CL draw 11.00 BST / 12.00 CET

Liverpool.

SL Benfica v Kopenhagen/ Beitar Jerusalem

SS Lazio v FC Dynamo Boekarest

AC Spartak Prague v Arsenal

Arsenal - Sparta Prague

Not the easiest draw.

FC Zurich v Besiktas/Fc SHeriff

Sevilla FC v AEK AThens

Sheffield gunner wrote:Arsenal - Sparta Prague

Not the easiest draw.

away first that's good news.

Think Pool have a tougher draw.

DD wrote:Toulouse FC/ Liverpool FC

Oh dear

There's no point whinging about it - that's the difference between 2nd and 3rd place, and if you're not good enough to beat an unseeded qualifier then you're not good enough to be in the CL.

It's nice that this is the first summer I can remember where we weren't dependent on qualifying before we could sign some players.

Are Toulouse any good?

Though draws (as in quality v quality):
Spartak Moscow - Celtic
Fenerbahce v RSC Anderlecht
Rangers - Red star Belgrado (as good as confirmed)
Toulouse - Liverpool
Benfica - Kopenhagen (Kopenhagen has proven to be a bananapeel for both Ajax and ManU last year)
Lazio - Dynamo Boekarest
Spartak Prague v Arsenal
Sevilla - AEK AThens

These are the though draws.
Toulouse - Liverpool is about the matchup there is; both teams recently in the CL .
Spartak Prague - Arsenal is also though. Both CL faces
Sevilla - AEK Athens. Also faces, though Sevilla should dispose of Athens.
Fenerbahce - Anderlecht, both are also CL opponents.

Selection Sparta Prague:

1 GK Zdeněk Zlámal
2 DF Tomáš Řepka
3 DF Jan Šimůnek
4 MF Milan Petržela
5 MF Ondřej Bíro
6 MF David Limberský
7 MF Tomáš Kóňa
8 DF Radoslav Zabavník
9 FW Libor Došek
10 FW Miroslav Slepička
11 MF Daniel Kolář
12 FW Jan Rezek
14 MF Pavel Horváth
15 DF Jiří Kladrubský
16 FW Jan Holenda
17 MF Ludovic Sylvestre
18 MF Karol Kisel
20 DF Zdeněk Pospěch
21 MF Igor Žofčák
22 GK Tomáš Poštulka
22 MF Ondřej Kúdela
23 DF Michal Kadlec
25 DF Pavel Mareš
26 MF Martin Abraham
27 MF Luboš Hušek
28 FW Miroslav Matušovič
30 FW Marek Kulič
31 GK Tomáš Grigar
? GK Matúš Kozáčik

Kolar is a good player. Apart from Repka & Matusovic I hardly know anything about the others. Anyone with a Czech mate?

Parks lives wrote:Are Toulouse any good?

They finshed 3rd in France, so they will be hard to beat (Ligue1 is pretty defensive).

Parks lives wrote:Are Toulouse any good?

Yes. 2nd 3rd placed last year in Ligue one. Came from behind to overtake Lens if I'm not mistaken. They are able to make it to the 2nd round of the CL.
Just about as though as Liverpool could face. Same for Toulouse.
Both got their thoughest opponents.

EDIT

jonathan de guzman wrote:

Parks lives wrote:Are Toulouse any good?

They finshed 3rd in France, so they will be hard to beat (Ligue1 is pretty defensive).

Torres will have to come good really soon. Getting rid of Luis garcia might prove costly. Liverpool will have to break Toulouse down. Pool will need every ounce of creativity here.

If Toulouse are defensive as well, it's probably not going to be much of a spectacle.

Roger Hunt wrote:

DD wrote:Toulouse FC/ Liverpool FC

Oh dear

There's no point whinging about it - that's the difference between 2nd and 3rd place, and if you're not good enough to beat an unseeded qualifier then you're not good enough to be in the CL.

It's nice that this is the first summer I can remember where we weren't dependent on qualifying before we could sign some players.

That's the (winner's) attitude. It boils down to if you can't get past Toulouse, you really don't have any business in the CL.

At least your season will start with a nailbiter.

Parks lives wrote:If Toulouse are defensive as well, it's probably not going to be much of a spectacle.

will be 2 boring encounters indeed.

Let's hope Elmander is in great shape!

Parks lives wrote:If Toulouse are defensive as well, it's probably not going to be much of a spectacle.

Probably not if Pool don't score within the first 20 minutes. But the pressure will be there. It will be how about how good Liverpool can break Toulouse's bus or Toulouse's counters.

I don't think it'll be too dissimilar to last year's Everton-Liverpool matchup.

They are bound to be more cautious considering whats on offer to the winner.

Not sure I want Liverpool to crash out though. Be great stick to throw at them but it'd be a big advantage in the league.

jonathan de guzman wrote:Good draw for you gone!

Great draw. I'm 90% sure will get in the CL. Not a very good draw for Arsenal. Sparta are no pushovers but I exept you to win. Liverpool had bad draw but again, they should win it.

gone wrote:

jonathan de guzman wrote:Good draw for you gone!

Great draw. I'm 90% sure will get in the CL. Not a very good draw for Arsenal. Sparta are no pushovers but I exept you to win. Liverpool had bad draw but again, they should win it.

Luckily Sparta aren't as good as a few years ago. They used to win their league by a landslide, last season they just managed to win it. They haven't got that many star players, but I'm sure they will al be skilled & are well capable of playing decent counterattacking footy. Glad we play away first.

jonathan de guzman wrote:

gone wrote:

jonathan de guzman wrote:Good draw for you gone!

Great draw. I'm 90% sure will get in the CL. Not a very good draw for Arsenal. Sparta are no pushovers but I exept you to win. Liverpool had bad draw but again, they should win it.

Luckily Sparta aren't as good as a few years ago. They used to win their league by a landslide, last season they just managed to win it. They haven't got that many star players, but I'm sure they will al be skilled & are well capable of playing decent counterattacking footy. Glad we play away first.

You played Dinamo Zagreb last year, right? This should be harder. A few years back they made it to the 2nd group stage of the CL but then sold half their team.

PS: Lazio - Dinamo

Champions League - NO DOGS ALLOWED

toulouse


if they are even half as bad as bordeaux were last year then it's a great draw for us

im quite happy we don't have to travel to the far reaches of europe

all in all a decent enough draw

COTR wrote:toulouse


if they are even half as bad as bordeaux were last year then it's a great draw for us

im quite happy we don't have to travel to the far reaches of europe

all in all a decent enough draw

Its close to home, that's the only plus. I would hardly call it a decent enough draw at all, Children. Toulouse are just about the worst opponent you could've faced. The toughest unseeded opponent too.
You are expected to win of course, but not by a comfortable margin. They're just the type of team you struggle with, i.e., the teams you ahve to break down. Not only that, they have a good defense and a great lone striker.

You need to score in the away game for you not to get in a tight spot at home.

Good luck though.

DD wrote:

COTR wrote:toulouse


if they are even half as bad as bordeaux were last year then it's a great draw for us

im quite happy we don't have to travel to the far reaches of europe

all in all a decent enough draw

Its close to home, that's the only plus. I would hardly call it a decent enough draw at all, Children. Toulouse are just about the worst opponent you could've faced. The toughest unseeded opponent too.
You are expected to win of course, but not by a comfortable margin. They're just the type of team you struggle with, i.e., the teams you ahve to break down. Not only that, they have a good defense and a great lone striker.

You need to score in the away game for you not to get in a tight spot at home.

Good luck though.

I don't know why people don't rate AEK Athens. Have seen what players they got? Rivaldo and Dellas just to name 2.

DD wrote:

COTR wrote:toulouse


if they are even half as bad as bordeaux were last year then it's a great draw for us

im quite happy we don't have to travel to the far reaches of europe

all in all a decent enough draw

Its close to home, that's the only plus. I would hardly call it a decent enough draw at all, Children. Toulouse are just about the worst opponent you could've faced. The toughest unseeded opponent too.
You are expected to win of course, but not by a comfortable margin. They're just the type of team you struggle with, i.e., the teams you ahve to break down. Not only that, they have a good defense and a great lone striker.

You need to score in the away game for you not to get in a tight spot at home.

Good luck though.

@ DD

We have been to the CL final two out of the past three season

Believe me, I am not worried about having to face toulouse

The only way we will struggle is if the new team has not bedded in correctly

We batter most of these defensive teams at anfield so if toulouse are defensive at home then happy days as they will pose little threat of scoring

Im happy with the draw


famous last words

Nobody doesn't not rate AEK athens. They're quite frequently in CL group stages. Sevilla, (back to back UEFA cup champions)however, is considerably better and should knock them out.

@COTR,



This is a knock out round. I'm not saying you should be afraid of Toulouse, because if you got them any later KO round of the (proper) CL you couldn't believe your luck.
However, they are the thoughest of the bunch and its still a KO round.
The pressure however, will be to avoid the massive dissapointment of not qualifying, fucking up the season that early and the humilation that comes with it. You chose which one is worse.

If you're ahead after the away leg, then you have nothing to worry about. If you don't the pressure will be bigger then during the last 16 for example, because at least you achieved something in the latter situation. Here the pressure will only be to avoid cocking up the season and achieving f@ck all.

Toulouse are a banana peel.

Don't get too cocky yet.

Famous last words:
"Who the f@ck are Kopenhagen?" - Ajax supporters last year.

Summed up:
FH Hafnarfjordur or BATE Borisov v Zaglebie Lubin or Steaua Bucharest
Tampere United or Levski Sofia v Astana or Rosenborg
Spartak Moscow v CELTIC
Werder Bremen v NK Domzale or Dinamo Zagreb
FK Ventspils or FC Salzburg v Pyunik or Shakhtar Donetsk
Ajax v MSK Zilina or SK Slavia Prague
Valencia v Debreceni or IF Elfsborg
Genk or FK Sarajevo v Dynamo Kiev
Fenerbahce v Anderlecht
RANGERS or FK Zeta v FK Crvena Zvezda or Levadia Tallinn
Toulouse v LIVERPOOL
Benfica v FC Copenhagen or Beitar Jerusalem
Lazio v Dinamo Bucharest
Sparta Prague v ARSENAL
FC Zurich v Sheriff or Besiktas
Sevilla v AEK Athens