2021-22 UEFA Champions League Qualifying & Group Stage part 1

[hatterson]

Here's a novel thought: How about Arsenal and other clubs from big leagues have to win a CHAMPIONSHIP to be in a CHAMPIONS LEAGUE? Every PL side would crush teams from quite a few smaller nations, so should every non relegated PL club get a CL spot?

Simply put, a champions league with only one English team and one Spanish team but instead with the champions of Malta simply isn’t remotely as popular.

 

[Albatros]

The champions of Malta made it to the second round of the European Cup once I believe (Sliema Wanderers in 1971). Apparently a horrible event that must not happen ever again.

 

[Power Man]

Beautiful sight in Milan

 

[S E P H]

Here's a novel thought: How about Arsenal and other clubs from big leagues have to win a CHAMPIONSHIP to be in a CHAMPIONS LEAGUE? Every PL side would crush teams from quite a few smaller nations, so should every non relegated PL club get a CL spot?

The point of the article Mr. Mike is that UEFA themselves are to blame for the ESL, even though the article is also weird because none of the secondary European nations were invited. However, it goes to the point that the CL system is flawed, I understand having to award money to the winners, but the money has grown out of control and makes it absolutely impossible for other nations to have a chance to win. I added my point in there in terms of a Romanian club is just going to be crushed and a wealthier Arsenal team with more talent has a better chance at an upset than any "insert ex-Soviet Union club here".

Was the Dutch league not easily a top 5 one at the time?

I think the point is that the Dutch league along with the Portugal league (and any others) have fallen away from the big five and clubs within the big five have grown wider as well. Just look at the EPL promotion system the last couple of years; Norwich, Fulham, QPR, Hull City, Watford, Cardiff City, West Brom, and Bournemouth. It makes sense that even the promoted teams are becoming few in numbers after a select few of Wolves, Middlesbrough, Leeds, LC, Brighton, and Sheffield United. Football is probably the worst rich getting richer and poor getting poorer sport there is out there (them and the NBA)...

 

[bluesfan94]

Football is probably the worst rich getting richer and poor getting poorer sport there is out there (them and the NBA)...

Including the NBA is a laugh. GSW was not a "rich" team. Neither was Toronto. Or the Clippers. Or the Nets. The NBA isn't a rich getting richer league, it's a winning is based on where talent goes league

 

[Scottish Hab]

Wanted to post this in here...

UEFA's incompetence enabled the Super League. Now it has to rebuild trust

From the article and further proof that Arsenal should be over secondary nations.

European champions from outside top five leagues:

Decade	Total
1960s	4
1970s	3
1980s	2
1990s	2
2000s	1
2010s	0
2020s	0

[TBODY] [/TBODY]
[TBODY] [/TBODY]

The "Top/Big 5" has only become a fixed thing due to UEFAs continuing deference to those nations in the structuring of its competitions.

And its not just titles either, the competitions and finances are structured so no club outside this group has any real hope of making the latter stages (QF/SF) with any regularity.

The last team to beat the system and do it (Ajax) had to play 3 Qualifiers or something as Domestic Champions the next year.

But before that there was no Big 5, and while Italian, Spanish, German & English clubs were usually always in the mix, it was more fluid and other nations had clubs who were all showing solid performances year on year in Europe for periods of time and could consider themselves a 'top league', some examples.

In the sixties Portuguese clubs competed in 5 Finals ( 4 being the European Cup, winning two )

Between 1963-1974 Scottish clubs played in 2 European Cup Finals ( 1 win) and 2 CWC Finals ( 1 win ) with clubs also reguarly reaching Quarter & Semi Finals of the 3 competitions.

The Dutch won almost half of the European Cups of the 1970s and also played in two World Cup Finals in this time and picked up a UEFA Cup

The Belgians had clubs playing in European Semi Finals/Finals (winning 4) reguarly through the late 70's right into the 80s

I'd imagine if European competitions started 5-10 years earlier we'd be talking about the Hungarian era as well.

 

[Savant]

Yeah, I’m not typing this out

 

[Evilo]

Read the thread.

 

[TheMoreYouKnow]

Read the thread.

I have. It's not a very long thread and the subject of the away goals rule change only came up a few posts before your long rant about all the negative changes in football. My point - and I don't think it's a very difficult to understand one - is that none of that has to do with away goals. Not having or having away goals doesn't in itself benefit big clubs or small clubs, big leagues or small leagues. It's a technical change that primarily will affect the way teams approach these matches. Now that can be seen as a positive or a negative, but it's got absolutely nothing to do with games disappearing from free TV or Belgian clubs having no chance in European competitions anymore.

 

[HajdukSplit]

Kosovo champs Prishtina won the preliminary round, they move on to face Ferencvaros

 

[HajdukSplit]

Don't know how much of an upset this is but the Gibraltar champions Lincoln Red Imps convincingly beat the champs of Luxembourg 5:0 today and 7:2 on aggregate, at the NT level it would be, not sure so much at club level

All other results went as expected so far, but Slovan Bratislava had some difficulties with Shamrock Rovers. Was shocked to see a player like Onazi playing at this level (he's with Zalgiris in Lithuania), it seems like yesterday he was playing for Lazio and a key Nigerian NT player playing at World Cups, what the hell happened The Borac Banja Luka-Cluj tie was the first example of no more away goals, in the old format Borac would have won on away goals after 90, instead they lose in the final minutes of extra time

 

[Savi]

Don't know how much of an upset this is but the Gibraltar champions Lincoln Red Imps convincingly beat the champs of Luxembourg 5:0 today and 7:2 on aggregate, at the NT level it would be, not sure so much at club level

Considering the Luxembourg champs went to the EL group stages a couple of times recently I'd say this is definitely an upset, although Lincoln do seem to have some decent foreign players.

Good to see Malmö and HJK both advancing, they will player eachother in the next round

You didn't mention Dinamo but that tie seemed way closer than it should have been too

 

[luiginb]

Don't know how much of an upset this is but the Gibraltar champions Lincoln Red Imps convincingly beat the champs of Luxembourg 5:0 today and 7:2 on aggregate, at the NT level it would be, not sure so much at club level

All other results went as expected so far, but Slovan Bratislava had some difficulties with Shamrock Rovers. Was shocked to see a player like Onazi playing at this level (he's with Zalgiris in Lithuania), it seems like yesterday he was playing for Lazio and a key Nigerian NT player playing at World Cups, what the hell happened The Borac Banja Luka-Cluj tie was the first example of no more away goals, in the old format Borac would have won on away goals after 90, instead they lose in the final minutes of extra time

Onazi playing at Zalgiris is not that bad for a 40 year old

Cluj's game against Borac was such a bad display from the Romanian champions, the Bosnians' two star players couldn't even cut it in the Romanian league and they would have advanced unless the old away goal rule wasn't scraped.

Does anyone know why the champions from Belarus played in Belgrade? Political issues?

 

[HoseEmDown]

Don't know how much of an upset this is but the Gibraltar champions Lincoln Red Imps convincingly beat the champs of Luxembourg 5:0 today and 7:2 on aggregate, at the NT level it would be, not sure so much at club level

All other results went as expected so far, but Slovan Bratislava had some difficulties with Shamrock Rovers. Was shocked to see a player like Onazi playing at this level (he's with Zalgiris in Lithuania), it seems like yesterday he was playing for Lazio and a key Nigerian NT player playing at World Cups, what the hell happened The Borac Banja Luka-Cluj tie was the first example of no more away goals, in the old format Borac would have won on away goals after 90, instead they lose in the final minutes of extra time

Shamrock is in the middle of their season so probably in much better shape and form. They also ran away with the league last season without losing a game. The Irish league isn't to bad either, Dundalk has made the EL group stage recently.

 

[Savi]

Does anyone know why the champions from Belarus played in Belgrade? Political issues?

Shakhtyor Soligorsk played their home match at Čukarički Stadium, Belgrade (Serbia), instead of their regular stadium Stroitel Stadium, Soligorsk, as in June UEFA suspended all matches to be played in Belarus in 2021, due to European Union sanctions in response to the Ryanair Flight 4978 incident, including banning all European airlines from flying over Belarusian airspace.

 

[Savi]

Maybe a minor upset, but Israel champions Maccabi Haifa are out after losing to Kairat Almaty from Kazachstan, led by 37-year old Vagner Love

 

[N o o d l e s]

Maybe a minor upset, but Israel champions Maccabi Haifa are out after losing to Kairat Almaty from Kazachstan, led by 37-year old Vagner Love

I swear I only know Vagner Love from FIFA

 

[HajdukSplit]

Second round matchups

Dinamo Zagreb (CRO) vs. Omonia Nicosia (CYP)
Slovan Bratislava (SVK) vs. Young Boys (SUI)
Legia Warsaw (POL) vs. Floria Tallinn (EST)
Alashkert (ARM) vs. Sheriff Tiraspol (MDA)
Olympiakos (GRE) vs. Neftchi Baku (AZE)
Kairat Almaty (KAZ) vs. Red Star Belgrade (SRB)
Lincoln Red Imps (GIB) vs. Cluj (ROU)
Malmo (SWE) vs. HJK Helsinki (FIN)
Ferencvaros (HUN) vs. Zalgiris (LTU)
Mura (SVN) vs. Ludogrets (BUL)

Rapid Wien (AUT) vs. Sparta Prague (CZE)
Celtic (SCO) vs. Midtjylland (DEN)
PSV (NED) vs. Galatasaray (TUR)

Third round draw already takes place Monday

 

[Albatros]

The league path looking positively tough this year.

 

[HoseEmDown]

Second round matchups

Dinamo Zagreb (CRO) vs. Omonia Nicosia (CYP)
Slovan Bratislava (SVK) vs. Young Boys (SUI)
Legia Warsaw (POL) vs. Floria Tallinn (EST)
Alashkert (ARM) vs. Sheriff Tiraspol (MDA)
Olympiakos (GRE) vs. Neftchi Baku (AZE)
Kairat Almaty (KAZ) vs. Red Star Belgrade (SRB)
Lincoln Red Imps (GIB) vs. Cluj (ROU)
Malmo (SWE) vs. HJK Helsinki (FIN)
Ferencvaros (HUN) vs. Zalgiris (LTU)
Mura (SVN) vs. Ludogrets (BUL)

Rapid Wien (AUT) vs. Sparta Prague (CZE)
Celtic (SCO) vs. Midtjylland (DEN)
PSV (NED) vs. Galatasaray (TUR)

Third round draw already takes place Monday

Zagreb, Young Boys, Legia, Sheriff, Olympiakos, Red Star, Cluj, Malmo, Ferencvaros, Ludogrets

Sparta, Celtic, Gala

Those league path ties are looking good this early, should all be close games. Not sure how Celtic will look with the new coach and lineup changes. PSV sold off some talent and haven't replaced them so don't see them getting through.

 

[Eye of Ra]

Zagreb, Young Boys, Legia, Sheriff, Olympiakos, Red Star, Cluj, Malmo, Ferencvaros, Ludogrets

Sparta, Celtic, Gala

Those league path ties are looking good this early, should all be close games. Not sure how Celtic will look with the new coach and lineup changes. PSV sold off some talent and haven't replaced them so don't see them getting through.

Midjylland is good. They are gonna give Celtic a hard time.

 

[HoseEmDown]

Midjylland is good. They are gonna give Celtic a hard time.

I know bit they're about to sell their best player from last season in Onyeka. If he plays then it's a 50/50 tie.

 

[Savant]

I know bit they're about to sell their best player from last season in Onyeka. If he plays then it's a 50/50 tie.

Believe they sold Cajuste as well

 

[ScottishCanuck]

Celtic are a mess, in the middle of a rebuild and have been painfully slow to get any transfer business done this summer. It's been a masterclass in incompetence.

Wouldn't surprise me if Midtjylland beat us.

 

[HoseEmDown]

Celtic are a mess, in the middle of a rebuild and have been painfully slow to get any transfer business done this summer. It's been a masterclass in incompetence.

Wouldn't surprise me if Midtjylland beat us.

You still got Eduoard so I expect you'll be able to score a couple.