2016-17 UEFA Europa League Group Stage

HajdukSplit

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Nov 9, 2005
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The first round of the Europa League qualifying rounds concluded yesterday and there were already some surprising results. The most notable was Welsh debutants, interestingly named Connah's Quay Nomads eliminated Norwegian side Stabaek. Gibraltar is so far having a historical European season :)laugh:), with Lincoln progressing in CL qualifying, their second side Europa eliminated experienced Armenian side Pyunik Yerevan. The other notable upset was Macedonian side Shkendija eliminated Cracovia of Poland

Second qualifying round matches take place on July 14 & 21, teams from the "bigger" nations don't enter until the 3rd round

2nd Qualifying Round
Shirak (ARM) vs. Spartak Trnava (SVK)
Dinamo Minsk (BLR) vs. St. Patrick's Athletic (IRL)
Partizan Belgrade (SRB) vs. Zaglebie Lubin (POL)
Vojvodina (SRB) vs. Connah's Quay Nomads (WAL)
Maccabi Haifa (ISR) vs. Nomme Kalju (EST)
Hibernian (SCO) vs. Brondby (DEN)
Shakhtyor Soligorsk (BLR) vs. Domzale (SVN)
Austria Wien (AUT) vs. Kukesi (ALB)
MTK Budapest (HUN) vs. Gabala (AZE)
Beroe Stara Zagora (BUL) vs. HJK Helsinki (FIN)
RoPS (FIN) vs. Lokomotiva Zagreb (CRO)
Neftchi Baku (AZE) vs. Shkendija (MKD)
KR Reykjavik (ISL) vs. Grasshopper Zurich (SUI)
FC Midtjylland (DEN) vs. FC Vaduz (LIE)
Zimbru Chisinau (MDA) vs. Osmanlispor (TUR)
PAS Giannina (GRE) vs. Odd (NOR)
Birkirkara (MLT) vs. Hearts (SCO)
Maribor (SVN) vs. Levski Sofia (BUL)
Piast Gliwice (POL) vs. IFK Goteborg (SWE)
Slovan Bratislava (SVK) vs. Jelgava (LVA)
Beitar Jerusalem (ISR) vs. Omonia Nicosia (CYP)
Admira Wacker (AUT) vs. Kapaz (AZE)
Aberdeen (SCO) vs. Ventspils (LVA)
Hacken (SWE) vs. Cork City (IRL)
Kairat Almaty (KAZ) vs. Maccabi Tel-Aviv (ISR)
Debrecen (HUN) vs. Torpedo Zhodino (BLR)
CSMS Iasi (ROU) vs. Hajduk Split (CRO)
Videoton (HUN) vs. Cukaricki (SRB)
Cliftonville (NIR) vs. AEK Larnaca (CYP)
AIK (SWE) vs. Europa (GIB)
Levadia Tallinn (EST) vs. Slavia Prague (CZE)
Racing Genk (BEL) vs. Buducnost Podgorica (MNE)
Sonderjyske (DEN) vs. Stromsgodset (NOR)

Teams entering the 3rd round: West Ham United, Hertha Berlin, Sassuolo, Lille, St. Etienne, Krasnodar, Spartak Moscow, AZ Alkmaar, Rio Ave, Arouca, Vorskla Poltava, Oleksandriya, Gent, Luzern, Istanbul BB, AEK Athens, Panathinaikos, Mlada Boleslav, Slovan Liberec, Pandurii, Viitorul, Rijeka, Rapid Wien, Apollon Limassol

GROUP STAGE: Athletic Bilbao, Celta Vigo, Manchester United, Southampton, Schalke 04, Mainz, Inter Milan, Fiorentina, Braga, Nice, Zenit St. Petersburg, Zorya Luhansk, Feyenoord, Standard Liege, FC Zurich, Konyaspor
 

Shrimper

Trick or ruddy treat
Feb 20, 2010
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None of the Scottish sides winning at half time, or have even scored. Not good for them!

Hibs losing to Brondby 1-0, Aberdeen and Hearts are 0-0.
 

maclean

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Jan 4, 2014
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Slavia Praha gets rocked 3-1 by Levadia Tallinn, whom Sparta Praha beat 7-0 last year (or maybe the year before?)
 

HajdukSplit

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Nov 9, 2005
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Pretty good day for Estonian clubs overall, not only did Levadia beat Slavia but Nomme Kalju got a scoring draw in Israel against Maccabi Haifa. Back to reality for Hungarian football as two of their sides lose at home to sides from Belarus and Azerbaijan while Videoton was the only team who won. Goal fest in Iceland where KR came from behind twice to earn a 3:3 draw with Grasshoppers

Overall very tight games, only for ties decided by three or more goals (Midtjylland > Vaduz, Aberdeen > Ventspils, PAS Giannina > Odd and IFK away from home beating Piast Gliwice 3:0)
 

Ceremony

blahem
Jun 8, 2012
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Aberdeen putting three past Ventspils eventually and Hearts looking good to see out the tie at home. Hibs had a keeper throw one in within thirty seconds and Neil Lennon got sent to the stands, so regular service resumed there.
 

HajdukSplit

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Nov 9, 2005
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Second round is complete, biggest upsets include Estonian side Nomme Kalju eliminating Maccabi Haifa on penalty kicks, Kalju was on their way out but scored an equalizer in the 90th minute. Latvian side Jelgava destroyed Slovan Bratislava 3:0. Maltese side went to Scotland and beat Hearts 2:1 to advance to the third round. Irish side Cork City eliminate Hacken

Some other interesting ties; Genk survived a scare in Montenegro, they lost 2:0 and played with 10 men for the entire extra time but beat Buducnost on penalty kicks. Norwegian club Odd came from three goals down on aggregate to force ET against PAS Giannina but the Greek side scored the crucial away goal in extra time to advance. Beitar Jerusalem held on to advance on away goals over Omonia. Slavia despite an embarrassing loss in Estonia manage to overturn a 3:1 deficit to advance on away goals

The third round draw is now complete, matches to be played July 28 & August 4

Lokomotiva Zagreb (CRO) vs. Vorskla Poltava (UKR)
St. Etienne (FRA) vs. AEK Athens (GRE)
AEK Larnaca (CYP) vs. Spartak Moscow (RUS)
Pandurii Targu Jiu (ROU) vs. Maccabi Tel-Aviv (ISR)
Vojvodina (SRB) vs. Dinamo Minsk (BLR)
Zaglebie Lubin (POL) vs. Sonderjyske (DEN)
Luzern (SUI) vs. Sassuolo (ITA)
Slavia Prague (CZE) vs. Rio Ave (POR)
Birkirkara (MLT) vs. Krasnodar (RUS)
AZ Alkmaar (NED) vs. PAS Giannina (GRE)
Jelgava (LVA) vs. Beitar Jerusalem (ISR)
Austria Wien (AUT) vs. Spartak Trnava (SVK)
AIK (SWE) vs. Panathinaikos (GRE)
Osmanlispor (TUR) vs. Nomme Kalju (EST)
Aberdeen (SCO) vs. Maribor (SVN)
Lille (FRA) vs. Gabala (AZE)
Oleksandriya (UKR) vs. Hajduk Split (CRO)
Hertha Berlin (GER) vs. Brondby (DEN)
Istanbul BB (TUR) vs. Rijeka (CRO)
Heracles Almelo (NED) vs. Arouca (POR)
Torpedo Zhodino (BLR) vs. Rapid Wien (AUT)
Racing Genk (BEL) vs. Cork City (IRL)
Shkendija (MKD) vs. Mlada Boleslav (CZE)
Domzale (SVN) vs. West Ham United (ENG)
Videoton (HUN) vs. FC Midtjylland (DEN)
IFK Goteborg (SWE) vs. HJK Helsinki (FIN)
Admira Wacker (AUT) vs. Slovan Liberec (CZE)
Gent (BEL) vs. Vitorul Constanta (ROU)
Grasshopper Zurich (SUI) vs. Apollon Limassol (CYP)
 

Shrimper

Trick or ruddy treat
Feb 20, 2010
104,167
5,248
Essex
Aberdeen putting three past Ventspils eventually and Hearts looking good to see out the tie at home. Hibs had a keeper throw one in within thirty seconds and Neil Lennon got sent to the stands, so regular service resumed there.

Hearts :laugh:
 

Ceremony

blahem
Jun 8, 2012
113,012
15,080

tkB21Ll.gif
 

HajdukSplit

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Nov 9, 2005
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Since when did UEFA allow Ukrainian teams based in the eastern part of the country to play at their home venue? Apparently Hajduk nearly sent a complaint to UEFA but were talked out of it as they had to fly over unsecured territory, flew to an airport which not a single airline flies to (they had to use a local charter flight from Kiev) and the town where they are playing in didn't have a adequate hotel either :laugh:

Out of all the sides in the major leagues, think Sassuolo are in some trouble and maybe even Hertha. Italian sides usually struggle in these qualifiers as they are early in their pre-season. Brondby I think will also be difficult for Hertha. Won't be shocked if one of these sides are eliminated this early
 

HajdukSplit

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Nov 9, 2005
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Azeri side Gabala earn a 1:1 draw in France against Lille, one of the early surprising results in the round so far. Overall not many goals and all but the Oleksandriya-Hajduk tie in the balance
 

cgf

FireBednarsSuccessor
Oct 15, 2010
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Ibicevic scored a really nifty goal for Hertha's lead, and they're defending well. So far so good.

Darida is just so damn smoove. Would love to see him move to BMG if Dahoud leaves next summer. He & Kramer would be great veteran foils for Benes, Sow & Ndenge.
 

Eye of Ra

Grandmaster General of the International boards
Nov 15, 2008
17,965
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Malmö, Sweden
Hjk win 2-1 away against Goteborg.

Atom + Morelos what a duo :yo:

congrats, but goteborg is not good at all.

malmö is the only swedish team that is good. Last time malmö played against hjk, malmö won with 4-0.
 

cgf

FireBednarsSuccessor
Oct 15, 2010
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w/ Renly's Peach
Hertha have been a lot sloppier in this second half. Though why that second goal was waved off I still don't understand.
 

HajdukSplit

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Nov 9, 2005
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West Ham losing again but at least got the away goal

Shkendija continue their remarkable run, beat Mlada Boleslav 2:0 at home after the Czechs were playing with 10 men. Shkendija were one of 4 teams who were unseeded in the 1st round to play in this round, but only team to win (others were Birkirkara, Cork City and Jelgava)
 

Savi

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Dec 3, 2006
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Bruges, Belgium
Gent are all but through to the next round after beating Hagi's boys 5-0

Genk beat Cork City 1-0 but played awful and were lucky to win. This tie is far from over
 

HajdukSplit

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Nov 9, 2005
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Both French sides in the draw held to draws, at least St. Etienne didn't concede a way goal but will go to the cauldron in Athens

Admira-Liberec has been delayed due to the lights going out, not sure if they will continue today
 

Corto

Faceless Man
Sep 28, 2005
15,991
942
Braavos
I'm not watching, but I see West Ham conceded a penalty 11 minutes in :biglaugh:

It was a bit of a mess.
Byram played LB and Antonio was on the right, and he got ripped apart defensively.

Right now, they need to work out how to cover for Creswell, and whether Byram is good enough to play RB in a ambitious side. Or if Antonio can develop his defensive game.

Offensively, they basically never looked like scoring a goal. Calleri + another striker seems a must at this point, and maybe another CAM with Lanzini out apparently long-term.
Tore was out as well, Ogbonna suspended.

...

Saw the Hajduk game as well. I know they won etc., but seeing that, the club of my youth, so completely bare of top quality young gifted players is heartbreaking.
(personally, I don't think neither Balic - now in Udinese - nor Vlasic will develop into top-tier players... basically, anyone proper good is most likely grabbed up by Mamic at age 15)
 
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maclean

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Jan 4, 2014
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Admira-Liberec has been delayed due to the lights going out, not sure if they will continue today

Liberec comes back to win 2-1, which for an away match is a great result. The only unequivocally positive result for a Czech team this round really. Slavia drawing 0-0 at home with Rio Ave is playable, but will sting a bit after having a goal called off over a prior offensive foul.
 

Corto

Faceless Man
Sep 28, 2005
15,991
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Braavos
Even prospects from the Split region?

Most of them, yes.
The whole thing has been methodically destroyed by Mamic and Co., there's simply no money anywhere except Zagreb (well, Rijeka in the last couple of years, Italian owner).

Any chance of success and a run at a title and more sponsors and CL ambitions is shot down by dodgy refereeing. And by "dodgy" I mean they have to make sure Dinamo wins or they don't get to officiate games.
This isn't conjecture or anything, I actually know a couple of refs - it's beyond disgusting.

The few quality players Split have had in the last decade have to leave at a very early age due to a complete lack of money.
Perisic left at 17, Pasalic (who might be a top player if he keeps developing and if they injury didn't leave a mark) at 18, etc.

Tudor and Srna were the last two top-tier players to make any sort of mark at a senior level in Hajduk.

I mean.... Don't get me wrong, Hajduk is partly responsible themselves, but in general, Mamic and the FA have created such an unhealthy atmosphere in Croatian football that club competitions have become an utter joke.
Their people run everything, the FA, all the club organizations and even the national team (including the joke coach who just got knocked out in the first knockout game despite having the best Croatian side in years - but is staying as the NT coach).

The worst thing is... I, as a former Hajduk fan, have completely soured on Croatian club football and I don't care anymore.
But you see the thing is, all of my friends are Dinamo fans (I live in Zagreb) and they don't care about the club level football anymore either.
That's how much Mamic and the FA have destroyed it here.
 

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