Topic: 2017/18 Champions League group stage draw. Thursday 24th August at 5pm

[fiveways]

I think it was Bucharest I took my lad to see his first European game - we had just bough Christian Ziegle (spelling) - he came on, tried a cruyf turn and promptly fell over ;_(

[deFacto please, you bastards]

Apparently we're also guaranteed to be in pot 3 of the group stage draw if we make it - there was a possibility of us being pot 4.

With Pot 3 we're bound to have one of the big boys in the group with us [Barca,Real.Juve,etc]

[Fabulous_aurelio]

The 2nd leg is on the day of my wedding....choices.  😓

[LovelyCushionedHeader]

With Pot 3 we're bound to have one of the big boys in the group with us [Barca,Real.Juve,etc]

And we will be the ones they want to avoid.

[alvaro]

Let's win the qualifier and then we worry about the pot we are in if we make the group stage.

[coutinho and firmino]

in the scenario we are to lose the CL qualifier, are we entered in the europa or do we have no european football?

[Mister Flip Flop]

Young Boys wouldn't be so bad. Think we'd shaft them.

Nice - no. You just know Balotelli is going to score.

[Hazell]

in the scenario we are to lose the CL qualifier, are we entered in the europa or do we have no european football?

Europa League.

[Barneylfc∗]

The co efficients of possible participants in the play off. Teams in red are already there. Teams bolded will definitely be seeded

Sevilla 112.942
Napoli 88.666
Dinamo Kiev 67.526
Ajax 67.212
Liverpool 56.135
Plzen 40.635
CSKA 39.606
Brugge 39.480
Sporting CP 36.866
Steaua Bucharest 35.370
Young Boys 28.915
Nice 16.833
Hoffenheim 15.899
Istanbul Basaksehir 10.340
Greek Team (?)

Napoli will be there if Roma win at home to Genoa next weekend. Plzen will be there if Prague win their game away to Slovacko
Ajax hopefully winning on Wednesday isn't really that relevant to us now bar the hilarity that would ensue if they won. Plzen would become a seeded team if Ajax win.  This bit is wrong actually. Plzen would only be there if they win a 3rd qualifying round tie. Napoli or Roma, probably Napoli, will be the 5th team in the play off round. The other 5 will be made up of the 5 winners of the 3rd qualifying round games between the other teams.

[Pradan]

I'd like to avoid Nice. That could be a tricky tie. Saw them against PSG and they looked good. Beat them 3-1. The rest we shouldn't have any issues with.

[PaulKS]

Agree, Nice would be the only one id be worried about.

What a trip Sporting would be

[Shanklygates]

Confused now - there are two threads!

Mods, any chance you can merge please? Thanks

[Shanklygates]

Confused now - there are two threads!

Mods, any chance you can merge please? Thanks

[Barneylfc∗]

Confused now - there are two threads!

Mods, any chance you can merge please? Thanks

I put a bit of effort and research into mine last week and kept it updated. _Redman just stole some image off the internet and posted it 

[thejbs]

i hope so.

We don't have a great history against the Celts in Europe.  They'd face it like a CL final.  No way do I want us to get them.

[LallanaInPyjamas]

With Pot 3 we're bound to have one of the big boys in the group with us [Barca,Real.Juve,etc]

Not the case anymore. Pot 1 contains the top 8 league winners so we could get Spartak Moscow, Benfica or Feyenoord.

Pot 2 on the other hand - without looking - is almost certain to bring a very tough opponent.

[stevieG786]

I'm getting giddy thinking about it, it's been so long!

[Anthony]

A reminder we cannot face Celtic in the qualifiers as they have their own League Champions qualification playoffs

[elpistolero7]

Lovely cushioned header time 

[Dave Mc]

A reminder we cannot face Celtic in the qualifiers as they have their own League Champions qualification playoffs

A shame, that.

[Barneylfc∗]

I'm getting giddy thinking about it, it's been so long!

Pretty much 8 years. 2014 was so bad I can barely remember anything about it that isn't completely negative.

Looking at those ties, I'm not even sure what the preference is. Maybe the Turkish team as I'd never heard of them before this thread.

[BER]

I wish the play-offs were next week. 

[elsewhere]

Plzen is a good tie. We can open a few pilsners and watch.

[disgraced cake]

Draw is August 4th according to wikipedia

first leg: 15/16 August
second leg: 22/23 August

[elsewhere]

Pretty much 8 years. 2014 was so bad I can barely remember anything about it that isn't completely negative.

Looking at those ties, I'm not even sure what the preference is. Maybe the Turkish team as I'd never heard of them before this thread.

Two of Basaksehir's best players are ex Newcastle player Emre and Adebayor, to give you an idea. Also they are a new club who has government employees as fans so they are not a Fenerbahce, Beşiktaş, Galatasaray etc

[Pistolero]

I wish the play-offs were next week. 

turn it in.....good long summer break very much needed now....for players and fans

[rakey_lfc]

Fuck the playoff's, where's the final?

[IsraeliKopite please?]

The final is in Kiev, Ukraine.
I'm not saying that we are already in the group stage, but due to the fact that we are seeded if we won't qualify we are simply not deserve to be there.
With all the respect, none of the unseeded teams this year should be too hard obstacle.

[Dougle]

Draw is August 4th according to wikipedia

first leg: 15/16 August
second leg: 22/23 August

As a matter of interest I assume the EPL will be kicking off perhaps the middle weekend ? Fitness per say and pre-season won'tbe greatly affected then.

[sat]

Just asking but IF we lose the qualifier do we go into the Europa?

[RedForeverTT]

Just asking but IF we lose the qualifier do we go into the Europa?

I think you do, like Everton did when they fucked up in the only year they got into CL and got sent to Europa.

Just as a reminder, that same season we won the Champions League 

[Red-Dread]

Just asking but IF we lose the qualifier do we go into the Europa?

apparently not

[Shanklygates]

As a matter of interest I assume the EPL will be kicking off perhaps the middle weekend ? Fitness per say and pre-season won'tbe greatly affected then.

League starts on Aug 12th I think

apparently not

Think they do

"The play-off round is split into two separate sections: Champions Route (for league champions) and League Route (for league non-champions). The losing teams in both sections enter the 2017–18 UEFA Europa League group stage.

A total of 20 teams play in the play-off round:"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2017%E2%80%9318_UEFA_Champions_League
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2017%E2%80%9318_UEFA_Europa_League

[CallumLFC]

Two of Basaksehir's best players are ex Newcastle player Emre and Adebayor, to give you an idea. Also they are a new club who has government employees as fans so they are not a Fenerbahce, Beşiktaş, Galatasaray etc

Emre is still a footballer!?

Okay i want them.

[CallumLFC]

I wish the play-offs were next week. 

Not the smartest statement. While Mane is still injured, you would prefer we play it next week?

[reniformis]

Two of Basaksehir's best players are ex Newcastle player Emre and Adebayor, to give you an idea. Also they are a new club who has government employees as fans so they are not a Fenerbahce, Beşiktaş, Galatasaray etc

Some weird clubs out there. I seem to remember playing an away game in Europe years ago (can't remember who or when, may even have been a friendly) where one end of the ground was filled with soldiers in full military garb. Surreal.

[PeterTheRed ...]

Some weird clubs out there. I seem to remember playing an away game in Europe years ago (can't remember who or when, may even have been a friendly) where one end of the ground was filled with soldiers in full military garb. Surreal.

That was pretty normal in the communist countries. The Army would get several thousand tickets for some interesting game, and the best solders would get those tickets as a reward. I watched Red Star Belgrade - AC Milan back in the autumn of 1988 that way.

[Caligula?]

Some weird clubs out there. I seem to remember playing an away game in Europe years ago (can't remember who or when, may even have been a friendly) where one end of the ground was filled with soldiers in full military garb. Surreal.

That must have been Gomel in Belarus. Every time I've seen their national team play it's been the same thing.

[Luke 17]

Are we away first leg and home second leg in the playoff round? or does it depend on the draw?

[Chief Brody]

This is annoying. I'm away on holiday.