LoI in Europe 2018

[pineapple stu]

HJK have to be beatable.

The rest - not so.

I see if Cork lose, they drop into EL round 2 as a seed - where they have a 1 in 16 chance of a bye, if I read wiki properly. That would be nice

[El-Pietro]

I think they'll have gotten over it since then.

Harsh draw now.
HJK would be the first choice, presumably? They're the lowest ranked, and I don't think it's out of the question that Cork could beat them. In last year's EL, they beat Connah's Quay 3-1, and lost to Shkëndija of Macedonia 4-2.
I know I wouldn't have gotten over it. I'd say it was pretty embarrasing for them to lose home and away to us. We have a very good record in Sweden since then, beating Djurgardenthe following season on away goals and Hacken two years. None of those three teams respected us and it proved their undoing. Hammabry however realised we were to be taken seriously and knocked us out.

Helsinki definitely the preference. Their Euro record isn't outstanding lately, beating teams you'd expect them to beat and not beating anyone you wouldn't expect them to beat.


Id go for Ludogorets Razgrad of Bulgaria, seen them live twice as they have played here in Basel. But they are a rubbish team but extremely cynical, diving and fouling all throughout each game. Last time (two seasons ago), Basel somehow drew with them home and away when we should have easily won both games. Before that (the year or so before) we bet them easy. They are NOT a good team.

Id also got for HJK

Otherwise its a c££t of a draw for Cork
Ludogorets finished second in their EL group last year going unbeaten with a win and a draw against Hoffenheim and Braga. No thanks!


HJK have to be beatable.

The rest - not so.

I see if Cork lose, they drop into EL round 2 as a seed - where they have a 1 in 16 chance of a bye, if I read wiki properly. That would be nice
That's correct as far as we're aware. Even if we don't get the bye it would be against other teams who have already lost in the CL so in theory winnable. We would fancy ourselves as one of the better unseeded CL teams.

[bennocelt]

Ludogorets finished second in their EL group last year going unbeaten with a win and a draw against Hoffenheim and Braga. No thanks!



And? Still a rubbish team. They would hammered if they came up against a top team from Europe. If it was Dundalk I would seriously expect them to beat Ludo.

[pineapple stu]

They lost 1-0 to AC Milan last year.

Beat Hoffenheim 2-1 at home and drew 1-1 away.

4 points off Braga too.

The year before, they drew v PSG and then lost 2-1 to Copenhagen.

They drew with Liverpool and lost by one goal to them in the CL groups.

Rubbish they are not

[nigel-harps1954]

Malmo were beaten by Vardar of Macedonia last year, 4-2 on aggregate. They were in the group stages of the Champions League in 15-16 and scored one goal, they fared slightly better the year previous, winning one game in the Group Stage against Olympiacos, losing all the rest. They squeezed past the so-called lower opponents to get that far though on both occasions, 14-15 and 15-16, winning 1-0 on aggregate in their first European rounds.

It looks much worse than it is really. Either one of Malmo or Helsinki is winnable. Finnish football is on an even par with Irish football and they shouldn't fear Helsinki.

It's was proven last season by an underperforming Dundalk that Rosenborg were average enough.

Ludogorets and Legia are the sides they want to be avoiding.

[Pablo Escobar]

I want Malmo. If not, I want HJK. Rosenberg would give us an outside chance. Legia or Ludogorets, no chance.

[pineapple stu]

I think overall Finnish football is ahead of the LoI; look how comfortably Rovers were beaten a year or two ago for example.

But Cork (and Dundalk) are way ahead of the other LoI clubs, so that'll hopefully help even it up.

That said - not convinced by Caulfield in Europe. Some very poor results in the last three years

[bennocelt]

They lost 1-0 to AC Milan last year.

Beat Hoffenheim 2-1 at home and drew 1-1 away.

4 points off Braga too.

The year before, they drew v PSG and then lost 2-1 to Copenhagen.

They drew with Liverpool and lost by one goal to them in the CL groups.

Rubbish they are not


They are rubbish, that's just results you are reeling off wiki, good lad. Anyone can do that. I would much prefer you to tell me their style of play, their danger men, why you think they are a good team? Im sure Cork wouldn't just rely on the internet to check them out if they drew them.

It depends on what level you expect the LOi to be at. We should be moving on from jizzing or pants when we beat Maltese or Luxembourg (yes you UCD!! lol) teams. Dundalk set the bar high

[pineapple stu]

Yes, they're results. That's how you judge a team. You did it yourself - said they'd get hammered by any decent European side. Not true. They've results an LoI team can't even dream of. They're also quite consistent in the qualifying rounds, one upset against a Moldovan side apart. And of course, their budget is streets ahead of Cork's, and they seem to use it in part to mop up the best national talent, as seen by their record in the underage leagues.

"Rubbish" is a daft evaluation of them. They're better than Cork.

[Pablo Escobar]

I think overall Finnish football is ahead of the LoI; look how comfortably Rovers were beaten a year or two ago for example.

But Cork (and Dundalk) are way ahead of the other LoI clubs, so that'll hopefully help even it up.

That said - not convinced by Caulfield in Europe. Some very poor results in the last three years
We had a poor result against KR 3 years ago, but outside of that I couldn't say we haven't punched well above our weight.

[bennocelt]

Yes, they're results. That's how you judge a team. You did it yourself - said they'd get hammered by any decent European side. Not true. They've results an LoI team can't even dream of. They're also quite consistent in the qualifying rounds, one upset against a Moldovan side apart. And of course, their budget is streets ahead of Cork's, and they seem to use it in part to mop up the best national talent, as seen by their record in the underage leagues.

"Rubbish" is a daft evaluation of them. They're better than Cork.

Lol, your list just have them beating Hoffenheim. Thats it!!
Derry drew with PSG remember!! :)

I agree with your assessment on Caulfield in Europe and for that reason yes they would do a number on Cork, but as I said Id fancy Dundalk to do them. (Bate were/are streets ahead of them)

I think they are rubbish you think they are great. Thats it, you know they will draw them so.........:)

[pineapple stu]

Beating Braga, Dinamo Zagreb, Viktoria Plzen, PSV - these are results any LoI club would be delighted with. Ludogorets get them regularly. (They've beaten Serbian opposition three times out of three for example)

A 2-1 home defeat to Real Madrid in this day and age is literally unthinkable for an LoI side, as is reaching the last 32 of the Europa League three times in five years (and the last 16 once)

They are streets ahead of Cork. I'm not sure what you have to offer against that other than that once you watched them? You said any top side in Europe would hammer them - I've shown that's not true.


We had a poor result against KR 3 years ago, but outside of that I couldn't say we haven't punched well above our weight.
I thought last year was poor as well. Tame home and away defeats against a Cypriot side - albeit that the Cypriot league has improved lately. Narrow win against Linfield (Roy Carroll can only take so much credit!). Even the Levadia game looked ropey until the last 45 minutes, again with the proviso that those at the game seemed less concerned than those watching live updates. Hacken was a good win; Genk was a decent performance.

I'm not convinced yet.

[nigel-harps1954]

I think overall Finnish football is ahead of the LoI; look how comfortably Rovers were beaten a year or two ago for example.

But Cork (and Dundalk) are way ahead of the other LoI clubs, so that'll hopefully help even it up.

That said - not convinced by Caulfield in Europe. Some very poor results in the last three years

In fairness, Rovers were pathetically bad against RoPS.

[El-Pietro]

I thought last year was poor as well. Tame home and away defeats against a Cypriot side - albeit that the Cypriot league has improved lately. Narrow win against Linfield (Roy Carroll can only take so much credit!). Even the Levadia game looked ropey until the last 45 minutes, again with the proviso that those at the game seemed less concerned than those watching live updates. Hacken was a good win; Genk was a decent performance.

I'm not convinced yet.

You are spot on regarding Ludogorets. I think you are being unfair regarding our other results.
The Cypriots were very very good. We lost narrowly still and should have had penalties in both games. They were a clear level above us though.
Roy Carroll made about a million saves in both legs and we could have won those games by 10 easily with another game. We played very well in both games.
Hacken and Genk were very good performances. Especially away in Genk. They made it to the QF and they sold two of their best players after playing us. Ndidi is at the World Cup and starting for Nigeria.
We won 6-2 on aggregate against Levadia. We won both legs by two goals. I don't know what more we could do? We did let them back into it but we hammered the door shut late on.

[nigel-harps1954]

You are spot on regarding Ludogorets. I think you are being unfair regarding our other results.
The Cypriots were very very good. We lost narrowly still and should have had penalties in both games. They were a clear level above us though.
Roy Carroll made about a million saves in both legs and we could have won those games by 10 easily with another game. We played very well in both games.
Hacken and Genk were very good performances. Especially away in Genk. They made it to the QF and they sold two of their best players after playing us. Ndidi is at the World Cup and starting for Nigeria.
We won 6-2 on aggregate against Levadia. We won both legs by two goals. I don't know what more we could do? We did let them back into it but we hammered the door shut late on.

Leon Bailey was in that Genk side too. He's doing pretty well for himself at Bayer Leverkusen now.

[oriel]

Really nasty draw. There weren't many teams we would have been close to favourites against but we missed all of those. Even of the three you'd think we have an outside chance against include Malmo (who will be out for revenge for 2004) and Rosnborg (who will be wary of us after Dundalk last year) so we don't even get the element of surprise.


I think this is the key point, it was always going to be very hard to have a chance of drawing the weakest teams when you get to this competition. In 2016 for the 12 games Dundalk played, we were only favourites to win one match, at home to FH (and still didn’t win it !)

Really tough group for Cork though, I’d be surprised if they made it past any but you never know, will be a long shot mind. There is of course the nice cushion of going into EL round 2 though.

[El-Pietro]

We would probably have been officially underdogs against anyone but there were 2 or 3 teams that you would have been disappointed not to progress against. TNS the obvious one, but Zrinski Mostar caught my eye (mostly cos it looks like a really beautiful city) and I think we would have beaten FK Kukesi. Of course I'm not expert on Welsh, Bosnian or Albanian football and they might be much better than I'm giving them credit

If we were seeded then theres not many teams you'd be worried about on paper. i think Dundalk would be coming into this draw extremely confident had they won the league.

The issue with the new format is theres no real coefficient advantage gained from starting in the CL vs the EL. Other than the fact that you have the safety net of the EL to get you to a minimum one extra round. But if we win one tie and get to the third round, and Dundalk win both their seeded ties then we would both get the same coefficient. Two years ago when we reached the third round we got half of what getting knocked out in the third round of the CL paid off.

The great thing about getting the pre draw group today and seeing how horrible it is is that tmorrow we can be excited about getting Helsinki or Malmo, and we will be excited about the EL. If it had been an open draw and we had gotten one of those teams we'd probably have been a bit gutted (as we are today to an extent). I'm still buzzing though. I love Europe.

[Pablo Escobar]

I thought last year was poor as well. Tame home and away defeats against a Cypriot side - albeit that the Cypriot league has improved lately. Narrow win against Linfield (Roy Carroll can only take so much credit!). Even the Levadia game looked ropey until the last 45 minutes, again with the proviso that those at the game seemed less concerned than those watching live updates. Hacken was a good win; Genk was a decent performance.

I'm not convinced yet.

Linfield was 2016, and, in the words of Stephen Bradley, "we battered them" 2-1 on aggregate. It must also be said that we went on to beat Swedish opposition in the following round. People are giving us little chance of doing that this time around.

Last year we beat Levadia 6-2 on aggregate. Then we lost 2-0 over 2 legs to a side that were clearly a level or two above us. There really was no shame in losing to them. But they're not a household name so that's where the idea that it was a poor result probably comes from.

[pineapple stu]

I think it's more that it seemed ye never even got going against the Cypriots (and Cork beat Cypriot opposition the last time)

The Levadia game also seemed to be a slog at the time; was there a lucky goal in the away leg that finally got things underway? Can't remember now.

Obviously my views will likely be quite different to those of people who were at the game. And I am I suppose slightly biased by having Caulfield give me one of my bigger LoI laughs recently when I heard ye'd lost in Reykjavik (as I ordered another post-Dudelange pint :) )

Anyways, sure we shall see what the draw brings. I think we can agree that it's a tough pot, that there's some chances of getting out of it, but realistically it's odds against.

[patrickccfc]

The Levadia game also seemed to be a slog at the time; was there a lucky goal in the away leg that finally got things underway? Can't remember now.

We got a free kick outside the box, which resulted in one of their players getting q second yellow. Buckley put it in the bottom corner from the free kick. Levadia hit the crossbar before Stephen Beattie got the second

The draw hasn't been kind to us this year unfortunately. All hoping for Malmo or HJK.

[pineapple stu]

That's what it was alright; ten men

[Pablo Escobar]

I think we can agree that it's a tough pot, that there's some chances of getting out of it, but realistically it's odds against.

We can agree on that.

I feel Malmo are our best shot. We've always done well against the Swedes. We're 3 out of 4 to date, only losing 2-1 on aggregate to Hammarby in 2007. Malmo are having a poor season too. However, we'll be underdogs no matter who we get.

[El-Pietro]

http://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/season=2019/draws/round=2000986/

Group 4
1 Górnik Zabrze (POL)
2 Vardar (MKD)
3 Dinamo Minsk (BLR)
4 Spartak Subotica (SRB)
5 OFK Titograd (MNE)
6 Pyunik (ARM)
7 Zaria Balti (MDA)
8 Coleraine (NIR)
9 B36 Tórshavn (FRO) / St Joseph's (GIB)
10 Derry City (IRL)

Group 5
1 Hafnarfjördur (ISL)
2 Nordsjælland (DEN)
3 AIK (SWE)
4 Ventspils (LVA)
5 Shakhtyor Soligorsk (BLR)
6 Cliftonville (NIR)
7 Lahti (FIN)
8 Luftëtari (ALB)
9 Connah's Quay (WAL)
10 Shamrock Rovers (IRL)

Group 9
1 Rudar Velenje (SVN)
2 Dundalk (IRL)
3 Hibernian (SCO)
4 Sarpsborg (NOR)
5 Häcken (SWE)
6 København (DEN)
7 Levadia Tallinn (EST)
8 ÍBV (ISL)
9 KuPS Kuopio (FIN)
10 Liepāja (LVA)
11 Tre Fiori (SMR) / Bala Town (WAL)
12 NSÍ Runavík (FRO)

[EatYerGreens]

http://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/season=2019/draws/round=2000986/

Group 4
1 Górnik Zabrze (POL)
2 Vardar (MKD)
3 Dinamo Minsk (BLR)
4 Spartak Subotica (SRB)
5 OFK Titograd (MNE)
6 Pyunik (ARM)
7 Zaria Balti (MDA)
8 Coleraine (NIR)
9 B36 Tórshavn (FRO) / St Joseph's (GIB)
10 Derry City (IRL)

Group 5
1 Hafnarfjördur (ISL)
2 Nordsjælland (DEN)
3 AIK (SWE)
4 Ventspils (LVA)
5 Shakhtyor Soligorsk (BLR)
6 Cliftonville (NIR)
7 Lahti (FIN)
8 Luftëtari (ALB)
9 Connah's Quay (WAL)
10 Shamrock Rovers (IRL)

Group 9
1 Rudar Velenje (SVN)
2 Dundalk (IRL)
3 Hibernian (SCO)
4 Sarpsborg (NOR)
5 Häcken (SWE)
6 København (DEN)
7 Levadia Tallinn (EST)
8 ÍBV (ISL)
9 KuPS Kuopio (FIN)
10 Liepāja (LVA)
11 Tre Fiori (SMR) / Bala Town (WAL)
12 NSÍ Runavík (FRO)

I'd summarise that as handy for Dundalk, not too bad for Rovers, and not great/looking expensive for Derry City.

[pineapple stu]

That's horrendous for Derry.

Will be a fantastic trip for the few who go, but you could hardly pick a worse pot.

[RathfarnhamHoop]

It's not possible for the Cross to be upgraded to category 4, not enough space for it to be done.

Only 2 more days to the draw!!!!

It'd be expensive, require cooperation from locals and the council and require some creative thinking but it is possible, probably not practical though.

[Nesta99]

Wales/San Marino thanks!

Tough enough pot for Rovers too.

[micls]

It'd be expensive, require cooperation from locals and the council and require some creative thinking but it is possible, probably not practical though.

Definitely not practical. It would mean buying all the houses behind the Derrynane. It's in all practical terms, not possible.

[micls]

Tough group for Derry! They've been screwed with the draw for a few years now. Given their current form too.

[Candystripe]

Tough group for Derry! They've been screwed with the draw for a few years now. Given their current form too.

The only possible way we could advance is maybe against OFK and that is if we get our early Brandywell form back.

Can our new signings play, we're signing four players on the 1st if July apparently.

[sbgawa]

Yep they can all play. As can Manus for us plus whoever else we sign , badly need to replace Graham burkes goals

[nigel-harps1954]

Ludogorets v Crusaders
Cork City v Legia Warsaw

Christ...

[micls]

Disaster.

[osarusan]

F**king horrible draw.

[brendy_éire]

Harsh draw.

The only plus side is that it's easy to get to.

Even worse for Crues, nightmare.

[nigel-harps1954]

Safety net! Cork lose and they go straight into the third qualifying round EL.

[ArFella]

Safety net! Cork lose and they go straight into the third qualifying round EL.

2nd round I think.

[Pablo Escobar]

2nd round I think.

No, we got the 'bye'. 3rd round is correct now.

[brendy_éire]

No, we got the 'bye'. 3rd round is correct now.

That's a massive boost, at least. Handy extra cash.

[nigel-harps1954]

That's a massive boost, at least. Handy extra cash.

Will they get the 2nd qualifying round cash even with a bye though?

[brendy_éire]

Will they get the 2nd qualifying round cash even with a bye though?

You'd have to imagine they would.

[El-Pietro]

Downside is no trip for the second round if we lose to Warsaw (when we lose) and that would have been a winnable tie in theory. Now we could get Midtylland or someone in the third round and lose all our games and be done. There are some potential beatable sides there if all seeds win their ties though so playoff is not out of the question. Coefficient points for reaching the third round in the bag before we even kick a ball, plus the prize money I guess.

[nigel-harps1954]

That's a fair win-win for Cork in that case. Only one round from a Europa League playoff at that too.

[ArFella]

No, we got the 'bye'. 3rd round is correct now.

Ahh ok, not so bad so. Be a tough a round to enter but will give ye an extra week off that we won't have, unless we get knocked out before hand but I'd be hopeful we will both make it that far at least and then who knows what might happen!

[El-Pietro]

Ahh ok, not so bad so. Be a tough a round to enter but will give ye an extra week off that we won't have, unless we get knocked out before hand but I'd be hopeful we will both make it that far at least and then who knows what might happen!

These are the expected seeded sides as things stand for EL QR3 in the Champions Path. Some tricky sides, some winnable ties there.
FC Midtjylland
Red Star Belgrade
Hapoel Beer-Sheva
Rosenborg BK
HJK Helsinki
The New Saints
Videoton Fehérvár
FK Kukësi
CFR Cluj
Zrinjski Mostar

[bennocelt]

Beating Braga, Dinamo Zagreb, Viktoria Plzen, PSV - these are results any LoI club would be delighted with. Ludogorets get them regularly. (They've beaten Serbian opposition three times out of three for example)

A 2-1 home defeat to Real Madrid in this day and age is literally unthinkable for an LoI side, as is reaching the last 32 of the Europa League three times in five years (and the last 16 once)

They are streets ahead of Cork. I'm not sure what you have to offer against that other than that once you watched them? You said any top side in Europe would hammer them - I've shown that's not true.

.

Well my team Basel hammered them 4-0 easy enough:p and would be delighted to get them again. I am sorry I should relaise that 90% of all European teams are class compared to a LOI team.
Just a well organised team would beat them no problem, thats my opinion after looking at them more than once in Europe, 4 times in fact, twice in st jakob. have you seen them yourself?
Cant win games on paper

edit: god damn, missed the draw, and rushed home early, tsk bloody cet times!
awful draw for cork, christ

[White Horse]

If it wasn't for any idiot ref giving an idiotic penalty giving a penalty against Andy Boyle....

Dundalk had the measure of Legia, they are beatable. This is the chance for Cork to lay down a marker and show the wider sporting public what they are made of.

Caulfield needs to drum into them that there is no safety net. Forget the Europa League.

Go out and beat the Poles lads and do the league proud. All real LOI fans will be behind you.

[Real ale Madrid]

If it wasn't for any idiot ref giving an idiotic penalty giving a penalty against Andy Boyle....

Dundalk had the measure of Legia, they are beatable. This is the chance for Cork to lay down a marker and show the wider sporting public what they are made of.

Caulfield needs to drum into them that there is no safety net. Forget the Europa League.

Go out and beat the Poles lads and do the league proud. All real LOI fans will be behind you.

Beat Finnish champions 9-0 on agg last season - I get the impression they have improved further.

On the other side pressure off may help us. Dundalk and Pats have both gotten results over there in the recent past. They won't have played any competitive games and have 2 players in the Polish squad for the world cup, where its not inconceivable that they are still in that a week before we play Legia.

[pineapple stu]

If it wasn't for any idiot ref giving an idiotic penalty giving a penalty against Andy Boyle....

Dundalk had the measure of Legia, they are beatable. This is the chance for Cork to lay down a marker and show the wider sporting public what they are made of.

Problem is the money Legia earned from beating Dundalk means that they should now be pretty much untouchable by Cork now.

Cork City - ridden rock solid once more...

[oriel]

You'd have to imagine they would.


I`m pretty sure you only get cash for the rounds you play in, so I don’t think Cork will be eligible for payment for EL round 2 should they lose to Legia.

It’s a very tough draw and I think Legia have got stronger since they beat us on agg, but we drew over there, should have won really, they scored equaliser in the 92nd min, but won 3-1 on agg to be fair, so although it’s a huge ask, it’s not completely impossible, Legia will obviously be massive odds on to progress though.

Nice bonus of skipping EL round 2 should they lose (winning the draw for the tie that gets the bye), I`m assuming Cork will be unseeded for round 3, as this was one I was looking at before. Should Dundalk make it that far, we will no longer be seeded, so likes of Burnley, Besiktas, Seville, Atalanta, Bordeaux, Sparta etc will all be there and seeded, assuming they all navigate past round 2.