UCL & Europa 2019/20

[DarthGrumpy]

It's a new season and the Champions group pods are out.

UCL draw: Real Madrid to face PSG in Group A

Real Madrid will face Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League group stage this season.

www.espn.com

Group A: Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, Club Brugge, Galatasaray​

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Group B: Bayern Munich, Tottenham, Olympiakos, Red Star Belgrade​

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Group C: Manchester City, Shaktar Donetsk, Dinamo Zagreb, Atalanta​

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Group D: Juventus, Atletico Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, Lokomotiv Moscow​

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Group E: Liverpool, Napoli, Salzburg, Genk​

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Group F: Barcelona, Borussia Dortmund, Inter Milan, Slavia Prague​

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Group G: Zenit St. Petersburg, Benfica, Lyon, Leipzig​

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Group H: Chelsea, Ajax, Valencia, Lille​

Arsenal is unfortunately missing Champions League yet again. That said, my two secondary teams are in. I feel good about Lyon's chances of advancing from Group G. As for Brugge in Group A, ouch! Of the EPL teams, I think Man City should have the easiest time. Tottenham will need to get its act together to come in second behind Bayren with a pair of expereinced teams to compete with on Group B. Liverpool should make it, though will have a fight with Napoli for first place while Salzburg can also be a challenege in Group E. Though Ajax was lucky to make it this far, I stil expect them to challenge a Chelsea team while Valancia is not easy either in Group H.

 

[Waquoit]

I'm all in on Leipzig to win the Group of Crap.

 

[meyers7]

Group E: Liverpool, Napoli, Salzburg, Genk​

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Liverpool should make it, though will have a fight with Napoli for first place while Salzburg can also be a challenege in Group E.​

Oh man, Zoo is not gonna be happy. RB Salzburg is managed by Jesse Marsh. Not only an ex MLS player, but an ex MLS coach. In the CL??? Oh the horrors.

 

[meyers7]

Europa League Group F for Arsenal.
Eintracht Frankfurt
Standard Liege
Vitoria de Guimaraes

Not bad, nice travel for the team and the fans.

 

[AreBee1969]

Wolves get Braga (Portugal), Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia) and Beşiktaş (Turkey) in Group K Europa draw.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

Full draw for Europa.

Group A: Sevilla, APOEL, Qarabag, Dudelange​

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Group B: Dynamo Kiev, FC Copenhagen, Malmo, Lugano​

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Group C: Basel, Krasnodar, Getafe, Trabzonspor​

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Group D: Sporting CP, PSV, Rosenborg, LASK​

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Group E: Lazio, Celtic, Rennes, Cluj​

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Group F: Arsenal, Eintracht Frankfurt, Standard Liege, Vitoria​

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Group G: Porto, Young Boys, Feyenoord, Rangers​

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Group H: CSKA Moscow, Ludogorets, Espanyol, Ferencvaros​

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Group I: Wolfsburg, Gent, St. Etienne, Olexandriya​

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Group J: Roma, Borussia Monchengladbach, Istanbul Basaksehir, Wolfsberg​

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Group K: Besiktas, Braga, Wolves, Slovan Bratislava​

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Group L: Manchester United, Astana, Partizan Belgrade, AZ Alkmaar​

While drawing Frankfurt in Group F could be a challenge for the Gunners, I'll take it as paired with a realtively light travel schedule:

• Eintracht Frankfurt - Frankfurt Germany, 90 minute direct flight from Heathrow to Frankfurt + 15 minute drive
• Standard Liege - Leige Belgium, 75 minute direct flight from Heathrow to Brussels + 1 hour drive
• Vitoria SC - Guimarães Portugal - 2 1/2 hour direst flight from Heathrow to Porto + 45 minute drive

Now, Man U has a nightmare of a travel schedule. Imagine mid-week game in Kazahastan?

• FC Astana - Nur-Sultan Kazakhstan, 6 1/2 hour overnight direct flight from Heathrow to Nur-Sultan + 20 minute drive
• FK Partizan - Belgrade Serbia, 2 3/4 hour direct flight from Heathrow to Belgrade + 30 minute drive
• AZ Alkmaar - Alkmaar Netherlands, 75 minute direct flight from Heathrow to Schiphol + 30 minute drive

 

[ZooCougar]

Oh man, Zoo is not gonna be happy. RB Salzburg is managed by Jesse Marsh. Not only an ex MLS player, but an ex MLS coach. In the CL??? Oh the horrors.

Wrong again old geezer. He’s great. He’s pushing for that next level and he probably should be our National Team manager now. But I am glad he is where he is.

 

[meyers7]

Wrong again old geezer. He’s great. He’s pushing for that next level and he probably should be our National Team manager now. But I am glad he is where he is.

But, but, but....MLS.

 

[ZooCougar]

He’s a Champions League manager at the moment.

I love the way Red Bull operates in sports. Whether it’s in F1 or soccer. They develop drivers, players, engineers, mechanics, team principals and managers. Marsch will do well if he delivers results.

 

[LIuconn]

Both my teams had very different feeling 2-2 draws. One felt like a win,
Spurs...maybe time for some fresh blood at the top?

 

[DarthGrumpy]

Did not see the game (I don't think it was broadcasted int he US); but, Real Madrid had to rally for a 2-2 draw with Club Brugge in Madrid with a goal scored late after Brugge went down to 10 men due to a Red Card (2x Yellow). As Brugge is one of my third European team (after Arsenal and Lyon), I am happy with an away tie (and 2 away goals); but, a win would have been sweet.

 

[LIuconn]

They should have buried a 3rd early in the second half.

Bayern destroyed Spurs. Sonny had his chances + one for Ndombele and easily should have been 2-0 Spurs early on. Bayern has a team that can win it, just didn't think they'd drop 7 at WHL

& Atletico keeps cruising

 

[UConnTrumbull]

They should have buried a 3rd early in the second half.

Bayern destroyed Spurs. Sonny had his chances + one for Ndombele and easily should have been 2-0 Spurs early on. Bayern has a team that can win it, just didn't think they'd drop 7 at WHL

& Atletico keeps cruising

Joao Felix looking real good early on.
Also it's not White Hart Lane anymore but the L's feel the same

 

[outlaw]

 

[Waquoit]

That was so Spursy

 

[meyers7]

That was so Spursy

Having an ex-Arsenal player score 4 against Spurs......priceless.

 

[AreBee1969]

I am new to the international competitions and I just found that the 8 teams that finished 3rd in their respective Champions League Pool will now enter Europa after not surviving pool play. Four are seeded (Ajax, Red Bull Salzburg, Inter, Benfica) and four are not (Shakhtar Donetsk, Club Brugge, Olympiacos, Bayer Leverkusen).

As a fan of a team that had to play 12 matches (and went 10-1-1) to earn a trip to the KO stage, it seems like a cheap way in. Hell, in Champions pool play Club Brugge was 0-3-3 and Olympiakos was 1-1-4!

 

[ZooCougar]

I am new to the international competitions and I just found that Ajax, Red Bull Salzburg and Inter Milan will now enter Europa after not surviving pool play in Champions League. All three are seeded as well.

How does that work? What is the criteria for teams dropping in like that?

It’s something like the 3rd place teams in the Group get slotted into the knockout rounds of Europa.

 

[AreBee1969]

It’s something like the 3rd place teams in the Group get slotted into the knockout rounds of Europa.

Yeah, I did some research and revised my post. Not a big fan of that, but who the Hell am I?

 

[businesslawyer]

I am new to the international competitions and I just found that the 8 teams that finished 3rd in their respective Champions League Pool will now enter Europa after not surviving pool play. Four are seeded (Ajax, Red Bull Salzburg, Inter, Benfica) and four are not (Shakhtar Donetsk, Club Brugge, Olympiacos, Bayer Leverkusen).

As a fan of a team that had to play 12 matches (and went 10-1-1) to earn a trip to the KO stage, it seems like a cheap way in. Hell, in Champions pool play Club Brugge was 0-3-3 and Olympiakos was 1-1-4!

How is it a cheap way in? They all had to qualify for Champions League group play to have a chance to finish third. I don't know who your team is, but did it do what it had to do to qualify for Champions League group play in the first instance? (That was hypothetical.)

 

[Waquoit]

Yeah, I did some research and revised my post. Not a big fan of that, but who the Hell am I?

True, it is what it is. UEFA needs the juice of the dropping CL teams to make the Europa League more attractive going forward.

 

[AreBee1969]

How is it a cheap way in? They all had to qualify for Champions League group play to have a chance to finish third. I don't know who your team is, but did it do what it had to do to qualify for Champions League group play in the first instance? (That was hypothetical.)

I follow Wolves and no, they are not a Champions League caliber side if you go by the fact that they had to finish no lower than 4th in the EPL to qualify. They did win all six of their qualifying matches and then went 4-1-1 in pool play. I have to agree with Waquoit that Europa is more attractive with Benfica, Salzburg and Ajax than it is without them.

I'm curious to see if and how they would match up against some of these regulators from CL pool play.

 

[Waquoit]

I'm curious to see if and how they would match up against some of these regulators from CL pool play.

The way you guys are playing you might just find out first hand next fall.

 

[businesslawyer]

I follow Wolves and no, they are not a Champions League caliber side if you go by the fact that they had to finish no lower than 4th in the EPL to qualify. They did win all six of their qualifying matches and then went 4-1-1 in pool play. I have to agree with Waquoit that Europa is more attractive with Benfica, Salzburg and Ajax than it is without them.

I'm curious to see if and how they would match up against some of these regulators from CL pool play.

Wolves has been fantastic since promotion, and has every chance of playing itself into the CL for next year by finishing Top 4. You should be thrilled. And my guess is Wolves is better than a number of the teams who are dropping out of the CL after group stage.

My point is that if Spurs finished third in its CL group instead of second, you don't get to say Spurs had an easier path to the Europa knockout than Wolves because Spurs outplayed Wolves over the course of a 38 game balanced schedule season.

 

[Waquoit]

Grumpy Pundits were saying Wolves are the 2nd best PL team today.

ADD: Just hit me that BL and AreBee are adversary's Sunday morn.

 

[ZooCougar]

Yeah, I did some research and revised my post. Not a big fan of that, but who the Hell am I?

Why? Europa League is sort of like the NIT. I think it also is a hindrance since it is played late in the week.

I would almost rather my club focus on Cups and League, but it is another chance to win a trophy.

 

[AreBee1969]

Wolves has been fantastic since promotion, and has every chance of playing itself into the CL for next year by finishing Top 4. You should be thrilled. And my guess is Wolves is better than a number of the teams who are dropping out of the CL after group stage.

My point is that if Spurs finished third in its CL group instead of second, you don't get to say Spurs had an easier path to the Europa knockout than Wolves because Spurs outplayed Wolves over the course of a 38 game balanced schedule season.

I am very thrilled with their play and hoping they can add some depth in January to a team that has already played 29 matches.

I do see where you're coming from. I think ZooCougar just gave me me the analogy I was looking for. If a team gets bumped in the NCCA tournament they shouldn't be demoted to the NIT. Like I said, I'm new to the international competitions, and the process (or international football for that matter) doesn't relate well (to me) to the American sports I'm used to.

Grumpy Pundits were saying Wolves are the 2nd best PL team today.

Wow. Seems a bit of a stretch. I think they are a 6th/7th side right now. With Spurs this weekend and Liverpool and Man City in a span of less than 48 hours at the end of the month, we'll see how good they really are.

 

[ZooCougar]

I am very thrilled with their play and hoping they can add some depth in January to a team that has already played 29 matches.

I do see where you're coming from. I think ZooCougar just gave me me the analogy I was looking for. If a team gets bumped in the NCCA tournament they shouldn't be demoted to the NIT. Like I said, I'm new to the international competitions, and the process (or international football for that matter) doesn't relate well (to me) to the American sports I'm used to.



Wow. Seems a bit of a stretch. I think they are a 6th/7th side right now. With Spurs this weekend and Liverpool and Man City in a span of less than 48 hours at the end of the month, we'll see how good they really are.

That’s just the way UEFA works. Clubs love these things because it is another match day.

There is even going to another competition below the Europa league soon.

 

[AreBee1969]

Wolves face an Olympiacos team that is undefeated in the Greek Super League. I don't know anything about that league. Statistically, they played pretty even with Arsenal in the round of 32. Very excited for the round of 16!

 

[UConnTrumbull]

Time to bump this thread. The only good thing about the corona break is there’s European knockout football nearly every day in August.