Show only key events Please enable JavaScript to use this feature We’re away in Munich, while at Anfield, a minute’s silence is observed. Marseille police are already using tear gas, according to @gouffa83, in an attempt to prevent OM fans and Frankfurt supporters from approaching each other. Kickoff is still 2 hours away. — Get French Football News (@GFFN) September 13, 2022 Breaking | There have already been 3 arrests around the Stade Vélodrome for throwing missiles at the police, according to @npelletier18. Inside the ground, @gouffa83 reports that the MAT police are already involved in the away games. — Get French Football News (@GFFN) September 13, 2022 Fortunately, Bayern’s bench situation. I wonder what the plan is for Gravenberch, who is on the bench – he didn’t sign for it – and also if Goretzka is no longer considered a big-game starter. I hope not, because he is a brilliant player and a top player, but maybe the injuries have taken their toll. Our teams are coming… “Daniel, are you mentioning Sporting scoring for the second time against Spurs like it’s a bad thing?” asks Ian Copestake. “The emphasis on the question signaled by the incorrect use of a question mark for a non-question is entirely appropriate, in case any ex-students wish to ‘go away.’ I call it Copestake upspeak. Focusing on Bayern v Barca for a moment, the team Xavi is sent out tonight tells us a lot about what his first choices are. I’m a little surprised that Marcos Alonso is playing ahead of Jordi Alba, but otherwise, Gavi, Pedri and Busquets are reunited in midfield – against Plzen, De Jong and Kessie played – and in attack, Raphinha replaces Fati. Last week, the main man was Ousmane Dembele and I can’t wait to see how he does tonight against the best opposition, but also this season, now he is focused, injury free and alongside Lewandowski. the first time i saw him play i thought i had seen a superstar and i hope he becomes as good as his talent says. “Sports nails,” says Dan from Walthamstow. “You have hit the proverbial head. The high press, the full-backs-cum-wingers; Bobby F smokes a cigar. everyone just works when there are three high-energy midfielders (Barney described them very well, I think they’re a ‘highly committed removal company’) but at the moment the core of the team just looks tired and drained, like that woman from Bristol who he couldn’t believe there was another general election. Looking forward to an early Ajax goal followed by an hour or so of fruitless attacking!” I also think Klopp inspired a bunch of really good players to become world winners. It was amazing to see, but because they don’t have the technical ability to hit again, it might end sooner than teams tend to because of it. The truth is, the best football this team has played, I think, came three seasons ago. Rio Ferdinand thinks Alexander-Arnold is good enough to beat the best lefties, but I’m not so sure. He doesn’t have a recovery rate or smell danger, which doesn’t mean he can’t work, but I think he needs the team to be in the right shape for it. Klopp tells BT he is hoping for a big performance but must recognize Ajax’s quality. He hopes for a performance from Thiago and notes the choice he had between three excellent centre-forwards – I suppose Jota gets most of the credit, having been injured and, according to Klopp, combining the qualities of the other two. That sounds a bit generous to me, but he is a very good player and his selection was not, we are told, a difficult decision. For Ajax, he says they come from the opposite pole – “they fly, we don’t” – and he goes crazy.
Full time: Sporting 2-0 Spurs
Hey man, Sporting scored again! They lead Spurs 2-0 going into injury time. Somewhere else… Sporting took the lead against Spurs with minutes remaining. I’m sure Antonio Conte will see the funny side, but. Oh, and Inter are now 2-0 up in Plzen. And that, I think, is really the crux of Klopp’s problem. He could get away from full-back playmakers when he had three anchors in midfield, but now that Wijnaldum is gone and Henderson is big, that is no longer possible, and although Thiago offers subtlety that was lacking before him – when he was fit – having him also means they have to play differently – only they don’t. I wonder, however, whether Fabinho and “Trent” would have survived if Klopp had serious alternatives. Fabinho was so loose last week, while Alexander-Arnold, as long as he plays at right-back, will be a ridiculous force against almost anyone, but a serious weakness against anyone good enough to test his defensive ability or attack in the space behind him. Jurgen Klopp makes four changes to the side that collapsed so strangely at Napoli: Andy Robertson is injured, so Kostas Tsimikas comes in, while Joe Gomez, James Milner and Roberto Firmino leave, replaced by Joel Matip, Thiago and Diogo Jota . E-MAIL! “If Liverpool’s Five Days of Truth are anything like the ‘truth sessions’ that were a well-intentioned but exciting part of the undergraduate housemates’ lives, then Klopp may be looking forward to his players displaying all the insight and wisdom a room has full callo 18-year-olds can collect, i.e. very little and none, respectively.’ Ouch! I was an extremely mature 18 year old, I’ll tell you. *Uh, I wasn’t.
Tonight’s teams
Group A Liverpool: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Tsimikas? Fabinho, Thiago, Elliott? Salah, Jota, Diaz. Subs: Adrian, Davies, Gomez, Milner, Firmino, Nunez, Carvalho, Arthur, Bycetic, Phillips. Ajax: Passover? Rensch, Timber, Bassey, Blind? Berghuis, Alvarez, Taylor; Tadic, Kudus, Bergwijn. Seconds: Stekelenburg, Gorter, Klaassen, Brombie, Ocampos, Kaplan, Luca, Sanchez, Grealich, Baas, Reger, Magallan. Group B Bayer Leverkusen: Hradecky; Kossounou, Tah, Tapsoba, Hincapié; Aranguiz, Andrich; Hlozek, Demirbay, Hudson-Odoi; Schick. Subs: Backer, Sampaio Filho, Azmoun, Amiri, Aranguiz, Fosu-Mensah, Fribong, Lobb, Noitgens. Atletico Madrid: Grbic? Molina, Felipe, Witsel, Hermoso, Reinildo; Koke, Llorente, Saul? Joao Felix, Morata. Subs: Kodogbia, De Paul, Griezmann, Santos, Correa, Carrasco, Diez, Gomis, Moreno A, Moreno M, Mestre. ** Porto: Diogo Costa, Joao Mario, Pepe, David Carmo, Zaidou, Ottavio, Uribe, Eustace, Pepe, Galeno, Evanilsson. Substitutes: Cardoso, Marcano, Fonseca, Ramos, Gruic, Conceição, loader, Franco, Wedel, Costa, Lopez, Borges. Club Brugge: Mignolet? Odoi, Mechele, Sylla, Meijer; Nielsen, Vanaken, Onyedika; Skov Olsen, Jutgla, Sowah. Supporters: Sobol, Balanta, Larin, Boyata, Nusa, Yaremchuk, Audoor, Lammens, Sandra. Group C Bayern Munich: Neuer, Upamecano, Pavard, L. Hernández, Davies; Kimmich, Sabitzer, Musiala? Sané, Mané, Müller. Second: De Ligt, Gnabry, Gorecka, Tzupo-Moting, Ulreich, Gravenberg, Thiel, Mazrawi, Stanisic. Barcelona: Ter Stegen? Araujo, Christensen, Koundé, Marcos Alonso; Sergio Busquets, Gavi, Pedri? Dembele, Lewandowski, Rafinha. Substitutes: Bellerin, Pique, Fati, Torres, Memphis, Alba, Kesier, De Jong, Garcia, Pena, Balde, Tenas. Group D Marseille: Paul Lopez; Clauss, Bailly, Balerdi, Kolasinac? Tavares, Veretout, Rongier, Gerson; Payet, Alexis Sanchez. Supporters: Ngapandouetnbu, Guendouzi, Suarez, Under, Gueye, Kabore, White, Green. Eintracht Frankfurt: Ladder? Knauff, Ndicka, Night, Jakic? Sow, Hasebe, Gotze, Kamada, Lindstrom; Colonel Muani. Substitutes: Smolcic, Alidou, Rode, Borre, Alario, Chandler, Grall, Ramaz. Updated at 7.40pm BST Latest scores: in Group C, Inter, away at Viktoria Plzen, lead 1-0, while in Group D, Sporting and Spurs are goalless. Follow this game here with Scott Murray:
Preamble
“Champions League groups are a waste of time and just a way for UEFA and the clubs to collect more money” is a common refrain at this time of year, and rightly so: plenty of games to knock out only half the teams with half of those who win play-offs to enter the Europa League instead, before the richest claim the knockouts. Football is the winner! Well, maybe not that term. While the contest still serves Baron Mammon’s interests, its early stages are looking very tasty and tonight should be a good one. At Anfield, Liverpool, who were lucky to get away with a simple 4-1 hammering at Napoli last week, face Ajax, who were superb in dismantling Rangers 4-0. Jurgen Klopp yesterday spoke of “five days of truth” in which his players were forced to confront themselves and will hope that meeting what they believe to be rock bottom will inspire them to fight properly tonight. However, the fact remains that their physical, hyperactive style is exhausting not just to play against but to play against, and Ajax, in superb form with Mohamed Quds at a ridiculous buzz, will require the kind of mental and athletic effort that collective that may no longer be capable. This game and team would be enough on their own, but there is more – much more. Because not only do we have Bayern Munich v Barcelona after both teams were impressive in winning last week, but with the added bonus of Robert Lewandowski returning to Bayern Munich and Internazionale hoping to reach one or the other of the last 16. Then, elsewhere, we have Eintracht Frankfurt visiting Marseille – we expect the atmosphere there to be on the steaming hot side – and Club Brugge, who beat Leverkusen in glorious fashion the other day – try their luck against Porto . Here you go! Start: 8 p.m. BST
