2012/13 UEFA Champions League Thread

Next year's allocation is already set but the final UEFA coefficents from this season will determine what happens in the 2014-15 UEFA Champions League. Here are the bottom six nations that currently will have to play in the 1st qualifying round; Wales, Estonia, Armenia, Faroe Islands, San Marino, and Andorra

Since the 1st legs of the majority of ties are today this thread is due for a bump.

I would have bumped with the facts.

Dynamo Kiev beat Feyenoord 2-1 at home, while Motherwell were seen off at home with a 0-2 defeat against Panathinaikos.

I didn't see much of the Feyenoord match but they didn't look good towards the end, they haven't brought in the attacker they need yet.

Hoping for Copenhagen tonight, saw what Brugge had to bring while Copenhagen looks like they are beginning to play like new Belgian coach Ariel Jacobs want them to. Put the last bit of cash i had on unibet on the match

ROI & UK

Celtic (Scotland) 2-1 HJK (Finland)
Motherwell (Scotland) 0-2 Panathinaikos (Greece)

it is all over

Maribor (Slovenia) 4-1 F91 Dudelange (Luxembourg)
Anderlecht (Belgium) 5-0 Ekranas (Lithunania)
Slask Wroclaw (Poland) 0-3 Helsingborg (Sweden)
Ironi Kiryat Shmona (Israel) 4-0 Neftchi Baku (Azerbaijan)

upset

AEL Limassol (Cyprus) 1-0 Partizan (Serbia)

Poor Dudelange, they had a good run. They still have an unique chance as they would dump into the EL group play, but there are some really strong seeded teams waiting in that round and they'd have to be even luckier this time around, I thought they would have a chance against Maribor but the Slovenians were smarter than Salzburg.

In my neck of the woods so to speak Feyenoord were held away 2-1 and have a decent shot at home. While Copenhagen and Brugge played a match that well, after 15 minutes i was yawning so i watched some Olympics instead, it ended 0-0 with a weak performance by a Brugge team they should be better, and an uninspired Copenhagen didn't create anything note worthy.

So just caught the last of the Copenhagen match, had switch channel when they went behind in the beginning to play some Fifa. Come back to the game from olympics to find that its 2-2 in the 85th minute. 2 Minutes into overtime Brugge score by the goal gets wrongly called for offside. They bring GK up for a corner and Santin has a free run towards goal to make it 3-2 and Copenhagen are through. Look forward to see who they draw for the playoff, some good teams in there.

Remember that losers get a spot in the Europa League

ROI & UK

Celtic (Scotland) 4-1 HJK (Finland)
Motherwell (Scotland) 0-5 Panathinaikos (Greece)

never in doubt

Anderlecht (Belgium) 11-0 Ekranas (Lithuania)
Slask Wroclaw (Poland) 1-6 Helsingborg (Sweden)
Sheriff Tiraspol (Moldova) 0-5 Dinamo Zagreb (Croatia)

I'll take Kiryat please.

Braga could get Fenerbahce, Udinese, Lille, Malaga or B.Monchengladbach.

Bit of a shit draw really, they would all destroy Braga.

Well the last round draw is a bit odd, teams from the top 6 (Portugal 5th, Braga seeded) leagues unseeded provide some tough opponents for lower league teams, stuff you'd normally hope to avoid by being seeded.

Believe it will be some even matches as the teams that are seeded mostly have advantage of already being a bit into their season while the likes of Udinese, Malaga, Lille or Gladbach have yet to start.

Celtic drawn with Helsingborg, currently sixth in the Swedish league with a game in hand. We now have only ourselves to blame if we don't qualify for the group stages.

Muhkoo wrote:Well the last round draw is a bit odd, teams from the top 6 (Portugal 5th, Braga seeded) leagues unseeded provide some tough opponents for lower league teams, stuff you'd normally hope to avoid by being seeded.

Believe it will be some even matches as the teams that are seeded mostly have advantage of already being a bit into their season while the likes of Udinese, Malaga, Lille or Gladbach have yet to start.

Braga drew Udinese.

Hope you're right but really I can't see it making any significant difference.

ConorCelticFC wrote:Celtic drawn with Helsingborg, currently sixth in the Swedish league with a game in hand. We now have only ourselves to blame if we don't qualify for the group stages.

It will not be that easy since Helsingborg are in midseason form while you are just starting out now. Helsingborg could turn things around here, you never know.

Weather130 wrote:

ConorCelticFC wrote:Celtic drawn with Helsingborg, currently sixth in the Swedish league with a game in hand. We now have only ourselves to blame if we don't qualify for the group stages.

It will not be that easy since Helsingborg are in midseason form while you are just starting out now. Helsingborg could turn things around here, you never know.

Yeah but once you get up to five or so games of building fitness it doesn't make that much difference. If anything it should mean that we're fresher. We should comfortably go through.

Celtic has never played a team from Sweden in Europe ever in their entire history. That is strange although I do not see it being a major impact. Maybe if they were playing on a plastic pitch that would make a difference.

Very strange but it's not like playing them 20 years ago would help us now. Everything is in place for us to progress, but knowing us there's a good chance we'll fuck up.

The real question is who will Henke support?

Think FC Copenhagen has a decent chance against Lille but they will have to play much better than they did against Club Brugge. They are getting a new signing in from Spain in the form of returning danish player Michael Jakobsen but thats hardly enough on its own.

I guess the only major issue for Celtic is how many guys have never been to Sweden before. Sounds stupid, but I am sure visiting a new country can be distracting for any player. A lot of fit women are around for the players that are single.

Spartak Moskva won the early russian game 2-1 against Fenerbache, Dirk Kuyt scored for the turkish team, Kombarov and Emenike were the home side scorers.

Copenhagen are 1-0 up against Lille at home on a goal by Cesar Santin, Lille missed a penalty in the 15 minute, poor shot was saved by Johan Wiland.

Kiev are up 2-1 in Gladbach, Celtic are 1-0 up in Helsingborg and Basel are 1-0 against Cluj.

Malaga v Panathinaikos is live on SS2 in 5 minutes, hopefully a good game.

Keanoo wrote:Malaga v Panathinaikos is live on SS2 in 5 minutes, hopefully a good game.

Good shout

Results are all going our way in terms of us being seeded for Pot 3.

Malaga won 2 - 0

Braga and Udinese dew 1 - 1 i think.

Results for all of the games here;

Basel (Switzerland) 1-2 CFR Cluj (Romania)
Helsingborg (Sweden) 0-2 Celtic (Scotland)
BATE Borisov (Belarus) 2-0 Ironi Kiryat Shmona (Israel)
AEL Limassol (Cyprus) 2-1 Anderlecht (Belgium)
Dinamo Zagreb (Croatia) 2-1 Maribor (Slovenia)
Braga (Portugal) 1-1 Udinese (Italy)
Sparatak Moscow (Russia) 2-1 Fenerbahçe (Turkey)
Málaga (Spain) 2-0 Panathinaikos (Greece)
Borussia Mönchengladbach (Germany) 1-3 Dynamo Kyiv (Ukraine)
Copenhagen (Denmark) 1-0 Lille (France)

What a goal by Ismaily in the Braga match

Borussia Monchengladbach did pretty shit.

fluffy_kittens wrote:What a goal by Ismaily in the Braga match

Isco did well today. He's little bit selfish, but has room to improve.

Since the last few qualifiers are being played tomorrow this thread is in need of a bump.

What games are tomorrow?

Anderlecht - AEL Limassol
Ironi Kiryat Shmona - BATE Borisov
NK Maribor - Dinamo Zagreb
Panathinaikos - Malaga
Udinese - Braga