2017-2018 Europa League

[Eco]

Group Stage Set to wrap up today.

After the completion of the Champions League Group Stage, the following teams will be joining the Europa League tomorrow.

CSKA Moscow (RUS)
Celtic (SCO)
Atletico Madrid (ESP)
Sporting CP (POR)
Spartak Moscow (RUS)
Napoli (ITA)
RB Leipzig (GER)
Borussia Dortmund (GER)

Here are the scenarios for today -

Group A
Winner: Villarreal
Runner-Up: Slavia Praha/Astana

Praha and Astana play today and anything other than a win for Astana, and Praha advances.

Group B
Winner: Dynamo Kyiv/Partizan
Runner-Up: Partizan/Dynamo Kyiv

Top two teams play one another. Anything other than a Partizan win, and this group ends with Kyiv on top.

Group C
Winner: Sporting Braga/Ludogorets
Runner-Up: Ludogrets/Sporting Braga

If Braga wins, they are the winners of this group.

Group D
Winner: AC Milan
Runner-Up: AEK Athens

Due to a massive GD, this group isn't changing.

Group E
Winner: Atalanta/Olympique Lyon
Runner-Up: Olympique Lyon/Atalanta

Both teams are progressing, and they play today. Draw or win means Atalanta finishes on top.

Group F
Winner: Sheriff/Lokomotiv Moscow/Kobenhavn
Runner-Up: Sheriff/Lokomotiv Moscow/Kobenhavn

Sheriff currently sits on top (9pts, +2 GD), followed by Lokomotiv Moscow (8pts, +3 GD), and then Kobenhavn (6pts, +2 GD).

Lokomotiv travels to bottom feeders Zlin, while Sheriff travels to Kobenhavn.

Group G
Winner: FSCB/Viktoira Plzen
Runner-Up: Viktoira Plzen/FSCB

Points difference means these two teams should progress, unless Vikoria losses to Lugano (3rd place), but 4 goals in which case Lugano would progress.

Group H
Winner: Arsenal
Runner-Up: Crvena Zvezda/Koln

Zvevda hosts Koln today, winner progresses, tie goes to Zvevda.

Group I
Winner: Salzburg
Runner-Up: Marseilles/Konyaspor

Marseilles is 2 points clear of Konyaspor, but they host Salzburg, whereas Konyaspor travels to bottom feeder, Guimaraes

Group J
Winner: Ostersunds FK/Atletic Club
Runner-Up: Athletic Club/Ostersunds FK/Zorya

If Ostersunds draws at Hertha, the group is theirs. Athletic Club travels to Zorya, where winner progresses and a draw will see Athletic go on.

Group K
Winner: Lazio
Runner-Up: Nice

Group L
Winner: Zenit/Real Sociedad
Runner-Up: Real Sociedad/Zenti

Top two teams play today in Spain. Zenit is ahead in the table by 1 point, but have a smaller GD, therefore anything other than a win for Zenit and they will finish runners up.

 

[rsw626]

Group L
Winner: Zenit/Real Sociedad
Runner-Up: Real Sociedad/Zenti

Top two teams play today in Spain. Zenit is ahead in the table by 1 point, but have a smaller GD, therefore anything other than a win for Zenit and they will finish runners up.

Actually, a draw will see Zenit win the group also, as a draw would put Zenit with 14pts and Real Sociedad with 13.

 

[Eco]

Actually, a draw will see Zenit win the group also, as a draw would put Zenit with 14pts and Real Sociedad with 13.

True - Sorry, after typing all that up, I was a bit...zonked.

 

[bksballer89]

Wrong year in thread title lol

 

[Eco]

Wrong year in thread title lol

FML - @fordman84 - Can you help me out here?

 

[Eco]

Also, a lot of these are on ESPN3 (in Spanish), so if you have nothing else to do but are forced to be in front of a computer (like myself), then pull a game up.

I'm going to be watching Dynamo Kyiv vs Partizan right now.

 

[Eco]

As is so often the case. Partizan comes out swinging and almost scoring a couple of times...

Only to have Dynamo score on the counter.

 

[fordman84]

FML - @fordman84 - Can you help me out here?

I guess it should be 17/18?

 

[Eco]

What a great day for Russian soccer! Both Zenit and Lokomotiv win on the road and win their group.

So the draw will be held on Monday to determine the matchups. Here are the teams:

Seeded: AC Milan (ITA), Arsenal (ENG), Atalanta (ITA), Athletic Club (ESP), Atlético Madrid* (ESP), Braga (POR), CSKA Moskva* (RUS), Dynamo Kyiv (UKR), Lazio (ITA), Leipzig* (GER), Lokomotiv Moskva (RUS), Plzeň (CZE), Salzburg (AUT), Sporting CP* (POR), Villarreal (ESP), Zenit (RUS)

Unseeded: AEK Athens (GRE), Astana (KAZ), Celtic* (SCO), Crvena zvezda (SRB), Dortmund* (GER), FCSB (ROU), København (DEN), Ludogorets (BUL), Lyon (FRA), Marseille (FRA), Napoli* (ITA), Nice (FRA), Östersund (SWE), Partizan (SRB), Real Sociedad (ESP), Spartak Moskva* (RUS)

* Transferred from UEFA Champions League

Draw procedure
• There will be two pots of clubs for the round of 32 draw: the 12 group winners and the four best third-ranked teams in the UEFA Champions League group stage are seeded.

• The group winners and four best third-placed teams in the UEFA Champions League will be drawn against the 12 group runners-up and the remaining third-placed UEFA Champions League sides.

• The seeded teams will be at home in the second leg.

• No team can play a club from their UEFA Europa League group or a side from the same national association, with other restrictions to be confirmed ahead of the draw.

• Games will be played in principle on Thursdays 15 and 22 February at 19:00CET and 21:05CET, with the exact schedule released after the draw.

 

[Eco]

Russian league has 4 teams moving on, with 3 in the Seeded Group (Lokomotiv, CSKA, and Zenit), and one in the seeded (Spartak).

 

[Eco]

Europa League Draw is happening right now.

So far we have -

Dortmund (GER) vs Atalanta (ITA)
Nice (FRA) vs Lokomotiv Moscow (RUS)
FC Copenhagen (DEN) vs Atletico Madrid (ESP)
Spartak Moscow (RUS) vs Athletic Bilbao (ESP)
AEK Athens (GRE) vs Dynamo Kiev (UKR)
Celtic (SCO) vs Zenit St. Petersburg (RUS)
Napoli (ITA) vs RB Leipzig (GER)
Red Star Belgrade (SER) vs CSKA Moscow (RUS)
Lyon (FRA) vs Villarreal (ESP)
Real Sociedad (ESP) vs FC Salzburg (AUS)
Partizan Belgrade (SER) vs Viktoria Plzen (CZE)
Steaua Bucuresti (ROM) vs Lazio (ITA)
Ludogorets (BUL) vs AC Milan (ITA)
Astana (KAZ) vs Sporting Lisbon (POR)
Ostersunds (SWE) vs Arsenal (ENG)
Marseille (FRA) vs Braga (POR)

 

[Eco]

 

[Eco]

Not a great draw for any of the Russian clubs outside of CSKA.

I'm okay with Spartak's draw. Bilbao won't be easy, but they are seriously struggling this year in La Liga so maybe Spartak can add to their misery

 

[rsw626]

Napoli-Leipzig and Lyon-Villarreal look to be the most intriguing matches today. Most of the others should be one sided.

 

[rsw626]

Half time

Arsenal 4 - CSKA Moscow 1
Atletico Madrid 2 - Sporting 0
Lazio 1 - Red Bull Salzburg 1
Red Bull Leipzig 1 - Marseille 0

 

[Sgt Brutus]

Arsenal 4 - CSKA Moscow 1

Worldie scored by Ramsey

 

[rsw626]

2nd leg of the quarter-finals today (home teamin bold):

CSKA Moscow v Arsenal, Arsenal lead 4-1 on aggregate
FC Salzburg v Lazio, Lazio lead 4-2 on aggregate
Marseille V RB Leipzig, RB Leipzig lead 1-0 on agg
Sporting CP v Atletico Madrid, Atleico lead 2-0 on aggregate

 

[rsw626]

Also some potentially interesting match ups for the UEFA Super Cup (UCL winner vs Europa winner)

Potential match ups:
Bayern vs Leipzig (all German)
Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid (Madrid Derby)
Roma vs Lazio (Rome Derby)
Liverpool vs Arsenal (all English)

 

[MrFlyingV]

Also some potentially interesting match ups for the UEFA Super Cup (UCL winner vs Europa winner)

Potential match ups:
Bayern vs Leipzig (all German)
Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid (Madrid Derby)
Roma vs Lazio (Rome Derby)
Liverpool vs Arsenal (all English)

Leipzig may need to win Europa to get into UCL next year. Floundering a bit in Bundesliga. Had a very poor showing over the weekend. Looks like Forsberg may be bailing out of Leipzig next year too.

 

[Sgt Brutus]

COYG