Pisses me off how the Champs League has become the be-all and end-all of football. Winning the Europa is a much bigger thing than qualifying for the Champs League. Jeez.
Saw the game and Athletic were robbed as they had the bulk of possession. Still you have to put away your chances at this level. For the record some of Athletic's play was sublime and to consider they were without Inaki Williams. Aduriz had to come off and Muniain is only half fit, they have performed very well.
Now that the dust has settled, who would bet against Liverpool. No way should they have come back like that but well done to them. I am cheering on Villareal (reluctantly) now that my beloved Athletic have departed the scene. Better luck next year lads.
So do I!! Athletic Bilbao lost out in the cruellest of ways and what I saw they were much the better footballing side. Sevilla reminded me of a very functional team that knows how to play to get a result.
I wondered about the wisdom of writing such a post as I was actually doing it. For those who don't know, It turned out to be 5-4 over the two legs.
As the effervescent Chris Sutton on the Monday Night Club said a few days ago - possession means nothing. It's about being effective. And he's right, of course. You only need a wee bit of possession and use it effectively. Besides, it's horrible when your team has all the possession and still lose, but amazing when the other team pummel you and you still win. Remember Leeds Utd? That was so satisfying.
I am still a very unhappy bunny! My team lost tonight on penalties. Only one of Sevilla's goalscorers, including penalty takers was Spanish, while all of the Bilbao players are eligible to play for the national team, bar Laporte (out injured at the moment) Credit to such a wonderful club who have the belief to nuture talent from such a small population.
A player who does look good is Kevin Gameiro!! Very powerful!! With Benzema not going to the Euros it will be interesting who the French pick. They have a plethora of players in the Giroud mould who score plenty of goals against most teams but are often challenged against the best. They have a good team but do they have a player of the calibre of Suarez. Mind you do any of the national teams have that special striker. OK Ronaldo and Lewindowski but their two teams will struggle at the tournament to score whereas I have every confidence in Harry Kane to deliver in the Euros.
Borussia Dortmund boss Thomas Tuchel: "We could not win it like champions, but let's behave like champions. Congratulations to Liverpool and good luck."
Is this definitely the case? I thought I'd read somewhere that if EL winners are outside the top 6/7 then it would actually take one of the EL places. So still only 7 teams in Europe, just 5 CL n 2 EL rather than 4 & 3.
If 5 PL teams are in the CL, the two must be direct entries into the EL group stage (FA Cup winners and highest placed league team outside the top 4. Does the next one not even get to the qualifying round then?
