2024/25 Champions League: 3rd qualifying round

[emortal]

Right wing has typically been rotated between Ali/Bolin/Jorgensen I believe. I think ex-Trabzonspor player Stryger Larsen has done most starts on the right back and will definitely be starting both matches vs PAOK.

Cornelius who has now signed (per Fabrizio Romano anyway) for Marseille was playing in the Greek league as recently as 2022, for Panetolikos. David Torres from Valladolid is rumored to replace him according to Swedish media.

Looks like he played 1,5 season at Panetolikos.
No surprise there, Panetolikos owner is doing business and has made his fortune in Sweden.

Even played against PAOK twice, but I don't remember him.
This was the first season of Lucescu's return to PAOK (21/22), when he took the team to ECL QF.
Where they played and lost to ... Olympique Marseille!

Botheim has been excellent for Malmo so far with 9 goals + 5 assists in 15 starts.

He's good and, as mentioned, a perfect fit for PAOK.

But I don't think he can hold a candle to Tsalov.
They have a similar play-style but the Russian international does everything better, faster and has shown it against the best (https://youtu.be/gItYg-WoefE?t=50)

[Greyn]

Odds to progress:

Qarabag - Ludogorets 1.88 1.88
Malmo - PAOK - 2.37 1.56
Midtjylland - Ferencvaros 1.56 2.37
Sparta Prague - FCSB 1.45 2.70
Dynamo Kyiv - Rangers 1.88 1.88
Lille - Fenerbahce 1.80 1.97
Salzburg - Twente 1.40 2.86
Slavia Prague - Union SG 1.88 1.88
Slovan Bratislava - APOEL 1.97 1.80
Jagiellonia - Bodo/Glimt 2.95 1.38

[seso]

I also think that PAOK are favourites to qualify against Malmö FF (just two days remaining for the first leg)!

Petrocub Hîncești vs The New Saints (clash of the titans) on the same day!

Also, Noah vs AEK! Three great matches one after the other! Additionally we'll have Miltiadis Tentoglou in the Olympics long-jump final at the same time!

Finally, looking forward to Panathinaikos vs Ajax on Thursday! The lads are underdogs; it will be enjoyable!

[Stadion]

Cornelius to OM is a done deal and no replacement has been announced -- and would be too late to throw in a new body in central defence regardless. There's a sense this season that Malmo management is not taking the qualifiers as seriously as they should be now that they've already secured league stage football. A shame for a club that has made the CL groups 3 times in the past 10 years! And now 7 GS/LS in the past 11.

PAOK 1.56 to progress seems generous at this stage.

[emortal]

Cornelius to OM is a done deal and no replacement has been announced -- and would be too late to throw in a new body in central defence regardless. There's a sense this season that Malmo management is not taking the qualifiers as seriously as they should be now that they've already secured league stage football. A shame for a club that has made the CL groups 3 times in the past 10 years! And now 7 GS/LS in the past 11.

PAOK 1.56 to progress seems generous at this stage.

I was going to write some platitude here that plus-minus one player won't make a difference.

But then I checked the roster.
Malmo has 6 CBs left, but 2 are over 36 y.o. and 2 are 19 y.o.

Moreover, they look shaky at the back.

PAOK has included Tissoudali, who is thought of as the 2nd option in CF for now, as well as Tsalov in the list.
This means Brandon Thomas is likely to start as the #9 and press relentlessly, knowing that Tissoudali will replace him after 70'.

[Stadion]

I was going to write some platitude here that plus-minus one player won't make a difference.

But then I checked the roster.
Malmo has 6 CBs left, but 2 are over 36 y.o. and 2 are 19 y.o.

Moreover, they look shaky at the back.

PAOK has included Tissoudali, who is thought of as the 2nd option in CF for now, as well as Tsalov in the list.
This means Brandon Thomas is likely to start as the #9 and press relentlessly, knowing that Tissoudali will replace him after 70'.

Yes, normally I would agree, but Cornelius has been absolutely instrumental to the defense of this Malmo team over the past 1.5 season. Since he left for Copa America NT duty, they have been severely shaky in the back.

[Greyn]

Two Polish referees - Bartosz Frankowski and Tomasz Musiał were selected by UEFA to be VAR referees for Dynamo Kyiv - Rangers match, but they have been replaced in the very last moment. Both are accused of... stealing a road sign while being drunk. They are well known in Poland since they have worked as main referees in Polish Ekstraklasa for many years. It is said that their contracts with PZPN (Polish FA) will be terminated soon after confirmation of allegations.

Article in English https://dailysports.net/news/polish-ref ... he-police/

[emortal]

Two Polish referees - Bartosz Frankowski and Tomasz Musiał were selected by UEFA to be VAR referees for Dynamo Kyiv - Rangers match, but they have been replaced in the very last moment. Both are accused of... stealing a road sign while being drunk. ...

I don't think anyone will be surprised when I mention this has happened in the Greek league before

Surreal situation as refereeing team is accused of turning up drunk to a match in Greece
For the clash between AEK Athens and Aris Thessaloniki
https://www.marca.com/en/football/2023/ ... b45aa.html

[Greyn]

I remember drunk Eurosport commentator or top Polish referee caught in a betting point, but this story beats it.

You must have a big imaginations, even while being drunk, to take out a road sign and walk with it throughout the city.

How to ruin your entire life in less than an hour.

And yes, I know in Greece there are many football related 'interesting stories'. My personal favourite is PAOK owner doing a pitch invasion with a gun.

[emortal]

I remember drunk Eurosport commentator or top Polish referee caught in a betting point, but this story beats it.

You must have a big imaginations, even while being drunk, to take out a road sign and walk with it throughout the city.

How to ruin your entire life in less than an hour.

And yes, I know in Greece there are many football related 'interesting stories'. My personal favourite is PAOK owner doing a pitch invasion with a gun.

That didn't involve polish refs though.

Also, this means you haven't heard enough "interesting stories"

[Greyn]

Qarabag scored after a cross and a header, but the goal scorer was slightly offside and the the goal doesn't stand.

[Firnen]

PAOK forgot the match started, Kotarski saves 2 Malmo chances in the first 2 minutes.

[Greyn]

Ludogorets scored. Cross from a free kick and a powerful header. Classic goal. They hit the bar shortly before.

[Firnen]

3rd big chance for Malmo, PAOK lucky not to be losing right now.

[emortal]

PAOK has 3 changes in the starting 11 compared to the Banja Luka games.
Konstantelias instead of Murg, Sastre instead of Otto and Kedziora instead of Ekong.

Malmo has clearly better rhythm, reasonable as they've already played 17 games in the league.

Nothing lucky about saving chances, that's why you got the goalkeeper.