LOI in Europe 2023

Historic scenes in Sweden as Klaksvik dumped Hacken out after a pen shoot out, and fully deserved over the 2 legs. Klaksvik were seeded in that draw having taken on Ferencvarous' coef.
Copenhagen are CL group stage pedigree with 3 home draws, 2 of them against Europa league finalists. It's no wonder they outclassed Breidablik, who would've thought otherwise. Rovers in all probability were fortunate not to be paired with Klaksvik, and manage to just surrender meekly to a low pedigree Ferencvarous.

An interesting tidbit, 6 of the 9 goals in Copenhagen were scored by Icelanders including a hatrick scored by the the son of Breidablik's manager.

Servette had quite a result tonight aswell,red card in the 3rd minute and winning on penalties after being pretty big underdogs in the game....

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Originally Posted by Philosophizer

Faroese team guaranteed group stage. Breidablik battered by Copenhagen, and Dudelange dumped out by a team from Malta.

Really puts in perspective how badly Rovers and Pats did this year.

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I can't dispute the poor performances, but to be fair (based on Transfermarkt) that Maltese team have cast the net fairly wide for their player pool with a squad that includes 7 Brazilians, 3 Colombians, 3 Croatians, a Uruguayan, an Albanian, a Jamaican, a Ghanaian and a Frenchman alongside a handful of Maltese.

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Originally Posted by Munster Saint

I can't dispute the poor performances, but to be fair (based on Transfermarkt) that Maltese team have cast the net fairly wide for their player pool with a squad that includes 7 Brazilians, 3 Colombians, 3 Croatians, a Uruguayan, an Albanian, a Jamaican, a Ghanaian and a Frenchman alongside a handful of Maltese.

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Were very fortunate to get past the Glens.

Potential good news for Derry as Basel lead 2-0 in the first half in Kazakhstan - means they've levelled the tie 3-3 on aggregate now and are probably favourites to advance. Winners play either Derry or KuPS in the next round. Logistically Basel is a heck of a site easier than somewhere on the Russian border in northern Kazakhstan.

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Originally Posted by pineapple stu

Potential good news for Derry as Basel lead 2-0 in the first half in Kazakhstan - means they've levelled the tie 3-3 on aggregate now and are probably favourites to advance. Winners play either Derry or KuPS in the next round. Logistically Basel is a heck of a site easier than somewhere on the Russian border in northern Kazakhstan.

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I hadn’t thought of it that way. I was thinking they’d have preferred to play a team who are ranked well below a club of Basel’s level. Your thinking makes sense though, if the Kazakh's were to knock Basel out then it’s fairly likely they’d beat Derry handy enough anyways so avoiding the financial and logistical burden of a trip to Kazakhstan is probably the best Derry can hope for in the 3rd round (if they get there).

Kazakh's have pulled a goal back and lead 4–3 on aggregate after 55 mins

Full time in Kazakhstan, a trip to Asia awaits Derry or KuPS

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Originally Posted by 2 Year Contract

I hadn’t thought of it that way. I was thinking they’d have preferred to play a team who are ranked well below a club of Basel’s level. Your thinking makes sense though, if the Kazakh's were to knock Basel out then it’s fairly likely they’d beat Derry handy enough anyways so avoiding the financial and logistical burden of a trip to Kazakhstan is probably the best Derry can hope for in the 3rd round (if they get there).

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Yep - although the LoI did beat Kazakh opposition the only time they met (Pat's in 2011), so you never know.

That said, I'm one of those who'd almost prefer to go to northern Kazakhstan over Basel; sounds far more interesting. Though Basel have the advantage of being a genuinely big club, and playing somewhere like the Joggeli is something LoI clubs don't get to experience too often. Even if, on current season form, any LoI club going there could get thumped.

1-0 Derry - Cian Kavangh

Derry haven't read the memo and take the lead in Finland! 3-1 up now

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Originally Posted by pineapple stu

Logistically Basel is a heck of a site easier than somewhere on the Russian border in northern Kazakhstan.

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Tell me about it! For not only is Kazakhstan east of Pakistan(!), but since Putin invaded Ukraine, most of the normal air routes (i.e. via Moscow) are now unavailable. Generally have to go via Istanbul, though Frankfurt may also be available?

That said, it wouldn't take too long a session in a Swiss bar to swallow up the saving on the air fare! ;)

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Originally Posted by pineapple stu

Derry haven't read the memo and take the lead in Finland! 3-1 up now

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Kups equaliser 1-1 (2-3 aggregate)

Ha! Linfield, 5-2 down to Pogon after the first leg in Belfast, have just gone 1-0 up in Poland. They couldn't could they? :eek:

Nah, the Poles are probably playing their U-15's. Which should still be enough. :p

Maher didn’t cover himself in glory for the equaliser….

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Originally Posted by joey B

Maher didn’t cover himself in glory for the equaliser….

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Kups now 2-1 up on the day, approaching H-T.

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Originally Posted by pineapple stu

Yep - although the LoI did beat Kazakh opposition the only time they met (Pat's in 2011), so you never know.

That said, I'm one of those who'd almost prefer to go to northern Kazakhstan over Basel; sounds far more interesting. Though Basel have the advantage of being a genuinely big club, and playing somewhere like the Joggeli is something LoI clubs don't get to experience too often. Even if, on current season form, any LoI club going there could get thumped.

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Kazakhstan looks amazing. Watched a travel show about it recently on YouTube. Check out CoolVision.

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Originally Posted by EalingGreen

Kups now 2-1 up on the day, approaching H-T.

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Damn! Derry had started so well. I had high hopes for them after the early goal.
Looks like McEleney went off after 30 mins.

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Originally Posted by Philosophizer

Kazakhstan looks amazing. Watched a travel show about it recently on YouTube. Check out CoolVision.

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Nearly took a train through it ten years ago but left it too late to get a visa. Had to go the full Trans-Siberian route instead and then down through Mongolia - though was also cool, but I'm conscious I've to come back to Kazakhstan alright!

Santa Coloma of Andorra have beaten Niksic of Montenegro 2-0 and are heading for extra time. That'll bring Hibs fans out in a cold sweat as they wait for their game against Andorran opposition later tonight (which they trail from the first leg)

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Originally Posted by pineapple stu

Derry haven't read the memo and take the lead in Finland! 3-1 up now

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I wish these George Hamilton types would just get lost!!

That pitch in Finland looks awful, massive advantage for the home side and just not on!!

Im genuinely shocked this tactic of sitting back and defending our lead backfired.