Also @ x-off, I really don't think our finishing is usually that bad. We're actually one of the more efficient teams if you look at xG compared to goals scored; iirc we're actually better than Inter in terms of efficiency as they create a boat load of chances each game and don't score as much as their xG indicates they should, it's only against us last weekend where they were ruthlessly efficient and practically scored on each shot they took. Go figure (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)

Sometimes you just have one of those nights.

The headers fell to the wingers who are bad at heading and the good shooting chances fell to the players who are not great at shooting...

My only concern is that this was a home game. We're in a difficult group so home games are crucial and we just lost 2 points at home. Maybe Newcastle can cause problems to the other teams in the group but from what I saw tonight that is unlikely which is a problem for us. Now we must rely on PSG to be good against the other while we win at least once against them.

You guys misunderstand a lot. This was Newcastle's first Champions League match since 2003, they were NEVER going for it out there. This, for them, was about easing back into the competition against a veteran of it, and they nailed it.

Milan wasteful unfortunately, and I think the other match showed how rubbish those two are are.

I still don't agree that Newcastle are bad, quite the opposite. They're likely to win a lot of points at St James.

Very interesting group. Nice respect also for Tonali who clearly wanted to be playing for the home side again.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) Too true


I disagree about them being good. I've watched their EPL games, they were bad, I've watched them against us now and they were really bad. Like I said, we had more trouble against the Serie A sides we've faced so far

1 shot on target all game which came at the 94th minute. 26 for us with 9 being on target and 3 of those 26 should have been goals if not for wasteful finishing. Their plan was terrible, as they conceded a lot of space to us and we created good opportunities. Our wasteful finishing is the only thing that let them leave Italy with a point. But I cannot imagine how they'll cope against PSG. My only hope is that they and Dortmund hold each other to draws in the double header.

Leao got man of the match...

I could throttle him for that attempted backheel. That should give him flop of the match

For me Tomori was MoM. Didn't allow Isak to have a look in all game and flawless throughout

They're in sticky form domestically, yes, but they finished fourth last season for a reason - and methinks they'll put most of their effort this season into the CL. They don't yet have the resources/squad or more tellingly, experience yet to push on all fronts.



They came to San Siro to sit back - and it worked. As me and X have been ranting about - if our side is complacent v Bologna, not pushing fully, what happens when a decent side comes to us?

Well, Inter and Newcastle are what happens.

I'll go out on a limb here and say he'll be gone by next summer. I got fooled by all the hype prior to his signing, but after carefully re-watching his highlights on YouTube, the guy doesn't strike me as anything impressive. And we're talking YouTube highlights here, where even Krunic looks like Rodri.

He did absolutely nothing last night. Leao idem. Pulisic tried but was too mediocre. Once again we're being let down by our attack.

I don't care about stats. Sometimes they will take a half-*** chance and consider it a scoring opportunity.

When it comes to concluding on target, we are donkey sh*t. Always have been. With Leao on top. The guy can't shoot to save his life.



Yeah, the only way out of this group is hoping for PSG to win them all (except against us obviously) and try to make the most out of our games. Starting with Dortmund away next leg. Gotta aim for the 3 points in that match.

Well that's like saying we won the scudetto in 21/22 so we were still just as good in 22/23 even though that was far from the case

I think they over achieved last season because teams like Chelsea and Liverpool were terrible. Otherwise they wouldn't have gotten a look-in. Like you said, they are not there yet. And I thin that showed against us. And I disagree that their plan worked because they allowed a lot of chances. They were just lucky we were sh!t in front of goal. 9/10 times we win that game.

I disagree that Inter and Newcastle are anywhere near the same. Against Inter we have been getting outsmarted for years now. Pioli lets the stupid bone take over when he faces them.

Against Newcastle we were the much better side throughout. Had Giroud taken that chance, had Leao not tried the most ridiculous backheel, had Leao scored that free header, and so on and so fourth. It's not like we struggled or could have at any time lost that game. Because not once was I worried that they would get through. That's how bad they were. We were just wasteful in front of goal. I wouldn't attribute that to complacency. Just my 2 cents there. Sometimes you just have one of those nights.

Complacency is what we did against Inter once they scored their 3rd. We were just done.


We'll see. I'll hold my judgments for later. I thought he was much better yesterday

Against Verona on Saturday, he should start. Same goes for Musah and Okafor/Jovetic.


xG is measured based on how good a chance is. I think it's a pretty accurate way of determining how efficient a team is. For example, iirc, last season we outscored our xG while Inter underperformed on it. I think that says a lot about how much a team is creating and how dominant they are.

As for our chances in the group.

I think we are still favorite to go through with PSG. We've just made it harder on ourselves. The Dortmund games are crucial. What we do against them and what they do against the other sides will be the determining factor.

We win our next game against them and PSG win against NUFC as I am expecting. And we're in the driver's seat

This formation hurts my eyes

But we're one up thanks to some Verona f ups.

Florenzi is in pirlo role?

My head is about to explode. Why is Grioud coming out for the 2nd half??

This ridiculous formation, needs to go ASAP

Who knows at this point.

We look all over the place.

Pioli already switching around formations and putting the new players in weird positions and we're still in September...

Pioli needs to go man

This game is torture.

Nice one. Krunic injured (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)

Who didn't see that one coming?