UEFA Champions League 2011-12

[Arai]

3rd Round Qualifying draw result:

Champions Route

FK Mogren (MNE)/PFC Litex Lovech (BUL) v Skonto FC (LVA)/Wisła Kraków (POL)
Maccabi Haifa FC (ISR)/FK Borac Banja Luka (BIH) v NK Maribor (SVN)/F91 Dudelange (LUX)
HJK Helsinki (FIN)/Bangor City FC (WAL) v NK Dinamo Zagreb (CRO)/Neftçi PFK (AZE)
KS Skënderbeu (ALB)/APOEL FC (CYP) v ŠK Slovan Bratislava (SVK)/FC Tobol Kostanay (KAZ)
FC København (DEN)* v Shamrock Rovers FC (IRL)/FC Flora Tallinn (EST)
KRC Genk (BEL) v FK Partizan (SRB)*/FK Skendija 79 (MKD)
Rosenborg BK (NOR)/Breidablik (ISL) v FC Pyunik (ARM)/FC Viktoria Plzeň (CZE)
FC Zestafoni (GEO)/FC Dacia Chisinau (MDA) v SK Sturm Graz (AUT)/Videoton FC (HUN)
Valletta FC (MLT)/FK Ekranas (LTU) v Linfield FC (NIR)/FC BATE Borisov (BLR)
Rangers FC (SCO)* v Malmö FF (SWE)/HB Tórshavn (FRO)

League Route

R. Standard de Liège (BEL) v FC Zürich (SUI)
FC Twente (NED)* v FC Vaslui (ROU)
SL Benfica (POR)* v Trabzonspor AŞ (TUR)
FC Dynamo Kyiv (UKR) v FC Rubin Kazan (RUS)*
Odense BK (DEN) v Panathinaikos FC (GRE)*

Potential interesting fixtures would be Dynamo Kyiv - Rubin Kazan and Benfica- Trabzonspor...

The Matches will be held on 26/27 July and 2/3 August 2011

 

[Arai]

Today's match :

FC Zestafoni v SK Sturm Graz
FK Ekranas v BATE Borisov
Apoel Nicosia v Slovan Bratislava
Liteks Lovetch v Wisla Krakow
Dynamo Kiev v FK Rubin Kazan
Racing Genk v Partizan Belgrade
Rangers v Malmo FF
Twente Enschede v FC Vaslui

 

[spartandre217]

When do we play?

 

[1macca1]

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.arsenal.com/fixtures/fixtures-reports" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.arsenal.com/fixtures/fixtures-reports</a>" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
16th/17th
23rd/24th

Draw for play-off round is on the 5th Aug according to wiki.

The teams we can possibly draw are:

Benfica/Trabzonspor
Dynamo Kyiv/Rubin Kazan
Panathinaikos/Odense
Twente/Vaslui
Standard Liège/Zürich
Udinese

 

[DJ_Markstar]

http://www.arsenal.com/fixtures/fixtures-reports" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
16th/17th
23rd/24th

Draw for play-off round is on the 5th Aug according to wiki.

The teams we can possibly draw are:

Benfica/Trabzonspor
Dynamo Kyiv/Rubin Kazan
Panathinaikos/Odense
Twente/Vaslui
Standard Liège/Zürich
Udinese

Few teams in there worth avoiding, but we should still sail through.

 

[AFCG7]

Benfica , Kiev and Udinese are the strongest teams in there.

 

[Bossa]

Standard Liege, Odense or Zurich for me. We must avoid to go to easern or southern Europe.

 

[Bossa]

Benfica , Kiev and Udinese are the strongest teams in there.

Kiev are losing 2-0 to Rubin Kazan right now. IMO they are the strongest team with Benfica.

 

[USArsenal]

Benfica , Kiev and Udinese are the strongest teams in there.

i actually hope we play Udinese.. they arent nearly as strong as they were last season.. they've already lost their best playmaker (Sanchez) and best CM (Inler) who were the heartbeat of their team..

 

[There is light]

Ya, i think the inler loss would hurt them a lot more than sanchez.

 

[Bossa]

Benfica , Kiev and Udinese are the strongest teams in there.

i actually hope we play Udinese.. they arent nearly as strong as they were last season.. they've already lost their best playmaker (Sanchez) and best CM (Inler) who were the heartbeat of their team..

Plus Zapata their best CB.

 

[clockwork orange]

Think our CL qualifiers are the most important matches of the season. We haven't been unlucky in previous QFs, but we could be this time. The opposition is getting tougher, because of the new set up with a seperate league qualifiaction (we can not draw Champions from Mickey Mouse leagues anymore). Think Rubin and Benfica are well capable of beating us over 2 matches, especially if things go their way (favourable ref, stupid red card, fluked goals whatever). Same goes to a lesser degree for the potential opponents.

 

[Armor for Sleep]

Have they changed the set-up of the qualifiers? I remember when if you won your 3rd round tie you were through to the groups...doesn't seem to be the case anymore. Also apparently Udinese have to get through 2 rounds to qualify? Seems strange that a side from a big league would need to do that.

 

[Clrnc]

It was always 4th round isn't it? Might have to go back to before Platini era for the old rules.

 

[clockwork orange]

For us is looks the same set up, because we still only have to play 1 tie. It did change though. There are 2 seperate qualification paths nowadays. 1 for league champions of minor leagues, called the champions section, the other for clubs (non champions) of higher ranked leagues, called the non-champions or the league section. The latter has tougher opponents.

So basically the chance, we get a really tough opponent, has increased in the new set up.

general info on the set up:

<a class="postlink" href="http://kassiesa.home.xs4all.nl/bert/uefa/index.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://kassiesa.home.xs4all.nl/bert/uefa/index.html</a>

comparison of strength of both sections (the average coefficient, indicator of strength based on results, for the non champions section is way more than twice that of the champions section):

<a class="postlink" href="http://kassiesa.home.xs4all.nl/bert/uefa/seedcl2011.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://kassiesa.home.xs4all.nl/bert/uef ... l2011.html</a>

 

[clockwork orange]

In the 2009/2010 season the seperate path for champions and non champions was introduced in order to have more champions and/or have more clubs from smaller leagues in the chmapions league .

The best clubs remaining in the non champions section are Rangers & FC Kobenhavn.

 

[Armor for Sleep]

Good site clockwork, cleared things up a little.

clrnc - i'm positive winning your 3rd round tie meant qualification for the group stages up until recently (i'm guessing it changed in 09/10). I remember Irish teams playing the likes of Deportivo and Dynamo Kiev for a CL group spot in the 3rd round. Now it appears if Shamrock Rovers beat Copenhagen in round 3 (down 1-0 from the away leg), they will still have another round to go.

 

[AFCG7]

Kiev and Rangers both knocked out.

 

[clockwork orange]

Don't want Rubin Kazan. Odense or Twente would be great.

 

[alexter71]

Jesus,how much more of this crap can we stand...we fail miserably v toon, and then go out and sneak 1-0 v italys 4th best team..but here comes the biscuit,we go down 0-2 to a liverpool team full of new and transitional players..god ****in help us next wk at old trafford....wenger see this ...sort this...enough is enough,for gods sake..i have loved,followed,breathed and lived this club for 40 yrs..please dont crap all this wonderful institution that i love with my whole heart and soul mr wenger.