2013-2014 UEFA Champions League Playoff Round [R]

You can now compute possible pots for the group stage draw. This chart shows the listing if the ten seeded teams: five "league" teams (bold) and five "champions" teams (italic-bold) advance. Call this the "worst-case" scenario chart:

Position	Club	Coefficient
1	FC Bayern München (GER) -- holders	146.922
2	FC Barcelona (ESP)	157.605
3	Chelsea FC (ENG)	137.592
4	Real Madrid CF (ESP)	136.605
5	Manchester United FC (ENG)	130.592
6	Arsenal FC (ENG)	113.592
7	FC Porto (POR)	104.833
8	SL Benfica (POR)	102.833
9	Club Atlético de Madrid (ESP)	99.605
10	Olympique Lyonnais (FRA)	95.800
11	FC Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR)	94.951
12	AC Milan (ITA)	93.829
13	FC Schalke 04 (GER)	84.922
14	Olympique de Marseille (FRA)	78.800
15	PFC CSKA Moksva (RUS)	77.766
16	Paris Saint-Germain FC (FRA)	71.800
17	Juventus (ITA)	70.829
18	FC Zenit St Petersburg (RUS)	70.766
19	Manchester City FC (ENG)	70.592
20	AFC Ajax (NED)	64.945
21	Borussia Dortmund (GER)	61.922
22	FC Basel 1893 (SUI)	59.785
23	Olympiacos FC (GRE)	57.800
24	Galatasaray AŞ (TUR)	54.400
25	Bayer 04 Leverkusen (GER)	53.922
26	FC København (DEN)	47.140
27	SSC Napoli (ITA)	46.829
28	RSC Anderlecht (BEL)	44.880
29	Celtic FC (SCO)	37.538
30	FC Steaua Bucuresti (ROU)	35.604
31	FC Viktoria Plzeň (CZE)	28.745
32	GNK Dinamo Zagreb (CRO)	25.916

This shows that Benfica is garunteed pot 1; PSG is garunteed pot 2; Galatasaray is garunteed pot 3. Manchester City can get pushed down to pot 3. (They get to pot 3 if three of the five top seeds advance.)

 

This "best-case" scenario chart isn't gonna' happen, but shows the highest each team can reach, if the un-seeded team wins all 10 ties:

Position	Club	Coefficient
1	FC Bayern München (GER) -- holders	146.922
2	FC Barcelona (ESP)	157.605
3	Chelsea FC (ENG)	137.592
4	Real Madrid CF (ESP)	136.605
5	Manchester United FC (ENG)	130.592
6	FC Porto (POR)	104.833
7	SL Benfica (POR)	102.833
8	Club Atlético de Madrid (ESP)	99.605
9	FC Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR)	94.951
10	Olympique de Marseille (FRA)	78.800
11	PFC CSKA Moksva (RUS)	77.766
12	Paris Saint-Germain FC (FRA)	71.800
13	Juventus (ITA)	70.829
14	Manchester City FC (ENG)	70.592
15-tie	AFC Ajax (NED)	64.945
15-tie	PSV Eindhoven (NED)	64.945
17	FC Metalist Kharkiv (UKR)	62.451
18	Borussia Dortmund (GER)	61.922
19	Olympiacos FC (GRE)	57.800
20	Galatasaray AŞ (TUR)	54.400
21	Bayer 04 Leverkusen (GER)	53.922
22	FC København (DEN)	47.140
23	SSC Napoli (ITA)	46.829
24	Fenerbahçe SK (TUR)	46.400
25	RSC Anderlecht (BEL)	44.880
26	Real Sociedad de Fútbol (ESP)	17.605
27	FK Austria Wien (AUT)	16.575
28	Legia Warszawa (POL)	13.650
29	FC Paços de Ferreira (POR)	12.833
30	NK Maribor (SVN)	9.941
31	PFC Ludogorets Razgrad (BUL)	3.450
32	FC Shakhter Karagandy (KAZ)	2.941

So in this impossible scenario, Atletico Madrid stays in pot 1, Eindhoven hangs onto pot 2, and Fenerbahce squeezes into pot 3. (And, no, I don't know how to break the tie between Ajax and Eindhoven.)

 

For teams with identical coefficent, the team who scored the most coefficient points in the latest season (12/13 in this case) is ranked higher.

Last season, Ajax obtained 9.843 points, PSV 5.843. Therefore, Ajax is ranked above PSV.

http://kassiesa.home.xs4all.nl/bert/uefa/data/method4/trank2013.html

If the points obtained in this year are identical, then the previous years points are compared.

If teams collect the same number of points each year for the 5 year coefficient, whoever finished higher in the league as the end of the period is ranked higher

 

Metalist disqualified from UEFA competitions
Published: Wednesday 14 August 2013, 12.14CET
http://www.uefa.com/uefa/disciplinary/news/newsid=1981054.html
"FC Metalist Kharkiv are disqualified from UEFA competitions for season 2013/14 following the conclusion of disciplinary proceedings against the Ukrainian club."

PAOK to replace Metalist in play-offs
Published: Wednesday 14 August 2013, 17.00CET
http://www.uefa.com/uefa/disciplinary/news/newsid=1981184.html
"FC Metalist Kharkiv, disqualified from 2013/14 UEFA competition, have been replaced by PAOK FC, with Maccabi Tel-Aviv FC qualifying for the UEFA Europa League proper."
"As a consequence the Greek side, eliminated by Metalist in the third qualifying round, will now face FC Schalke 04 in the UEFA Champions League play-offs, with the first leg to be played on 21 August in Germany."

 

POAK's coefficient is 28.800, so in my second (impossible-to-happen) chart, remove #17 Kharkiv and move up everyone from #18 Dortmund to #25 Anderlecht. (Anderlecht now moves to #24 and pot #3.)

 

Here's one nice pick if someone wants to follow

SCHALKE 04 – PAOK

This match became interesting the very moment when it was announced that Metalist will be disqualified and that PAOK will take their place in this play-off. First of all PAOK has an advantage concerning coach Huub Stevens who was previously the coach of german team and his knowledge of Schalke’s players, gamestyle and capacity of the team will certainly be of great use for the Greeks.

Schalke is fourth team in Germany, but if we are to be realistic, they were fourth with Freiburg and Eintracht as table rivals and they were far, far behind leading three teams so I don’t see them as one of top german teams because they are miles away from Dortmund or Bayern.

On top of all Schalke will surely miss their key striker and top star Huntelaar who is injured and that information makes me more certain that this bet has a value.

Bet: -1,5 handicap

Tip: 2

Odds: @ 1,75

Cheers

 

Hi guys,I find this really interesting,what do you think?

Rapid - Dila Gori

Austrian media Dilu calls "No Name Club," but Rapid coach Barisic warns of errors from Aalborg and Hajduk, and has meticulously prepared a way to finally hit the net of the club who in four European matches this season has not received a goal.

Tip:1

Odds: @ 1.60

 

Just looking at Arsenal's victory over Fenerbahce last night I found it really interesting how Wenger's side took full advantage of the Turkish side's weaknesses. Walcott tore Michal Kadlec to pieces all night. I hope this article I have written maybe explains it a little bit clearer. http://chriswinterburn.wordpress.com/2013/08/22/fenerbahces-feckless-full-backs/

 

BASEL - LUDOGORETS

First match in Bulgaria has already shown us how these two teams play and that is open and aggressively. Ludogorets has a big task today, they must chase at least 3 goal margin victory or 4:2 to get extra time chance. They have already proven that they have a quality attacking system in two tough games against Partizan and away against Slovan.

On the other hand Basel is not the kind of team which relies on defending. Their defensive part has not been very convincing this year and they’ve hardly managed to get a clean sheet this season so I expect them to react on strong Ludogorets’ offensive with attacking play of their own. Against Maccabi they had advantage from the first game but were still seeking for that extra goal to confirm their overall victory. Salah and Stocker are both available after minor injuries so they shouldn’t have problems scoring.

Ludogorets has been defending quite well in national championship but Basel is by far better team than Bulgarian teams and they will have hard time keeping their net untouched especially if they are to go all out as I expect and as the result from first match obliges them to do so.

Both teams will get 50k euros per player if they go through in group stage, and I don’t expect Ludogorets to go in groups but that kind of money will be a good motivation for them to at least try to do something here.

Bet: Both to score

Tip: Yes

Odds: 1.85

Cheers