UEFA Cup Group Stage Draw
Wednesday, 08 October 08, 06:13 AM
Group A
Schalke
Paris Saint Germain
Manchester City
Racing Santander
FC Twente
Group B
Benfica
Olympiakos
Galatasaray
Hertha Berlin
Metalist Kharkiv
Group C
Sevilla
Stuttgart
Sampdoria
Partizan Belgrade
Standard Liege
Group D Tottenham
Spartak Moscow
Udinese
Dinamo Zagreb
NEC Nijmegen
Group E
AC Milan
Heerenveen
Braga
Portsmouth
Wolfsburg
Group F
Hamburg
Ajax
Slavia Prague
Aston Villa
MSK Zilina
Group G
Valencia Club
Brugge
Rosenborg
FC Copenhagen
Saint-Etienne
Group H
CSKA Moscow
Deportivo La Coruna
Feyenoord
Nancy
Lech Poznan
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UEFA Cup 2008/2009
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Sevilla
Grad school? Busy. Too much to do and not enough time. I wish I had 30 hour days. This may also explain why my blog is in a state of partial decay, though I don't mind that too much. It is, after all, just a blog.
Well, by changed format I meant this page. When I clicked on forza futbol before this page never existed. Maybe a poor choice of words.
I like Sevilla's chances this season both in Europe and at home - I think they will have a strong season as last year was one of such heartache and turmoil. Of course the UEFA becomes so much more interesting when the CL bronze medallists enter the fray, though some seem to treat the Uefa Cup with indifference, so maybe I'm overselling the CL rejects.
I think one aspect that hurts all UEFA Cup teams, as you somewhat allude to, is that the Thursday schedule can wreak havoc on La Liga performance. The worst thing is if a UEFA Cup team plays on the Thursday and then has to play away to some merciless team on a Saturday because they don't want to change their schedule. It's happened before, as I remember Valencia hosting Sevilla on a Saturday after they played a UEFA Cup quarter final match on a thursday.
Sad thing about Valencia's UEFA Cup chances is that they will only go as far as Villa and to an extent Mata will take them. They need to add a scoring reinforcement in the Winter Transfer window as Morientes isn't the answer (age and injuries are catching up to him) and Angulo never will be.
Cheers!
I really hope this year will be different and we will see Sevilla, Valencia and Villarreal fighting for the title. But it is a very difficult league, so gruelling and then there's Europe to boot.
Valencia is a wee bit thin in the squad and they have no money, so it should be interesting.
4 Comments
Yeah, the UEFA Cup, the slightly inbred cousin to the more glamorous CL. I like Valencia's chances to advance out of Group H, with hopefully enough points tucked away before they play ASSE away - the Guichard is a tough stadium to play in, even the St. Etienne is in a state of flux I think. I was hoping for a lightweight - why no FC Twente (anything McLaren coached seems predistened for failure) - but alas no.
Groups C, D, and F are all rather sexy, in that oh I don't know who will advance sort of way.
I've been in an internet coma. When did you change the format at FF?
Hi Hoser, our resident Che expert. Waddaya mean changed format? We are still everywhere we used to be. We finally got our act together and posted our podcast on Oleole, that's the only change. But I watched the last Valencia UEFA cup match and they look like they are sleep walking thru the games thus far. No worries cuz they are winning. I kinda like that they got the easier draw. Racing is going to have a helluva time along with Depor and the extra games have affected their performance in La Liga too. Sevilla has a tough group, but they have the fire power, so no prob. How's grad school?