Champions League 2017/18

[DarkSithLord]

Yep. Its that time of the year already where the draw for the early rounds of the Champions League has been made -

First qualifying round draw
Víkingur (FRO) v Trepça '89 (KOS)
Hibernians (MLT) v FCI Tallinn (EST)
Alashkert (ARM) v FC Santa Coloma (AND)
The New Saints (WAL) v Europa (GIB)
Linfield (NIR) v La Fiorita (SMR)

Second qualifying round
APOEL (CYP) v Dudelange (LUX)
Žalgiris (LTU) v Ludogorets Razgrad (BUL)
Qarabağ (AZE) v Samtredia (GEO)
Partizan (SRB) v Budućnost Podgorica (MNE)
Hibernians (MLT) or FCI Tallinn (EST) v Salzburg (AUT)
Sheriff (MDA) v Kukës (ALB)
Astana (KAZ) v Spartaks Jūrmala (LVA)
BATE Borisov (BLR) v Alashkert (ARM) or FC Santa Coloma (AND)
Žilina (SVK) v København (DEN)
Hapoel Beer-Sheva (ISR) v Budapest Honvéd (HUN)
Rijeka (CRO) v The New Saints (WAL) or Europa (GIB)
Malmö (SWE) v Vardar (MKD)
Zrinjski (BIH) v Maribor (SVN)
Dundalk (IRL) v Rosenborg (NOR)
FH Hafnarfjördur (ISL) v Víkingur (FRO) or Trepça '89 (KOS)
Linfield (NIR) or La Fiorita (SMR) v Celtic (SCO)
IFK Mariehamn (FIN) v Legia Warsaw (POL)


All set for a tasty affair between Linfield and Celtic in Belfast in mid July... what on earth could go wrong?

 

[epic73]

Cork City will be in this next year.

 

[mistermagic]

The Scottish coefficient must be seriously shit if the champions need to enter via the 1st round. I didn't realise UEFA considered the level of the SPL at the same level as the one of Macedonia (no offence to them).

 

[DarkSithLord]

Pretty poor 2-1 home defeat for The New Saints against Europa FC last night.

 

[DarkSithLord]

Linfield v Celtic on July 14th is live on Premier Sports.

 

[Liam_SWFC]

The New Saints made it through last night, that Celtic game will be interesting...

 

[mistermagic]

Nice will play Ajax in the 3rd qualifying round. Tough one but reckon they can pull it off. After making it to the final, Ajax got pillaged and lost their manager (ironically, Favre to Dortmund was a done deal but both parties pulled out at the eleventh hour, now it's Ajax's former manager that is starting a Dortmund stint) while Nice haven't lost anyone yet (Dalbert wants to join Inter though, not sure why but hey ho).

 

[DarkSithLord]

Full Champions League 3rd Qualifying Round Draw

FCSB (ROU) v Viktoria Plzeň (CZE)
Nice (FRA) v Ajax (NED)
Dynamo Kyiv (UKR) v Young Boys (SUI)
AEK Athens (GRE) v CSKA Moskva (RUS)
Club Brugge (BEL) v İstanbul Başakşehir (TUR)

Champions route

Slavia Praha (CZE) v BATE Borisov (BLR) or Alashkert (ARM)
Spartaks Jūrmala (LVA) or Astana (KAZ) v IFK Mariehamn (FIN) or Legia Warszawa (POL)
Zrinjski (BIH) or Maribor (SVN) v FH Hafnarfjördur (ISL) or Víkingur (FRO)
Žilina (SVK) or København (DEN) v Malmö (SWE) or Vardar (MKD)
Linfield (NIR) or Celtic (SCO) v Dundalk (IRL) or Rosenborg (NOR)
Hapoel Beer-Sheva (ISR) or Honvéd (HUN) v Žalgiris Vilnius (LTU) or Ludogorets (BUL)
Viitorul (ROU) v APOEL (CYP) or Dudelange (LUX)
Hibernians (MLT) or Salzburg (AUT) v Rijeka (CRO) or TNS (WAL)
Qarabağ (AZE) or Samtredia (GEO) v Sheriff (MDA) or Kukësi (ALB)
Partizan (SRB) or Budućnost Podgorica (MNE) v Olympiacos (GRE)

 

[DarkSithLord]

Possible Celtic v Dundalk tie. Interesting.

 

[epic73]

Possible Celtic v Dundalk tie. Interesting.

Possible Linfield v Dundalk tie. Interesting.

 

[Dirk]

Possible Linfield v Dundalk tie. Interesting.

Ah, epic the Irish again . But this is Northern Ireland so still UK

A small comparison: Before the Re-Unification of Germany in 1990 we wanted the East German (a.k.a German "Democratic" Republic) Clubs to lose all their international match although they were Germans

 

[mistermagic]

Ah, epic the Irish again . But this is Northern Ireland so still UK

A small comparison: Before the Re-Unification of Germany in 1990 we wanted the East German (a.k.a German "Democratic" Republic) Clubs to lose all their international match although they were Germans

I'm going to go massively off-topic but let's face it, this thread will be active once we see Liverpool play their play-off tie.

The history of football in East Germany is absolutely fascinating. Some small clubs had talent within their ranks and since they were forbidden to leave for the West, there was no Bayern/Dortmund/Unterhaching type of vulture to snatch their players off. Dresden had a fine side but the greatest history is the relationship that lies between Hertha Berlin (West Berlin) and Union Berlin (East Berlin and my favourite German ground). Those clubs were never able to play each other for 20-odd years and had very much a love/hate relationship once the wall fell.
Now Germany is one country and the vultures are very much snatching quality players from all over the country (not just the West) and we have to rely on RB Leipzig for East German presence in the top flight. I miss the days of Cottbus, a club with zero money and not that much ambition, holding their own against, well, anyone.

Celtic won at Linfield 2-0. No away fans allowed. Yawn.

 

[Liam_SWFC]

Comfortable for Celtic and should really have been more, they'll cruise through in Glasgow and will probably face Rosenberg in the 3rd round.

 

[SALTIRE]

Celtic players getting bottles thrown at them by the sectarians last night, what utter cave men.

 

[Super_horns]

Celtic players getting bottles thrown at them by the sectarians last night, what utter cave men.

Well Linfield have been punished - but so have Celtic.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/40636340

 

[DarkSithLord]

Gutted for Dundalk. Out 3-2 on agg after an extra time defeat in Norway against Rosenborg.

Celtic v Rosenborg it is then.

 

[You Orns]

The expected easy win for Celtic then, probably a smaller aggregate than some were expecting.

On the fan front they've lost any high moral ground they had from the first leg with the banners displayed tonight but it was to be expected really.

Gutted for Dundalk, especially after they took the lead, no repeat of last seasons heroics.

 

[Liam_SWFC]

Comfortable for Celtic tonight, Rosenborg will be a tougher test in the next round but one I expect they'll get through. Do Dundalk not drop into Europa League qualifying now or is that it completely?

 

[epic73]

Comfortable for Celtic tonight, Rosenborg will be a tougher test in the next round but one I expect they'll get through. Do Dundalk not drop into Europa League qualifying now or is that it completely?

That's only in the playoff round, they're completely out now I think.

 

[DarkSithLord]

Goalless draw for Celtic v Rosenborg then. Leaves it on the edge ahead of the away leg. Pretty poor really.

 

[mistermagic]

Nice drew with Ajax 1-1 at home. Good game and very much of two halves. Nice scored through Balotelli and could have had more by half-time. However, Nice's goalie - Cardinale - gifted the equaliser to Ajax and it put the French side under pressure for most of the second half.
Still very open for the 2nd leg. I'm confident Nice can do it.

 

[Dirk]

Nice drew with Ajax 1-1 at home. Good game and very much of two halves. Nice scored through Balotelli and could have had more by half-time. However, Nice's goalie - Cardinale - gifted the equaliser to Ajax and it put the French side under pressure for most of the second half.
Still very open for the 2nd leg. I'm confident Nice can do it.

Celtic only 0-0 at home against Rosenborg. Not nice (or is it Nice? )

 

[Liam_SWFC]

Poor result for Celtic, Rosenborg are well into their season though so fitness levels will have played a part. They should get a result in the away leg but it's a bit of a banana skin.

 

[DarkSithLord]

I see Celtic snook through tonight in Norway 1-0 on aggregate after James Forrest`s strike on 69.

 

[mistermagic]

Nice drew 2-2 at Amsterdam last night and are through to the play-offs. Rarely have I seen a side so undeserving of going through. Ajax were head and shoulders better than Nice. They've got some lovely little players who had a great game (Van de Beek, Kluivert, Dolberg) and I can't think of a Nice player with a solid performance (maybe Pléa but that's about it).
When I see who Nice could draw on Friday (Seville, Napoli, Liverpool, CSKA Moscow or Sporting Lisbon), I'm thinking they're already in the EL for this season.

 

[Liam_SWFC]

Massive win for Celtic last night, take it they aren't seeded in the play off round and could face one of the big boys?

 

[DarkSithLord]

Massive win for Celtic last night, take it they aren't seeded in the play off round and could face one of the big boys?

They are seeded. The draw is as follows

Champions Route
Seeded - Olympiacos,Celtic,Copenhagen,Apoel,Maribor
Unseeded - Qarabag,Astana,Rjieka, Hapoel Beer-Sheva, Slavia Prague

League Route
Seeded - Sevilla, Napoli, Liverpool, CSKA Moscow, Sporting
Unseeded - Steaua, Young Boys,Nice, Hoffenhim, Istanbul Basaksehir

 

[SALTIRE]

I see Celtic snook through tonight in Norway 1-0 on aggregate after James Forrest`s strike on 69.

Aye they were struggling but started to get stronger the longer the game went on.

 

[DarkSithLord]

Tough draw for Celtic and Liverpool that.

 

[epic73]

But... The Scottish league is better than the Kazakhstan league!