It's Official!!: Europa League Thread

[lemonjelly]

The Europa League in ground experience for Braga was amazing even if the result went against us. Every Wolves fan should try and make one of these games if they can.

Agreed. Phenomenally enjoyed the Braga game. Unable to make Bratislava, but will be at the Besiktas match in december!

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

In traditional getting way ahead of myself style I have started looking at how the knockout draw would shape up if the groups finished as they are now. Suffice to say finishing second would give us a fairly unpleasant set of possibilities!

I stress this is all hypothetical with three match nights still to play in both Europa and Champions League, but if the draw was done now we would be drawn against one of:

Shakhtar Donetsk, Borussia Dortmund, Valencia, Lyon, Sevilla, FC Copenhagen, Basel, PSV Eindhoven, Celtic, Young Boys, Espanyol, VFL Wolfsburg, or AS Roma.

Yikes!

 

[PuntsWolf]

Well we’re most likely going to have to beat Braga to offset the home loss and win the group with it in our own hands. Odds are we will both win our next 2.

Would a 1-2 victory against Braga see us win the group if we Finished level on points based on more away goals scored in head-head?

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Yes. I think it would be best to just win all three and get rid of any doubt!

 

[Murphy]

Tickets for Braga on sale again on their website.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

An update to the potential knockout draw after match day 4.

Pot 1
Sevilla, Copenhagen, Basel, Sporting, Celtic, Arsenal, Young Boys, Espanyol, Gent, Istanbul Basaksehir, Braga, Manchester United, Valencia, Dinamo Zagreb, Red Bull Salzburg, Inter Milan

Pot 2
Apoel Nicosia, Dynamo Kiev, Getafe, LASK, CFR Cluj, Standard Liege, Rangers, Ludogorets Razgrad, VFL Wolfsburg, Moenchengladbach, Wolves, AZ Alkmaar, Zenit St Petersburg, Lokomotiv Moscow, Red Star Belgrade, Club Brugge.

Some big names in danger of missing out.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

2k tickets for Braga. €25 each

 

[Law's Bus]

On the co-efficient front that we all got excited about last year - we now have a club co-efficient of 6.0; which now equals the best from any single Europa League season from the "seventh place" spot over the last five years.

Strangely, the 3.0 that we got for getting to the group stages is considered a "minimum", so those no longer count given we now have more group stage co-efficient points.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Returning to this thread to have a look at how the pots are shaping up after matchday five (which I will update as the late kickoffs give us results) . It's an arse that we are likely to be in pot two, but it is what it is.

GROUP A: Sevilla into Pot 1. Pot 2 team still undecided. Should get a clue in the later kick offs
GROUP B: All teams still in the reckoning
GROUP C: Basel, Getafe and Krasnodar can all still qualify. Basel losing has put the group RIGHT back in the mixer. Getafe play Krasnodar in the last match week, so I think we can say that Basel should top the group.
GROUP D: Late kickoffs here. Sporting CP, LASK Linberger and PSV Eindhoven all still in the fight
GROUP E: Late games. Celtic are through. Lazio MUST beat CLUJ later or the Romanians are through and Lazio bite the dust
GROUP F: Still all up for grabs until tonight's matches are played. Arsenal will win the group, but Eintracht could be stuffed if they lose tonight by my reckoning.
GROUP G: TIGHT AS FUCK. Rangers now top the group but all four teams have a chance going into the last match
GROUP H: Espanyol are through and are into Pot 1. Ludogorets v Razgrad to join them. They play in Bulgaria in match 6.
GROUP I: Gent and Wolfsburg are through. Pot still to be sorted.
GROUP J: Moenchengladbach, Roma and Istanbul can all still make it. I would put money on the first two being successful.
GROUP K: BRAGA AND WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS PROGRESS. Pots to be decided
GROUP L: Manchester United and AZ Alkmaar are through

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Looking bad for PSV Eindhoven. 2 down to Sporting CP in no time at all.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Standard Liege look like they might be going through. I really hope we don't draw them at any point later in the competition as I fear reprisals.

 

[Parkins left foot]

Standard Liege look like they might be going through. I really hope we don't draw them at any point later in the competition as I fear reprisals.

All WMP leave will be cancelled completely for the home game if that takes place - still the overtime will boost the average PC up to a reasonable pay cheque for once.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Guimaraes have equalised. Come on Vitoria. Twat those wankers.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Things are getting really interesting now...

PSV are as good as fucked. 3-0 down to Sporting and LASK are beating Rosenborg. Destination Fucked. 4-0 now!!

Arsenal are doing their best to sell Unai down the river. Pain in the arse as no doubt more nuno bollocks will float about, but I'm confident there, and it makes their group really rather interesting (I mean they are through anyway really)

Lazio doing all they can to be crying when Celtic and Cluj re-enact West Germany v Austria 1982 in two weeks. This is amusing.

The Malmo / Copenhagen / Dynamo Kiev group is INSANE. So much fun

And APOEL Nicosia look like making the last 32. Scenes.

 

[The Bion]

What are we looking at in terms of Champions League dropouts Paddy? All the 3rd place teams right?

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Yes

So eight teams will drop in. The four with the best record into pot 1 and seeded.

Some of the Champions League groups are tight as the knots in a midges penis. I will have a check and try and give some analysis in a few minutes.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Okay.

Champions League drop-ins analysis incoming...

Group A
Club Brugge or Galatasaray will be joining the Europa League. Brugge are home to Real Madrid in match 6, while Gala are away to PSG. Those both look like losses. Gala have to win or hope that they draw and Brugge lose when I think Gala go through on goals scored in their individual head to head.

Group B Olympiacos or Red Star Belgrade will be joining the Europa League. They play each other in Athens on game day 6. Olympiacos have to win otherwise Re Star get in. Unless Red Star win and myriad other results go their way (I mean a ridiculous set of results), the team from Group B will be unseeded and into Pot 2

Group C This one is bonkers. As it stands it is Shakhtar Donetsk on 6 points, Dinamo Zagreb on 5 points, and Atalanta on 4 points. Match day 6 is Dinamo Zagreb v Manchester City (which you would imagine City would win easily) and Shakhtar v Atalanta. Basically, it looks to me like Atalanta have to win. And if they win, they can't end up in the Europa unless Zagreb beat Man City. I think the most likely scenario is Zagreb ending up in the Europa. In terms of pots, I think the team from this group will end up in Pot 2.

Group D Simple and somewhat scary. It's Bayer Leverkusen or ATLETICO MADRID for the Europa. Thankfully, Leverkusen must go to Juventus and Atleti are playing Lokomotiv Moscow so I think the chances are it will be Leverkusen. Europa League team from this group should end up in Pot 1.

Group E This is also very challenging to predict. It could be one of LIVERPOOL (EEK!) Napoli (pretty eek) or Red Bull Salzburg with the son of Haaland scoring a million goals a month. If Liverpool beat Salzburg or draw with them then Salzburg are in. If Salzburg win then we are looking at the Napoli result. If Napoli win, then Liverpool would drop in. Anything else and Napoli would drop in. Whichever team from this group makes it, they should be in Pot 1.

Group F Simple. Inter Milan or Borussia Dortmund will be joining us. Inter are at home to Barcelona. Dortmund are at home to Slavia Prague. Dortmund must beat Inter's result to avoid the risk of a game at Molineux. The team from this group will be in Pot 1

Group G. All four teams in play here I think, but I need to check some tie-breakers. The only way that Benfica can stay alive in Europe is by winning their last game at home to Zenit St Petersburg, and preferably by beating the 3-1 result Zenit got in the reverse tie. If that happened I think Benfica would end up in the Europa as their results against Lyon would put them behind, but if Leipzig twat Lyon then it's into one of those three way tie messes that are a mare to work out. Really tough group to work out. If Benfica make it they will be in Pot 2, but if anyone else makes it, I think they will be in Pot 1, but it is marginal stuff.

Group H This is the bloody difficult one. Makes G look easy. Chelsea are playing Lille. Ajax are at home to Valencia. Ajax win their game, Chelsea need a point to avoid us and send Valencia our way. However if Valencia get something in Amsterdam then all bets are off. Whomever joins from this group will definitely be in pot 1 you would think.

That's it.

I'm knackered from working even that out!!!

 

[The Bion]

Good effort Paddy thank you. Certainly some potentially great (and not so great) trips in there.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Good work Pad!

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

By the way we canny get Liverpool in the next round if they drop in.