UEFA Cup Group Stage draw [R]

[gaijin]

Here are the respective pots (countries - i.e = football associations are given in brackets.)

One team from each Pot is drawn into one group, teams from the same country (football association) cannot play eachother.

Each team plays four games against all of the other four oppnenents in the group. The schedule for these games is randomnly selected by computer.

The top 3 progress to the next round. The team who finishes first will play against the teams who finish 3rd in these groups, and those who finished 2nd will play those eliminated from the Champions League (i.e - those who finished third in the CL group stage.)

Pot 1:

* CSKA Moskva [RUS]
* AS Roma [ITA]
* Stuttgart [GER]
* AZ Alkmaar [NED]
* Monaco [FRA]
* Hertha Berlin [GER]
* Lokomotiv Moskva [RUS]
* Beskitas [TUR]

Pot 2:

* RC Lens [FRA]
* Sevilla [ESP]
* Olympique Marseille [FRA]
* PAOK Saloniki [GRE]
* Slavia Prague [CZE]
* FC Basel [SUI]
* Middlesbrough [ENG]
* Espanyol [ESP]

Pot 3:

* Palermo [ITA]
* Shakhtar Donetsk [UKR]
* Heerenveen [NED]
* Dnipro [UKR]
* HSV [GER]
* Red Star Belgrade [SGC]
* Bolton Wanderers [ENG]
* Sampdoria [ITA]

Pot 4:

* CSKA Sofia
* Steaua Bucharest [ROM]
* Brondby [DEN]
* Grasshoppers [SUI]
* Zenit SPb [RUS]
* Levski Sofia [BUL]
* RC Strasbourg [FRA]
* Stade Rennais [FRA]

[B]Pot 5:

* Halmstad [SWE]
* Vitoria Guimaraes [PRT]
* Litex Lovech [BUL]
* Viking Stavanger [NOR]
* Dinamo Bucharest [ROM]
* Rapid Bucharest [ROM]
* Maccabi Petah-Tikva [ISR]
* Tromso [NOR]

[gaijin]

For me I would like;

Loko
Slavia
Heerenveen
Strasbourg
Viking / Vitoria

:)

Same above for Boro, except Stuttgart/CSKA at the top. I don't want a Boro v Loko group! :(

Pot 1:

Avoid: Roma, Monaco.
Dangerous: Hertha, Loko, Besiktas, Stuttgart, CSKA.
Easy: AZ Alkmaar.

Pot 2

Avoid: Sevilla
Dangerous: Espanyol, Middlesbrough, Marseille, Lens
Easy: Slavia, PAOK, Basel

Pot 3:

Avoid: Red Star, Shakhtar.
Dangerous: Dnipro, Bolton, HSV, Sampdoria, Palermo
Easy: Heerenveen.

Pot 4:

Avoid: None
Dangerous: Zenit, Steaua, Grasshoppers, CSKA Sofia.
Easy: Brondby, Levski, Strasbourg, Rennes.

Pot 5:

Avoid: Tromso (away from home only!)
Dangerous: Dinamo.
Easy: Tromso (at home only!), Rapid, Lovech, Maccabi Petah-Tikva, Viking, Vitoria, Halmstad.

Thoughts?, criticisms are welcome. :)

[gaijin]

Roma
Marseille
Shakhtar
Steaua
Tromso

:eek:

That would be a killer group!

[Vadelval]

I am not agree to say that Rennes is an easy draw, they easely win against Osasuna and they have some good player in their squad (Kim Kalstrom, Alexander Frei, John Utaka, Andreas Isaksson or Olivier Monterrubio), I think Rennes is the best team on pot 4.

[Edgar]

I don't think Rapid Bucharest is an easy draw. They did eliminate Feyenoord. ;)

[Pichi]

I am not agree to say that Rennes is an easy draw, they easely win against Osasuna and they have some good player in their squad (Kim Kalstrom, Alexander Frei, John Utaka, Andreas Isaksson or Olivier Monterrubio), I think Rennes is the best team on pot 4.

The only reason Osasuna was in the UEFA Cup was due to Betis the Cup Winner grabbing a CL slot. Osasuna's team play the past two years has not been that great.

Viva Er Beti Europa Tiembla!

El Pichi

[Slitty]

Uhm ganu....

I know you would hate to admit it...


Yet with their form since August and especially their Champions League + Uefa Cup performances, I would put Lokomotiv in "easy" for the first group. Yes, they wouldn't have had any trouble with Krilya Sovetov like AZ Alkmaar did, yet they are in horrid form.

Dont get me wrong, the Lokomotiv of the first half of the season I would put under "avoid" and even favour them to beat Roma, but as of late they are a pot 4 quality club.

[gaijin]

Yeah. Despite our form, teams are going to love going to Moscow in November and December.

Loko are not one to avoid, but are dangerous. Despite our form, you cannot deny our quality. We have the ability to produce but simply are not producing.

There is a clear difference between can't and won't in this game.

Loko are testement to that.

[NeRoN_FB]

My hardest group:
Monaco
Lens
HSV
CSKA Sofia
Dinamo

Easy Group:
AZ
PAOK
Herenveen
Levski
Vitoria

[Forza AZ]

My hardest group:
Monaco
Lens
HSV
CSKA Sofia
Dinamo

Easy Group:
AZ
PAOK
Herenveen
Levski
Vitoria

These are impossible groups. You put 2 French teams in the hardest group and 2 Dutch teams in the Easy Group.

[NeRoN_FB]

These are impossible groups. You put 2 French teams in the hardest group and 2 Dutch teams in the Easy Group.
I don't realize...It is just a coincidence.. :o :)

[cockney]

Avoid: Roma, Monaco.
Dangerous: Hertha, Loko, Besiktas, Stuttgart, CSKA.
Easy: AZ Alkmaar.

Pot 2

Avoid: Sevilla
Dangerous: Espanyol, Middlesbrough, Marseille, Lens
Easy: Slavia, PAOK, Basel

Pot 3:

Avoid: Red Star, Shakhtar.
Dangerous: Dnipro, Bolton, HSV, Sampdoria, Palermo
Easy: Heerenveen.

Pot 4:

Avoid: None
Dangerous: Zenit, Steaua, Grasshoppers, CSKA Sofia.
Easy: Brondby, Levski, Strasbourg, Rennes.

Pot 5:

Avoid: Tromso (away from home only!)
Dangerous: Dinamo.
Easy: Tromso (at home only!), Rapid, Lovech, Maccabi Petah-Tikva, Viking, Vitoria, Halmstad.

Thoughts?, criticisms are welcome. :)
considering AZ the easiest team to play against is a big mistake to make, fella. it's one of the strongest, if not THE strongest team.
Roma and Monaco, as well as teams from Russia, are destined to be major dissapointments.
again, Rapid is not of the easy category you put it into.
Bolton are the better team from them, Red Star and Donetsk...

[Slitty]

considering AZ the easiest team to play against is a big mistake to make, fella. it's one of the strongest, if not THE strongest team.


Roma and Monaco, as well as teams from Russia, are destined to be major dissapointments.




Uhm dude... do you know ANYTHING at all?


1. Lokomotiv 24 36 - 16 48

2. CSKA 24 37 - 14 46

3. Zenit 24 40 - 19 44

4. Спартак(М) 24 39 - 23 42

5. Рубин 24 34 - 24 41

6. Москва 24 28 - 17 40

7. Торпедо(М) 25 30 - 26 36

8. Шинник 25 20 - 22 34

9. Динамо(М) 24 28 - 38 31

10. Амкар 24 23 - 29 29

11. Сатурн 24 20 - 19 28

12. Томь 24 18 - 28 24

13. Krilya Sovetov 24 22 - 37 23

14. Ростов 24 15 - 32 19

15. Алания 24 19 - 41 19

16. Терек 24 16 - 40 16



Now, I'll admit...
As of late Lokomotiv have been suffering and are not sure to clinch the title as they seemed to be not so long ago. CSKA is dealing with some injuries. Yet, the fact of the matter is Krilya Sovetov is in 13th place, and THE worst team in the league recently.


Now, AZ against Krilya Sovetov last round. AZ lost 5-3 and then barely squeezed through in the 2nd leg with a late goal and then a late converted penalty.


15-09-2005 UEFA Cup Kryliya Sovetov - AZ 5 - 3
29-09-2005 UEFA Cup AZ - Kryliya Sovetov 3 - 1




Shall we take a look at Loko, CSKA, and Zenit vs. Krilya Sovetov this season?


06-08-2005 Premier League Kryliya Sovetov - CSKA Moscow 2 - 2
10-04-2005 Premier League CSKA Moscow - Kryliya Sovetov 5 - 0

22-06-2005 Premier League Lokomotiv Moscow - Kryliya Sovetov 1 - 0
16-04-2005 Premier League Kryliya Sovetov - Lokomotiv Moscow 0 - 0

28-08-2005 Premier League Zenit - Kryliya Sovetov 4 - 1



I wont even start on how Roma is a world class side, ect.

And thats just one specific example of how easy AZ are. Seriously mate, think before you post.

[Forza AZ]

And thats just one specific example of how easy AZ are. Seriously mate, think before you post.
We just had 1 bad match away versus Krylya. AZ is 2nd in the Dutch League now, and we just beat Ajax 4-2 two weeks ago and have 15 points out of 6 matches. So it is a mistake to consider AZ as an easy opponent. You can't just judge AZ on one bad match away versus Krylya (in which Krylya also had very much luck).

[Breakwood]

We just had 1 bad match away versus Krylya. AZ is 2nd in the Dutch League now, and we just beat Ajax 4-2 two weeks ago and have 15 points out of 6 matches. So it is a mistake to consider AZ as an easy opponent. You can't just judge AZ on one bad match away versus Krylya (in which Krylya also had very much luck).

I agree I would want to avoid AZ, I can see them being the new Lyon. Doing nothing for a while and being a force in the next couple years.

[essie_majedi]

hardest:
AZ
SEVILLA
HSV
RENNES
DINAMO

easiest:
LOKO
PAOK
HEERENVEEN
LEVSKI
MACCABI

[HakanGS]

It is "Besiktas" not "Beskitas"
and FYI, it is pronounced as "Beshiktuschh" :)

Here are the respective pots (countries - i.e = football associations are given in brackets.)

One team from each Pot is drawn into one group, teams from the same country (football association) cannot play eachother.

Each team plays four games against all of the other four oppnenents in the group. The schedule for these games is randomnly selected by computer.

The top 3 progress to the next round. The team who finishes first will play against the teams who finish 3rd in these groups, and those who finished 2nd will play those eliminated from the Champions League (i.e - those who finished third in the CL group stage.)

Pot 1:

* CSKA Moskva [RUS]
* AS Roma [ITA]
* Stuttgart [GER]
* AZ Alkmaar [NED]
* Monaco [FRA]
* Hertha Berlin [GER]
* Lokomotiv Moskva [RUS]
* Beskitas [TUR]

[gaijin]

Oops sorry.

It was no doubt a typo.

I apologise....

[cockney]

Uhm dude... do you know ANYTHING at all?
of course not :)


I wont even start on how Roma is a world class side, ect. yeah, sure! and any team from Serie B is a galactic-scale team.


And thats just one specific example of how easy AZ are. Seriously mate, think before you post.
I have a feeling, AZ will progress somwhere around where they did last season - semis. So, 1/4 finals is a must for such a lovely team. KS ain't a good club at all with that Baba Adamu and other freaks.
russian clubs WILL FAIL!

[Slitty]

yeah, sure! and any team from Serie B is a galactic-scale team.


I have a feeling, AZ will progress somwhere around where they did last season - semis. So, 1/4 finals is a must for such a lovely team. KS ain't a good club at all with that Baba Adamu and other freaks.
russian clubs WILL FAIL!


Hm... what do you mean? Totti, Montella, Cassano gotta mean something.


CLASSIFICA DI SERIE A
Juventus 18
Milan 13
Fiorentina 13
Inter 12
Sampdoria 12
Livorno 11
Palermo 11
Chievo 10
Siena 10
Lazio 10
Udinese 9
Roma 8
Empoli 7
Ascoli 6
Lecce 4
Parma 4
Messina 3
Reggina 3
Cagliari 3
Treviso 1



Also, did you not read my post? The entire point of it was to show that Krilya Sovetov was as crappy a club as they come. They sold practically their entire core from last year when they were half decent, and now are set to be relegated from the Russian premier league.

Sorry mate, but I was expecting games of 0-2 , 5-0 or something along those lines, and cannot take any team serious that loses 5-3 and then barely squeaks by with two goals in the last ten minutes [one comming in the very closing minutes]. I am not evaluating AZ on one match, but on two, where they were lucky to go through despite opposition that any of the clubs you claim will fail would destroy.

As for Russian clubs failing, time will tell... imagine how silly you would look if a Russian club lifted that trophy for the 2nd year in a row. :cool: Yet I assume by your standards 1/4 finals is succeedings (what you said for AZ)... I have my doubts all Russian clubs will fail.

Personally, of anyone in the first pot, I would rather play AZ, or Loko if their horrid form as of late continues.