Champions League: 2020-2021

[Orange14]

Here is the new thread to talk about the upcoming CL. Ajax is officially in Pot 2 which means they avoid playing some tough customers in the group stage. It's interesting that two years ago they made the CL semifinals and four years ago, the Europa League final. Will this every other year performance continue?

[Ayman]

The fixture for Ajax is somewhat tough, but then again no easy way out.
Ajax vs Liverpool
Atalanta vs Ajax
Midtjylland vs Ajax
Ajax vs Midtjylland
Liverpool vs Ajax
Ajax vs Atalanta

[Orange14]

I think it's a good group for Ajax and will really test them. My motto is, "To be the Best, You have to Beat the Best." It's too bad they won't get the full Anfield experience with a packed arena and the home supporters singing 'You'll Never Walk Alone.'

[SPL]

AZ and PSV winning last night is great for Dutch co effiecients . We are 9th just behind 8th place Belgium.Need to be in top 10 for 2022 champs to automatically qualify although 11th place is ok if this season's winners have qualified already through their own league which has nearly always been the case.

[Orange14]

I watched part of the Feyenoord match against Wolfsberger (AUS) and there were three penalties called against the Dutch team. I don't think any of them were good calls by the match official. the first two could have easily been called dives and the third was a fair challenge and punch of the ball by the keeper. Feyenoord were the better team on the night but Linsen is one of the worst finishers I have seen.

[Tom_]

Typically bizarre Europa league refereeing! One of the Feyenoord players was also taken out in the box at 2-1. I didn’t see a good angle on the replay but that’s potentially 4 bad penalty calls in a match.

Having said that, Feyenoord were abject in the first half and then missed a bunch of chances to equalise.

[Orange14]

Here is the group seeding for the Europa League. Worst draw for Ajax is almost any team as history has shown but I would not want to see Real Sociadad or Benfica as they are the two strongest in the unseeded group. The Europa League could be interesting this season as there are a lot of strong teams in the seeded group.

Geplaatste teams:

AC Milan
Ajax
Arsenal
AS Roma
Bayer Leverkusen
Club Brugge
Dinamo Zagreb
Hoffenheim
Leicester City
Manchester United
Napoli
PSV
Rangers
Sjachtar Donetsk
Tottenham Hotspur
Villarreal


Ongeplaatste teams

Antwerp FC
Benfica
Braga
Dinamo Kiev
Granada
Krasnodar
Lille
Maccabi Tel Aviv
Molde
Olympiakos Piraeus
Real Sociedad
Red Bull Salzburg
Rode Ster Belgrado
Slavia Praag
Wolfsberger AC
Young Boys

[kezme44]

also want to avoid red bull salzburg and lille

[Orange14]

also want to avoid red bull salzburg and lille

You did not get your wish as Ajax have drawn Lille. The French team is having a very good first half of the season.

[SPL]

Only other unseeded team that would be tougher is Sociedad and luckily ManU get them.

[kezme44]

also want to avoid red bull salzburg and lille

You did not get your wish as Ajax have drawn Lille. The French team is having a very good first half of the season.

this likely means an early exit for us again. oh well...

[Ayman]

also want to avoid red bull salzburg and lille

You did not get your wish as Ajax have drawn Lille. The French team is having a very good first half of the season.

this likely means an early exit for us again. oh well...

Hold up. Ajax usually do really well against French teams, bar PSG several years ago.

[Orange14]

Ajax defeated Lille twice in the group phase of last season's Champions League!!!

[Orange14]

As with a number of other French teams, Lille are having financial difficulties and may have to sell players to service some loans the club has taken out. https://www.ajaxshowtime.com/article/vo ... s-verkopen

[#14]

Big article about the mess in France in the Times today: https://nyti.ms/2IPX9tX

[Amol]

Maybe time to buy Botman back for a little higher than we sold him?

[SPL]

1st out Ajax v Young Boys Switzerland , great draw one of the weakest sides along with Mold .

Lets hope for Manu vSpurs!!

[Orange14]

Finally, Ajax get a good draw in a Euro competition. Let's hope they do not lose focus!!! Here is the full draw. I would love to see all the English teams go out but Spurs look like they have an easy draw and it will still depend on whether the ban on playing in England continues into the next round.

Ajax (NED) vs Young Boys (SUI)
Dynamo Kyiv (UKR) vs Villarreal (ESP)
Roma (ITA) vs Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR)
Olympiacos (GRE) vs Arsenal (ENG)
Dinamo Zagreb (CRO) vs Tottenham (ENG)
Manchester United (ENG) vs AC Milan (ITA)
Slavia Praha (CZE) vs Rangers (SCO)
Granada (ESP) vs Molde (NOR)

[SPL]

So Roma in the quarters ,a decent side but not the toughest draw. Semi v Manu will be very tough but to win the competition we have to face them sometime.

[Orange14]

So Roma in the quarters ,a decent side but not the toughest draw. Semi v Manu will be very tough but to win the competition we have to face them sometime.

Roma is maybe the best draw for Ajax. They will try to play football which will work in Ajax's favor. I'm not sure that ManU will win over Granada.

[Tom_]

It’s a worse draw for Roma than it is for Ajax!

[Amol]

I don't mind this draw at all. Man U/Grenada in the semis.

[Orange14]

Ajax played Roma in the Champions league back in 2002=03, winning 1-0 and drawing 1-1 in the intermediate group stage. They went on to lose to AC Milan in the quarterfinals back in the days when Italian teams were really good. Three of the four semifinalists that year were Italian clubs. The Ajax team that year had Zlatan, Chivu, Maxwell, van der Vaart, Snjeider, Heitinga and others. Koeman was the manager.

[zeux]

Ajax played Roma in the Champions league back in 2002=03, winning 1-0 and drawing 1-1 in the intermediate group stage. They went on to lose to AC Milan in the quarterfinals back in the days when Italian teams were really good. Three of the four semifinalists that year were Italian clubs. The Ajax team that year had Zlatan, Chivu, Maxwell, van der Vaart, Snjeider, Heitinga and others. Koeman was the manager.

On goal: Maarten Stekelenburg.

I read today that Rensch was not yet born during the home game in december 2002 (by the way a 2-1 win)

[Ayman]

The Ajax team that year had Zlatan, Chivu, Maxwell, van der Vaart, Snjeider, Heitinga and others. Koeman was the manager.

The Ajax team this year have Tadic, Blind, Tagliafico, Klaassen, Gravenberch, J. Timber and others.
Ten Hag is the manager
It's safe to say Ajax are among the top favourites this time, no longer the surprise package. Dinamo Zagreb and Slavia Prague are the surprise packages so far. I hope it becomes the norm that Ajax go far in Europe.