Hello and welcome to another episode of Monday Night Football where we will continue to ruin some perfectly good fixtures through the lens of CM9798. Last week we looked across the Football League for an upset, but for this week’s episode, we are going continental! We’ll take a look at some fixtures from the up and coming weekend that would have been:

La Liga: Villareal vs. Barcelona

Ligue 1: Monaco vs. Metz

Bundesliga: Frankfurt vs. Schalke

Serie A: Sampdoria vs. Genoa

Eredivisie: Twente vs. Feyenoord

Premeira Divisao: Porto vs. Sporting Lisbon

Villareal vs. Barcelona

First off, we head to Spain at the El Madrigal. Back in 1997 Villareal were about to embark on a promotion winning season in the Segunda finishing fourth and attaining promotion to La Liga for the first time in their history. Barcelona would go on to win La Liga despite conceding more goals than 10^th placed Espanyol. Bra-skillian.

The Result:

This one is clearly one for the neutrals. Not sure what happened here, Villareal had 10 shots to Barcelona’s 20 but managed diddly squat. Anderson hit 8, how do you deal with that? Even a red card could not spoil Barcelona’s day.

Monaco vs. Metz

In the French Division One in 1997, Monaco, the reigning champions were set to battle it out for the title with Metz one of their competitors. Monaco went on to finish 3^rd, and Metz finished 2^nd missing out on the title by goal difference to Lens.

The Result:

Despite being stacked with unreal players throughout, Metz just could not find their way beyond an outstanding Fabien Barthez and his massive baldy bonce. All this with Monaco having no CB’s to play due to injuries.

Frankfurt vs. Schalke

In 1997, Frankfurt were residents of 2. Bundesliga but would go on to win the league losing just 4 games but not troubling the top scorers’ charts with their highest scorer, Pole Thomas Sobotzik, getting 10 from midfield.

Schalke would go on to finish 5^th with too many draws costing them a shot at Champions League football, perhaps a sign of having the tightest defence in the league that season. It’s no wonder with this man in the sticks:

Frankfurt, despite real life, have some stunning strikers for an under-scouted German side.

The Result:

The legend of CM9798 scouting abroad…a linke to the past. The German leagues are a total anomaly in the CM9798 world. Full of yellow and red cards, pointless penalties and rockets out of nowhere. This game did not disappoint. Frankfurt’s attacking players making up for their lower divisional ranking. Where was Lehmann?

Sampdoria vs. Genoa

Sampdoria were to have a glorious season, finishing 9^th on a negative goal difference and qualifying (somehow) for the Inter Toto Cup while some blinding players couldn’t get work at Deliveroo as they never turn up…

Meanwhile Genoa (recently taking part in the CM9798 Anglo-Italian Cup), fairly recently relegated to Serie B, would mirror Sampdoria’s finishing position and goal difference exactly, just with 3 more points and in Serie B. The best of a bad bunch…

The Result:

A close game for two mediocre members of Italian football. Piece of Pisano? Not quite…a fast start and pressured finish from Genoa just not enough as Sampdoria and their wonderkid Hugo Viera waltz home.

Twente vs. Feyenoord

We would appear to love a 9^th placed finisher. Twente, yet to clap eyes on Schteve McLaughin, finished mid-table and, as Sampdoria, qualified for the Inter-Toto Cup. They have some decent youth in their ranks but are not blessed defensively.

Feyenoord would go on to finish 4^th with neither side having had a hope in hell of catching an unstoppable Ajax. They would do it with the help of the world’s best exporters, the Irish David Connolly and this guy…

The Result:

The defensive frailties of Twente fully exposed by a lethal Feyenoord attack. Vennegoor of Hesselink showing finishing beyond his stats to keep them in it. Becker nets for the love and it almost resembles a Tennis score.

Porto vs. Sporting Lisbon

What a tie to get to look back on, so many CM9798 talents in each squad. Porto would cruise to the title with Jardel dominating the scoring charts and their nearest challengers Benfica changing manager twice with Souness arriving in November.

Sporting would finish 4^th having changed manager three times despite numerous prodigies sat in amongst their squad.

The Result:

In the end, despite Jardel being out injured Artur was too much for Sporting, even though Eriksson tried to level things out a bit. Total under-performance from Sporting. Aurelio couldn’t call on a warrior to avenge him this time…

And that is a wrap on another edition of Monday Night Football. I hope you have enjoyed our spin on this week. Maybe you could take up a #cm9798challenge and see if you can get take Twente to a Dutch title like our Schteve?

You can follow Andrew on twitter: @KingOfTheRooks