Showing posts with label EuropaLeague. Show all posts
Showing posts with label EuropaLeague. Show all posts

Thursday, 7 April 2016

BVB Dortmund v Liverpool - Preview

Klopp
Juergen Klopp - Getty Images
Jurgen Klopp said the attention he is receiving on his return to former club Borussia Dortmund is better than being in North Korea.

The Reds play at the Westfalenstadion on Thursday in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final.

"A lot has been said but it is easy for me as I just have friends here," said Klopp, Dortmund coach for seven years.

"It's better to be here than North Korea or something. I don't think about my situation, not for one second."

It is reported 20 television crews, twice as many photographers and about 100 journalists were present to listen to Klopp, who won two Bundesliga titles at Dortmund.

Klopp said his former club - second in the Bundesliga, five points behind leaders Bayern Munich - were favourites and admitted Liverpool had the "highest mountain to climb" over the two legs.

"We have looked at the way Dortmund play but my players haven't travelled here without any hope we will get a result," added the German.

"If we are not good it will be easy for Dortmund but why should I think about this?"

Liverpool are yet to lose in the Europa League this season, and knocked out Manchester United in the last round.

"Manchester United was the biggest game and biggest pressure so we are prepared for this," said Klopp. "And you need a bit of luck."

Dortmund counterpart Thomas Tuchel warned his players Klopp would show no mercy.

"From the moment the whistle goes Jurgen Klopp will want nothing else than a win. And we too," said the 42-year-old.

But he added "no-one has forgotten" what Klopp achieved at Dortmund.

"Anything else but a warm welcome for Jurgen Klopp will be a surprise," said Tuchel. "We are now where we are because of our history with Jurgen."

Dortmund trio Mats Hummels, Sokratis Papastathopoulos and Ilkay Gundogan took part in training on Tuesday after missing the 3-2 Bundesliga win over Werder Bremen at the weekend.

Forward Roberto Firmino, who has missed Liverpool's past two matches because of a hamstring injury, has travelled with the squad to Germany.



Tuesday, 22 September 2015

Premier Faces Champions Cut


The Premier League is in danger of losing a fourth Champions League spot in the 2017-18 season if poor European performances continue this season. English teams have not reached the Champions League quarter-finals in two of the past three seasons.

New co-efficient rankings, calculated over a five-year period, show England are third, behind Spain and Germany. Italy are fourth, four points behind England. 

The top three ranked countries receive four Champions League places.

Performances in both Uefa competitions - Champions League and Europa League - are taken into consideration for the rankings with more points awarded in the elite competition (see tables at bottom of this page).

Points are awarded for qualifying for the group stages and then for each knockout round negotiated.

Four English teams have qualified for the group stages of this season's Champions League, against just two from Italy, thus earning more bonus points.

However, if last season's results were repeated - Juventus reached the Champions League final with Napoli and Fiorentina reaching the Europa league semi-finals - then Italy would jump ahead of England.

There are two English teams in the Europa League and three from Italy.

The 2017-18 season will be the first where the 2010-11 season drops out of the reckoning.

That season saw Manchester United reach the Champions League final, where they were beaten by Barcelona in Rome, while Tottenham and Chelsea made the quarter-finals.
How the points are calculated

Champions League
First qualifying round elimination - 0.5 points
Second qualifying round elimination - 1 point

Group stage participation - 4 points
Group stage win - 2 points
Group stage draw - 1 point
Round of 16 participation - 4 points

Clubs are awarded an additional point if they reach the round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals or final.

Europa League
First qualifying round elimination - 0.25 points
Second qualifying round elimination - 0.5 points
Third qualifying round elimination - 1 point
Play-off elimination - 1.5 points

Group stage win - 2 points
Group stage draw - 1 point

Clubs are guaranteed a minimum of two points if they reach the group stage and are awarded an additional point if they get to the quarter-finals, semi-finals or final.