Champions League qualifying

[SAMCRO]

Oh, I thought the draw was tomorrow. Nice!!!
Decent draw for all 4 EPL clubs.
Spurs. got the lightest possible 1 seed they could have drawn, the lowest rated 2 seed, and a decent 4 seed. Only 1 "long" away trip to Moscow, Leverkussen and Monaco are on the shorter side. It could have been a lot worse.
Arsenal should advance with PSG, but don't sleep on Basel
City and Barca should go thru.
Leicester got a great draw, getting some of the weaker clubs in each of the pots.

Without any research I think it will be:
PSG & Arsenal
Benfica & Kyiv
Barca & City
Bayern & Atletico
Spurs & Leverkusen
Real & Dortmund
Porto & Leicester
Juve & Sevilla

 

[UCFBfan]

Leicester totally lucked out. I think all 4 EPL teams advance but I can foresee it being toughest for Arsenal and Spurs. However, I can't see why any of the 4 should struggle. Hopefully Leicester doesn't get too nervous because they got a gift of a group.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

Group Stage Draw:

A: PSG, Arsenal, Basel, Ludogorets
B: Benfica, Napoli, Dynamo Kyiv, Besiktas
C: Barcelona, Man City, Monchengladbach, Celtic
D: Bayern, Atletico, PSV, Rostov
E: CSKA, Leverkusen, Spurs, Monaco
F: Real Madrid, Dortmund, Sporting, Legia Warsaw
G: Leicester City, Porto, Club Brugge, Copenhagen
H: Juventus, Sevilla, Lyon, Dynamo Zagreb

My breakdown:
Group A - PSG, Arsenal shouldn't have much trouble.
Group B - Easiest group along with G...Benfica and Napoli advance.
Group C - Pep vs Barca again. The Germans are good but they finish 3rd. Celtic has zero chance.
Group D - Bayern, Atletico no question about it.
Group E - The "ehh" group...no lightweights but no big boys either. Each team has a shot. I say Leverkusen and Spurs.
Group F - Real and Dortmund but I think Sporting could surprise some people (also Ronaldo going back home).
Group G - LC could not have dreamed up a better debut group. Porto finish first, and I'm pulling for LC at second.
Group H - Juve, Lyon advance. Sevilla is made for Europa League. It's their thing.

I'm jacked that all 3 of my European teams are in and have viable chance to make it. PSG should not be as good as prior years, so Arsenal shoudl make it through as long as they get points against Ludogorets and Basel. Brugge does not have face any of the giants and while Liecester and Porto are good team, they are beatable. Lyon likely has the hardest pod to deal with as Juventus, Sevilla, and Zagreb, all qualities teams.

 

[shizzle787]

I'm jacked that all 3 of my European teams are in and have viable chance to make it. PSG should not be as good as prior years, so Arsenal shoudl make it through as long as they get points against Ludogorets and Basel. Brugge does not have face any of the giants and while Liecester and Porto are good team, they are beatable. Lyon likely has the hardest pod to deal with as Juventus, Sevilla, and Zagreb, all qualities teams.

3 European teams? Hmm.

 

[UConnTrumbull]

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Europe's top four leagues will have four guaranteed places in the Champions League group stage from the 2018-19 season, UEFA has confirmed.

UEFA is taking a page out of the P5 playbook. Starting in 2018-19, half of the group stage participants will AUTOMATICALLY be from the top 4 leagues (Spain, England, Germany, Italy virtual locks). Assuming one of those countries has the CL and EL holders, it can theoretically get up to 6 teams from one nation (someone correct me if I'm wrong). For instance, if Real Madrid wins CL and Sevilla wins EL then I think Spain would get 6 members automatically in the CL group stage. In reality, this format is not super different than what it looks like now. The only difference is, teams like Roma are safeguarded from missing out of the group stage via the playoff route. Of course this is all about television dollars. Not long before those 4 leagues just drop out of UEFA entirely and create their own competition. Sound familiar?

EDIT: Conehead must have studied abroad in Francophone countries, aye?

 

[DarthGrumpy]

​

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Europe's top four leagues will have four guaranteed places in the Champions League group stage from the 2018-19 season, UEFA has confirmed.

EDIT: Conehead must have studied abroad in Francophone countries, aye?

First, not happy about this as its all about the money as noted. I like the 'little' gusy having the opportunity to prove who is best on the pitch, just like the NCAA basketball tournament.

As for my teams...

I studied in France and Lyon was the nearest 'big' team to where I lived, so caught 2 or 3 games Lyon matches. Also, like many people in France outside of France, developed a strong dislike of PSG. The city I lived in actually built a beautiful pitch about 10 years ago and was promoted to Ligue 1; but, pulled a Portsmouth and took the bankruptcy route to the French third tier league.

Brugge is simply one of my favorite cities in Europe that I have been to (Barcelona ironically is my favorite and I have seen a game at Camp Nou). Small, walkable, lots of history, and lots of beer. I have caught both a Club Brugge and a Euro Cup match there and I like supporting a quality team from one of the secondary European leagues.

I have been to London for work several times and by then, EPL matches were showing-up on US TV channels, unlike Ligue 1 matches. I am more blue collar that silver spoon, so Chelsea was out and as a Yankees fan, I could not root for a team owned by them (Liverpool) while teams like Man City have raised their level of play not through hard work; but, by buying it all, such as Man City. I eventually had the opportunity to catch a Gunners match in London and went with it about 5 years ago.

 

[SAMCRO]

I have been to London for work several times and by then, EPL matches were showing-up on US TV channels, unlike Ligue 1 matches. I am more blue collar that silver spoon, so Chelsea was out and as a Yankees fan, I could not root for a team owned by them (Liverpool) while teams like Man City have raised their level of play not through hard work; but, by buying it all, such as Man City. I eventually had the opportunity to catch a Gunners match in London and went with it about 5 years ago.

Arsenal and silver spoon go hand in hand .

Agree with your sentiment on the change. If they had to make any changes, I would have preferred they just add the 4th place team of the 4th best league (Series A) to the playoff stage, make them earn their way in by winning a playoff. That puts Roma in UCL, and either Fioentina or Inter (forget which one finished 4th) into the playoff stage

As for the lower leagues, it could have been worse... I'm glad they're not changing the "champions route" of the playoff stages, so the Celtic, Warsaw, etc...'s all got matched up with the likes of Hapoel Beer Sheva and Dundalik, as opposed to Roma or Villareal.

 

[SAMCRO]

lost in all this UCL talk... yesterday West Ham spit the bit at home and lost to Romania's Astra Giurgiu 1-0 (2-1 aggregate). West Ham out of Europa all together now, Man U and Southampton are in.

Man U got a tough travel group for their draw, Fenerbahce (Turkey), Feyenoord (Holland), and Zorya Luhansk (Ukraine). Decent sides, and some long travel for Thursday matches. They will feel it on Sunday EPL days

Southampton a little better, but not much in terms of travel. Inter (Italy), Sparta Prague (Czech Rep), and Hapoel Be'er Sheva (Israel)

 

[DarthGrumpy]

Arsenal and silver spoon go hand in hand .

Agree with your sentiment on the change. If they had to make any changes, I would have preferred they just add the 4th place team of the 4th best league (Series A) to the playoff stage, make them earn their way in by winning a playoff. That puts Roma in UCL, and either Fioentina or Inter (forget which one finished 4th) into the playoff stage

Just read a clip on ESPN, looks like Italy was the one really pushing for the change and threatening to lead a beakaway 'Super' league.

UEFA agrees to extra Champions League spots for top leagues

Guess Serie A is trying to provide opportunities to make more money after their prior income generation practices came to light in 2006 with the Calciopoli affair.

As for EPL London team, Chelsea has a silver spoon in its mouth paid for in Russian Rubles while Arsenal is well-off big brother who has made a name for himself. Tottenham is the little, red headed, 'whoops' baby that whose Mom left him at the orphanage.

 

[shizzle787]

Just read a clip on ESPN, looks like Italy was the one really pushing for the change and threatening to lead a beakaway 'Super' league.

UEFA agrees to extra Champions League spots for top leagues

Guess Serie A is trying to provide opportunities to make more money after their prior income generation practices came to light in 2006 with the Calciopoli affair.

As for EPL London team, Chelsea has a silver spoon in its mouth paid for in Russian Rubles while Arsenal is well-off big brother who has made a name for himself. Tottenham is the little, red headed, 'whoops' baby that whose Mom left him at the orphanage.

As to your earlier quote, the max number of teams from any country is five. If the CL and EL holders both finished outside the top four, the fourth place team goes to the EL. Either way, whoever Serie A's negotiator was should get a huge raise.

 

[UCFBfan]

How did Southampton qualify straight to the group stage of the EL?

 

[SAMCRO]

How did Southampton qualify straight to the group stage of the EL?

Since Arsenal won the FA Cup and qualified for Champions League, the 6th place EPL team automatically makes the group stage in their place, as opposed to entering at the playoff stage.