Big game today for Braga. First leg was tight, but 1-0 for Fenerbahce is a tough result for Braga. They have to win by more than one goal if they want to advance in regular time due to their lack of away goals. The key will be keeping Fenerbahce off the scoreboard early. If they let in just one goal, then Braga will have to win 3-1 to advance. Not impossible, but not easy either.
Nice article about Braga, today's game, and their form/chances in the UEFA Cup and domestic competitions generally: http://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/news/newsid=2343060.html
Really glad for Braga but Fenerbahçe were robbed. First goal for Braga from Hassan was offside. Second goal was a penalty that at best was very fortunate and which got the player who ' handballed' a second yellow and thus red. Which made it 2-1 to Braga but Fenerbahçe were still going through on away goals. Braga then scored two more goals and Fenerbahçe had two more players sent off. If I was a Fenerbahçe fan I would of been absolutely incensed! And Vitor Pereira the Fenerbahçe coach was sent off in the first half!
Can't speak to @JoseEmidio's point about bad reffing helping Braga out, but the result is what it is--4-1 to the good guys and Braga are past Fenerbahce and into the Europa League quarters. The win bumps us up to 10.333 points overall, highest total in three years. But we still lag behind France and Russia, and will be tough to catch them. Possible QF opponents are Villarreal, Valencia, Sparta Prague, Shakhtar Donetsk, Sevilla, Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund. The latter is the one I'd like Braga to avoid the most, since Portuguese teams seem to suck hardest against German opponents. I suppose Sparta or Shakhtar represent easier-seeming draws, but that's just on rep alone. Anyone have a sense of who we might match up with best?
True that this win pushed us a hairs-breadth ahead of France in the overall: http://kassiesa.home.xs4all.nl/bert/uefa/data/method4/crank2016.html But we still lag them and Russia on the year: http://kassiesa.home.xs4all.nl/bert/uefa/data/method4/ccoef2016.html
Thanks to @JoseEmidio for the correction--I saw that Valencia beat Athletic Bilbao but true that the latter still advances on away goals. http://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/season=2016/matches/round=2000660/match=2017209/index.html
Champions League: Benfica v. Bayern Munich Ouch. Portuguese teams do not have a good history against German sides in the UCL in recent years. Porto got humiliated last time around, 6-1, in the second leg of the UCL quarters at Bayern Munich. Two German sides wiped the floor with Porto and Sporting, respectively, in the Europa League earlier this year. Then again, Benfica beat Bayern in the UCL final way back in 1987 when it was the European Cup, so it could happen. But it'll be a longshot. Europa League: Braga v. Shakhtar Donetsk Shakhtar is a perennially strong Ukrainian team and won this competition in 2009, but I'd be lying if I tried to express any more expertise than that. They made quick work of Belgian contender Anderlecht last round, winning both at home and away for a 4-1 aggregate margin of victory. No joke, these Ukrainians, and Braga will have to play very well to win. But I am still glad we avoided Borussia Dortmund, who drew Liverpool.
Not a great week: Bayern 1-0 Benfica Braga 1-2 Shakhtar Donetsk No UEFA points, which means we probably can't catch France (though PSG is not looking great against City) and that Ukraine is gaining (though with one team in it, they likely can't catch us on the year). Neither deficit is insurmountable, though the odds aren't great. Benfica could win at home, but the lack of away goals gives Bayern the edge; and turning things around in Ukraine isn't impossible but man with Braga's record against Shakhtar (two losses also in the UCL in 2010-11) I'm not banking on it. Still worth watching though, maybe one or both can pull off the second-leg upset.