European Leagues Thread 2012/2013

[prostak]

To follow on from Starfish's post on the Nurnberg-Hertha match, the Hertha fans were far from happy at the outcome... (link is in German, but I think the general gist transcends language)

The DFB are going to 'investigate' the violence, which saw 30 arrests and 4 injured polizei, and it's looking more than likely sanctions will follow. On the plus side for Hertha, any footballing penalties are unlikely to have too great an impact, as they've looked doomed for months.

[RoyalChicagoFC]

Yeah that not good

So PSV got clobbered 4-1 away to Ajax today, which puts leaders Twente (who won easily on Friday) five points clear of PSV (and still six better than Ajax) atop the Eredivisie table headed into their showdown at Philipsstadion next Saturday

PSV pretty much have to win that one in order to keep alive realistic hopes of reclaiming the title taken from them by AZ last season; with a loss, they'd be 8 back with six games remaining, and even a draw wouldn't be of much use now that Ajax are poised to leapfrog 'em into second with a win away to hapless basement-dwelling Waalwijk on Sunday

Recall that only the top two finishers in the Eredivisie qualify for the Champions League (the champions directly, with the runners up slotted into the third qualifying round)

Ajax among the three title-chasing sides have the softest run-in

[Arch]

Lively at the top of the Bundesliga, but France is where it's at for competition:

Bordeaux...27...53
Montpellier.28...53
Auxerre....28....52
Lille........28....51
Lyon.......28....51
Marseille...27...50

[RoyalChicagoFC]

Yeah, and didn't pretty much everybody in that mix draw over the weekend?

It's interesting as always how it's all shaping up atop the major European leagues (and the relegation picture --Celta Vigo, who've improved their position and are now four points clear of the drop zone, nevertheless could get dumped out of the Spanish second division), but in any case I sense that what's getting reinforced here is the extent to which it's really all about United, Chelsea and Barcelona

[soggy biscuit]

Hertha Berlin fans take well to their impending relegation
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5WK8cXvOeM&feature=player_embedded#at=28

[soggy biscuit]

Messi tears Valencia a new one at the weekend
http://www.d1g.com/video/space/sports/show/?id=3653254

[Starfish]

Hertha Berlin fans take well to their impending relegation
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5WK8cXvOeM&feature=player_embedded#at=28

Sanctions (loss of points?) for soggy biscuit for not reading Prostak's previous post.

[bobbybottler]

Yeah that not good

So PSV got clobbered 4-1 away to Ajax today, which puts leaders Twente (who won easily on Friday) five points clear of PSV (and still six better than Ajax) atop the Eredivisie table headed into their showdown at Philipsstadion next Saturday

PSV pretty much have to win that one in order to keep alive realistic hopes of reclaiming the title taken from them by AZ last season; with a loss, they'd be 8 back with six games remaining, and even a draw wouldn't be of much use now that Ajax are poised to leapfrog 'em into second with a win away to hapless basement-dwelling Waalwijk on Sunday

Recall that only the top two finishers in the Eredivisie qualify for the Champions League (the champions directly, with the runners up slotted into the third qualifying round)

Ajax among the three title-chasing sides have the softest run-in

Agree with you about Ajax's run-in. FC Twente still have to play PSV, Feyenoord and Alkmaar whereas I don't think Ajax have many games left against top-half opponents.

[RoyalChicagoFC]

Yup, and as a matter of fact, Twente and PSV have four of their respective remaining six in common after they square off on Saturday...

Twente (70 pts/+30): PSV(a), Sparta(h), Venlo(a), Heerenveen(h*), AZ(a), Feijenoord(h), NAC(a)

PSV (65 pts/+38): Twente(h), Venlo(a), Tilburg(a), Feijenoord(h), Heerenveen(a), Groningen(h), AZ(a)

Ajax (64 pts/+62): Waalwijk(a), Groningen(h), ADO(a), Venlo(h), Tilburg(a), Heracles(h), NEC(a)

About the only downside for Ajax there is the fact that they have to play each of the current bottom three away (and again, basement side Waalwijk are no-hopers and will be out of the way come Sunday in any case); with the way the Eredivisie is set up with the second- and third-bottom sides going into relegation play-offs, and with the bottom end of the table still a bit crowded, Ajax'll have a job on their hands and will have to be hoping that NEC have scooted clear before the last day

Plus there's the matter of 5th thru 9th being paired off in a Europa League qualification play-off, and Ajax may have to deal with a couple of sides still jockeying for those spots come matchday

Still, you really have to like their chances --if not Twente to win this, then them

*Corrected

[FiNeRaIn]

Hertha Berlin fans take well to their impending relegation
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5WK8cXvOeM&feature=player_embedded#at=28

Sanctions (loss of points?) for soggy biscuit for not reading Prostak's previous post.

Not sure why they are being so widely condemned, they obviously don't want to be relegated which is understandable.

[bobbybottler]

Yup, and as a matter of fact, Twente and PSV have four of their respective remaining six in common after they square off on Saturday...

Twente (70 pts/+30): PSV(a), Sparta(h), Venlo(a), Heerenveen(a), AZ(a), Feijenoord(h), NAC(a)

PSV (65 pts/+38): Twente(h), Venlo(a), Tilburg(a), Feijenoord(h), Heerenveen(a), Groningen(h), AZ(a)

Ajax (64 pts/+62): Waalwijk(a), Groningen(h), ADO(a), Venlo(h), Tilburg(a), Heracles(h), NEC(a)

About the only downside for Ajax there is the fact that they have to play each of the current bottom three away (and again, basement side Waalwijk are no-hopers and will be out of the way come Sunday in any case); with the way the Eredivisie is set up with the second- and third-bottom sides going into relegation play-offs, and with the bottom end of the table still a bit crowded, Ajax'll have a job on their hands and will have to be hoping that NEC have scooted clear before the last day

Plus there's the matter of 5th thru 9th being paired off in a Europa League qualification play-off, and Ajax may have to deal with a couple of sides still jockeying for those spots come matchday

Still, you really have to like their chances --if not Twente to win this, then them

Only two home matches for FC Twente in that lot. Hadn't noticed that before.

[RoyalChicagoFC]

Make that three --Twente play Heerenveen at home not away

Strictly my own transcription error; all else checks out, and kudos to the eagle-eyed

[paultheroyal]

Messi tears Valencia a new one at the weekend
http://www.d1g.com/video/space/sports/show/?id=3653254

and i was there!!!!!

Will post my experience later on, but what a weekend!

[prostak]

It's going down in Ligue 1 as a PSG fan died this morning after being beaten by other PSG fans after a game in February. The French government has spoken of a threat to close the club down if they don't deal with their hooligan problem.

[bobbybottler]

Yup, and as a matter of fact, Twente and PSV have four of their respective remaining six in common after they square off on Saturday...

Twente (70 pts/+30): PSV(a), Sparta(h), Venlo(a), Heerenveen(h*), AZ(a), Feijenoord(h), NAC(a)

PSV (65 pts/+38): Twente(h), Venlo(a), Tilburg(a), Feijenoord(h), Heerenveen(a), Groningen(h), AZ(a)

Ajax (64 pts/+62): Waalwijk(a), Groningen(h), ADO(a), Venlo(h), Tilburg(a), Heracles(h), NEC(a)

About the only downside for Ajax there is the fact that they have to play each of the current bottom three away (and again, basement side Waalwijk are no-hopers and will be out of the way come Sunday in any case); with the way the Eredivisie is set up with the second- and third-bottom sides going into relegation play-offs, and with the bottom end of the table still a bit crowded, Ajax'll have a job on their hands and will have to be hoping that NEC have scooted clear before the last day

Plus there's the matter of 5th thru 9th being paired off in a Europa League qualification play-off, and Ajax may have to deal with a couple of sides still jockeying for those spots come matchday

Still, you really have to like their chances --if not Twente to win this, then them

This weekend's fixtures saw PSV and FC Twente Enschede draw 1-1 in Einders, and Ajax predictably thumped Wallwijk 5-1....which means FC Twente are still five points ahead of PSV but only four ahead of Ajax.

Next week, FC Twente's awesome home form is unlikely to be tested by Sparta, Ajax might get double figures against Groningen, but I fancy PSV to huff and puff a bit against Venlo, who are reliant on their good home form and might well spring a surprise.....

Elsewhere, well let me you all that rain in Rotterdam is not at all unusual, but Feyenoord and Vitesse Arnhem was rained off in a Bury-esque manner with Feye struggling

Right now though, the Dutchies can do one, as Barcelona are on justintv.

[bobbybottler]

Fabulous stuff from Real Madrid tonight, 3-0 up at near neighbours Getafe with 22 mins gone

Here's a link if anyone wants some trojans to add to their collection:
http://www.atdhe.net/15914/watch-getafe ... eal-madrid

[bobbybottler]

As you were in Eredivisie, home wins for Twente and Ajax as predicted, and a relatively straitforward away win for PSV.

Next week the top three are all away, Twente have what looks to be the hardest game at Venlo (where PSV won today), PSV are in Tilburg and Ajax are in The Hague.

Real losing to Atletico at the moment.

[RoyalChicagoFC]

Real losing to Atletico at the moment.

...and still, now the HT whistle's gone, and this after the World Footballer of the Year just missed with his head from eight yards out and with the 'keeper stood right in front of him on the line, oh dear

Fantastic finishes setting up in all of the major leagues, and that's for just about everything --titles, automatic UCL berths, UCL qualifying slots over Europa League, and then the Europa League berths themselves

Funny how some here deride the latter competition as a mickey mouse deal, btw (and really, one does wonder when and by what logic did the mascot of the massively successful Walt Disney Company become the dubious standard for utter naff-osity; we do it this side of the puddle, too, and have for years stretching into decades)

Anyway, I seem to recall a Berkshire outfit making a run at qualification for that competition in recent years, and it would've been a huge deal had it come off; these days, folks content themselves instead LOL'ing @ Fulham having progressed to the point of knowing whom their opponents could be all the way thru to the final (but looking for intellectual honesty and consistency of thought around here is of course a fool's errand)

Anyway, Villarreal, Getafe and, if it holds, Atleti with huge wins this weekend, which combined with losses up the table now have them poised just shy of Europa League qualification

And Real just drew level from a corner

[Arch]

Meanwhile at the bottom of the Superlig in Turkey:

18. Ankaraspor P 27 W 0 D 0 L 27 GF 0 GA 81 GD -81 PTS 0

[FiNeRaIn]

Meanwhile at the bottom of the Superlig in Turkey:

18. Ankaraspor P 27 W 0 D 0 L 27 GF 0 GA 81 GD -81 PTS 0

LOL what? They've not even scored in 27 games?

There has to be some sort of story behind them being in that division or their predicament..do they have fans playing or something?