Bridie Bhoy
Well-known member
OPTA have rated it less than 1% chance we can finish top 8, as we need to win and other games to finish favourably for it to happen. So, although not impossible, it is extremely unlikely. I think the exciting thing tonight will be watching the league positions constantly change as all 18 games progress at the same time. 1 minute you may think we will be playing Monaco, the next Dortmund and then end up at Real Madrid.
Some teams sitting at 25th to 27th place (or even 9th to 12th) in the last 5 minutes may throw everything into attack to try to secure a late win. But that may result in them losing a late goal, which could change the positions of the teams in mid-table! I reckon some sides will potentially face half a dozen different opponents next round at various stages during tonight's matches.
If a game is running slightly late due to VAR or a head-knock and one of the sides knows where exactly they are sitting in the table, might they even "make an error" to concede a late goal so they face an easier play-off? Say it might make the difference between playing say Bayern Munich or Brest, then I wouldn't put it past some managers to sneakily give the instructions to their players to ease off. If there is a way to play the system, then you can guarantee that clubs will have already thought about it and are keeping a wee plan in the back of their minds, just in case!
