Champions League 2018/19

Kinda looking forward to not playing the same teams all the time, would probably have finished bottom of that Ajax would pump us


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Thank you very much, Beckenbauer! PAOK was not an easy opponent. We failed way too many chances at Estádio da Luz and complicated things for the second leg. Glad that the team showed more composure away and got a 1-4 victory after being 1-0 down. It means a great deal both historically and financially.

Historically, it means that we are past a dark ~10y period where we even failed to qualify to European competitions and are back to being regular in Champions League:

• This will be our 9th consecutive CL participation. Only Real Madrid (21 and counting), Barcelona (15 and counting) and Bayern (11 and counting) have a better record.
• We are consolidating our record as the second club with the most participations in the main European cup (1955 onwards): 1. Real Madrid (49 times); 2. Benfica (38 times) and 3. Bayern / Ajax (35 times). Celtic is in the top10 as well.

Financially, we are tackling our debt and are the Portuguese club with the most equity (assets minus liabilities). UEFA considerably upped this year's CL money prizes (introducing a new money prize that rewards last 10y performances in European competitions) and to be out would mean that Porto could close the gap on us. We already racked 42.95M€ in CL this season:

• 15.25M€ for participating in the group stage; plus
• 27.70M€ for being the 8th best ranked club in CL as per last 10y performances in UEFA competitions.

Now we can add potential wins (2.7M€ per win), draws (0.9M€ per draw), market pool and tickets to that 42.95M€. Reaching the first knockout round also grants an additional 9.5M€. If we manage to keep qualifying to the CL group stage, this with the new 40M€/y tv deal alone will allows us to reduce the debt without selling our assets (i.e., sell the best players every year). With a bit of ambition and luck, I truly believe we could dream to reach a semis of CL in ~5 years. We have the best youth academy in European football and should try to replicate Barcelona's success to some extent. We already let go Ederson (25y, City), João Cancelo (24y, Juventus), André Gomes (25y, Everton), Renato Sanches (21y, Bayern), João Carvalho (21y, Nottingham Forest), Bernardo Silva (24y, City), Gonçalo Guedes (21y, Valência) and Hélder Costa (24y, Wolverhampton Wanderers) to name a few, but the upcoming generation is just as strong (Rúben Dias, Florentino Luis, Gedson Fernandes, Tiago Dantas, João Filipe, João Félix or Umaro Embaló are some of the names that may be notorious in 3-5 years). I believe Benfica are in a good position to take a bit more risk and should take a step above its current strategy, offering good contracts to the young talents instead of selling them at the first 30+M€ offer and betting on reaching at least the quarter finals of the CL every couple of years. But I doubt it will happen. We will probably reduce our debt considerably over the next years while not taking advantage (on a sporting sense) of a golden generation of homegrown players.

 

Regarding today's draw,



Glamorous and competitive enough for me. Benfica and Ajax will probably compete for the second spot, but I will not exclude AEK already. Switching AEK for Crvena Zvezda would make this the most glamorous group in recent years.

And I will leave you with Porto's groups since returning to the competition in 2011:
2018 - Lokomotiv Moscow, Schalke 04, Galatasaray
2017 - Besiktas, Leipzig, Monaco
2016 - Leicester, Copenhagen, Club Brugge
2015 - Chelsea, Dinamo Kiev, Maccabi Tel Aviv
2014 - Shakthar Donetsk, Bilbao, BATE Borisov
2013 - Atlético Madrid, Zenit, Austria Wien
2012 - PSG, Dinamo Kiev, Dinamo Zagreb
2011 - Zenit, APOEL, Shakthar Donetsk

 

I watched Benfica V PAOK when Benfica were at home last week and Benfica played really well, should really have won I like the players Pizzi. Benfica should really have won it by a couple of goals. I think Benfica will probably beat Ajax and AEK, we played AEK and they a very dour boring defensive team who dont seem to mind drawing as long as they dont get beat they just constantly sit back and counter.

Ajax look quite decent but Benfica are probably better.

 

Each to their own but i am not watching this so called Champions League and in 5 or so years time it will be an even bigger farce,.uck the whole thing!

 

Hendrix is playing It's Jimi's birthday today. That's portentous Leo

 

Tottenham look *

 

When the * did they start playing champions league games at 6?

 

That's what I was thinking, Barca as well at the Nou Camp.

We're starting at 8 :brendy:

 

Kinda ruins it a bit for me, a big part of what made it special was that all the games were under the lights.

 

Definitely, beautiful sight seeing the sun set over Glasgow in Parkhead as the game's kicking off.

Atmosphere is missing here for sure, don't think it's the best time for the Spanish to go out either for them is it.

 

Why are they playing games already? Is it coz its still hot in Spain and Italy?

I like the cpl hours after work for the dinner and shower before I get the feet up

Ah well Liverpool game was my game of choice tonight and it’s 7.45

 

Now that's what I call an atmospheric shot, Jimi would approve

 

A tournament as * as it is and now they playing games at 6pm.

 

Messi

 

Christian Eriksen goal against Inter

 

Think Handanovic has looked ropey.

 

Message from Red stars ultras to Uefa

 

TV revenue, extra advertisement space on TV channels can be sold now making more money for TV to pay UEFA

 

He's kept inter in it