Napoli

This felt like the breakout of Lamine Yamal, real control of the right wing in a way I'd never noticed him exert before. The back and forth was okay but a serious defensive breakdown of the Napoli back line gifted Barca the opening goal--which was almost immediately followed by another defensive lapse that led to the next goal! Man, what's going on in the Napoli backfield? Napoli was able to get on the board before halftime, salvaging the chance to still take this game. Lewandowski hasn't even done anything yet, gotta feel like he's still got a coupla big plays in him in the second half.  Oh, by the way, Osimhen is still nothing but off-side. In the 2nd half, Napoli's attack was much stronger but they never could crack the backline. Meanwhile, Barcelona finished it off with a beautiful tic-tac run though the Napoli backline. Good W for Barcelona, stating to look for-real dangerous going forward.

Arsenal 1-0 (agg 2-1 (PKs)) Porto

Kind of a boring match, really, neither team established much offense and yet somehow the defense wasn't inspiring either. Arsenal got it done in penalty kicks and they're moving on but they strike me as probably the most offensively challenged of the quarterfinalists.

Dortmund 2-0 (agg 3-1) PSV Eindhoven

Dortmund struck early (er, well, Eindhoven's defense started slow) on a sweet lo strike by Malen and that pretty much finished the game. Dortmund's attack was pretty great for the rest of the 1st half and though PSV picked up its attack in the 2nd half, they couldn't get a really good look at the goal. Reus was able to finish it in extra time with a fluky goal (last defender just lost his footing leaving the goalie 1-on-1 with the greatest goal scorer in Dortmund's history) and Dortmund is moving on. I thought they were the better team in both games but they didn't exactly blow me away. We'll see about them in the quarterfinals. 

Atletico Madrid 2-1 (agg 3-2 (PKs)) Inter Milan

As opposed to Porto-Arsenal, which felt like two evenly matched mediocre squads, these two felt evenly matched superior teams dueling each other to a thrilling standstill. This was a fun match, felt like throughout Atletico was the better side but Inter had stretches of controlling the attack and looking kinda dangerous. Atletico worked long balls into the box early on but in the 2nd half settled into more orderly possession-heavy incursions that found a lot more good lucks than Inter had. The extra time was fun, the shootout was fun (largely because the home crowd got satisfaction), fun match all the way though. Hate to lose Inter, though they were pretty good.

I'd rank #1-8:

Manchester City, Paris-St.Germaine, Real Madrid, Bayern Munchen (the wild card), Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Dortmund, Arsenal

#9-16:

Inter Milan, Lazio, Leipzig, Napoli, PSV Eindhoven, Real Sociedad, Porto, Copenhagen

2024 Champions League (Round of 16) (1st Leg)

Leipzig 0-1 Real Madrid

Leipzig got gypped (right?) on an early offside call that negated a goal in the first few minutes of the game; the guy who scored was NOT offside, I suppose the call was interference from the other forward (meh, 50-50 at best) but otherwise I never understood why the goal didn't stand. Too bad, because for the most part Leipzig hung with Real, felt like they held possession and attacked fairly well. They were inches away on connecting a million times in this game. But Real finished its best chance early in the 2nd half and they made it stand up. Kept waiting for Vini to get loose up front, but he felt kinda invisible. Close enough that the 2nd leg is up in the air, but I gotta go with Real at home to finish it off.

Copenhagen 1-3 Manchester City

Copenhagen is the very definition of "plucky". They looked like a pack of overachievers for the most part, any time someone would make a nice run with the ball and you're getting excited about the possibilities, he would invariably make the worst pass imaginable and suddenly the action is going the other way. I will say they do create a lot of chaos in front of the goal and their one score was pretty awesome--and repeatable, I'd say. But Man City had more talent, more control, and they did better with their opportunities. That third goal was a killer, you'd like to think Copenhagen might have a shot going on the road down 1 goal but down 2 seems like too much of a climb. Copenhagen's best chance is to play crazy and see what happens. 

Paris SG 2-0 Real Sociedad

It took PSG until the 2nd half to find the net (sneaky rebound by Mbappe on a corner kick--how does Mbappe get so wide open in front of the net?) but once they did, the game was over. I really liked the left-winger Take for Sociedad, that guy had spicy moves and was the only one creating any kind of pressure on PSG's back line. Not a laugher exactly, it took PSG a while to find the flow of the offense, but it was only a matter of time before they did. Sociedad gets to go back home but I'd be pretty surprised if they outscored PSG.  

Lazio 1-0 Bayern Munich

Bayern seemed kinda out of it in this game, no coherence, no worthwhile attack, but in the moments when they did pull it together, they still seemed more dangerous than Lazio. (I caught Leverkusen laying a 3-0 beatdown on Bayern last weekend--yipes! Don't see Bayern get dropkicked like that very often; so is Bayern struggling or have that got the yips out of their system? (Or is Leverkusen just crazy good for no fuckin' reason this year?)) Lazio controlled the ball well but I never felt much for their push forward. They got a PK (good call, didn't look like much live but on the replay it was clearly a penalty (though maybe the red card was a little harsh)), and they made it stand up. Again, Bayern was mostly listless but their brief moments were still better than Lazio's best game. Gotta think Bayern will go back home and get the W.

PSV Eindhoven 1-1 Borussia Dortmund

In the 1st half, PSV had 3-4 clear chances at the goal and managed to make nothing of them, while Dortmund barely cracked the Eindhoven box and somehow drilled a postage stamp size hole in the defense for the halftime lead. Dortmund felt like the better team but Eindhoven was giving the better performance only to come up short at halftime. But they were gifted a PK (I dunno, man, looked like he got ball, I didn't even think it about live and was pretty unconvinced by the replay) and were able to pull out the draw. It is probably the right result but still feels kinda grimy. I can't help thinking Dortmund is the better team, I expect them to push through back at home. 

Inter Milan 1-0 Atletico Madrid

A rather ho-hum match, actually. Both sides were pretty even, Inter was able to shake loose on a breakaway and get the finish. Otherwise, the two sides were similar and while the game wasn't boring, no one ever really felt dangerous around the goal, nor did either team really seem superior to the other. This one is a toss up going back to Madrid. 

Napoli 1-1 Barcelona

Considering both of these squads are notoriously bad on defense this season, I found it ironic that neither team was able to develop much offense. Bacelona got stuck going up the Gundigan channel, which just never worked at pushing the ball into the box. I was sitting there thinking, 'when are they gonna get the ball to Lewandoski?' And, sure enough, once they finally got him the ball in the box, he delivered. And on the other side, even though Osimhen annoyed me through most of the match (always complaining, always off-side), when he was able to finally corral a pass in front of the goal, he was able to finish. After the Lewandowski goal, felt like Napoli stepped up their attack. If they can keep that going in the next leg, I can see them moving on. This is probably the clearest tossup of the 8 matchups. 

FC Porto 1-0 Arsenal

These may be the two lamest offense in the Round of 16. Porto seems to only backward--it's like their offense doesn't start until the goalie touches the ball. And Arsenal just never makes the adjustments necessary to move forward, they just keep flinging it around their backfield like they're stuck in a whirlpool. It's gonna take a major accident or act of God (or ref) for either team to score. But then, in the final minutes, Porto struck gold with a lovely easy-as-you-please chip shot from 25 yards out that snuck inside the far post. Beautiful! Okay, I guess Arsenal has a puncher's chance to match that back at home, but I think a scoreless draw is more likely, so I gotta stick with Porto.  

2022-23 Champions League (Semifinals)

1st leg 

Real Madrid 1-1Manchester City

Man City dominated possession in the 1st half and slowly built to getting decent rips on the goal but Madrid's D seemed sturdy enough to keep them out. Meanwhile, though Real seemingly barely touched the ball, their breakaways generated some nice looks and not long before the half, Vini was able to rip one from about 25 yards out (nice!) that found the goal. I expected the 1-0 lead to hold up but Man City was able to get the equalizer (a lovely rip from 25 yards out by De Bruyne). Good game, thought Real was probably the better side but the game ended tied, so the second leg has all the makings for an old timey barnburner. 

AC Milan 0-2 Inter Milan

Inter blitzed AC in the first 10 minutes, netting two goals, another shot off the post and a point blank whiff that would've made an incredibly deep hole for the home side. The two goals held up because after that neither team could maintain any control of the game. Not a bad game, certainly not boring, but the last 80 minutes or so were rather uneventful.

2nd leg

Inter Milan 1-0 (3-0) AC Milan

AC Milan had more confident possessions, but Inter was more dangerous around the goal all the way through. They finally broke through around the 70th minute and that was pretty much it. AC Milan never got anything going in this match. But outside of 10 minutes of brutal dominance in the 1st leg, Inter was so casual that its hard to tell how good they actually are. Well, they're into the Final so you gotta give them a puncher's chance at least. 

Manchester City 3-0 (4-1) Real Madrid

Wow, what a thrashing! Real Madrid just never had the ball, they could not get the ball forward to Benzema and Vini, both of whom were virtually invisible for 90 minutes. Man City dominated--DOMINATED--possession early on, peppered the goal routinely, felt like it was just a matter of time before they connected on a corner but they didn't even need it. Bernardo slipped the back line, received the nifty pass and finished strong, then a little later on was the beneficiary of chaos in the box and was able to head one home before the half. There was still a sliver of a chance that Real was gonna make the 2nd half a game but they just couldn't maintain possession. When Man City connected on a free kick (an own-goal technically) around the 70th minute was the end of it. 

Final

Inter Milan - Manchester City

My gut tells me that Man City is going to control the ball and get a lot more opportunities around the goal. That doesn't mean they'll win but seems like that offense is more consistent and dangerous. I managed to watch hardly any of Inter's matches (missed 2nd legs against Porto and Benfica), so I don't have a real feel for this side. But they rolled AC Milan, so I'm assuming they don't suck, but I still don't have any grasp on this team. Gotta go with Man City, though I'm ready to be pleasantly surprised. 

2023 Champions League Quarterfinals (2nd Leg)

Napoli 1-1 (agg 1-2) AC Milan

I expected Napoli to look better in this match but frankly Milan casually parried them away from goal and maintained possession better than the home side. Milan missed a 1st half PK (good call, good save) but were able to steal the lead before halftime on a beautiful 80-yard run by Leao for the assist to Giroud and at that point the game kinda felt over. Napoli really needed to come out strong after halftime and, well, they didn't--they missed a PK, too! I still suspect Napoli was the better team but they didn't play like it and they're not moving on. 

Chelsea 0-2 (agg 0-4) Real Madrid 

Chelsea tried hard, had solid possessions but just couldn't generate any good chances. But it still felt like a game until Chelsea gambled on defense and let Vii got wide up the wing, chaos in front of the goal and Real put the game away midway through the 2nd half. Then Chelsea's defense stretched to the breaking point and Real's counter was just too deadly. Chelsea looked sluggish and out of sorts all through this match up, they're clearly not ready for the tippity top of Europe right now. Real Madrid is really winning me over, they look like the team to beat. 

Bayern Munich 1-1 (agg 1-4) Manchester City

After Man City scored early in the 2nd half, I kinda faded on the return match. I did see the new Bayern coach get red carded, an ignominious way to go out for the panic-hire (to make an American parallel: Alabama finished #5 this year, made the SEC final and their QB looks to be the #1 pick...obviously time to fire the coach--he's clearly past his prime! Yeah, that's how unnecessary it was for Bayern to sack their coach just last month). Bayern is still strong, they're still one of the premiere squads in Euro soccer, but clearly something is going haywire in Munchen, wonder how long it'll be before they regain their dominance (not that they have far to go). As for Man City, they're playing loose and free, moving the ball well and getting results. Feels like the Real-Man City semifinal is the real championship, no?

Inter Milan 3-3 (agg 5-2) Benfica

Didn't catch much of this one (why only the split viewing, Paramount+?), kinda wish I did looking at that fat score line. Benfica is a nice team but they just didn't have the finishing power to hang this deep in the tourney (though they did get three across in their final game, perhaps they just needed to get going sooner). Not sure Inter is one of the four best teams I've seen so far, but they're still here, so good luck to 'em. A derby in the semifinals? Nice!

2023 Champions League Quarterfinals (1st leg)

Benfica 0-2 Inter Milan

Benfica felt like the stronger team in the 1st half, though both teams seemed roughly equally dangerous around the goal. But Inter was able to find the goal soon after halftime and really changed the shape of Benfica's attack. Inter got a late PK to pile on that I thought was flaky: yeah, it hit the defender's hand but I didn't think it was that meaningful, especially considering that the ref chose to neglect a physical challenge in the 1st half that would've given Benfica penalty. I don't find Inter to be wildly better than Benfica, but hard to go against them heading back home with a 2 goal advantage. 

Manchester C 3-0 Bayern Munich

Man City was just better all over the field. Bayern is in a weird place: they're still solid but they're not as dominant as they've been for the last decade or so, they panic-fired their new coach (which I thought was not necessary) and they no longer look untouchable in the Bundesliga. I still say they're one of the finer teams in Europe but trying to come back 3 goals down against Man City is gonna be tough (whereas I would've given them a puncher's chance in the Lewandowski days). If Man City gets a goal, I don't see how Bayern can even get lucky in the return match.

Real Madrid 2-0 Chelsea

Real Madrid was more comfortable in possession, more dangerous around the goal, and once Chelsea went down a man, their counter attack chances faded badly. Chelsea didn't get rolled but it never felt like they were in this game. Chelsea needs their best game of the year to move on--not impossible but Real looks too good right now. 

AC Milan 1-0 Napoli

Napoli's possession was better but Milan's counter attack (particularly in the 1st half) produced a slew of good scoring chances. Napoli was probably the better team and I wouldn't be surprised to see them have a stronger result back at home, but Milan was more dangerous around the goal (they may regret not adding a second goal).  This one is still up in the air, I can totally see Napoli rocking Milan in the 2nd leg.

2023 Champions League (Round of 16) (2nd Leg)

Benfica 5-1 Brugge (agg 7-1)

Didn't watch this one, looks like I didn't miss anything. Of the 16 teams here, Brugge was easily the least of them--so much so that it's hard to tell how good Benfica actually is. They look capable of pushing forward and attacking but we'll see in the quarterfinals. Obviously a great season for Brugge. 

Chelsea 2-0 Dortmund (agg 2-1)

Chelsea was the better team throughout and 2-1 aggregate was probably about right....but....man, that PK was wonky, bro. I don't think I've ever seen an encroachment call so I'm not exactly sure what the rule says but look at this pic:

Chelsea is the one encroaching, right? Yes, one of the Dortmund defenders is in the box but clearly he is reacting to the Chelsea attacker--so how is that an infraction on Dortmund? I dunno, man, felt like the ref was determined to make sure Chelsea finished this PK. Oh well, Chelsea was the better side throughout and 2-1 over the course of 180 minutes is probably right, but...if I were Dortmund I'd be pretty pissed.

Bayern Munich 2-0 Paris St. Germain (agg 3-0)

I never fail to be shocked by how casually PSG takes the Champions League, they just didn't show up again though their stacked roster seemed prime to best Bayern. PSG had their moments but Bayern was consistently the better attacking side, much more dangerous around the goal and they got the finishing touches they needed. Is PSG one of those teams that just can't win? Is Bayern really this dominant? I dunno. I'm certain that Bayern doesn't suck but I'm not yet sure they are the team to beat.

Tottenham 0-0 AC Milan (agg 0-1)

A bit of a snooze of a match.  No one really controlled much of anything and yet the back-and-forth action was never particularly compelling. Milan scored early in the 1st leg and from then on both sides kept each other from doing much. Just a perfect matchup or is AC Milan lucky to be in the quarters?

Manchester City 7-0 Leipzig (agg 8-1)

Well, this one was over quick. Probably over after the first goal--definitely over after the second goal--Leipzig just never got going and by halftime looked really uninterested in playing soccer any more. Like, I felt bad for Leipzig--clearly God did not want them to win this game! Man City was obviously the better team but a result like this is more than just better-ness. Again, such a walkover that its hard to tell how good Man City actually is. 

Porto 0-0 Inter Milan (agg 0-1)

Didn't see this one, seems like I didn't miss much. I enjoyed the 1st leg but I wasn't able to catch the return match. 

Real Madrid 1-0 Liverpool (agg 6-2)

Over before it began, bit of a lackluster match, actually. Real had moments in the 2nd half where they were having fun out there but Liverpool just looked like they were running in mud the whole time. Wow, the first ten minutes of the 1st leg was so different from the 170 minutes that followed! Real looks like the best team (unless you think Bayern's mastery of PSG was for real).

Napoli 3-0 Eintracht Frankfurt (agg 5-0)

Napoli was better throughout, controlled the pace all through the first half, scored right before the half and that was probably it. I thought the two sides were fairly evenly matched but Frankfurt just could not get going in the return match and this was an easy one for Napoli. Just a fortuitous matchup or is Napoli really this dangerous? I'm ready to find out. 

The quarterfinal matches:

Real Madrid v Chelsea (Gotta go with Real though Chelsea is gonna be ready)

Benfica v Inter Milan (No idea...both sides had such weird R16 matchups that I have no idea which one is superior)

Manchester City v Bayern (Fun one, but I think Bayern will move on)

AC Milan v Napoli (Again: no idea! Two Italian teams (what NFL-ers would think of as a Division game), they probably have their own rivalry that I don't even understand, my gut is Milan is better but I dunno)

2023 Champions League (Round of 16) (1st leg)

Paris St. Germain 0-1 Bayern Munich

I was kinda surprised how easily Bayern pushed PSG around on their home field--and why on earth did Mbappe not start? For the first 20 mins or so, Bayern absolutely dominated possession, though PSG's counter attack seemed kinda dangerous. Bayern took the lead early in the 2nd half (easy-as-you-please finish by Coman off a long cross into the box), felt like PSG was gonna ramp up the intensity, they brought Mbappe off the bench (I do not understand European 'load management': dude, these are the games you want your stars to play--this is WHY you signed them to begin with!), and in the last 10 mins or so, PSG did dominate the possession but outside of one nice run that led to a goal called back for offside (dude, arguably the closest offside call I've ever seen!), they never really did much to control the attack. I didn't think Bayern was the better team--that PSG roster is stacked! But they played the smarter game plan and they brought the intensity that PSG didn't. 2nd leg will be fun, PSG still has a killer lineup and they'll need to bring it in Munich, but I gotta think Bayern won't squander this lead (they are not sqaunderers). 

AC Milan 1-0 Tottenham

Milan got the early goal (keeper just got bum rushed, nothing he could do) and made it stand up. Thought the rest of the match was fairly even, Tottenham may have even had slightly better chances. The 2nd leg of this game is wide open, Milan did well to get the goal advantage. 

Dortmund 1-0 Chelsea

Wow, I thought Chelsea was in every way the better side in this match, better offense, better defense, better chances, better possession, etc. If Dortmund had come out with a scoreless draw, they would've been lucky. So to come up with the one moment of brilliance and stealing the W is a phenomenomal result for Dortmund. And, oh yeah, it was brilliant: dude, absolutely everything he does on this run is perfect--perfect timing to separate from the defender, perfect spacing to elude the keeper, just a fuckin' perfect play. Dortmund did well to steal this first leg, but, man, Chelsea was better and I would expect them to get it done back home in the 2nd leg (perhaps in PKs).  

Bruges 0-2 Benfica

Benfica was the better side, the better attack. I wasn't a huge fan of that penalty call (yeah, yeah, there was contact but I thought it was more even than ya think) but it wasn't a terrible call. The second goal late was a brilliant steal and lovely finish (keeper was cooked, defense let him down) to pile it on. Bruges played hard but they were never dangerous around the goal and it was really only a matter of time before Benfica found the goal. I'd say this one is done, I'd be pretty amazed if Bruges came back in this one. 

Liverpool 2-5 Real Madrid

Ha! The first coupla minutes of the game featured intense on-ball defense that suggested the speed of the game would overwhelm the players on the pitch; then, outta nowhere, Liverpool sneaks a pass behind Real's back line for a cheeky backheel that caught the keeper (and all viewers of the match!) completely off guard. A coupla minutes later GK Coutois made one of the worst goofy mistakes I've ever seen (well, until a little later in the match!) and suddenly Liverpool was up 2-0 at home before anybody had even warmed up. But, then that was about it for Liverpool. Real got on the board before halftime on a really lovely Vini rip from the top corner of the box and then soon after followed with the NEWEST goofy goalie mistake I've ever seen--dude, Vini wasn't even looking at the ball when he scored! And it was a draw at halftime when it felt like the game could've/should've been long over. Real scored early in the 2nd half on the maybe the most clinical pass to header plays I've ever seen. From there Benzema (MIA in the World Cup, nice to see him back on the pitch), took over, piling on and then piling on some more. Early on, I was thinking Real might be past their prime, felt like maybe the talent wasn't going to mesh and maybe it was time for a Utah Jazz-style blowup....but, uh....yeah, I don't think that any more. Benzema and Vini are back to looking like a killer 1-2 combo up front and suddenly they look like the team to beat. Can Liverpool go on the road and get a big W? Uh....I mean....I guess it's possible, but....no. 

Eintracht Frankfurt 0-2 Napoli

I wasn't blown away by Napoli but they were the better team throughout and even though they missed a PK (weird play but the right call, nice save), they didn't lose their cool. Then when Eintracht got a red card (yeah, brutal play but I think it was yellow), Napoli just dominated possession and were able to poke in a pile-on goal late to seal it. Gotta figure this one is over, Napoli looks to be the better side and heading back home with 2 goal lead is probably an insurmountable climb for Frankfurt. 

Inter Milan 1-0 FC Porto

Fun game! Back and forth, both teams had good possession, good opportunities, felt like Inter took the upper hand down the stretch but it still took quite some time before Lukaku was finally able to get on the end of one. Felt like it was gonna be a scoreless draw but Inter pulled it out at home. Wouldn't be shocked if Porto was able to take it back home, there's still some action left in this match.

Leipzig 1-1 Manchester City

Man City felt like the better side throughout. They got the early lead, felt like they were gonna make it hold up but Leipzig was able to connect on a corner (keeper in no man's land, huge pile of goal to shoot at) and that earned the draw. Man City is not unbeatable or anything, but I felt like they only got stung when they lost their focus. Leipzig has a puncher's chance, but I think Man City will finish this off back home. 

2022 Champions League (final)

Liverpool 0-1 Real Madrid

Dang, what a pass!

Well, not completely unexpected: Liverpool was the better team for 90 minutes, but Real made the right play, got the only goal and they are your 2022 Champions League Champions. Fun match, seems anti-climactic but not at all, there was a lot of good action throughout. Liverpool got desperate in the last 15 minutes or so, felt like Real might get another goal on the counterattack.

Liverpool had way more good chances, hit the post a coupla times, made Thibaut Courtois (man of the match!) make a number of killer saves, dominated possession. But they just never found the net and Real did. 

All the way this year's tourney, Real Madrid just kept finding ways to get by even though they felt overmatched most of the time. Karim Benzema was great, Vinicius Jr balled out consistently, and Courtois was the rock in the goal. But the rest of the squad felt disappointing to me. But, oh well, they are the champs (though I wouldn't be surprised if they're totally different next year).

2022 Champions League (semifinals)

1st Leg

Manchester City 4-3 Real Madrid

Sometimes the offense is ready to play before the defense, I guess, because Man City scored in the 2nd minute (nice header from deBruyne on a perfect cross, while Real's defense was still warming up). Then when they scored in the 11th minute (another defensive lapse, felt like), seemed like Real Madrid was not gonna have enough to get back into the match. Well, there was still plenty more action, though Man City pretty well dominated the 1st half. Well before halftime Benzema was able to get Real on the board (Benzema is ballin'). Then Man City got another goal soon after halftime (another good header off another good cross--you would expect Real to shore up their defense at some point!). But Vinicius getting by the defense at midfield, off to the races, and the nice sneaky finish as the keeper was cooked and, well, it was a reminder that Real still has scoring power. Man City countered soon after (killer rip in the box) to put the lead back up to two goals. A weird handball in the box gave Real a free PK and Benzema buried it. The final score makes it look like a close game, but it really wasn't. Real had two beautiful chances that they converted and a fluke handball but for the vast majority of this game, Man City was by far the better squad. You'd expect Man City to finish this off back in Madrid, but this Real squad gets lucky, so it's not over yet. 

Liverpool 2-0 Villareal

Liverpool was the better team, kept up the attack for most of the game, really pretty much dominated the whole 90 minutes. Villareal did well to parry the Liverpool attack for 52 minutes, but once Liverpool got their first goal (bit of a fluky deflection), then quickly added another (sneaky pass from Salah to Mane in the box to poke past the keeper), it was kinda over. Liverpool had two more goals called off for offside (both correct calls), just to highlight the fact that Villareal was never in this match. Villareal needs to find some offense in the return match or this is over. 

2nd Leg

Villareal 2-3 (agg 2-5) Liverpool 

Villareal needed 2 goals to even it up and when they opened the match by scoring on their first possession, felt like we had a for-real barnburner. Villareal pretty well dominated the 1st half as Liverpool stayed sluggish at best (kinda lazy really), and added another goal right before halftime (nice header off a lovely cross) and the 2nd half was set to be must-see entertainment. But, then Liverpool showed up and straight dominated (throw in that Villareal's goalie had a nightmare of a game) and the aggregate score does not look competitive at all. And, on second thought, Villareal had one solid half of soccer but pretty much sucked in the other 3/4 and there you go, Liverpool is moving on. 

Real Madrid 3-1 (agg 6-5) Manchester City

Wow! I thought Man City was generally the better team, had better chances throughout and when they scored early in the 2nd half to give themselves a two goal lead in the aggregate, felt like this one was over. But, no, Real Madrid has been doing it the weird way all through this tournament and they managed to net 2 goals in extra time to send the match into OT. I still thought Man City was better and had better opportunities, but it was Real that got the PK (good call) that sent them on to the Final. 

Final

Well, this probably should be Liverpool-Man City, but Real Madrid prayed to all the right gods and find themselves here instead. On the Madrid side, Benzema is arguably the MVP of this whole tournament and Vinicius has played well, but, honestly, that's pretty much it. This Real side is not that impressive as you get away from the forwards up front. But, they have been lucky as hell and they do have two great forwards and that's not bad. Liverpool is a more complete team: they have the more reliable defense, I'd say better in midfield, too (love ya, Modric, but little past the prime at this point) and, like Real, they have good forwards, too. Obviously soccer is a low scoring game, upsets are certainly possible--and Real Madrid is as good at surprises as anyone!--but Liverpool is clearly the better team and in a 2-game set, I think they'd be a heavy favorite. But there's only one game and this Real Madrid has more lives than a curious car. I'll take Liverpool to pull it out, but I'm no longer shocked by anything Real does. Okay, we'll see.

2022 Champions League (Quarterfinals)

1st leg

Liverpool 3-1 Benfica

Liverpool was the better team, the more creative team. And when Liverpool got an early goal on a corner, really felt like it was over already. And when they added another before halftime (beautiful pass of the cross into the box), man, there wasn't really anything to watch. But Benfica was able to find the goal in the 49th minute (ehh, the defender just kinda whiffed on the incoming cross and left a lot of goal to shoot at) and suddenly there was enough  of a game to develop some interest. But Liverpool dominated possession and had the defense to keep Benfica off balance throughout. I thought Benfica's keeper actually made a lot of good saves, though the 3rd goal was his fault (came out to make a play, did not make it, open goal for the forward). Liverpool got the big road win and I don't think it was a fluke, I think Liverpool is clearly the better team, I'd be surprised if Benfica is even able to put up much of a fight in the return match. 

Manchester City 1-0 Atletico Madrid

Atletico played some tight D, bunkered in, never got the counter attack they way they wanted, but there was still plenty of good action in this match. De Bruyne was able to slip through one time, finished it, and that was ball game. That description of bunkered D and very little penetration or counter probably sounds like a dull match but not at all. There were a lot of intricate attempts well parried and some breakaway chances, actually an invigorating game considering how rarely either team came near the goal. Looking forward to the 2nd leg of this one. 

Chelsea 1-3 Real Madrid

Man, this match was much more competitive than the score would suggest. Simply put: Real scored their chances and Chelsea didn't. The first goal was a such a lovely finish (header in the box just under the bar) by Benzema after a series of tick-tack passes from midfield. A few minutes Benzema was able to finished another header (going back behind the goalie's momentum) off a long pass into the box--two breathtaking goals so quickly and Chelsea was shook. Both teams moved the ball well and had shots and when Chelsea were able to find the goal right before halftime, felt like we had a game. But early in the 2nd half, Chelsea gave up one of the goofiest goals I've ever seen: the keeper came way out to settle a a long ball that drifted long past the forward, but you could tell keeper didn't know what he wanted to do with the ball, then clearly misjudged how the driving rain had soaked the ground, poohed a soft pass to the defender, who couldn't keep it away from a charging Benzema, who had a relatively simply open-goal from 40 yards out (a true hockey goal). Man, no idea what that keeper was doing, but he had a bad day. Three goals on the road probably pushes Real into the semifinals, but Chelsea played fine, they had chances and perhaps in better weather on the return match, they'll play loose and get to the goal. Tough climb for Chelsea, but this one's not over just yet. 

Villareal 1-0 Bayern Munich

Bayern is a strangely hesitant squad for a blue blood giant of euro football, so I wasn't shocked that Villareal was able to put points on the board on them. The goal was a whipsaw set of quick passes that left the Bayern keeper laying on the ground wondering what just happened. Not long after, Villareal was able to sneak another drifting cross into the goal, but that was called off-side (correct call). But moments like that make the average fan wonder what's up with Bayern. A bit more action in the 2nd half but all pretty similar stuff. Villareal did well to make their one goal stand up. Bayern is gonna be ready for the return match, this one is still up for grabs. 

2nd leg

Real Madrid 2-3 (agg 5-4) Chelsea

Chelsea came out with more intensity than Real Madrid, got an early goal and when they scored again early in the 2nd half, the match that seemed like a walkover was suddenly a nail biter. Real Madrid finally woke up when Chelsea had a goal waived off on replay in the 65th minute and from then on it was a more even contest. When Chelsea went up in the 75th minute, the fire was really lit under Real, who had been strangely sluggish up til then. Rodrygo came off the bench and scored right away off a brilliant finish (off a brilliant pass from Modric) and the game was good fun from then on with both teams have numerous chances. In Extra Time, Real scored right away off a bad giveaway in the defensive half that Vinicius was able to bring up the left wing and pick out Benzema at the penalty spot for the game winner. Fun game! Crazy action but I can't help noticing that Real is good but certainly not unbeatable, as they sorta halfheartedly slog through a game sometimes. 

Bayern Munich 1-1 (agg 1-2) Villareal

Bayern was the better team from the jump, they were getting the ball into the box with ease, only a matter of time before they scored. Villareal looked reasonably spicy on the counter, but they were clearly going to have to work harder than Bayern to get a goal and it felt like Bayern could score multiple goals. Just after halftime, Lewandowski  was the beneficiary of a bad giveaway in the defensive half and caught the keeper in no man's land to doink one off the inside of the post. From there, Bayern looked well on their way to taking this into over time (where they would be the favorite to win). But in the 88th minute, Villareal shook loose on a breakaway and nailed a goal--not an easy shot, excellent touch to skim it away from the keeper's grasp--to silence the crowd. A stunner. People may see Villareal as a fluke semfinalist but they did what they needed to get here and they're gonna be a tough out. 

Atletico Madrid 0-0 (agg 0-1) Manchester City

Grueling game, Atletico was the better team but they just couldn't find the goal and that was that. Atletico peppered the goal and Man City had a coupla nice chances, but neither team got on the board though it felt like either of them could. Looking back on this quarterfinal match up, De Bruyne had 5 seconds of brilliance and that was the whole series. Hey, man, it isn't all about goals, this was the most competitively balanced pairing and both teams played brilliantly. That said, I'm not sure about Man City, I just haven't seen them find a consistent attack. 

Liverpool 3-3 (agg 6-4) Benfica

Fun game! Felt like it was over early and yet the offense just kept coming. Benfica had two more goals called off for offside--and two of their goals were initially called offside and then restored on replay! Man, the 2nd half of this match was pure furious action. Liverpool felt like they had it won when they scored an early goal and then spent the next 10 minutes or so just working Benfica (it looked like no fun to be playing for Benfica for most of the 1st half).  But Benfica got on the board by halftime and the 2nd half as a wide open lollapalooza. And for Liverpool to find the net on two corner kicks just shows how unpredictable this match was.