Europa League Knockout Round Draw

[tonea2003]

Rather than arguing about who's better than who (a rather pointless excercise in any event) why not discuss which opponents we'd like - or rather avoid.

I'd fancy Benfica, Ajax or AEK Athens, coz they've got big grounds.

Would hate to draw AA Gent (13,000) or Dinamo Kiev (17,000) as would have no chance of getting a ticket.

Obviously would prefer to avoid any Russian team, purely because of the cost of getting there. Likewise BATE Borisov in Belarus.

yeh i have to say id rather finish second as the teams that we could get seem a lot better to me,give me Ajax,what a trip that would be,but please please,please no eastern block shit,Poland was great trip but no fookin further than that,

p.s. can we draw rangers?,if we finish top,cause that would do me to

yes we can because they are a unseeded drop out from the champs league
see
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.xs4all.nl/~kassiesa/bert/uefa/seedel2010.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.xs4all.nl/~kassiesa/bert/uef ... l2010.html</a>

 

[Matty]

Assuming the OP has predicted it correctly, and the teams in pole position to finish as group winners and runners up do indeed finish in those positions, then I'd want to avoid Rubin Kazan based solely on geographical issues (although, having said that, they've given Barcelona some tough games over the last 2 years). I'd also want to stay away from Benfica and Sevilla in the next round. I'm not saying we couldn't beat any of those teams, in fact I'd suggest we'd be favourites for any of those ties, but there are far easier options in the unseeded pot.

If Dortmund manage to finish second I'd throw them in there as the team I'd most like to avoid (predictions have them failing to qualify at this point), they're flying in the Bundesliga even if in Europe they've been a little poor thus far.

 

[Deleted member 14625]

If we finish top does that mean we have the away leg first or is that if we finish second?

 

[tonea2003]

If we finish top does that mean we have the away leg first or is that if we finish second?

away first if we win

 

[conormcfc]

Atletico, Sevillla, Ajax or Benfica thanks very much.

 

[Matty]

I actually fly out to Prague for a stag do on the 24th February, which is the second leg date, so if we win the group I can't go (I am, however, on the cup scheme so I'd still end up buying the ticket!). I'm hoping we get beat by Juventus so the away leg is second, that way I can go to the home game.

If we do win the group then I'd quite like us to draw Sparta Prague, as at least the game will be on TV in every Prague bar I go in!

 

[Deleted member 14625]

If we finish top does that mean we have the away leg first or is that if we finish second?

away first if we win

Cheers!

Right, well, this might sound a bit daft but i actually want us to finish second in the group! The second leg is on February 24th which is during the school holidays (i work at a school and can't take term time off!). I understand that we will likely get a much more difficult tie but i really want to go to the away leg!

 

[jimbo101]

There's 29 possible opponents (can't draw Liverpool or Poznan)

Take away Kazan, Zenit, Spartak, CSKA, BATE (all for cost/distance) that leaves 24 opponents. Metalist is not too bad - only £20 return on a coach from Kiev airport to Kharkiv. (it takes 7 hours though)

As long as it's a decent sized ground & is fairly cheap there (not Switzerland then!)
then I'll be going.

TBF, wherever it is I'll probably end up going anyway. Such is life.

 

[JoeMercer'sWay]

Fact-The English Premier League is the strongest league in Europe and much stronger than the Portuguese League. Porto also bought one of Sporting CP's best players over the summer, so they are stronger obviously, and Benfica lost Di Maria and Ramires etc., so obviously Porto will dominate the league. They'll be tough, but there are some very good teams who will be tough to beat there, especially if we keep classing it as a B team tournament.

Kharkiv have a 41,000 seater stadium that was recently renovated for Euro 2012.

 

[annemc]

I hope we get Basel as we used to live there a long time ago and its a good excuse to go back and visit old friends and watch a great game of football.