Champions League 2016-17

[TheBoss]

Going through the winners of the 2nd Qualifying Round, there was no major surprise. There does be at least 1 or 2 over the years, maybe the 3rd Round is the round of the shocks.

[Gather round]

Lamping all resources into one big club?

I would wager it's a typical IL club having a brutal attitude towards Europe

I didn't get to see either leg this year. A lot of Crues fans (as well as the management) are sounding upbeat about the tie. But I'd say 0-9 against anyone, even Barca or Bayern, is embarrassing.

Did you see Crusaders' results in the last two years- won tis against Lithuanian and Estonian teams and a leg against the Albanians. Were they "brutal" too? Did the bookie pay out on your big wager

Glenavon's effort was probably worse. Not because they skimped on warm-up friendlies or chartering a plane, but as the players basically gave up when they went two or three goals behind at home. Hamilton immediately took responsibility. Baxter could/ should have done likewise even if he thought the team kept going until the end.

[OwlsFan]

I see Pat Fenlon thinks Dundalk's plan is to score a crucial away goal http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2016/...ial-away-goal/ Didn't they get one last season and lose ? It's no wonder Rovers sacked him. Surely the plan is not to lose. Good luck to them tonight.

[Charlie Darwin]

I'd say Kenny knows as well as anyone that they'd more than likely need an away goal to get anything out of the game.

[pineapple stu]

Mad result in Cyprus. Rosenborg, holding on to a 2-1 first leg lead, were 0-0 away to APOEL Nicosia going into injury time - and lost 3-0.

So presume they conceded, got caught attacking for an equaliser which would have sent them through, and then got caught again attacking for a goal which would have brought it to extra time.

[OwlsFan]

Crvena Zvezda (aka Red Star Belgrade) 2-4 Ludo Razgd was another interesting one. The George Hamilton of the Belgrade media was no doubt in raptures at the 2 away goals in the 2-2 draw in Bulgaria. Soon wiped out in the home leg but they fight back to 2-2 but the Bulgars score 2 in extra time.

[DeLorean]

Not sure I knew that they were Red Star.

The first European Cup final I ever watched was when the beat Chris Waddle's Marseille in 1991. They had some team but it was a typical 'two teams cancelling each other out' final with not too many risks being taken.

They played Cork City in more recent years, I heard they were very impressed with Turners Cross when they thought it was only Cork's training pitch. No idea if there was any truth in that though!

[CraftyToePoke]

I heard they were very impressed with Turners Cross when they thought it was only Cork's training pitch. No idea if there was any truth in that though!

Ah Jaysus.

[DeLorean]

Don't shoot the messenger.

I must admit it seemed more likely to be of an apocryphal nature to me too.

[DeLorean]

Full group stage draw

Group A: Paris St-Germain (France), Arsenal (England), Basel (Switzerland), Ludogorets (Bulgaria).

Group B: Benfica (Portugal), Napoli (Italy), Dynamo Kiev (Ukraine), Besiktas (Turkey).

Group C: Barcelona (Spain), Manchester City (England), Borussia Monchengladbach (Germany), Celtic (Scotland).

Group D: Bayern Munich (Germany), Atletico Madrid (Spain), PSV Eindhoven (Netherlands), Rostov (Russia).

Group E: CSKA Moscow (Russia), Bayer Leverkusen (Germany), Tottenham (England), Monaco (France).

Group F: Real Madrid (Spain), Borussia Dortmund (Germany), Sporting Lisbon (Portugal), Legia Warsaw (Poland).

Group G: Leicester City (England), Porto (Portugal), Club Brugge (Belgium), FC Copenhagen (Denmark).

Group H: Juventus (Italy), Sevilla (Spain), Lyon (France), Dinamo Zagreb (Croatia).

[BonnieShels]

Does anyone care?

[DeLorean]

Not really in fairness. Group stages are pretty dull, maybe if they stopped seeding it. It's a bit like the GAA football championship... wake me up for the quarter finals.

[BonnieShels]

Not really in fairness. Group stages are pretty dull, maybe if they stopped seeding it. It's a bit like the GAA football championship... wake me up for the quarter finals.

Even then it's dull. Same teams over and over. At least in the AI I have a team.

[OwlsFan]

Does anyone care?

I hear what you're saying but Group C is great. The rest should be predictable. Pity Dundalk didn't make Group F. That would have made two interesting groups.

[pineapple stu]

Group G will be interesting in fairness.

But yeah. The Europa League is where it's at in general. Far more interesting.

[DeLorean]

Group G will be interesting in fairness.

Would it be too mainstream and uncool to suggest Group C might be worth keeping an eye on?

[pineapple stu]

Nope. Could be some great matches in Group C. Celtic may even have a say if they can get some a stirring home result or two, though they should still come bottom. The main question is whether Gladbach are of the standard of the other German qualifiers, and can put it up to Real and Man City.

Can only imagine things getting less intereting if there's 4 guaranteed teams from England/Spain/Italy/Germany each season - plus the Europa League winner of course.

I'll tend to watch the final (which is often disappointing), but other than that and LoI teams, I can't remember the last CL game I deliberately watched. Possible Bayern v Man City a few years ago, when Bayern scored twice in the final five minutes. Or was that Real v Man City?

[DeLorean]

Yeah, it seems straightforward enough in terms of where the teams might end up in the group but possibly some okay games in isolation. Celtic travel to Barcelona first, probably not ideal and then host Manchester City. There should be some atmosphere there for that.

The Bayern - Juventus, Atletico - Bayern and Atletico - Barca ties were by a mile the pick of the bunch last season, but particularly the former two.

[BonnieShels]

Yeah, it seems straightforward enough in terms of where the teams might end up in the group but possibly some okay games in isolation. Celtic travel to Barcelona first, probably not ideal and then host Manchester City. There should be some atmosphere there for that.

The Bayern - Juventus, Atletico - Bayern and Atletico - Barca ties were by a mile the pick of the bunch last season, but particularly the former two.

I tend to have a rule of watching Dortmund and Atletico matches first and foremost. But those Bayern-Juve matches were brilliant. Though I was sick to my stomach at the end of the second leg.

[geysir]

The quality of the CL draw doesn't look different from any draw in that past. If a minnow team like Dundalk were in there than maybe there would be some interest here, what an event it was, what a great competition it was and thanks very much for the manna from heaven CL cash subsidy which is paid direct to each club in the top league.
In all the previous CL group stage match evenings, it would be a rare event for me not to find one game of interest, one game of quality.
I'm looking forward to the group stages.