Topic: CL: Ajax 0 v Liverpool 3 Salah 41' Nunez 48' Elliot 50'

[Fitzy.]

There’s no single narrative that explains this team. Filled with inconsistency but also contradiction. There’s so much wrong yet a lot of the old muscle memory keeps them going a lot of the time. Bizarre.

[Keith Lard]

If Napoli and Liverpool finish on the same points at end of the group stage, does overall goal difference or head to head goal difference determine who finishes top?

If the latter how much do we need to win by at Anfield?

[rob1966]

I think the head-to-head over-rides goal difference ie. if we have a better result than theirs against us, then we win group (irrespective of goal difference)

According to article 17 on the UEFA website, the criteria is points against each other, then goal difference, then goals scored

[rocco]

If Napoli and Liverpool finish on the same points at end of the group stage, does overall goal difference or head to head goal difference determine who finishes top?

If the latter how much do we need to win by at Anfield?

4


Just going to enjoy the occasion

[stockdam]

There’s no single narrative that explains this team. Filled with inconsistency but also contradiction. There’s so much wrong yet a lot of the old muscle memory keeps them going a lot of the time. Bizarre.

I said similar in the pre-game thread. However we have won 4 out of the previous 5 games and we had the chances to beat Forest (even though we were rubbish).

Tonight we were clinical up front but we did look 2nd best at times against Ajax who were stronger, faster and better passers. Part of this may be confidence but we have lost half a yard of pace throughout the team.

[NarutoReds]

Took the kids the home leg and saw fuck all from Ajax that worried me about tonight. Other than that early one where they hit the post, I really didn't think they'd score.

Cheers, Rob mate... I admit that I'm a bedwetter - hahaha!!!   

Of course, ESPECIALLY after the Forest game where our attack was 100% nullified by the "inferior" team.

**On paper, compared to Ajax. And I'm happy for your kids too, mate.

[didi shamone]

I'm buzzing with the win but it's probably the least convincing 3-0 we've ever had. But as a great man once said "who cares"?

[Elmo!]

I believe the criteria is:

Points in head-to-head matches among the tied teams;
Goal difference in head-to-head matches among the tied teams;
Goals scored in head-to-head matches among the tied teams;
Goal difference in all group matches;

So if we win 3-0 then the top 3 criteria are all still tied. I can’t see the difference between the 2nd and 3rd criteria as if the head-to-head  goal difference is the same then both teams have scored the same number of goals head-to-head.

Anyway if we win by 3 clear goals then Napoli will have a better goal difference in the group matches and will go through. Hence we need to win by 4 clear goals.

We could do it but I’d rather not risk injuries to key players; it’s not worth the risk.

If three teams are tied, it's possible they are all tied on GD but one has scored more goals than the other 2  (obviously doesn't apply here).

[Crosby Nick]

We are likely to finish as runners-up and would, therefore, meet a seeded team which could currently be Bayern Munich, Club Brugge or Porto, Real Madrid, PSG or Benfica.

Still above can change

Spurs probably have to win next week to top the group so could do with them not doing so.

[Keith Lard]

4


Just going to enjoy the occasion

Yep, same. Would like to see likes of Kelleher get a well deserved game.

[rob1966]

Cheers, Rob mate... I admit that I'm a bedwetter - hahaha!!!   

Of course, ESPECIALLY after the Forest game where our attack was 100% nullified by the "inferior" team.

**On paper, compared to Ajax. And I'm happy for your kids too, mate.

Ajax needed a win, Forest were hoping to not lose, so they were always going to leave us space at times to exploit and the longer the game went on the more likely they were to open up.

[Crosby Nick]

I hope we avoid the likes of Bayern, Real and PSG. Round of 16 draws have been favourable to us under klopp.

Mainly that’s because we’ve won our groups. Think we’ve only finished runners up once and we drew Bayern which certainly wasn’t easy.

[Garlicbread]

Mainly that’s because we’ve won our groups. Think we’ve only finished runners up once and we drew Bayern which certainly wasn’t easy.

Great CL year that though 

[stockdam]

If three teams are tied, it's possible they are all tied on GD but one has scored more goals than the other 2  (obviously doesn't apply here).

Ok if three or four teams are tied………..I didn’t consider that.

[stockdam]

Ajax needed a win, Forest were hoping to not lose, so they were always going to leave us space at times to exploit and the longer the game went on the more likely they were to open up.

We always play better against teams who try to attack us and win the game. We struggle against teams who play for a 0-0 draw or hope to nick a goal on the break.

[kavah]

Bayern Munich, Club Brugge or Porto, Real Madrid, PSG or Benfica.

quite a list, big big games in February and March - love it. None of them want to get us in the early spring

[shank94]

With a full fit squad, we can take on anyone. The focus remains on grinding out results until the WC with this front 4.

[Haggis36]

Really clinical from us for a change, scoring at absolutely key moments as well. Played pretty woefully for about 35-40 minutes then basically scored 3 goals in 10 minutes which completely ended the tie as a contest and meant we could treat the final 40 mins as a training exercise, they sort of gave up really. Hope that means we've got some gas in the tank for Saturday. Thought Robertson was our MoM.

Incredibly difficult for us to win the group as we need to win by 4 clear goals and hard to see that happening - Napoli are scoring for fun and we've been shite defensively this season, we'd probably need to score 5 or 6 to do it. Given the injuries and the state of the squad I'd prefer we don't over-exert ourselves and focus on Spurs - it's in the league we need to start making up ground.

Looks like our potential R16 opponents would be:
Porto/Brugge
Bayern Munich
Sporting/Frankfurt/Marseille
Milan/Salzburg
Real Madrid/RB Leipzig
Dortmund
PSG/Benfica

Aside from Madrid, Bayern, PSG and maybe Dortmund, you'd probably fancy us over two legs against the rest. Well, you would have last season at least. This season, bit of an unkown.

[Fitzy.]

Elliott’s finish was so good it didn’t seem real at first. Took a second to realise it’d gone in.

[Samie]

According to article 17 on the UEFA website, the criteria is points against each other, then goal difference, then goals scored

According to RAWK Article 1 everyone is full of shit.

[TwitterJayy]

So why can’t we finish 1st then?

[kavah]

So why can’t we finish 1st then?

We have to win 4-0.

Against the best team in Europe this season

[Pistolero]

How gutted did Steve MacShithouse and his gobshite mate Fletch sound in that 2nd half?.....lovely to shut the bitter prick up...

[DangerScouse]

That'll fucking do nicely redmen!

[Eeyore]

Elliott’s finish was so good it didn’t seem real at first. Took a second to realise it’d gone in.

For me it wasn't so much the finish as the realisation that Harvey has a right foot.

[robertobaggio37]

Fantastic win! The first half was a bit painful, Henderson played a blinder tonight I thought. All in all, proper away win, let's hope we'll keep our CL form and transfer it to the PL! Nunez was great, but Elliot deservers a huge credit, he's going to be some player isn't he?

[DangerScouse]

So why can’t we finish 1st then?

We can but we have to beat Napoli by 4!

[Rush 82]

At least Saturday is schedules for the evening.

The travesty of last weeks' scheduling us away so early after we had played late on the Sunday and Wednesday before was criminal. No wonder we were running on fumes.

[Studgotelli]

Only 2 pages after the match thread? Damn.

[TomDcs]

We have to win 4-0.

Against the best team in Europe this season

I won’t list out all the games where we shouldn’t have done something we ended up doing, but I would say this is exactly the type of season, weird form, number of injuries, players we’ll likely rest and other such dynamics that doesn’t make it a forgone conclusion.

[TwitterJayy]

We have to win 4-0.

Against the best team in Europe this season

Call me mad but if we got behind the lads we could do it

[TwitterJayy]

Get us around the top 4 before the WC and actually invest in January.
We could still have a decent season!

[dirkster]

Get us around the top 4 before the WC and actually invest in January.
We could still have a decent season!

We'll make top 4 regardless. I'm sure of it

[Andy @ Allerton!]

Ha! Take that yer moaning bastards

[PaddyPaned]

That match was our season in microcosm, though hopefully without any injuries. First 40 minutes were poor with some pretty shambolic defending, and we were fortunate not to concede. After that we actually looked good and controlled the game well. Darwin is looking better and better, and Elliott’s finish was excellent. Still worried about Trent’s form though.

[RedForeverTT]

With a full fit squad, we can take on anyone. The focus remains on grinding out results until the WC with this front 4.

Not really sure about that. We have lost so many of our legs.

[chromed]

All 3 goals were top top finishes, absolute quality.

Loving that Darwin seems to be growing in confidence each game.

Had a smile on my face hearing the travelling kop belt out 3 little birds for about 15 mins after the second half

Well in Redmen

[NarutoReds]

I strongly believe we are going to further deep in this tournament if the "injury luck" is on our side this time.

There is no way we could retain the performance / tempo without fully rested, fit and fresh players.

On the other hand... "Barcelona hahahahha hahahahaha hahahahaha!!!".     

Sorry, can't help it. Hahahahahahha!!!   

[Charlie Adams fried egg]

Oh man. That’s good

Don’t encourage him. It’s too much and he knows it 

[Bobinhood]

That Harvey Elliot is going to be a world superstar. He's a running machine with mad skills and hes already beefing up nicely.