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Women's Champions League 2017-18

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    Women's Champions League 2017-18

    After a couple of seasons hitching a ride on the men's UCL threads, time for the UWCL to fly solo. The final is, like the UCL, in Kiev in May, but in Valeriy Lobanovskyi rather than the Olimpiyskiy.

    And qualifying starts today.

    49 of the 55 UEFA members have entered at least one team, giving a record 61 entrants.

    The absent nations are Andorra, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Gibraltar, Liechtenstein and San Marino. The latter two do not actually have a women's football league, while Andorra's women's league is not 11-a-side. The champions of Armenia (Yerevan LH), Azerbaijan (Gabala) and Gibraltar (Lincoln Red Imps) did not enter.

    Georgia are entering a team for the first time since 2010–11, while Luxembourg return after a one-year absence.

    The top twelve leagues by coefficient each get two entrants - that's Germany, France, Sweden, England, Spain, Russia, Italy, Denmark, Czechia, Austria, Scotland and Norway - so the Dutch, new European Champions, have only one club side participating (Ajax, who won the league ahead of Twente last season).

    The competition:
    • The main competition is a straight knockout of 32 teams, with home and away legs except for the Final.
    • 21 teams go straight to the last 32: this is the champions and runners-up from associations 1–9 and the champions but not the runners-up from associations 10, 11 and 12. Defending Champions Lyon are in this batch of teams, though Paris SG, who made the Final last season, will not be in the competition at all.
    • These teams are: Wolfsburg (CH), Bayern Munich(RU), Lyon (CH), Montpellier (RU), Linköping (CH), Rosengård (RU), Manchester City (CH), Chelsea (RU), Atlético Madrid (CH), Barcelona (RU), Rossiyanka (CH), Zvezda Perm (RU), Fiorentina (CH), Brescia (RU), Brøndby (CH), Fortuna Hjørring(RU), Slavia Praha (CH), Sparta Praha(RU), St. Pölten (CH), Glasgow City(CH), Lillestrøm (CH)

    • The remaining 40 teams must compete in the qualifiers for the other 11 places.

    Qualifying round 22, 25, 28 August 2017
    Round of 32 4–5 October 2017 11–12 October 2017
    Round of 16 8–9 November 2017 15–16 November 2017
    Quarter-finals 21–22 March 2018 28–29 March 2018
    Semi-finals 21–22 April 2018 28–29 April 2018
    Final 24 May 2018
    Qualifying:
    • The 40 teams were allocated into four seeding positions.
    • They were drawn into ten groups of four.
    • First, the ten teams which were pre-selected as group hosts were drawn from their own designated pot and allocated to their respective group as per their seeding positions.
    • Next, the remaining 30 teams were drawn from their respective pot which were allocated according to their seeding positions.
    • In each group, teams play against each other in a round-robin mini-tournament at the pre-selected hosts' ground.
    • The ten group winners plus one runner-up (with the best record against the teams finishing first and third in their group) advance to the round of 32 to join the 21 teams which received a bye.
    • The qualifiying matches are played on 22, 25 and 28 August 2017.

    Info on the Wiki here:
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2017–1...alifying_round
    Last edited by Kevin S; 22-08-2017, 11:37.

    #2
    So Swansea (representing Wales) join Hibernian (who have to qualify unlike last season) in a trip to Cluj for their mini tournament this week.

    And indeed they kicked off some time ago. Looks like Hibs are going to cruise to victory.
    Last edited by Kevin S; 22-08-2017, 11:39.

    Comment


      #3
      Shelbourne have been drawn in the same group as Linfield, with all the matches in Belfast.

      Shelbourne's opponents this afternoon are multiple Polish champions Medyk Konin, who are experienced at CL level, having qualified successfully to the last 32 in each of the past three seasons.
      Last edited by Kevin S; 22-08-2017, 11:45.

      Comment


        #4
        So a few morning results to start off: Hibs 5-0 Swansea, Ajax 6-0 Riga, and PAOK 8-0 Bettembourg (Lux).

        Comment


          #5
          Somewhat improbably, there's a live stream of Shelbourne (dark blue) and Medyk Konin (red):
          Last edited by Kevin S; 22-08-2017, 13:32.

          Comment


            #6
            Even more improbably, perhaps, Shelbourne are bossing possession here.
            Last edited by Kevin S; 22-08-2017, 13:32.

            Comment


              #7
              Hmmm. Have I got these teams' kits the wrong way round? I can't make out names or badges. What I thought was black is actually a very, very, very dark blue, and the crowd seem to favour that team.

              Edit - yes, I had, and have edited above.
              Last edited by Kevin S; 22-08-2017, 13:33.

              Comment


                #8
                Ah, confirmed:
                https://twitter.com/WSUasa/status/899986117575016448

                Comment


                  #9
                  0-0 as we start the second half.

                  In the last three seasons, Medyk Konin's record in UWCL qualifiers is P9 W9 D0 L0 F49 A2, just to put that into perspective.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Shelbourne down to 10 as a red card and penalty are given against them. No-one seems to know why. But the spot kick is missed.

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Incredible, Shelbourne hold on for the draw!

                      Here's the big talking point:
                      https://twitter.com/WSUasa/status/900006178591305728

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Excellent intro, thanks Kev. Good to see this competition get a thread of its own.

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Cheers SdR. In that Belfast group, hosts Linfield lost their opener 1-0 to PK-35 Vantaa. I guess Shelbourne will be looking for seven points.

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Shelbourne 0-0 with PK-35 Vantaa in stoppage time. Probably need a win to be in with a good chance of qualifying though.

                            Edit- full time.

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Ajax picked up a second win so looking good in their group, though they still trail Standard Liége so need the third win I suppose.
                              Last edited by Kevin S; 25-08-2017, 20:24.

                              Comment


                                #16
                                Hibs drew their second game and will need to beat group hosts Cluj to be certain of reaching the last 32.

                                Comment


                                  #17
                                  Swansea and Linfield have both been eliminated.

                                  Shelbourne have to beat Linfield by at least four, I think, and hope that the other match is a draw. They won't get through if they finish second as they will only have two points from the two games that count.
                                  Last edited by Kevin S; 25-08-2017, 20:35.

                                  Comment


                                    #18
                                    So, here's how qualification panned out.

                                    Group 1: Gintra Universitetas of Lithuania won all three games.

                                    Group 2: Olimpia Cluj secured the 1-1 draw with Hibs to win the group on seven points, so only one Scottish team makes the last 32 this season. Swansea didn't score, and conceded 17.

                                    Group 3: Ajax defeated Standard Liège 3-0 in the crucial game to win the group with 9 points.

                                    Group 4: Medyk Konin did not slip up in their final game and won the group with 7 points. Shelbourne finished second, undefeated, with 5 points while Linfield took the wooden spoon.

                                    Group 5: Apollon Limassol breezed through this one.

                                    Group 6: Minsk win the group on goal difference from Zürich, with both teams on 7 points, but as the only second placed team in this position, Zürich are through as the best runner up.

                                    Group 7: Icelanders Stjarnan took the full 9 points.

                                    Group 8: BIIK Kazygurt of Kazakhstan won all three games, including a 2-1 win over Sporting, and qualify for the fourth season in a row.

                                    Group 9: Norway's Avaldsnes qualify again after picking up 9 points.

                                    Group 10: PAOK are through with three wins.

                                    Comment


                                      #19
                                      So the draw for the last 32 matches takes place on Thursday lunchtime. Here are the seedings:

                                      Seeded in round of 32 draw Unseeded in round of 32 draw

                                      Comment


                                        #20
                                        By being in the bottom half of the draw, Chelsea end up with a tough tie against Bayern Munich. Probably the tie of the round. Wolfsburg v Atletico Madrid is another tie that sounds like it could be in the Men's UCL.

                                        Man City v St Polten of Austria and Glasgow City v BIIK Kazygurt.

                                        Ties to be played 4/5 October and 11/12 October.

                                        Comment


                                          #21
                                          Excellent coverage there Kev.

                                          Comment


                                            #22
                                            Barcelona's new gaff:

                                            [COLOR=#14171A][FONT=&quot]https://twitter.com/Fotbulive/status/908299691024113664[/FONT][/COLOR]
                                            Last edited by Kevin S; 14-09-2017, 12:02.

                                            Comment


                                              #23
                                              Originally posted by Doraemon View Post
                                              By being in the bottom half of the draw, Chelsea end up with a tough tie against Bayern Munich. Probably the tie of the round. Wolfsburg v Atletico Madrid is another tie that sounds like it could be in the Men's UCL.

                                              Man City v St Polten of Austria and Glasgow City v BIIK Kazygurt.

                                              Ties to be played 4/5 October and 11/12 October.
                                              Don't know how well this will display, but here's the draw:

                                              Comment


                                                #24
                                                How did you do that?

                                                It works perfectly. Even the links (to the clubs' Wiki pages and stubs for match reports) are live.

                                                For those who have been to Barcelona, the Estadi Johan Cruyff (at FCB's Ciutat Esportiva training ground just outside the city) is the replacement for the Mini Estadi next door to the Camp Nou. The Mini Estadi is being knocked down for the construction of a new Palau Blaugrana, an indoor arena for the basketball, handball, roller hockey and other indoor sport teams of the club (as well as for concerts and the like).
                                                Last edited by ursus arctos; 14-09-2017, 12:15.

                                                Comment


                                                  #25
                                                  Originally posted by ursus arctos View Post
                                                  How did you do that?

                                                  It works perfectly. Even the links (to the clubs' Wiki pages and stubs for match reports) are live.
                                                  I think we have Snake to thank. I just copied and pasted from Wiki. Though I had to delete all the flags as they were taking the character count too high (behind each flag would be another link, I think).

                                                  For those who have been to Barcelona, the Estadi Johan Cruyff (at FCB's Ciutat Esportiva training ground just outside the city) is the replacement for the Mini Estadi next door to the Camp Nou. The Mini Estadi is being knocked down for the construction of a new Palau Blaugrana, an indoor arena for the basketball, handball, roller hockey and other indoor sport teams of the club (as well as for concerts and the like).
                                                  Ah, thanks ursus. What do you think this will do to the attendances for FCBf, or the other sports? Presumably FCBf are increasing in profile at the moment?

                                                  Comment

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