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Author Topic: Europa League 2025-26  (Read 152043 times)

Offline ADVILLAFAN

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Re: Europa League 2025-26
« Reply #1815 on: February 19, 2026, 01:36:24 PM »
I want Red Star. Former European Cup winner.

Played Lille recently and Celta 4 times previously.

Online TheToffnar

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Re: Europa League 2025-26
« Reply #1816 on: February 19, 2026, 01:44:10 PM »
I say that purely because they're one of the 'better' teams.

Offline rjp

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Re: Europa League 2025-26
« Reply #1817 on: February 19, 2026, 01:52:59 PM »
I believe we can beat anyone so I base my preference on the away trip and for that reason anyone but Lille.  I've never been to Vigo so would be happy with that.  PAOK could be kettling/queueing for hours again and Belgrade would be interesting but there's also a potential for hassle.

Online Somniloquism

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Re: Europa League 2025-26
« Reply #1818 on: February 19, 2026, 01:53:51 PM »
I would argue all four are pretty much equal in terms of how good they are. Whichever team we don't get goes into the other bracket so if you believe Lille is the best of the four (and will win through these matches), then it would be better to send them down the other bracket to fight it out with Lyon.

Online Dave

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Re: Europa League 2025-26
« Reply #1819 on: February 19, 2026, 01:54:00 PM »
I say that purely because they're one of the 'better' teams.

So a tie against the team they are playing would be even better then, no?

Online TheToffnar

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Re: Europa League 2025-26
« Reply #1820 on: February 19, 2026, 02:04:54 PM »
I say that purely because they're one of the 'better' teams.

So a tie against the team they are playing would be even better then, no?

Got to be honest, don't quite know what my point was here...

Offline AV82EC

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Re: Europa League 2025-26
« Reply #1821 on: February 19, 2026, 04:48:09 PM »
Funnily enough I’m less concerned about Lille, probably incorrectly, but I don’t think they’re the team they were 2 seasons ago. Whilst Red Star and PAOK would be tough away games (like Fenerbache) think we’d beat them both at home. The unknown factor for me is Celta. Think we would win out but a tough tie.

Online TheToffnar

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Re: Europa League 2025-26
« Reply #1822 on: February 19, 2026, 04:58:49 PM »
Excuse my ignorance, but how does the overall spread of results in the playoffs effect who they play from automatic qualification? Is there a metric where by we play the lowest seeded team because of our high finishing position, or is it just a random draw after the fact?

Online Mellin

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Re: Europa League 2025-26
« Reply #1823 on: February 19, 2026, 05:07:30 PM »
They are paired off by position, so highest plays lowest and so on. Us and Lyon take the middle cluster.

Online Somniloquism

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Re: Europa League 2025-26
« Reply #1824 on: February 19, 2026, 09:13:19 PM »
The theory is the "seeded" top half of the play-off teams will beat the "unseeded" lower half. So when it comes to us playing again, the teams in 15/16th will be the lowest finishing teams left. If we get into the QFs, the next matches for 1-2 will be the winners of the teams playing the 7th/8th positions, so we could be playing Freiburg or Roma (or whichever team beats them from Zagreb v Genk or Brann v Bolgna).

We will know our exact (and potential future) opponents next Friday at 1300 when the rest of the brackets are filled in.
« Last Edit: February 19, 2026, 09:16:11 PM by Somniloquism »

Offline eamonn

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Re: Europa League 2025-26
« Reply #1825 on: February 19, 2026, 10:25:41 PM »
Anyone keeping an eye on the games this evening have a sense as to who might be trickier between Celta and Red Star?

Offline AV82EC

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Re: Europa League 2025-26
« Reply #1826 on: February 19, 2026, 11:01:26 PM »
Anyone keeping an eye on the games this evening have a sense as to who might be trickier between Celta and Red Star?

Red Star probably edged it as Lille were slightly better opposition than PAOK. Red Star could easily have had 2 or 3 tonight, they were at least as wasteful in front of goal as your usual Villa performance.

Offline Demitri_C

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Re: Europa League 2025-26
« Reply #1827 on: Today at 09:08:09 AM »
Anyone keeping an eye on the games this evening have a sense as to who might be trickier between Celta and Red Star?

Lille lost but they had a horrendous injury list and red star were full strength. I will watch the second leg as im curious at what kind of stadium/atmosphere  would be at red star. Expecting a hostile crowd.

PAOK are pants their fans are the millwall of greek football so might be better they go out as our fans wont like the stadium either.

I think lille will turn it around meaning celta vigo or lille next round

 


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