04 Dec 2012: Real Madrid CF - Ajax

[Tom_]

There is a seeding system but it's not worth the effort to look up if you ask me. Rather just wait for the draw. All I know is that we won't be seeded: the top four third-placed teams from the CL (we won't be one) are seeded...

[Orange14]

There is a seeding system but it's not worth the effort to look up if you ask me. Rather just wait for the draw. All I know is that we won't be seeded: the top four third-placed teams from the CL (we won't be one) are seeded...

I guess that's why we drew ManU last season. At any rate we will know this Friday for sure (I think the draw is on Friday).

[Kowalczyk]

I read the draw is on 20 December...

K.

[Orange14]

I read the draw is on 20 December...

K.

So it could be either coal or candy in the Christmas stocking!

[ajaxusa]

The only thing I will remember from this game is the vicious assault by Ronaldo on Boerrigter, and the UEFA referee giving him a yellow card only.

LOL. Too right. I was in a referee clinic all weekend, and at one point they showed us a string of video clips of straight red card offenses, where there is no attempt to play the ball and a serious attempt to injure the recipient. This foul by Ronaldo, honestly, would have fit right in among those. I expected a red card, but it didn't come out. Only yellow. I suspect the referee knows better, but thought, "Well, the result is not in doubt, and this is one of the major stars of the competition. I'd better be lenient."

Coward.

[Manneken Pis]

I read the draw is on 20 December...

K.

So it could be either coal or candy in the Christmas stocking!

Hmm... I believe the final of the Europa League is in the Amsterdam Arena if I'm not mistaken.

Destiny?

[paladinby]

The only thing I will remember from this game is the vicious assault by Ronaldo on Boerrigter, and the UEFA referee giving him a yellow card only.

Plus Pepe's elbow on Alderwereld (no card).

Fat cats are always favored by UEFA. Nothing knew about it. I still remember that stupid CL playoff game between Madrid and Lyon where Pepe could have been red carded like 3 times during one half and only got away with one yellow.

The seeded teams from CL are Chelsea, Benfica, Olympiakos and Cluj - we can face them in the first round. Playing against Chelsea would be nice.

[Kowalczyk]

Hmm... I believe the final of the Europa League is in the Amsterdam Arena if I'm not mistaken.

Destiny?

That's right. And it's on Frank de Boer's birthday: 15 May.

Would be a nice one. We won the UEFA Cup in Amsterdam once: final against Torino, 13 May 1992, when the UEFA Cup final was still a two-legged affair.

We can win the same trophy for the second time in our own town. Not a bad idea.

K.

[Tom_]

Winning the UEFA Cup again would be great. Chelsea would be a good draw—we can eliminate two clubs from the self-appointed "best league in the world" in one season!

Actually I'm happy so long as we don't end up playing 120 minutes somewhere on the other side of Europe on a freezing Thursday night. FdB has said the Thursday–Sunday thing isn't a problem but there's evidence that playing after only two days' rest is correlated with dropped points.

[Orange14]

Actually I'm happy so long as we don't end up playing 120 minutes somewhere on the other side of Europe on a freezing Thursday night.

This could happen as Rubin Kazan lead Group H and they are way inland in Russia. Twente played them two or three years ago and I think it was -5C at match kickoff. It looks like we won't have a chance to play Liverpool in the first round as the best they can do is finish second in their group. Spurs also look likely to finish 2nd as do Internazionale so any reunion with a former Ajax star will have to wait if we make it out of the first knockout match.

[paladinby]

Actually I'm happy so long as we don't end up playing 120 minutes somewhere on the other side of Europe on a freezing Thursday night.

This could happen as Rubin Kazan lead Group H and they are way inland in Russia. Twente played them two or three years ago and I think it was -5C at match kickoff. It looks like we won't have a chance to play Liverpool in the first round as the best they can do is finish second in their group. Spurs also look likely to finish 2nd as do Internazionale so any reunion with a former Ajax star will have to wait if we make it out of the first knockout match.

Twente played that game against Rubin at Moscow and most likely Rubin will be playing at Moscow during starting play-off round. Drawing a russian club will be bad for us imho.

[Orange14]

Here are the Europa League possible opponents:


Chelsea (via CL)
Cluj (via CL)
Olympiakos (via CL)
Benfica (via CL)
Metalist Kharkiv
Fenerbahce
Dnjepr
Rubin Kazan
Olympique Lyon
Liverpool
Vitoria Plzen
Bordeaux
Steaua Boekarest
Racing Genk
Lazio Roma
Hannover

With our bad luck in draws we will probably go to Russia or the Ukraine. I would love to see Luis Suarez play against us!

[Philippe]

Chelsea or Liverpool would be fun, the rest would be boring.

[Manneken Pis]

Accordin to the Tetegraaf it's one of:

Olympiakos,
Chelsea,
Benfica,
Cluj,
Liverpool,
Viktoria Pilsen,
Fenerbahçe,
Bordeaux,
Steaua Boekarest,
Dnjepr,
RC Genk,
Rubin Kazan,
Olympique Lyon,
Lazio Roma,
Metalist,
Hannover

Which seems perfectly "do-able" in nearly all cases.

[SPL]

agree Chelski or Liverpool would be good but don't like the thought of Russia or Ukraine on a Thursday night or indeed any night!! Having made 17m euros from the CL this season
plus gate money I would want us to be ko'd from Europa quickly so we can concentrate on either winning or at least finishing 2nd in the league and thus qualify for CL next season.