Champions League Opponents 2011-2012

[#14]

You've got a date with Monsieur Platini on August 25th!

Right now it's looking like that 56.025 coefficient gets you Pot 3, but with some upsets it could be Pot 2.

Pot 1 will definitely include:

Manchester United
Barcelona
Chelsea
Madrid
Inter
Porto

And will probably be rounded out by two from Bayern, Arsenal, and Milan.

I'll take ManU, Barca, or Madrid - make sure the team from Pot 1 crushes the other two teams in the group.

There will be some wildcards as well - particularly ManCity which will likely make the group stage and, with CL footy on offer, will be able to buy players that wouldn't have joined up before. But their coefficient will be 47.157, probably Pot 3 and maybe even Pot 4. If I'm a Pot 1 team, I certainly don't want them in my group.

[aveslacker]

What a fantastic thread!

[souras84]

Aaaah the summer breeze is touching my face... And finally we can relax!!!

[Amol]

I don't even remember how one would deal with this. Not worrying your ass off in July/August

[pizza 5]

Hahahaha............and no PSV makes it even better......

[Dubbel]

I think we'll beat Man United in the final; 2-1.

[aveslacker]

I think we'll beat Man United in the final; 2-1.

It's a good thing Ajax won, huh? At least you won't be so distraught about the Lakers.

[#14]

Ajax is in the 3rd position in Pot 3, so we need three teams that have to qualify for the group stage and have higher coefficients to be upset by teams with lower coefficients in order to move up to Pot 2. Rangers is one spot above us in Pot 3 but I don't see them losing in qualification in the champions bracket. The other options at the moment are Bayern, Arsenal (assuming Citeh wins Sunday), Benfica, and Villarreal. There are also two unfilled spots in Pot 2 which will be a French team and someone else. I'd say the chances of moving to Pot 2 are slim but not impossible.

Other points of interest include Milan in Pot 2 again (assuming Bayern and Arsenal keep up their end of the bargain), Citeh probably in Pot 3, and Dortmund and Napoli in Pot 4. How about Barcelona, Milan, Citeh, and Dortmund for a group of death?

[souras84]

what about Lille as french champions? where will they be placed?

[beelzebub]

They have a coefficient lower than Ajax. Check this site for the seedings so far:
http://www.xs4all.nl/~kassiesa/bert/uef ... l2011.html

[#14]

What a difference a year makes.

Last year Ajax's coefficient got them the last seeded spot in the CL 4th qualifying round which allowed them to face the likes of Dinamo, Braga, Sampdoria, Auxerre, or Young Boys.

This year, their improved coefficient would likely have seen them be unseeded (which Twente will be assuming they get thru the 3rd round) with the opportunity to face the likes of Bayern, Benfica, Villarreal, and possibly Arsenal or Lyon.

Ultimately this isn't good for the KNVB as not having the second team in the CL group stage could really hurt the country coefficient.

[Cedric]

Ultimately this isn't good for the KNVB as not having the second team in the CL group stage could really hurt the country coefficient.

Why? I think it's better to have a good run in Europa League than bad results in Champions League. And it's of course easier.

[#14]

More coefficient points on offer in the CL. 4 bonus points just for making the group stage. Would rather they made the group stage and then drop to EL as third in their group than not qualify for CL group....

[#14]

Groups stage is coming into focus. I'll take:

Arsenal
Dinamo Kiev
Ajax
Otelul Galati

Of course my "buddy" Len is rooting for:

ManU
Milan
Ajax
Dortmund (or perhaps Lille)

[Dubbel]

I think we'll beat Man United in the final; 2-1.

It's a good thing Ajax won, huh? At least you won't be so distraught about the Lakers.

Quite.

Last week, while doing score keeping at a Little League game, I got yelled at by an ump for wearing a Lakers hat. Funny thing that, just won two B2B, then lose (ok, got torched) a series and you can't even associate with them anymore?

[Blind3]

If I'm planning a trip to Amsterdam for fall , and I am , 1 CL home match and 1 league, I know in advance that I' m destined to see Inter. My schedule only ever agrees with a CL match if we play Inter.

[arizonaajax]

Ajax is in the 3rd position in Pot 3, so we need three teams that have to qualify for the group stage and have higher coefficients to be upset by teams with lower coefficients in order to move up to Pot 2. Rangers is one spot above us in Pot 3 but I don't see them losing in qualification in the champions bracket. The other options at the moment are Bayern, Arsenal (assuming Citeh wins Sunday), Benfica, and Villarreal. There are also two unfilled spots in Pot 2 which will be a French team and someone else. I'd say the chances of moving to Pot 2 are slim but not impossible.

Other points of interest include Milan in Pot 2 again (assuming Bayern and Arsenal keep up their end of the bargain), Citeh probably in Pot 3, and Dortmund and Napoli in Pot 4. How about Barcelona, Milan, Citeh, and Dortmund for a group of death?

That would suck as I support Dortmund when it comes to the Bundesliga. I know they probably won't make it out of the group stage but I have hope they will continue into the Europa in the 2nd half of the season.

[arizonaajax]

If I'm planning a trip to Amsterdam for fall , and I am , 1 CL home match and 1 league, I know in advance that I' m destined to see Inter. My schedule only ever agrees with a CL match if we play Inter.

I hope to be hitting up Amsterdam and Dortmund this October hitting one for a League match and one for a CL match depending on a week when both are at home in one or the other.

It will be my 3rd match for Dortmund and "finally" first ever Ajax match.

[aveslacker]

Ajax is in the 3rd position in Pot 3, so we need three teams that have to qualify for the group stage and have higher coefficients to be upset by teams with lower coefficients in order to move up to Pot 2. Rangers is one spot above us in Pot 3 but I don't see them losing in qualification in the champions bracket. The other options at the moment are Bayern, Arsenal (assuming Citeh wins Sunday), Benfica, and Villarreal. There are also two unfilled spots in Pot 2 which will be a French team and someone else. I'd say the chances of moving to Pot 2 are slim but not impossible.

Other points of interest include Milan in Pot 2 again (assuming Bayern and Arsenal keep up their end of the bargain), Citeh probably in Pot 3, and Dortmund and Napoli in Pot 4. How about Barcelona, Milan, Citeh, and Dortmund for a group of death?

That would suck as I support Dortmund when it comes to the Bundesliga. I know they probably won't make it out of the group stage but I have hope they will continue into the Europa in the 2nd half of the season.

Easy solution: drop Dortmund. I mean, they're cool and all, but they're not Godenzonen, nomsayin'?

[DrDuncan]

With Lyon getting the 3rd French place, and Panathinaikos the 2nd Greek one, we are potentially down to 5th in Pot 3. It's possible that up to 6 teams above us could get knocked out before the group stage, but unlikely.

[beelzebub]

No, still 3rd in pot 3.
http://kassiesa.home.xs4all.nl/bert/uef ... l2011.html

[Philippe]

I don't think Lyon will make it. So, who knows ? Pot 2 with some luck...

[rjf1]

I never understood the pot system -- aside from the top teams going into pot 1 so that they don't face each other early and eliminate each other. But, what is the advantage of being in pot 2 over pot 3?

[Manneken Pis]

I never understood the pot system -- aside from the top teams going into pot 1 so that they don't face each other early and eliminate each other. But, what is the advantage of being in pot 2 over pot 3?

Theoretically (based on your prior performances in the Champs League and Euro League = "coeficient") the teams in Pot 2 are stronger than Pot 3, so you will meet a weaker team if you are in the former versus the latter. Based on the fact that two teams qualify from each group (and the Pot 1 team is even stronger), this means your chances of qualifying for the next round improve significantly.

But in the end it's the luck of the draw more than anything ...

[#14]

ManCity will throw quite a monkey wrench into that this go 'round. No one in Pot 1 wants them in their group. And they were almost in Pot 4!!

And be careful what you wish for - after this past year's "group of death" - should Ajax somehow move up to Pot 2, I can almost guarantee that their foe from Pot 3 would be: ManCity.