UEFA Champions League 19/20

Shwafta

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I feel like we're getting close enough to the group stage draw that we can start this thread!

...More specifically, we can discuss qualification. Tomorrow, July 23rd marks the beginning of what seems to be the real "beginning" of qualifying - the second qualifying round.

To start off, I'll list the qualifying rounds for this week:

(Tuesday)
Viktoria Plzen vs Olympiacos

Saburtalo vs Dinamo Zagreb

PSV Eindhoven vs Basel

TNS vs FC Koebenhavn

Sutjeska vs APOEL Nicosia

(Wednesday)
BATE Borisov vs Rosenborg

CFR Cluj vs Maccabi Tel Aviv

Ferencvaros vs Valletta

Maribor vs AIK

Celtic vs Nomme JK Kalju

Dundalk FC vs Qarabag FK

FK Crvena Zvezda vs HJK

I think the fun ones to watch will be:
PSV vs Basel, Dundalk vs Qarabag, Plzen vs Olympiacos
 
I feel like we're getting close enough to the group stage draw that we can start this thread!

...More specifically, we can discuss qualification. Tomorrow, July 23rd marks the beginning of what seems to be the real "beginning" of qualifying - the second qualifying round.

To start off, I'll list the qualifying rounds for this week:

(Tuesday)
Viktoria Plzen vs Olympiacos

Saburtalo vs Dinamo Zagreb

PSV Eindhoven vs Basel

TNS vs FC Koebenhavn

Sutjeska vs APOEL Nicosia

(Wednesday)
BATE Borisov vs Rosenborg

CFR Cluj vs Maccabi Tel Aviv

Ferencvaros vs Valletta

Maribor vs AIK

Celtic vs Nomme JK Kalju

Dundalk FC vs Qarabag FK

FK Crvena Zvezda vs HJK

I think the fun ones to watch will be:
PSV vs Basel, Dundalk vs Qarabag, Plzen vs Olympiacos

Waiting for Maccabi Tel Aviv to break my heart.
 
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If they get past this round they'v likely got Celtic next.

yup, this shows it more clearly.

Screen Shot 2019-07-22 at 11.49.20 AM.png
 
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How'd you come to support PSV if I might ask?
It's a low-key support, but it's sort of two things coming together.

First, the seeds of my journey into football fandom were planted when I was in Amsterdam during the 2006 World Cup and loved how so many people from all over the world would gather in bars and public places to watch matches together, so that plus a general love of things Dutch made me at least pay a little attention to the Eredivisie.

Second, my dad was a VP at Philips for the last ten years or so of his career, so I felt like if I were going to follow a Dutch team or have a Dutch jersey the choice was sort of obvious. ;)
 
It's a low-key support, but it's sort of two things coming together.

First, the seeds of my journey into football fandom were planted when I was in Amsterdam during the 2006 World Cup and loved how so many people from all over the world would gather in bars and public places to watch matches together, so that plus a general love of things Dutch made me at least pay a little attention to the Eredivisie.

Second, my dad was a VP at Philips for the last ten years or so of his career, so I felt like if I were going to follow a Dutch team or have a Dutch jersey the choice was sort of obvious. ;)


That's cool I lean Ajax because I've been to and loved Amsterdam (Did attend an Ajax match while there as well) and I'm Jewish lol. I do tend to follow them more in Europe than the Eredivisie . It's hard to get excited about Dutch league unless it's a head to head between Ajax, PSV or Feyenoord.

Makes sense about the Philips aspect I also half assed follow Wolfsburg because I've worked for Volkswagen for going on a year and half now.
 
Good call on my part :p
...Though PSV still isn't through, the second leg could see Basel through quite easily because of the two away goals.
I was right.

Round Results (Wednesday matches):
Winner in bold
(aggregate (today's game) - (today's game) aggregate) Loser in regular
-
Apoel Nicosia ( 4 (3) - (0) 0 ) Sutjeska
Maccabi Tel Aviv (2 (2) - (2) - 3) CFR Cluj
Nomme JK Kalju (0 (0) - (2) 7) Celtic
Basel
( 4 (2) - (1) 4 ) PSV Eindhoven
Dinamo Zagreb (5 (3) - (0) 0) Saburtalo
Valletta (2 (1) - (1) 4) Ferencvaros

Olympiacos (4 (4) - (0) 0) Viktoria Plzen

Surprising result in Basel!
 
I was right.

Round Results (Wednesday matches):
Winner in bold
(aggregate (today's game) - (today's game) aggregate) Loser in regular
-
Apoel Nicosia ( 4 (3) - (0) 0 ) Sutjeska
Maccabi Tel Aviv (2 (2) - (2) - 3) CFR Cluj
Nomme JK Kalju (0 (0) - (2) 7) Celtic
Basel
( 4 (2) - (1) 4 ) PSV Eindhoven
Dinamo Zagreb (5 (3) - (0) 0) Saburtalo
Valletta (2 (1) - (1) 4) Ferencvaros

Olympiacos (4 (4) - (0) 0) Viktoria Plzen

Surprising result in Basel!
Always happy to see Zagreb through. Always disappointing to see the supporters do dumb shit and us not score a goal.
 
I know they have the coefficients and everything but it still seems sort of bullshitty to me that Ajax have to go through qualifying after winning the Eiridivisie and their run in cL last year.
 
I know they have the coefficients and everything but it still seems sort of bullshitty to me that Ajax have to go through qualifying after winning the Eiridivisie and their run in cL last year.
To be fair, it doesn't matter how far _any_ team makes it in the champions league... you can one year come second in the CL but do so badly in the league that you don't even make europa league, and then you're SOL. The coefficients thing I can understand, however.
 
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BTW:
Tuesday Aug 6:
APOEL Nicosia vs Qarabag FK
PAOK Thessaloniki FC vs Ajax
Dinamo Zagreb vs Ferencvaros
Club Brugge vs Dynamo Kyiv (Mignolet in goal!)
FK Crvena Zvezda vs FC Koebenhavn

Wednesday Aug 7:
FC Krasnodar vs FC Porto
Intanbul Basaksehir vs Olympiacos
Basel vs LASK
CFR Cluj vs Celtic
Maribor vs Rosenborg

I think the best game is going to be Red Star vs Koebenhavn
 
To be fair, it doesn't matter how far _any_ team makes it in the champions league... you can one year come second in the CL but do so badly in the league that you don't even make europa league, and then you're SOL. The coefficients thing I can understand, however.


I'm Old enough to remember when the Champion's league was just for champions and I'd prefer the Dutch champions be in to the 4th place team in England or Spain or whatever. I sort of hate the modern champion's league at least as much as I enjoy it.
 
I know they have the coefficients and everything but it still seems sort of bullshitty to me that Ajax have to go through qualifying after winning the Eiridivisie and their run in cL last year.
Coefficients don't determine the round you enter at, they only determine whether you get seeded or not. The reason Ajax are having to enter qualifying is because the big clubs in Italy, England etc keep crying to UEFA every time they realise that they might not make the group stages.
 
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Coefficients don't determine the round you enter at, they only determine whether you get seeded or not. The reason Ajax are having to enter qualifying is because the big clubs in Italy, England etc keep crying to UEFA every time they realise that they might not make the group stages.


Thanks for the clarification I just remember an old World Soccer I had with an article by Keir Radnege following the 97 Cup winner's cup on why (Ronaldo's) Barcelona would be worthy runners up for entering the Champion's league and PSG would not. Couldn't have conceived at the time it would go from Runner's up to 3rd and 4th place finishers.
 
I also think it's ridiculous that"Champions league" is not for champions/runner up only. It's quite ridiculous, not sure if my last post made it sound otherwise.