Omnibus World Football Thread 2020-2022 (edited)

Yeah, and all the pay that those pesky agents suck off…

We consider all taxes owed to the Spanish state by Argentinian citizens to be already paid before 1816 :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:

Just…damn. Damn.

Gah. I can’t stand it.

It really is quite amazing that Real Madrid continue to do this. And it’s almost self-fulfilling at this point - Bayern seemed to know they would lose as soon as Neuer dropped that shot and Joselu tucked it in.

That premature whistle in the last second was terrible. Why does a ref in the times of VAR do this?

Incredible. The number of times they’ve held up when someone was three yards offside.

It’s unbe-freaking-lievable, but Leverkusen played their 49th unbeaten season game against Roma in the Euroleague semi-final. After being behind by two penalty goals until the 83rd minute, they were lucky to force a freak own goal and once again equalized (I don’t know how often it happened this season, it must have been at least five or six times) in the 7th and last minute of overtime. Of course this means they have reached the final.

Speculation in twitter about what will happen if (when?) they met Real Madrid in an hypothetical European Supercup Final, The unstoppable force meets the immovable object.

I think this game could cause a singularity, mathematical or physical. Maybe the Universe will collapse at the final whistle.

The unstoppable force stops, the immovable object moves, the world goes back to the singularity. Both teams lose, the universe bifurcates. Real Madrid player’s shirts turn black, they all become referees and whistle like referees have always whistled to Real’s tune. Vizekusen goes supernova and wins. FIFA and UEFA (and the IOC!) become honest. The world ends.

Hmm, I like your end-of-the-world scenario better than Revelation.

ETA: or to go for a more worldly scenario, of course the game goes into penalties and after the 328th penalty without a decider when no player can even stand anymore, the ref ends the game out of mercy, UEFA calls both winners, all players shake hands, hug and cuddle, and world peace breaks out.

You are an optimist! Nah, won’t happen like this.

It is 8 times, scoring in the 90+ minute or later to avoid losing. In all competitions this season.

I think it would be closer to @EinsteinsHund prediction, except that UEFA never calls both winners, the penalties continue until the heath death of the universe.

If my math is right, if Arsenal wins its final game and gets to 89 points, it wins the Premier League unless Manchester City wins both of its remaining two games, which then gets Man City to 91. In every scenario involving at least one Man City draw or loss, Arsenal likely prevails. If the two teams tie for points, Arsenal has a sizable goal-differential advantage and would most likely win the tiebreaker.

The problem for Arsenal is that 2 wins for the team in light blue is exactly what’s most likely to happen; Man City appears heavily favored in both its remaining two games.

Man City have West Ham and Tottenham left, both in the top half of the table and Tottenham is in 5th. I wouldn’t say City are heavily favored. Favored sure.

Arsenal is +3 in GD. If they end up tied on points that means they each get a win, so City’s win would need to be by at least 4 goals. Not likely, but certainly within the realm of possibility for them.

Arsenal’s last game is 15th place Everton.

Without looking at book makers I’d guess City are very slight favorites to win the league.

There is very little chance City slip up. And the idea that Spurs will be the ones to stop them, much less West Ham on the last day, is silly. The best odds you can get is City -275 to win the EPL, which I think is about a 75% chance. Which honestly feels low to me. I’d give Spurs maybe a 10% chance at not losing, with the Hammers less than 5%.

It would be pretty exciting if there is somehow a draw today, so that you basically have a goal-scoring competition on the last day of the season. Arsenal at home v. Everton with City at home v. West Ham with Arsenal having a 3-goal head-start. I still wouldn’t be shocked if City won that contest.

Do Spurs have a realistic shot at Champions League if they win out? I’m wondering if that might provide them some higher level of incentive.

According to the oddsmakers City are 70% to win today and 86% to win on Sunday.

With an Arsenal win and a City win+draw, the punters think there is a 10% chance of City covering the goal difference.

Particularly if the match today is drawn, I’d back City to put up a tennis score on Sunday against West Ham.