As things stand they’ll be dancing in the streets of Red Bull Both teams going through from the same group
And 3 seconds later. Rosenberg score to send Celtic 2nd
Hoping Viktoria draw Celtic, although most Viktoria fans would hope for Arsenal and the chance to welcome Petr Cech home.
Plzen and Celtic are both unseeded for the next round, so cant be drawn together.
12 teams that top the groups are seeded along with the best 4 of the 8 teams from the CL (based on points from their own groups) Other 4 are unseeded along with the 12 teams that finished 2nd in Europa League groups.
Following rounds are not seeded. Just the first knockout round.
Plzen v Dinamo Zagreb Lazio v Sevilla Malmo v Chelsea BATE v Arsenal Celtic v Valencia
Hmm. Bit of a pig, that. Dinamo came top, unbeaten, from a group that in EL terms had no real weak team.
You say that and on paper I would agree but the teams in there group were not brilliant
Anderlecht-sitting 4th in Belgium with only 2 wins since end of October
Trnava-sitting 8th out of 12 in the Slovakian league
Fenerbache-who surprisingly are 2nd bottom in the turkish league.
So on paper 3 tough teams but in reality only Anderlecht are doing half decent this season.
Zagreb themselves are 11 points clear at the top and have only lost twice in all comps this season(young boys in Champions League and Rijeka in the league) so it will be a tough match
Plzen v Dinamo Zagreb Lazio v Sevilla Malmo v Chelsea BATE v Arsenal Celtic v Valencia
Hmm. Bit of a pig, that. Dinamo came top, unbeaten, from a group that in EL terms had no real weak team.
You say that and on paper I would agree but the teams in there group were not brilliant
Anderlecht-sitting 4th in Belgium with only 2 wins since end of October
Trnava-sitting 8th out of 12 in the Slovakian league
Fenerbache-who surprisingly are 2nd bottom in the turkish league.
So on paper 3 tough teams but in reality only Anderlecht are doing half decent this season.
Zagreb themselves are 11 points clear at the top and have only lost twice in all comps this season(young boys in Champions League and Rijeka in the league) so it will be a tough match
Thanks Paulie, didn't know any of that, it's more reassuring. It is looking more and more like a mirror image of the game at this stage last season - Partizan Belgrade. Dinamo are another Slavic team (whose style and temperament Viktoria understand well), similar financial resources, bringing a lot of fans without tickets who try to look menacing on the streets and wonder why nobody is taking any notice of them.
Plzen v Dinamo Zagreb Lazio v Sevilla Malmo v Chelsea BATE v Arsenal Celtic v Valencia
Hmm. Bit of a pig, that. Dinamo came top, unbeaten, from a group that in EL terms had no real weak team.
You say that and on paper I would agree but the teams in there group were not brilliant
Anderlecht-sitting 4th in Belgium with only 2 wins since end of October
Trnava-sitting 8th out of 12 in the Slovakian league
Fenerbache-who surprisingly are 2nd bottom in the turkish league.
So on paper 3 tough teams but in reality only Anderlecht are doing half decent this season.
Zagreb themselves are 11 points clear at the top and have only lost twice in all comps this season(young boys in Champions League and Rijeka in the league) so it will be a tough match
Thanks Paulie, didn't know any of that, it's more reassuring. It is looking more and more like a mirror image of the game at this stage last season - Partizan Belgrade. Dinamo are another Slavic team (whose style and temperament Viktoria understand well), similar financial resources, bringing a lot of fans without tickets who try to look menacing on the streets and wonder why nobody is taking any notice of them.
Bring it on! Love my Euro nights in Plzen.
I couldnt believe it when I saw Fenerbache 2nd bottom in the Turkish league.
Hoping for another great night in Plzen tonight. Tickets, hotel, pub, weather, all sorted.
Just a bit nervous that Viktoria are at home first. Reminding myself that they are nevertheless a very good away team. But deffo want to go to Zagreb with a lead.
Not an epic night in Plzen, everyone actually surprised that we are ahead in the tie. Viktoria have new players signed in the Jan window who are still fitting in, whereas Dinamo are a young and well organised team who had done their homework, had three up front pressing Viktoria's ageing defenders, and deservedly led at half time. They have a 20 year old Spanish midfielder called Daniel Olmo who ran the the half, but somehow Viktoria pulled themselves together, two nicely taken goals from central defender Lukas Pernica. Not sure about the second leg, though, Viktoria looked like a rebuilding work in progress tonight. But the beer? Top notch as always.
Stopped for coffee on the motorway back from Plzen this glorious sunny morning. Parked next to a minvan full of Dinamo fans. Its about 8-9 hours to Zagreb, but motorway all the way. They had the good sense to stay overnight in Plzen, and between 7 of them it doesnt cost too much. Grand awayday, Euro-style.
arsenal lose to a belarus side that havent played since the middle of december, blaming the pitch and injuries/squad depth.
spurs the night before beat the potential bundesliga champions.
wont be that easy for arsenal to progress they only had 3 shots on target yesterday
Lets not get too carried away, the Woolwich should have far too much for them back in London. Fully expect them to win by 2 or 3.
not the point its the fact they had a pretty strong side out and played shit, koscelieny straight off the pitch afterwards not even bothering to thank the fans.
I've watched BATE Borisov more times than I'd wish, since Viktoria kept drawing them. I wouldn't underestimate what awkward customers they are on their mysterious home patch, which among other things is bloody difficult to scout in person. Hands up all those who've been to Belarus? But I'm sure "the Woolwich" (love that) will see them off.
Got the beers in for tonight, but will need a good stream for Dinamo Zagreb vs Viktoria, as Czech TV have adopted for Genk-Slavia, having shown Viktoria last week. Any tips appreciated.
Apparently the Dinamo stadium is sold out for tonight, as was Partizan Belgrade this time last season. Again it shows that in some countries, the Europa League means something.
Viktoria won't be intimidated though, big away stadia don't seem to bother them. They mugged CSKA in front of 55,000 furious Muscovites to get here. All that said, we don't want to give away an early goal. Or indeed any goal at all :-)
Comments
12 teams that top the groups are seeded along with the best 4 of the 8 teams from the CL (based on points from their own groups)
Other 4 are unseeded along with the 12 teams that finished 2nd in Europa League groups.
Following rounds are not seeded. Just the first knockout round.
Lazio v Sevilla
Malmo v Chelsea
BATE v Arsenal
Celtic v Valencia
celtic will struggle.
Anderlecht-sitting 4th in Belgium with only 2 wins since end of October
Trnava-sitting 8th out of 12 in the Slovakian league
Fenerbache-who surprisingly are 2nd bottom in the turkish league.
So on paper 3 tough teams but in reality only Anderlecht are doing half decent this season.
Zagreb themselves are 11 points clear at the top and have only lost twice in all comps this season(young boys in Champions League and Rijeka in the league) so it will be a tough match
Bring it on! Love my Euro nights in Plzen.
I wonder what has happened there
Danny Welbeck
Hector Bellerin
All out for the rest of the season
All named in Arsenals squad for the Europa League knockout stages due to a lack of Homegrown players available
Just a bit nervous that Viktoria are at home first. Reminding myself that they are nevertheless a very good away team. But deffo want to go to Zagreb with a lead.
WIFI Code 1 Arsenal 0
Think United will get top 4 so A&C need to win to get Champions League
spurs the night before beat the potential bundesliga champions.
wont be that easy for arsenal to progress they only had 3 shots on target yesterday
Apparently the Dinamo stadium is sold out for tonight, as was Partizan Belgrade this time last season. Again it shows that in some countries, the Europa League means something.
Viktoria won't be intimidated though, big away stadia don't seem to bother them. They mugged CSKA in front of 55,000 furious Muscovites to get here. All that said, we don't want to give away an early goal. Or indeed any goal at all :-)
second best throughout the first half. Mind you that was the case last week too.