thefinalthirdfootball

 The league phase draw is done, and the Premier League's Champions League hopefuls now know their road to Madrid. Here's the breakdown, club by club. Arsenal Arsenal have arguably the toughest test on paper. They draw Real Madrid and Bayern Munich from Pot 1 — a brutal double, especially with Real Madrid at home carrying real box-office weight. Add Borussia Dortmund and Real Betis from Pot 2, Lille and Napoli from Pot 3, and Sabah and Slavia Prague rounding it out. This is a step up from Arsenal's dominant run last season — no easy nights against either Madrid or Munich. Manchester City City get PSG and Barcelona as their Pot 1 draws — a rematch of last year's semifinal picture and a fixture full of storylines given Maresca's history at both ends. Sporting CP and Napoli follow from Pot 2, then RB Leipzig and AEK Athens from the lower pots, with Lens completing the set. Liverpool A genuinely gettable draw by comparison. Atletico Madrid and Inter...

  Manchester United have completed the signing of Carlos Baleba from Brighton, a deal worth up to £70m — £65m guaranteed plus £5m in add-ons — on a five-year contract with an option for a further year. It’s United’s third midfield addition of the summer, and arguably the one supporters wanted most. Why this one’s different Unlike Santos and Tielemans, this isn’t a fresh name — United have chased Baleba for over a year. Sources say United were quoted a price of more than £100m for him last summer, and Sky Sports have been reporting United’s interest since last autumn, including an enquiry during the January window. The persistence paid off at a lower fee than originally demanded — a rare case of a target actually getting cheaper with patience. What he adds Baleba is a different profile to the two midfielders already signed — less about progressive passing, more about defensive control. Last season he ranked in the top eight per cent of Premier League players for combined tackles and...

 The pre-season optimism didn't survive week one. A lacklustre Manchester United were left stunned as they slipped to a 2-0 defeat to newly-promoted Hull City in their Premier League season opener at the MKM Stadium — a result that immediately puts pressure on Michael Carrick after just one game. Sky Sports How it unfolded Hull started the brighter side and made it count from set pieces. Oli McBurnie almost opened the scoring inside five minutes with a header that was smartly cleared, before a Bryan Mbeumo effort at the other end was well saved by debutant goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis. The breakthrough came from a corner: Slater's driven ball was flicked on, McBurnie's follow-up effort was superbly pushed onto the post by Lammens, and the loose ball fell for Semi Ajayi to slam home in the 17th minute. Nobel Mendy doubled the lead on his Premier League debut in the 38th minute, firing home from a Slater free-kick. ESPN + 2 The tactical story This wasn't a fluke r...