Europa League 20/21

RC8

We should have a thread for this, and another for the domestic cups.

Interestingly I was reading about the Draw for the group stages and we are the best ranked club in the whole competition...

The four pots will be set according to club coefficients:

91.000 Arsenal (ENG)
80.000 Roma (ITA)
77.000 Napoli (ITA)
70.000 Benfica (POR)
61.000 Leverkusen (GER)
56.000 Villarreal (ESP)
44.000 CSKA Moskva (RUS)
41.000 Braga (POR)
30.500 Sparta Praha (CZE)
22.000 Rapid Wien (AUT)
22.000 Leicester (ENG)
20.456 Real Sociedad (ESP)
18.500 AZ Alkmaar (NED)
17.000 Feyenoord (NED)
14.956 Hoffenheim (GER)
12.500 Zorya Luhansk (UKR)
11.849 LOSC (FRA)
11.849 Nice (FRA)
7.580 Royal Antwerp (BEL)
6.720 Sivasspor (TUR)
6.585 Wolfsberg (AUT)

Clubs' coefficients are determined either by the sum of all points won in the previous five years or by the association coefficient over the same period – whichever is higher.

How does the draw work?

Before the draw, the 48 teams will be split into four seeding pots determined by the club coefficient rankings. Each of the eventual 12 groups will contain one team from each seeding tier.
No team can play a club from their own association, with the exact draw procedure to be confirmed before the ceremony.

Source: https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/news/0261-106341da6bb8-749195e9c76b-1000--europa-league-group-stage-draw-all-you-need-to-know/?iv=true

mentalvortex

Jens-Pieter Hauge looking very impressive for Milan.

Him and Alexis Saelemaekers showing that bargains do exist in today's transfer market.

Kel Varnsen

Hauge is terrific.

Mirth

Norway have a terrific generation coming through. What's changed?

goon

Looks a Hauge talent.

mentalvortex

So the following teams have confirmed passage through to the next round after tonight's matches (apart from us)

Roma, Levekusen, Slavia Prague, Benfica, Rangers, PSV, Granada, Leicester, Braga, Lille, Milan, Villarreal, Antwerp, Spurs, Dinamo Zagreb, Hoffenheim and Red Star Belgrade

A lot of potential banana skins in the next round.

Klaus

Milan are the only ones I really want to avoid this year. I think we should be able to deal with the rest although Leicester and Spurs are more than welcome to get knocked out by someone else too.

goon

Doesn’t factor in the CL drop outs either.

Jokes aside quality of the EL seems a lot higher these days, teams in it also seem to take it much more seriously, at least the English sides take it more seriously, I think the rest of Europe always did.

mentalvortex

I would like to avoid Leverkusen, Benfica, Lille and Villarreal apart from Milan.

Clrnc

Yeah watched the Milan game Hauge is a Hauge talent. The way he dribbles and finishes is class for someone so young

QuincyAbeyie

Mirth wrote:
Norway have a terrific generation coming through. What's changed?

Not sure if it's related at all, but football is much more accessible in Norway now than before. I'm 27 and when I played as a kid my town had one grass field. When it was winter we had to play on clay (or whatever it's called, but it's the equivalent of a clay court in tennis). Today there are three fields with artificial turf in addition to the grass field so people can play all year. Probably helps keeping their interest in playing early on, which means the talent pool is bigger.

Kel Varnsen

Another beautiful goal by Hauge yesterday.

goon

No excitement for the EL draw?

Maniche who looked like he's had a long career as an accountant, just said Arsenal are the most impressive team in the competition.

goon

United get Sociedad. Exellent.

goon

We've got Benfica. Are they any good these days?

Claudius

goon wrote:
United get Sociedad. Exellent.

Hilarious. They’ve been excellent this season. Somebody needs to start going to church over at United.

Sicario

I wouldn’t worry too much about draw now. A lot can happen between now and Feb in football.

Claudius

The champions league draw, on the other hand, is full of blockbuster clashes. Chelsea-Atletico. PSG-Barca. Liverpool-Leipzig. Borussia-City. It’s going to be entertaining. Looking forward to that.

jones

Benfica are decent in attack and absolute garbage at the back. Should be going through, depends on who's managing us by then I guess

Sicario

Claudius wrote:
The champions league draw, on the other hand, is full of blockbuster clashes. Chelsea-Atletico. PSG-Barca. Liverpool-Leipzig. Borussia-City. It’s going to be entertaining. Looking forward to that.

Irony is that none of those teams are leading their respective leagues as it stands....