[NoSkillz]

Tue. November 7, 2023

UEFA Champions League - Group C
Dover (1-2-0, 5 points, 2nd) vs. Palermo (0-3-0, 3 points, 3rd)
Crabble Athletic Ground, Dover, UK

Betting Odds: Dover: 6-4 (Favourites) Draw: 2-1 Palermo: 13-8
Past Meetings: 0W 1D 0L

We battled Palermo to a 1-1 draw in Italy a couple of weeks ago and this is a pivotal game in Group C play - a win by our club would almost assure us our place in the Knockout stages, as we’d be five points up on Palermo and still have a game coming up against the weakest club in the group, Dynamo Kyiv here at home. Like us, Palermo are third in their league but their top scorer, Sergio Araujo, is injured today. They still have Robin Franz and Rodrigo Bovo to play up front and both are dangerous. Goalkeeper Pierpaolo Bartolli was sensational in our last matchup.

We make a couple of changes today, with Rayane Hamon coming into the defence in place of Saber Nasri. Hamon still isn’t fully fit but I need his influence and leadership in there today. Helder Cruz gets the start at left midfield for the injured Arsene Bamba and Jose will play midfield for Andrea Rocca, who has been a step slow this year. Ingo Wilke is back in goal today as well. Control mentality at home today. We need this win!

Dover: 4-4-2 Control
GK - I. Wilke
D - R. Gaucho, C. Contreras, R. Hamon, S. Loucif
M - H. Cruz, N. Cairney, Jose, G. Allan
S - P. Moses, Chiquinho
Bench - Rafinha, S. Nasri, G. Fanfoni, A. Rocca, L. Kunchev, Z. Bardi, S. Andrea

Palermo are in a flat 4-4-2 today with Franz and Albert Falix up front. Rodrigo Bovo is on the bench. Midfielder Bassem Mogaadi is a good looking player and Bartoli is in goal once again. Lets do it for the supporters today!

5’ - A very nervous start for us, as Palermo have a few opportunities, including a great chance for Robin Franz but Wilke pushes the ball aside. He gets another weak shot off seconds later after a brutal Renato Gaucho giveaway but Wilke is there again. Come on men!

36’ - Yup, 36 minutes in and no real opportunities. Graham Allan gets a ball into Chiquinho, he avoids a tackle and has a clear path to goal but he elects to shoot early and his blast is over the net. He had all the time in the world to walk right in. Five of our players are noted as “playing nervously” by my assistant. Great…

38’ - Palermo with a free kick just outside our area and their player curls one around our wall but Wilke is there, diving, to make the save and hold on. Beauty. Wilke throws in to Renato Gaucho and he fires a pass up to Helder Cruz on the left sideline. He tries to send a ball up to Moses but it’s a bad pass and Moses has to fight with Santos, one of Palermo’s defenders, for it. Our young striker wins the battle and storms up field, reaching the area and shooting low, as he usually does and it’s past Bartoli and IN! The fans are chanting his name and we have the lead! DOVER GOAL 1-0

42’ - We win a corner and Jose takes the kick. His cross is to the far post and Claudio Contreras heads it over Bartoli and IN! It looked like a weak header but it was enough to get past the Palermo keeper and we’re ahead by two! DOVER GOAL 2-0

45’ - Robin Franz has a glorious chance, as he’s sent in all alone but he shoots WIDE.

HALFTIME - Well, we went from having five nervous players to a two goal lead and everyone is now brimming with confidence. What a funny game this is. We held 55% of possession after a shaky start and a 9-8 (4-3 on target) shot advantage. I’m pleased and tell the players as much at half time.

49’ - We are tackling well but Salim Loucif tackles a ball away and right to the very dangerous Mogaadi and his ferocious left footed blast is thankfully right at Wilke and he hangs on.

50’ - Seconds later, Chiquinho with a horrible giveaway near midfield and Palermo move swiftly up the pitch. It comes to Carlos Luna down the right side and his shot curls past Wilke and into the net. Oh boy…we’re in for a battle here. PALERMO GOAL 2-1

Palermo fall back into a 5-2-1-2 formation. Interesting.

53’ - We are playing horrible football right now and we lose a header to Franz, who walks in and shoots past Wilke but the ball is off the crossbar and bounces away. Geez.

58’ - Wilke again with a save, this time off a free kick from the outer edge of the area.

61’ - Chiquinho has done nothing today and I pull him for Zoltan Bardi.

66’ - Jose with a clever little pass into Moses but his left footed shot is saved by Bartoli.

73’ - Falix gets off a great shot and Wilke makes the game-saving stop!

76’ - Paul Moses with a yellow card.

86’ - Neil Cairney is exhausted and I bring in Gian Marco Fanfoni.

90’+1 - With three minutes of extra time, I take out Moses and bring in Shanon Andrea.

Not a very impressive second half but we’ll take the big win!

Dover 2 - 1 Palermo
Goals - Paul Moses (7.3), Claudio Contreras (8.2)
Assists - Jose (8.0), Helder Cruz (7.0)
Man of the Match - Claudio Contreras
Other Dover Notables - Rayane Hamon (7.0), Renato Gaucho (7.2)
Attendance - 22,208

We end up with 58% of possession and a 18-16 (5-8 on target) shot advantage. Big big win for us.

-- We earn £696,000 for the win.

-- It’s looking very good in our group, as Bayern Munich once again annihilate Dynamo Kyiv 5-0. We both sit with 8 points and Palermo is well back in third with only 3. Palermo would need us to lose both of our games and they’d have to win both of theirs in order to pass us. Not likely!

-- Group A looks very interesting, with Galatasaray in first place with 8 points while Arsenal and Spartak Moscow both have 7. Barcelona are dominating Group B but there is a great race for second, with AZ and AS Monaco both sitting with 6 points. Group D looks similar to our group and it would be a shock if Juventus and Read Madrid didn’t move on, as Benfica is five points back of Madrid right now and six back of Juventus. In Group E, Man United has already locked up a spot in the knockout stage and Ajax also looks good to move on. Group F is up in the air, with OM sitting with 9 points, Sevilla with 7 and Celtic with 6. Group G is just as bogged up, with Chelsea in first with 9, Panathinaikos with 7 and Olympique Lyonnais with 6. Bursaspor has already locked up a knockout stage spot with a perfect 12 points in Group H and the remaining spot will be between Atletico Madrid and Sampdoria.



Dover Reserves Team Update

-- We have our first reserves game in a few weeks and we get goals from Shanon Andrea, Felix Hernandez and Andy Broomes in a 3-0 win over Wolves. Great to see Andrea have a good game, as he’s struggled in all competitions this year.



Next Up

-- We host defending Premier League champions Chelsea at Crabble Athletic Ground.