FOOTBALL – The reaction to Manchester United’s defeat by FC Midtjylland has been one of shock with the English club being derided as “dismal” in the media and the display described as “unacceptable” by one of United’s own players, Michael Carrick. Five days earlier, United lost by a similar scoreline to Sunderland without the same level of criticism from either outside or within. According to the Euro Club Index, Danish champions FC Midtjylland are actually at about the same level of quality as the Black Cats from England’s North East. Prior to Thursday night’s fixture, Midtjylland were ranked 136th by this pan-European ranking with Sunderland 132nd . The difference in opinion therefore lies in people’s perspective with the quality of smaller clubs like Midtjylland being underestimated by media and fans alike because of their lack of knowledge of the team or the league in which they play. Continue reading
Tag Archives for Europa League
REVIEW: Sevilla clinch record fourth EL/UC
FOOTBALL – Sevilla retained their Europa League title to claim the trophy for a record fourth time with a 3-2 win over Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk on Wednesday.
REVIEW: English exodus in Europe greatest in 22 years
FOOTBALL – Everton’s elimination by Dynamo Kyiv means that thee are no English teams left in Europe this season. For the first time in 22 years, there will not be a single English club in the quarterfinals of the various European cup competitions. Ever since 1992/93, England have always sent at least one representative to the last eight in Europe. The seven English sides that embarked on their European adventure this season were Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Everton, Tottenham Hotspur and Hull City.
EURO CLUB INDEX: All-Spanish tie takes Last 16 headlines
FOOTBALL – According to the Euro Club Index the all-Spanish tie between Villarreal CF and titleholders Sevilla FC was the highest profile matchup that resulted from today’s Europa League Last 16 draw. Of the 16 teams still in contention, Sevilla is the highest ranked (14th) team in the Euro Club Index. The index claims that Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk v Ajax is the lowest profile tie on offer.
REVIEW: Besiktas first to best Liverpool on penalties in Europe
FOOTBALL – Liverpool lost their unblemished status in penalty shootouts in European cup competitions after being knocked out of the Europa League on Thursday.
ANALYSE THIS: Eurocup qualifying odds based on first leg
FOOTBALL – We have updated our table showing the odds of progress in a European cup competition given the first leg result. Which odds does your team face for the return leg matches in the Champions League and Europa League?
Europa League seedings do not separate best and worst
Due to basing the seedings for the Europa League draws on six matches within uneven groupings which were created by the UEFA coefficient systems, the seedings for today’s Europa League draw do not actually separate the best and worst remaining teams into two separate groups. Using a longer term rating system, the Euro Club Index, reveals that the seeded and unseeded groups both contain some of the best teams left in the competition and the absolute best trio left in the competition are all unseeded.
ANALYSE THIS: Europa League more open than CL
FOOTBALL – As we discussed earlier this week, many of the Champions League teams are almost guaranteed a place in the last 16 of the competition with five having at least 90% chance of progress and eight at least 80%. The Europa League however looks a lot more open given that only Spurs, Sevilla, Fiorentina and Napoli have more than a four in five chance of progress to the last 32.
ANALYSE THIS: Current Champions League team most likely to win Europa League
FOOTBALL – The Europa League kicks off on Thursday, 18 September and at this stage there is less chance of an eventual Europa League winner coming from one of the 48 teams starting the competition than there is from one of the 32 teams currently competing in the Champions League.
ANALYSE THIS: Analysing the Europa League draw
FOOTBALL – The Euro Club Index (www.euroclubindex.com) rates all teams in top flight football in Europe and today has proved an invaluable guide to assess the 2014/2015 Europa League group stage draw. It points out the Group of Death, the teams facing strongest/weakest opposition and also the teams that were most fortunate/unfortunate in the draw.
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