2016-17 UEFA Champions League - Part I

[DoyleG]

Yes, we'll be starting this all over again soon. Starting with the 1st Qualification round.

Valetta (Malta)
Flora Tallin (Estonia)
B36 Torshavn (Faroe Islands)
The New Saints (Wales)
Alashkert (Armenia)
FC Santa Coloma (Andorra)
Tre Penne (San Marino)
Lincoln Red Imps (Gibraltar)
Feronikeli (Kosovo)*
Liepaja (Latvia)#

* Can participate if they meet UEFA license requirements
# Will be moved to 1st stage if Kosovo meets requirements.

Click to read more...

 

[MrFunnyWobbl]

BVB to win.

 

[Savi]

Yes, we'll be starting this all over again soon.

First round starts the day after the EURO round of 16

 

[Halladay]

Bayern will get number 6.

 

[Cassano]

Arsenal will get past the R16 - I'm feeling it!

 

[TheLeastOfTheBunch]

'FCB' will win it.

 

[Theokritos]

'FCB' will win it.

Bold prediction.

 

[cgf]

Gladbach will make it out of their group after Eberl completes another great summer window. BVB will make the final 4, if Watzke gets over himself for not f***ing up the Dembele move & gets off of his ass. Bayern will win it all despite being worse in the leauge. And nobody knows what the **** will happen with Leverkusen; their roster is getting extremely deep & talented...with just an absurd amount of high end young talents breaking through/on-the-brink-of-breaking-through...but Schmidt is still a big limitation, as is their tradition of rolling over for "bigger" opponents.

These are facts...

 

[Power Man]

Dammit already?

Let us appreciate undecima

 

[HajdukSplit]

Tottenham announced they will play their CL fixtures at Wembley

All the spots for next season's qualifying and group stage are determined with the exception of the champions of Moldova which will be determined tomorrow between Sheriff/Dacia and the Greek runner-up determined midweek. The decision on Kosovo clubs will be made on Tuesday by UEFA but I won't be shocked if they delay it like they did with their World Cup qualifying inclusion

Here is the rest of the field....

GROUP STAGE
Pot 1: Real Madrid (ESP), Bayern Munich (GER), Barcelona (ESP), Benfica (POR), Paris St. Germain (FRA), Juventus (ITA), CSKA Moscow (RUS), Leicester City (ENG)
Remaining Clubs: Atletico Madrid (ESP), Borussia Dortmund (GER), Arsenal (ENG), Sevilla (ESP), Napoli (ITA), Bayer Leverkusen (GER), FC Basel (SUI), Tottenham (ENG), Dynamo Kiev (UKR), Lyon (FRA), PSV Eindhoven (NED), Sporting CP (POR), Club Brugge (BEL), Besiktas (TUR)

PLAYOFFS
Manchester City (ENG), FC Porto (POR), Villarreal (ESP), Borussia Monchengladbach (GER), Roma (ITA)

THIRD ROUND
Non-Champions: Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR), Ajax (NED), Anderlecht (BEL), Fenerbahce (TUR), Sparta Prague (CZE), Steaua Bucharest (ROU), Monaco (FRA), Young Boys (SUI), Rostov (RUS), PAOK/AEK/Panathinaikos (GRE)
Champions: Olympiakos (GRE), Viktoria Plzen (CZE), Astra Giurgiu (ROU)

SECOND ROUND
Red Bull Salzburg (AUT), Celtic (SCO), APOEL Nicosia (CYP), BATE Borisov (BLR), Legia Warsaw (POL), Dinamo Zagreb (CRO), Ludogorets Razgrad (BUL), FC Copenhagen (DEN), Qarabag (AZE), Rosenborg (NOR), Astana (KAZ), Skenderbeu Korce (ALB), Red Star Belgrade (SRB), Dinamo Tbilisi (GEO), FH (ISL), Trencin (SVK), F91 Dudelange (LUX), Zalgiris Vilnius (LTU), Hapoel Beer Sheva (ISR), Olimpija Ljubljana (SVN), Vardar (MKD), IFK Norrkoping (SWE), Ferencvaros (HUN), Crusaders (NIR), Zrinjski Mostar (BIH), Dundalk (IRL), Mladost Podgorica (MNE), SJK (FIN), Liepajas Metalurg (LVA), *Moldovan champions

 

[DoyleG]

No Kosovo entry this year as the champions, KF Feronikeli, don't meet the license requirements and the lack of suitable stadiums.

Skenderbeu Korce, the Albanian champions, may not play either as they are facing a possible suspension for match fixing. Currently, the ban has been appealed to CAS.

 

[ScottishCanuck]

Not sure about Celtic's chances.

I've not seen a feel good factor like this at the club for maybe 10 years. But Rodgers needs time obviously, so our chances probably depend on the draw.

I think with the crowd behind us this season (STs are just about sold out) we could squeak in.

 

[Edo]

If Juventus keep Pogba and upgrade Morata, I'd peg them as favourites. Their depth, durability of their players, and the lack of challengers in the Serie A, all help them out. Bayern are in a similar situation, but Robben/Ribery are always hurt and their defending isn't really all that great.

 

[Cucumber]

If Juventus keep Pogba and upgrade Morata, I'd peg them as favourites. Their depth, durability of their players, and the lack of challengers in the Serie A, all help them out. Bayern are in a similar situation, but Robben/Ribery are always hurt and their defending isn't really all that great.

juventus would still be my 4th favorite choice for winning uel. bayern just added hummels if they keep healthy then they have the best defense and the best keeper in the world.

barca and madrid are still slighty better then juve and will probably get better with new transfers.

 

[HajdukSplit]

First Qualifying Round (June 28/29 & July 5/6)
Flora Tallinn (EST) vs. Lincoln Red Imps (GIB)
The New Saints (WAL) vs. Tre Penne (SME)
Valletta FC (MLT) vs. B36 Torshavn (FAR)
FC Santa Coloma (AND) vs. Alashkert (ARM)

Second Qualifying Round (July 12/13 & July 19/20)
Qarabag (AZE) vs. F91 Dudelange (LUX)
Hapoel Beer Sheva (ISR) vs. Sheriff Tiraspol (MDA)
Olimpija Ljubljana (SVN) vs. Trencin (SVK)
Red Bull Salzburg (AUT) vs. Liepajas Metalurgs (LVA)
Vardar (MKD) vs. Dinamo Zagreb (CRO)
The New Saints/Tre Penne vs. APOEL Nicosia (CYP)
Zrinjski Mostar (BIH) vs. Legia Warsaw (POL)
Ludogorets Razgrad (BUL) vs. Mladost Podgorica (MNE)
Dinamo Tbilisi (GEO) vs. FC Santa Coloma/Alashkert
Zalgiris Vilnius (LTU) vs. Astana (KAZ)
Skenderbeu* (ALB) vs. Ferencvaros (HUN)
BATE Borisov (BLR) vs. SJK (FIN)
Valletta/B36 Torshavn vs. Red Star Belgrade (SRB)
Rosenborg (NOR) vs. IFK Norrkoping (SWE)
Dundalk (IRL) vs. FH Hafnarfjordur (ISL)
Flora Tallinn/Lincoln vs. Celtic (SCO)
Crusaders (NIR) vs. FC Copenhagen (DEN)

*Skenderbeu have been temporarily banned by UEFA, they appealed to CAS, if the appeal fails Partizani Tirana will take their spot

 

[Savi]

Rosenborg-Norrkoping could be worth watching

 

[Power Man]

We won't repeat :-(


Cuz it's hard

 

[cgf]

Arsenal will get past the R16 - I'm feeling it!

lulz

If Juventus keep Pogba and upgrade Morata, I'd peg them as favourites. Their depth, durability of their players, and the lack of challengers in the Serie A, all help them out. Bayern are in a similar situation, but Robben/Ribery are always hurt and their defending isn't really all that great.

We'll see; but Juve's build up play last season was terribly structured despite brilliant passers like Bonucci and Marchisio to anchor it. If that was addressed they could be amongst the real favorites with the FCBs, but that's one of those when I see it type deals.

 

[Savi]

We won't repeat :-(


Cuz it's hard

and because you won't get a cupcake draw every single round like this season

 

[Shrimper]

We won't repeat :-(


Cuz it's hard

 

[Scandale du Jour]

We won't repeat :-(


Cuz it's hard

Atleti or Barca will win. Spanish domination to continue.

 

[Evilo]

1- Barca
2- Bayern
3- Real
4- Atletico
5- Juventus/PSG

That's how I see it as of now.

 

[Power Man]

and because you won't get a cupcake draw every single round like this season

Lol coming from a Barca fan


The irony

 

[Savi]

Yeah its not like we had to go through the champions of 4 major leagues when we won it last year

Oh wait we did

 

[HajdukSplit]

Lincoln Red Imps, the champs of Gibraltar for the second season in a row get past the first round. They now move on to face Celtic

CAS threw away Skenderbeu's appeal and they have been banned from playing in Europe by UEFA, their spot goes to Partizani Tirana

Second round starts next week (July 12/13)