Dutch clubs European silverware run 2018-2019

Very lucky draw for the Dutch teams, the softest of all that had a chance at that 11th place. Especially Denmark had an awful draw. Holland simply cannot shit the bed so badly that they don't take 11th this year.

 

Ajax are gonna make minced meat of the patatenvreters

 

So Ajax didn't avoid the banana peel / the @Brilliant Dutch potato skin.
Didn't watch the game, just the highlights. Seems like a draw was a correct reflection, well I hear Standard were slightly less poor than Ajax, with Standard the better team at the start + end and Ajax in the middle bit. Another Rapid Wien? Ajax should really finish them off at home. Standard shouldn't even be in the CL qualis (needed lots of help from refs last season to even get into PO I). Ajax would have faced Anderlecht instead ... and not only did they beat Ajax 1-3 in a friendly a few weeks ago but they're off to a great start in the league. Anderlecht's chances of beating Ajax were definitely better.

 

It's now starting to become really sad what's happening to the Dutch clubs.

Feyenooit should be very ashamed of themselves

 

It could have been 8-0 and Feyenoord still would not have any right to complain. Trencin's budget is only a tiny fraction of Feyenoord's. Too many players from the A team missing? OK, Feyenoord's B team should have had no problem with Trencin, at all, nor their C team, ..., even the Z team should have comfortably beaten Trencin, their budget is that small. Maybe Dutch players haven’t fully recovered from the World Cup yet?

Rosenborg, Osijek, Petrolul, Salzburg, Rapid Wien, Rostov, Krasnodar, Aberdeen, Differdange, Kairat, ... and it looks like Trencin will join the list of powerhouses that eliminated Dutch clubs from Europe in recent years. The AZ killers have lost 2-0 to Sigma Olomouc. Basel being as weak as they'll ever be, still Vitesse couldn't profit.

What use is a lucky draw if Dutch clubs can't even capitalize on it? It's shaping up to be another nightmare. Denmark have now overtaken Holland but they got a hard draw. Austrian and Swiss teams doing poorly another silver lining for Holland's ranking. The battle for that 11th place is going to be close.

PS the failure of Dutch teams in Europe stopped being funny a while ago, it's really sad now, cannot help feeling pity for them.

 

I blame your alcoholic, loser countryman Bosman for all this

 

What did I tell you??!! 3-0 but Liege were lucky it wasnt 6-0 or 7-0.

Ajax should beat Dynamo. I looked at their lineup and I dont see any player on their team who could start for Ajax

 

Ajax finally turned up, good game, should have won the first leg too. Always a hard choice, I'd rather Standard lose and keep suffering but also need to keep an eye on the coefficient. Seeing Belgium's coefficient is healthy I don't mind Standard losing. Besides it isn't always a hard choice because in recent times Standard have even failed to grab a ticket for the qualis and for a few seasons they missed out entirely. Standard have ways to go. Last year they got lucky, with help from the refs, to get to play-off I (top 6), the year before they finished 9th in the league, one more year back 7th, etc.

Good luck, Ajax, hoping they beat Dynamo Kyiv and doing so help Belgium overtake the Ukranians in the rankings. For Holland to take back a direct CL spot in the 2020/21 season Ajax and PSV will need to get results. Luckily, no trip to Azerbaijan for PSV.

 

They played Trencin, and the aggregate was 5-1 not 8-1

 

Ah yes, I misread

 

The overhaul has been good to Holland. PSV only need to beat a Belarusian team and Dinamo Kiev are underdogs against Ajax. If the access list hadn't been changed these are some of the teams that were expected to advance in the play-off round instead: Liverpool, Dortmund, Valencia, Roma, ... Ajax wouldn't exactly be favourites.

Despite Ajax and PSV being the only Dutch teams left in Europe, Holland are still in the race for that direct CL spot (11th place). Both should qualify for the CL group stage but even if that isn't the case points should be coming in from EL results.

Austria, currently ranked 11th, and Greece, ranked just below Holland, seem to be the most likely candidates to finish in 11th place (Holland the next most likely to take 11th this year). Salzburg and Rapid are the ones to watch (we'll see if they can defend their lead over Holland). Greece still has 3 teams; 2 in the CL play-offs and that are guaranteed at least the EL (I expect one to reach the CL); and Olympiacos need to get past Burnley to end up in pot 1 for the EL draw.

Czech Rep., with 3 teams already qualified and they could add a 4th team, alongside Switzerland, with 3 active teams, shouldn't be counted out. They're very much in the race but need a good draw in the groups and to get results of course. Croatia OTOH don't look so good with only Dinamo Zagreb left.

Denmark has been looking good so far, ranked 12th after overtaking Holland, but as I said before they got a really tough draw. I expect that draw to take them out of this year's race. It's a particularly close race, so who knows if they can pull off a couple of upsets this round. Denmark will be back next year, for the moment they're the frontrunners to claim 11th on the 2019/20 ranking. Surprisingly tiny Cyprus are quickly gaining ground and are just behind Holland on that ranking:

 

You do not think that Croatian international Pivaric could start for Ajax?

 

Not ahead of LB Tagliafico right now. Have you seen Tagliafico play recently, he's been dynamire

 

LOL....maybe 12 PSV supporters in the stands

 

PSV lucky to get the 1-1 penalty, but I'll take it

 

2-1 Lozano. What a beauty!! Its over now.

We get at least 1 CL team this year, hopefully 2 tomorrow

 

Are you kidding me??? 3 away goals??!!

Its over, rover. Wanna make an avatar bet???

 

Strange match!!

PSV were on the back foot for the first 35 minutes or so, almost conceded within the ppening 90 seconds. BATE deservedly scored first. The only meaningful action outside PSV half was a soft back pass that Luuk De Jong chased, only then he fumbled, simulated and got a yellow card Then around the half-hour mark, Bergwijn and Lozano switched side, the game all the sudden opened up. Bergwijn won a penalty (that Pereiro converted), Lozano hit the post, and the match was even going to the half-time break.

Second half. Exactly the opposite. PSV dominated from the whistle, Lozano scored on a beautiful strike. 2-1. PSV then could/should have scored three or four more times... hit the goal frames twice, forced GK to make multiple saves, and De Jong with an embarrassing miss shooting to the moon on 1-on-1 situation. The last 3 minutes and injury time were the game finale and fireworks!! Ex-Arsenal Hleb equalized (thanks to Zoet being a clown ), then another ex-Arsenal Donyell Malen headed the winning goal a minute later. And some wrestling and extra physical activities. Wow!

Overall, a very good and entertaining match. PSV are definitely on the driver seat, they should not have problem on the return match. BATE is not good defensively. Viergever is the MoTM for me, some excellent blocks and interventions. I also liked what I saw from Lozano and Bergwijn - the two are developing great understanding.