OLIVIER GIROUD | TMK #15

Today, on TMK:

The French beat the French, football fans rebel, and the least athletic bicycle kick you’ve ever seen.

Catch Up:

• Champions League Week 4 Matchday 1

The Main Events:

• Champions League Week 4 Matchday 2

• NBA: Warriors at Nuggets, Celtics at 76ers

Extra Time:

• Quote of the Day

• Can’t Miss Moment

• Stat of the Day

• Video of the Day

⚽ Champions League Week 4

Plenty of fast-paced action, goals, and even an upset; this is why we love the Champions League.

Group E

Atletico Madrid 6 - 0 Celtic

After a disappointing 2-2 draw in Scotland, Atletico took its revenge by thoroughly dismantling Celtic. Griezmann opened the score in the 6’ minute, the Celtics’ Maeda saw a red after a careless tackle at the 22’, and the floodgates opened from there. Grizou scored a second goal as Morata added a double of his own, including an absolute missile from outside the box.

Lazio 1 - 0 Feyenoord Rotterdam

In the Champions League, you have to make the most of your chances. Lazio did; Feyenoord didn’t. Lazio finished the game with 35% possession and 1 shot on target. They scored on a through ball that wasn’t offside because of a sloppy defensive alignment from Feyenoord’s right back. Feyenoord was more active and played a better game, but you only get rewarded for goals you actually score.

Everything is still to play for in Group E after week 4.

Group F

Borussia Dortmund 2 - 0 Newcastle United

Dortmund completes the Newcastle sweep two weeks after winning in England. Newcastle was weakened by injuries and squad rotation, and it showed. Dortmund opened the score, and even though this wasn’t the strongest Newcastle side, they had multiple opportunities to level the score. Instead, as they pressed on to equalize, they got caught on the counter, and Dortmund put the game away.

AC Milan 2 - 1 Paris Saint-Germain

Must-win game? Olivier Giroud is at your service.

The never-ending Frenchman delivered a crucial goal early in the second half to give AC Milan the advantage and keep their qualification hopes alive. How can some football fans not LOVE Olivier Giroud is beyond me.

This game was everything it was expected to be - especially in the first half - as both teams attacked and we saw box-to-box action. PSG opened the score early, but Leao evened the match with an acrobatic rebound.

PSG wasn’t sharp enough on offense; Mbappe had chances to put the game away but wasn’t able to do so.

The group of death delivers week after week. Any team can qualify by winning its last two matches, and even the 3rd spot will be a fight to the death. It’s a shame that one of these teams will see their European season end in two matches time.

Group G

Manchester City 3 - 0 Young Boys

Manchester City lives up to expectations and wins handily against inferior competition. Haaland scored a double, including a cross-body shot to the right side from outside the box. Not bad for a tap-in merchant.

Red Star Belgrade 1 - 2 RB Leipzig

A sloppy but entertaining offensive game from both sides, this one could’ve easily ended 5-5 with better efficiency on offense. Red Star and Leipzig combined for 40 shots on goal, but only 7 were on target.

Group G was the most predictable group in this year’s Champions League. All that’s left to settle is the top of the group and the 3rd place that leads to the Europa League.

Group H

Shakhtar Donetsk 1 - 0 Barcelona

Here’s what you need to know from this game: Barcelona had 68% possession but created exactly zero chances in this game. This isn’t an exaggeration, apart from a few off-target long-range attempts, there wasn’t a single dangerous moment for Shakhtar.

Shakhtar was much more dangerous and deserved the win. Without another standout performance from Barca keeper Ter Stegen, the defeat would’ve been much heavier.

FC Porto 2 - 0 Antwerp

Porto got the job done against arguably the weakest team in this year’s Champions League. This wasn’t Porto’s best game by a longshot, but Antwerp isn’t a dangerous team - especially as it was reduced to 10 players after a red card at the 52’ minute.

Shakhtar’s victory kept their qualification hopes alive and guaranteed at the very least a Europa League spot. They’re still to play Porto away and will need a major performance to improve their goal difference to have a realistic shot at qualification.

⚽ CHAMPIONS LEAGUE WEEK 4

Just as yesterday, the teams are playing the same team they played in week 3 with the home and away teams inverted.

Group A

• Copenhagen - Manchester United

• Bayern Munich - Galatasaray

Last time around, Manchester United labored against Copenhagen at home and eked out a 1-0 victory. Copenhagen needs to win this game to stay in the race not just for qualification (which seems unlikely) but also for the 3rd place that leads to the Europa League.

Bayern on the other hand struggled away in a very hostile environment in Turkey but was strong enough to overcome the noise and deliver when it mattered. They should have an easier time at home and can guarantee a spot in the top 16 with a win.

Group B

• PSV - Lens

• Arsenal - Sevilla

Group B remained one of the most interesting groups to follow as no team was able to assert its dominance at the top. Both Arsenal and Lens can make a major step towards qualification this week; should both teams win, they’ll be all but qualified.

However, Lens barely escaped with a home draw last week against PSV, who would tie Lens on points in the group with a win. Sevilla will be looking to avenge its home loss in England, but it won’t be easy against a strong Arsenal team.

This one is wide open.

Group C

• Real Madrid - Braga

• Napoli - Union Berlin

The two favorites to qualify from Group C are playing at home against provably weaker teams. A win would qualify them both and leave them to squabble over first place in their direct match-up in two weeks. Both Real Madrid and Napoli were able to win away last time around, but not without some difficulty. The task should be easier at home.

Group D

• Real Sociedad - Benfica

• RB Salzburg - Inter Milan

Real Sociedad are coming off a disappointing loss to Barcelona in the league, but they’ve looked strong despite the loss. A win against Benfica at home would put it in the driver’s seat in Group D, two weeks after they’ve been able to beat Benfica away, 1-0.

Salzburg - Inter is the game to watch today in Group D, as this is a must-win for Salzburg if it wants to compete for a place in the top 16. A loss today would all but eliminate it from top 16 contention. A win by both Real Sociedad and Inter would seal this group and leave Salzburg and Benfica to fight for 3rd.

🏀 NBA: 14 Games

Denver Nuggets - Golden State Warriors

The 7-1 Denver Nuggets will host the 6-2 Golden State Warriors in what looks like an early-season preview of a potential Western Conference final series.

This matchup features two two-time MVPs at the top of their game in Nikola Jokic and Steph Curry. Steph is currently averaging 31 points on 47.5% shooting from the three, and leads the league in 3-pointers made per game with 6. Nikola is averaging 28 points, 13 rebounds, and 8 assists. He is also shooting 63% from the field, the 9th highest mark in the league, which is incredible considering his volume.

The Nuggets will be without their second option Jamal Murray who is out for the foreseeable future with a hamstring injury. Jokic has a banged-up wrist but is probable to play tonight. Draymond Green is questionable for the Warriors for “personal reasons”.

With two champion teams and two former MVPs playing tonight, this is a must-watch game for any basketball fan.

Philadelphia 76ers - Boston Celtics

We have been blessed with two potential conference final previews on the same day. Boston and Philly both sit at 5-1 and are in 1st and 2nd place in the East. While the Bucks have needed some time to readjust after the Lillard trade, Philly and Boston have hit the ground running following the addition of Porzingis for the Celtics and the Harden trade for the 76ers.

Joel Embiid currently leads the league with 32.5 points a game and is coming off an MVP-worthy 48-point performance. Tyrese Maxey and Tobias Harris have stepped up and are averaging 25 and 19 points a game, respectively. Kelly Oubre is quickly becoming the best value guard in the league, averaging 18 points on a 1-year, 2.9M contract. He is only 27 years old and will get PAID this offseason if he keeps it up.

The Celtics have looked like a more complete team since the arrival of Porzingis and look like a menace despite dropping their first game against Minnesota two days ago. Led by a relentless Jason Tatum who averages 30 points a game, the Celtics are the second-highest-scoring team in the league with 123.5 points a game and have been winning games by a league-leading 14.5 points. Jaylen Brown has improved and is contributing 23 points a game, while Porzingis is averaging 20 points.

Talent has never been an issue for the Celtics or 76ers; closing out playoff series in crunch time has. While this is merely a regular season game, it is a good test for both teams and an opportunity to prove to themselves that they could be going all the way this year.

Other Games

Following yesterday’s league-wide rest day, all but 2 teams are in action tonight.

Charlotte Hornets - Washington Wizards

Indiana Pacers - Utah Jazz

Brooklyn Nets - LA Clippers

New York Knicks - San Antonio Spurs

Chicago Bulls - Phoenix Suns

Houston Rockets - Los Angeles Lakers

Memphis Grizzlies - Miami Heat

Milwaukee Bucks - Detroit Pistons

Minnesota Timberwolves - New Orleans Pelicans

Oklahoma City Thunder - Cleveland Cavaliers

Dallas Mavericks - Toronto Raptors

Sacramento Kings - Portland Trail Blazers

🗣️ Quote Of The Day

“You don’t care about the sport - all you care about is money”

Dortmund fans are protesting the changes to the Champions League next season, as the format will change and the competition will expand to 36 teams. They also threw fake gold bars and coins on the pitch. I’ll go in-depth about the changes another time, but for now I’ll just tell you that ABSOLUTELY NO ONE is excited about them.

Dortmund fans are the realest.

⭐ Can’t Miss Moment

Rafael Leao’s Bicycle Kick Goal

Is this the most athletic bicycle kick you’ve ever seen? Probably not. It was effective though, and brought AC Milan back into the game on their way to a crucial 2-1 win against PSG.

PS: The pieces of paper you can see on the pitch are fake bills with “dollarumma” written on them, a protest against PSG’s Italian goalkeeper Donnarumma.

The money collected from selling the fake dollars (a bundle for 2€) will go to football schools in Corvetto and Baggio in Milan, so they can buy shoes, balls, shirts, etc.

“So we never again have to raise people without values like this unworthy one”, the Ultras said.

God bless the Italian penchant for drama.

🧮 Stat Of The Day

Should the Houston Rockets beat the Los Angeles Lakers today, they’ll have a winning record for the first time in 1005 days.

Some teams rebuild, others just suck repeatedly. It’s been a LONG TIME since the Rockets were any good. There have been full consecutive seasons where they haven’t had a winning record. This is their chance to be a little less terrible.

📽️ Video of the Day

Olivier Giroud’s Best Goals

Today we are honoring Olivier Giroud, France’s top scorer of all time and the scorer of the winner against PSG yesterday. His best goals can compete with anyone; watching them, you might think he’s the best striker to have ever played. Unfortunately the background music of the video is terrible, but it’s worth a watch on mute.

Click HERE to watch on Youtube.

Wrap Up

Champions League Tuesdays and Wednesdays are the absolute best. Add a couple of heavyweight NBA games and we’re very close to sports heaven. Enjoy today. See you tomorrow.