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Champions League 2018/19: A Visca Wanda

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    #51
    The team I have decided to call Székesfehérvár go through again to my surprise

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      #52
      Play-Off Draw

      Champions path
      Crvena zvezda (SRB) v Salzburg (AUT)
      BATE Borisov (BLR) v PSV Eindhoven (NED)
      Young Boys (SUI) v Dinamo Zagreb (CRO)
      Vidi (HUN) v AEK Athens (GRE)

      League path
      Benfica (POR) v PAOK (GRE)
      Ajax (NED) v Dynamo Kyiv (UKR)

      The six play-off winners will join the 26 automatic entrants in the group stage draw on 30 August.

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        #53
        Ajax v Kiev would've been a believable quarter final once upon a time.

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          #54
          Let's just hope Red Star can see off Red Bull

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            #55
            Listening to radio score updates last night and I wondered, when did Ay-Eee-Kay Athens become Ike Athens? Or has it always been thus?

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              #56
              This long, drawn-out qualification system is such wank. The only interest in this for me is where I'll be going for my midweek jaunts. I don't see Manchester United doing much better than last season, and I see Manchester City improving. Plus all the usual suspects.

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                #57
                I'm hoping against hope that the six qualifiers get through the groups and eliminate clubs who got group slots despite finishing third or fourth in their leagues, otherwise the qualifiers are just window dressing to create some illusion that this is still an open competition.

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                  #58
                  Originally posted by Third rate Leszno View Post
                  Listening to radio score updates last night and I wondered, when did Ay-Eee-Kay Athens become Ike Athens? Or has it always been thus?
                  The local pronunciation is something like Ayek, so that seems fair enough.

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                    #59
                    Originally posted by Satchmo Distel View Post
                    I'm hoping against hope that the six qualifiers get through the groups and eliminate clubs who got group slots despite finishing third or fourth in their leagues, otherwise the qualifiers are just window dressing to create some illusion that this is still an open competition.
                    Only four of those six actually won their leagues, of course.

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                      #60
                      The reason the qualifying is so drawn out is because the 43 champions from countries ranked 12th and down are battling for a mere four places in the groups. Time to revert to a straight knockout, champions only format, surely.

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                        #61
                        Originally posted by Third rate Leszno View Post
                        Only four of those six actually won their leagues, of course.
                        Correction accepted, and it's possible Ajax will make the group stage and PSV not do so, which makes no sense at all and must be a concern to PSV. Ditto PAOK and AEK. Imagine if
                        Man U, who finished 19 points behind Man City last season, had a chance to take only one group slot allocated to English clubs and it all came down to a play-off round in August.

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                          #62
                          Ajax and PSV were thrilled to benefit from the Champions League when the Netherlands had more places (indeed, both clubs were active in the negotiations that established the system).

                          It seems more than a bit rich for such clubs to bemoan the format now that their own performances in Europe have meant that they are no longer automatic invitees.

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                            #63
                            Originally posted by ursus arctos View Post
                            Ajax and PSV were thrilled to benefit from the Champions League when the Netherlands had more places (indeed, both clubs were active in the negotiations that established the system).

                            It seems more than a bit rich for such clubs to bemoan the format now that their own performances in Europe have meant that they are no longer automatic invitees.
                            Very true, think Satchmo's point though is that it seems obscene that PSV as Dutch champions have to battle through the qualifiers via the 'Champions Path', and could easily end dropping out while Ajax progress from the 'League Path' without playing a reigning champion. (The league route is a round longer and the opposition is probably more challenging, but it does seem a bit nuts that a countries runners-up could be in the groups but not their champions)

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                              #64
                              For me, it always comes down to whether one believes the competition should match league champions or the best teams in Europe (the disconnect between those two criteria becoming ever more distant).

                              Even if one were able to put the massive commercial considerations aside, my preference is for the latter, though I certainly understand and appreciate those who think otherwise (and myself miss the time when the UEFA Cup was arguably harder to win that its big-eared counterpart).

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                                #65
                                Originally posted by seand View Post
                                Very true, think Satchmo's point though is that it seems obscene that PSV as Dutch champions have to battle through the qualifiers via the 'Champions Path', and could easily end dropping out while Ajax progress from the 'League Path' without playing a reigning champion. (The league route is a round longer and the opposition is probably more challenging, but it does seem a bit nuts that a countries runners-up could be in the groups but not their champions)
                                This has probably been possible for while (before the Champions Route was introduced) so I wonder if the scenario has already happened.

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                                  #66
                                  BT Sport has all three playoff games on tonight, and BATE Borisov have just taken the lead over PSV.

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                                    #67
                                    BATE - PSV is on Univision Deportes in the US

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                                      #68
                                      BATE - PSV has been a good game.

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                                        #69
                                        Missed the middle bit of it, but yeah, it’s been lively. An away trip there looks like it’d be great fun.

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                                          #70
                                          BATEshit crazy if you ask me.

                                          Alexander Hleb, still scoring goals in the Champions League.

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                                            #71
                                            Benfica won’t be delighted with a 1-1 draw at home to PAOK. Fizzy energy drink Franchise will be slightly happier taking a goalless scoreline into their home tie.

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                                              #72
                                              Ajax are doing a very entertaining conceptual art piece against Dinamo Kiev where they try and come up with new ways to almost score. Aside from a number of relatively mundane good chances, there's been a penalty off the post that rebounded straight to the taker, who then put it over the bar, and perhaps the best of them all, two Ajax players scuffing chances back and forth between each other from approximately 2 yards out.

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                                                #73
                                                Young Boys have come from a goal down to win in Zagreb and qualify for the group stage for the first time. Ajax held Dynamo Kiev, so they qualify on the back of their 3-1 home leg victory, and AEK Athens have drawn with MOL Vidi to advance 3-2 on aggregate.

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                                                  #74
                                                  Originally posted by Third rate Leszno View Post
                                                  Ajax held Dynamo Kiev, so they qualify on the back of their 3-1 home leg victory,
                                                  Excellent. The last five times Ajax qualified for the CL group stage, they had either Barcelona or Real Madrid in their group. Something else would be nice, this time around.

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                                                    #75
                                                    Originally posted by scratchmonkey View Post
                                                    Ajax are doing a very entertaining conceptual art piece against Dinamo Kiev where they try and come up with new ways to almost score. Aside from a number of relatively mundane good chances, there's been a penalty off the post that rebounded straight to the taker, who then put it over the bar, and perhaps the best of them all, two Ajax players scuffing chances back and forth between each other from approximately 2 yards out.
                                                    I had this on in the background during the afternoon. It was even more frustrating than watching River Plate. Although less so in as much as I was aware Ajax had in fact scored a goal at some point earlier this month.

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