@Mark_L I am confident going into the Lille game as well. I think the guys will understand the need for the 3 points and we will get it done. When this team is 100% healthy there is no team in the world we can’t beat; I truly believe that.
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Yeah when we at the RSP and the fans are rocking we very tough to beat. We in a good moment especially at home and have all our key players fit. Having YEN back is a big boost too. Let’s start the match with big intensity and get that important win to kick start our European campaign.
The 3 draws have been uninspiring and dull but at least we never lost and now we have the chance to build on it. Hopefully take a big step to qualifying for last 16. Vamos!
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@SurreySevilla Hate that the tv didn’t work for you but yes Man City losing makes up for a lot of things 
Good job by the Eagles 
Hopefully the Villa can take care of West Ham tomorrow
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Not sure if it’s only me, but I have a feeling that there is a tendency for some players to favor their own compatriots during the match. Argentinians passing to each other more than to Spaniards, selfish acts too (like Lamela to Rakitic at the final stages of the match, that really pissed me off) etc. Noticed it with Montiel too.
I understand nationality clans because they happen often around the world with every club. However, as long as that’s kept off the field it’s all good. Inside the pitch, they should all act as 1 unit and play for the team. Selfishness can only harm us.
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@SurreySevilla, I had the same problem. I couldn’t watch it either so had to find some stream on the internet that kept buffering, so missed a lot of the second half trying to get it to work! 
Just about caught Ocampos capitalising on their keeper’s mistake though!
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So have I and I pay £7.99 extra per month for it and they advertise it as ‘every game’. Clearly it isn’t!
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I guess we’ll find out Tuesday, but from what we’ve seen so far, I don’t think this team is ready for a big game. Perhaps we’re fortunate the match vs Barcelona was postponed. It’s great that Ocampos finally got his goal, and kudos to him, cause he’s always been a hard worker on the pitch. But I’m sure most of us don’t really expect him to kick on from this.
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I honestly can’t wait for us to face a top team for once this season. Very curious as to how would Lope prepare one of those and how we’ll play with the current set of players that we have. I also feel that we’re not ready, but let’s see.
The match vs. Lille is an extremely important match for our CL progression, but I’m marking 28/11/2021 as the date where we’ll see if we are any serious against the big dogs this season or not.
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I think we are ready for most teams at home. I mean our record speaks for itself. Plus Barca is not really the huge game it used to be. As yes it’s still a marque clash but we don’t need to be anything super special to beat them. Lots of teams have had joy against them even with some playing mediocre at times.
Most sides so far in la liga bar maybe Real Madrid at times don’t really fear me. I keep expecting atleti to hit their stride but they struggling at moment. I watched Real today too and they nothing special like their best years. We might not be the finished article but we decent and solid. That on the basis of what I seen should be enough for most teams in division and for Lille at home.
It’s the away form I agree with you though. We need to start games quicker away and lope needs to be braver in his tactics and subs. Still overall the la liga title is a possibility because there is no stand out team and we in the mix being solid and in spells we play well especially at home.
As for our champions league group I think we will be fine. We were better than Lille away albeit we didn’t win. I think being back at home with YEN back too we will have too much for them. I could be wrong but I fancy us to beat Lille and Wolfsburg at home and get a result against Salzburg away too. We made heavy weather of group but I still think we will come good and advance. We will see.
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The argument is who are the top dogs currently? Unless something dramatic happens soon I don’t see any stand out team to fear in la liga. Barca as we know are a mess, atleti are dodgey defensively and not hitting their usual consistency and even Real Madrid aren’t vintage like past real teams.
As for Lille well yes it’s a pressure game but I think we will win it. We are a different animal at home and I think we will have too much for them. I’m excited for what’s to come because I think the current situations in la liga and our group can hopefully allow us to stay in title race and get to last 16 of champions league. Everything is open for us and hopefully we can keep our key players fit now.
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I think being 9 points clear of Barca currently the more pressing question is, are Barca ready play us at the Sanchez pizjuan with no Messi now?
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Yeah I was about to say that too. Wouldn’t consider Barca a very strong team on paper this season, however, they are still very dangerous and can beat us if we’re not passionate enough to do otherwise.
I’d safely consider RM and Atletico as big dogs, even this season. They are not playing anything spectacular, but they are better than us on paper, so they’re the favorites.
I’m also more excited about the potential big teams that we’d face in CL, presumably as the second place from our group as things are going. We need to pass the group first though.
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Yeah I’d agree Real Madrid and atletico are still the top dogs. However, I do believe both have their problems and some teams can give them issues including us. I believe we can maintain the pace with them. I’m still annoyed about midweek as we should be on 26 points and in an even stronger position. It could be very crucial come the final weeks of season.
Yeah if we finish 2nd it’s gonna make our last 16 tie most likely very difficult where we will be underdogs. Which is why we need to try win our last 3 games and hope Salzburg slip up with another draw against one of the others. It’s certainly still possible but we will see.
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Exactly right! Haha That’s why I was celebrating like crazy when I realised Messi was leaving. I was about to go to Barca myself to make sure he got on the plane to Paris. Bugger off! 
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I’m not sure I agree. At home we have been very strong this season and I’d fancy us against anyone in Europe.
There is nothing to fear from La Liga this season. Barca are poor and I think we’re better than them and both Real and Atletico haven’t hit the world on fire in the way you’d normally expect them to, although I’d accept on paper they’re stronger.
Agree that we’ve not played a top side yet but I think we’ve got a lot to be positive about, being joint top in the league and things still very much in our hand in our CL group despite an uninspiring start.
VAMOS!
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I was looking for some interesting stats in the league after the game.
- we are second in the chances created (30), only behind Barcelona (32) and also in the chances missed (21), Barcelona (22). This shows different picture, then we speak of lacking creation.
- we are leading in the long passes per match by far (34.5), leading player in this category is Diego Carlos (6.4) - I didn’t even notice so much long passes.
- in shots per match we are third (10.6), which is actually not so bad
- interesting stat is that Rafa Mir missed 8 big chances, leading player in this category in LaLiga
- Jesus Navas is leading in big chances created (7) - age is just a number for him, really good season so far
- we are missing a player with dribbling skills, our best player in this category is Oscar on the 34 place (1.4 dribble per match)
- defending stats and stats about Bono are top class, I won’t even mention this
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Yeah the best dribbler is Oscar and he’s rotting on the bench.
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Players who played at least 400 minutes this season, expected goals per 90 minutes.
YEN and Mir both in the top 10. Crazy that no Real Madrid player is in the top 10 at all. Oyarzabal is an incredible scoring winger by the looks of it. He’s at the level of Juventus Ronaldo with these numbers.
Players who played at least 400 minutes this season, expected assists per 90 minutes.
Navas looks to be a great with these expected assist. But if you look to other leagues, you’ll see he’s would be somewhere in the middle of their top 10’s. Still good, but it shows that LaLiga seems to have worse chance creators, or better organized defenses.
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