I had forgotten the link - I was uploading sheets while I had forgotten you didn't see them. Well they are not completely up to date (yet) and only now start to get interesting:
Sometime ago there use to be a double program in the English league, not this year. Maybe because there is no WC or EC this year. Or maybe because there is CL this week. With English teams playing a major role in it (again). Well, it still remains to be seen how many English teams will play in the semi final, as as well Arsenal as ManUtd are both not there, while even ' the great' ManUtd have the hardest task. And we will get the most interesting semi final with Barcelona-Chelsea (or can Liverpool turn it still around? Has Benitez found a way around Hiddinks trickery?)
We'll see.
In the mean time has Barcelona already qualified for the CL 2009/2010. They can not drop out of the top-3 anymore, so are certain for the GS next year.
Sorry for being late. It's been kind of a mess, and of course there is the CL & UC matches that drew my attention away. As well there as in the domestic leagues we are getting closer to the end. We saw yesterday that ManUtd is in trouble for CL, but they are domestically also in trouble. Liverpool is breathing in their neck. France also seem to get an exciting end. Which will cost OM their concentration on the last UefaCup, for sure. Let see what surprises are still ahead..
Congratulations Olympiakos for their next championship! It means we are getting to the final phase of the championships. In other countries - Malta, Cyprus the play-offs have also started. It will be exciting times to come. Talking about the ' big' countries: ManUtd is slipping, while Liverpool is pushing strong. In Spain Barca is holding on to their advantage. In Italy Inter also looks very solid. But in France and Germany there are a number of title-candidates, within just a few points. Fantastic weeks to come there! in Portugal it looks to be Porto (as usual?) and in Holland it is going to be a new name on top: AZ. They are on the border of pot2 and 3 in CL. HSV and Shakhtar can still pass them, so this might be an interesting route to follow in the UC.
Olympiakos have qualified for CL-Q2 and might meet there APOEL or Anorthosis, or BATE(if Artmedia and Dinamo Zagreb qualify). Plenty of chance still to stumble for some big champions in Q2. But that is all still far ... Read more »
I have reopened the poll about who will win the CL. The teams that are eliminated I put between brackets. I also added the standing as it was voted for in December.
Not very much happened due to last week European matches, despite the 3 Italian elimination, but this is about the top of the ranking, and that is pretty much clear, and besides it doesn't matter that much if you are first or second in ranking- all those teams are seeded anyway.
The domestic leagues are getting closer to the end, but still a lot is to be decided. Though the teams at the bottom of the ranking can lose their faith in playing in Europe next year.
In Cyprus last regular round has been layed and now the play-off wil start. Other countries are not yet that far.
Looking at the top 20 in team ranking we seem to see these teams return next year in CL. SOfar we are missing Bremen- pretty sure it stays like that, AS Roma-they are close of being back in the top 4 again, PSV - out, they need to hope for a UC spot, and Zenit, who can only hope for a UC spot by winning the UC... This makes AZ (number 20) on the border of... Read more »
Wow a quicky this week: Already on sunday evening I took the time to add all league matches. So this week is available for the CL and UC matches! again a full week 8 (CL-) teams will be eliminated. Top teams, from top countries. Could Italy be almost out? I don't hope so! Let this not become the England show ones again! OK last MD the English teams were better, but let this time the roles be reversed. Let there still be a European tournament, and not an English + minor teams.
At least in UC they are not dominating. Let's hope that some French teams will be out there (especially OM. not because I'm Ajax fan: I'm not! but I am from Holland ;))
AND let the matches be nice to watch! not like Inter-ManUtd or Real-Liverpool..
And it seems that all domestic leagues start playing again. After the first KO round of the UC of the winter has finished, domestically also the leagues start again.
There were some interesting results in the UC. Most top-3 teams were eliminated, so it seems more and more that the top countries challenge the CL and the sub-top countries the UC. Would it be an idea to save the CL for the top countries and the UC(/EL) for the other? I wouldn't like the idea. Though I do like that teams that lose the Q-round in CL have another go in the EL, as it sometimes is like a punishment to start in CL, when a good run in EL is sometimes more a possibility. We will see next year.
For now the CL looks again like an England vs the rest, despite not so great performance lately of Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool. I do hope that 1 or more of these teams get eliminated. THe good performance of Panathinaikos would even put an extra kick to Chelsea, as there we have tan Cate who wa... Read more »
I have updated the predictions for the country- and teamranking '09. And also the graph of it.
It shows that France and Russia are in a close fight for the 5th spot. Both did pretty well this round. Just below Ukraine has risen to the 9th spot. With Kiew, Shaktar and Metalist for Ukraine it seems to become reality that Porto, Sporting and Braga will not get enough points to stay ahead. That will mean Portugal will lose their 6th European team. For a year only probably, as for next year Holland seems to be taken that 10th spot (though more than a whole year still has to be played of course)
