Groups A thru D finished up today. Scores Today Arsenal 0-0 PSV Auxerre 1-0 Dortmund Basel 3-3 Liverpool Valencia 3-0 Spartak Genk 1-1 Madrid Roma 1-1 AEK Athens Ajax 1-2 Internazionale Rosenborg 1-1 Lyon Group A Arsenal 10 B. Dortmund 10 Auxerre 7 PSV Eindhoven 6 Arsenal pulls out the #1 seed, Auxerre pulls up the UEFA Cup spot. Group B Valencia 16 Basel 9 Liverpool 8 Spartak 0 Basel advances as #2 seed with tie. Liverpool gets the UEFA Cup spot. Group C Real Madrid 9 AS Roma 9 AEK Athens 6 Genk 4 Madrid holds on for #1 seed, Athens holds on for UEFA Cup spot. Group D Inter 11 Ajax 8 Lyon 8 Rosenborg 4 Inter wins to take #1 seed. Lyon's tie at Rosenborg gives Ajax the #2 CL spot despite the loss. Lyon gets the UEFA Cup spot. In the games tomorrow, only 8 teams are in the running for 3 open spots. Group E Juventus has #1 seed. Dynamo, Newcastle and Feyenoord are battling for #2 seed. Group F Man United likely has #1 seed. Leverkusen likely has #2 seed. They could flip-flop with a 2+ goal win by Leverkusen, but neither would lose their CL spot. Group G AC Milan has #1 seed. Deportivo and Lens battling for #2. Group H Barcelona has #1 seed. Brugge, Galatasaray & Lok Moscow in running for #2.
Yes, starting next season there will be no entry into the UEFA Cup for the third placed CL team. Also the second group stage has been scrapped and in its place will be an elimination round of 16.
That is what rumor has. New format confirmed for next year does away with the (needless) 2nd group stage, and begins with Round-of-16 pairings after the 1st Group Stage.
As far as I know the UEFA Cup mode for the next year is still open, also regarding the 3rd spot in the CL. Basel getting out Liverpool is very funny. Ajax finishing before Lyon is also nice, though no real sensation.
Thats what i though also. Didn't they suspend the meeting after deciding on elimination of the second phase of the Cl pending the outcome of talks on the proposed format of the UEFA cup next season.
How's that for the CL, the current table leaders in the Premiership and the BundesLiga have both been bounced from the competition. I guess some team officials who say that the CL first stage is too big need to look in the mirror to see who really doesn't belong. I love seeing the "experts" eat their words.(Heh heh heh)
Unless United mess it up tonight every second placed team will have a combination of two teams from Spain, England & Italy in their group!
Group H is finished with the early games today. Early Scores Barcelona 3-1 Galatasaray Lok. Moscow 1-0 Club Brugge Group H Barcelona has #1 seed. Lok Moscow takes 2nd CL spot. Brugge takes the UEFA Cup spot.
Allright yearling bracket fungus (Bracketology or Bracketeering in U.S.A.) residually net worth for penitence.