My Champions League thoughts this week:
1) Training sessions at Atalanta must be SO much fun.
2) Liverpool didn’t deserve that win at Ajax. A draw at worst, at best they lose that 3-1 with better finishing.
3) Red Bull Salzburg, get a goalkeeper.
4) Having Antonio Conté as a manager is the best thing that ever happened to Christian Eriksen. It was a much-needed wake up call: if you won’t up your fitness and expect to cut grass all game, you won’t start.
5) Shakhtar Donetsk’s victory over Real Madrid is why it’s good for smaller/lesser known clubs to get into the Champions League. Almost 20 years ago it was like, “Shaka who?” Now they’re practically maintstays and today they beat the most dominant club in the competition.
6) Real Madrid looked like Stoke Madrid today with hopeful crosses into the box as their primary attacking strategy and like Fulham Madrid at the back. They’ve got to turn it around because they’re better than that.
7) Manchester United has PSG’s number, address, and birth certificate.