Europa League 2017-2018 3rd qualifying round

[matt]

The draw is today.

[Metallica1989]

Someone has pots?

[ToffeeDan]

Someone has pots?

And pans..

Wouldn't it be nice if the draw was nice and uniform with 1,2,3,4,5 seeds going into A,B,C,D,E and then reversing back to make all the pots of equal strength?

I've projected the possible groupings based on no fudging by UEFA with the pots.. but let's see if they don't move too many around (bar those few that would clash with same country opponents).

[Metallica1989]

Someone has pots?

And pans..

Wouldn't it be nice if the draw was nice and uniform with 1,2,3,4,5 seeds going into A,B,C,D,E and then reversing back to make all the pots of equal strength?

I've projected the possible groupings based on no fudging by UEFA with the pots.. but let's see if they don't move too many around (bar those few that would clash with same country opponents).

I honestly do not really believe in the fairness of the draw ... it seems to me that UEFA forwarded a couple of teams ahead, and the draw itself is of a formal nature

[angel_87]

The draw for the 5 groups for the Q3 will be done in the morning or at 13 o'clock?

[matt]

Group 1

PSV
Fenerbache
Krasnodar
Shkendija/HJK
Panatinaikos
---------------
Norrkoping/Trakai
Qabala/Jagiellonia
Slovan Bratislava/Lyngby
Sturm Graz/Mladost Podgorica
Osijek/Luzern


Group 2

Shamrock Rovers/Mlada Boleslav
PAOK
Austria Wien
Dinamo Zagreb
Ferencvaros/Midtjylland
Athletic Bilbao
------------------
Olimpik Donetsk
AEL Limassol
Kairat/Skenderbeu
Dinamo Bucaresti
Vaduz/Odd
Arka Gdynia


Group 3

Ostersunds/Galatasaray
Milan
Bordeaux
Maccabi/KR
Hajduk/Levski
Haugesund/Lech
------------------
CSU Craiova
Kalju/Videoton
Inter Baku/Fola Esch
Valletta/Utrecht
Panionios/Gorica
Brondby/VPS


Group 4

Gent
Sparta Praha
Astra/Zira
Everton
Maritimo
Apollon/Zaria Balti
---------------
Irtysh/Crvena Zvezda
Olexandriya
Altach/Brest
Aberdeen/Siroki Brijeg
Ruzomberok/Brann
Beitar/Botev Plovdiv


Group 5

Zenit
Braga
Marseille
Freiburg
Sion
Rabotnicki/Dinamo Minsk
---------------
Zeljeznicar/AIK
Oostende
Trencin/Yehuda
Cork City/AEK Larnaca
Valur/Domzale
Liepaja/Suduva

[Lurker]

Saw all the groups now.

http://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/ne ... l#/photos/

[Digitaldude555]

Almost no weak seeded teams here.

[Lurker]

Norrköping better hope for HJK / Shkëndija in group 1, Otherwise they are pretty muck f'd.
AIK (Željeznicar as well I guess) hoping for either Sion or Rabotnicki / Dinamo Minsk in the last group. Other than that it looks really tough.

[EarlofBug]

Group 3
Seeded
1 Östersunds (SWE) or Galatasaray (TUR) coefficient 58.840
2 AC Milan (ITA) 47.666
3 Bordeaux (FRA) 29.333
4 Maccabi Tel-Aviv (ISR) or KR Reykjavík (ISL) 23.375
5 Hajduk Split (CRO) or Levski Sofia (BUL) 11.550
6 Haugesund (NOR) or Lech Poznań (POL) 10.950

Unseeded
7 CSU Craiova (ROU) 4.870
8 Nõmme Kalju (EST) or Videoton (HUN) 8.650
9 İnter Bakı (AZE) ir Fola Esch (LUX) 6.050
10 Valletta (MLT) or Utrecht (NED) 6.712
11 Panionios (GRE) or Gorica (SVN) 5.580
12 Brøndby (DEN) or VPS Vaasa (FIN) 8.800

Wow, the unseeded teams in this group seems pretty tough! Maccabi must not be too confident.
I would pick Craiova, İnter Baku and Videoton, in that order, for Maccabi.
I would avoid the other three, especially Panionios and Utrecht.

Group 4
Seeded
1 Gent (BEL) coefficient 35.480
2 Sparta Praha (CZE) 48.135
3 Astra Giurgiu (ROU) or Zirë (AZE) 17.870
4 Everton (ENG) 29.192
5 Marítimo (POR) 14.866
6 Apollon Limassol (CYP) or Zaria Balti (MDA) 10.710

Unseeded
7 Irtysh Pavlodar (KAZ) or Crvena zvezda (SRB) 7.325
8 Olexandriya (UKR) 9.526
9 Altach (AUT) or Dinamo Brest (BLR) 6.570
10 Aberdeen (SCO) or Široki Brijeg (BIH) 6.785
11 Ružomberok (SVK) or Brann (NOR) 3.665
12 Beitar Jerusalem (ISR) or Botev Plovdiv (BUL) 5.875

If Beitar will pass the 2nd round (which doesn't seem likely right now), I would avoid Everton and Maritimo.
It seems to be a good group for the unseeded. The seeded teams doesn't seem to be so terrible, they are about the same strength as the unseeded in group 3

Group 5
Seeded
1 Zenit (RUS) coefficient 87.106
2 Braga (POR) 37.366
3 Marseille (FRA) 28.333
4 Freiburg (GER) 20.899
5 Sion (SUI) 14.415
6 Rabotnicki (MKD) or Dinamo Minsk (BLR) 10.975

Unseeded
7 Željeznicar (BIH) or AIK (SWE) 9.945
8 Oostende (BEL) 8.480
9 Trenčín (SVK) or Bnei Yehuda Tel-Aviv (ISR) 6.850
10 Cork City (IRL) or AEK Larnaca (CYP) 6.210
11 Valur Reykjavík (ISL) or Domžale (SVN) 4.125
12 Liepāja (LVA) or Sūduva (LTU) 2.225

This is a tough group for the unseeded. The seeded teams here seems much tougher than those in group 4.
If Bney Yehuda will pass (they have a reasonable chances), I would pick the 6th opponent from the seeded group (Dinamo Minsk or Rabotnicki). If not, then Sion is the next best option. Please avoid Zenit, Braga and Marseille!
Zenit is supposed to be one of the best teams in this round.

[angel_87]

Milan in the group 3 ....i hope not to take the Dutch

[mieszambeton]

3 maybe strongest unseeds in one group

[Metallica1989]

3 maybe strongest unseeds in one group

No, there are only two strongest unseeded teams, but they are in different groups ... its Olympic and Olexandria

UPD: its joke

[Firnen]

50% beatable teams for Panionios ! Not that good subgroups for Panathinaikos, PAOK. Perfect almost for AEK, normal for Apollon, AEK.

[ToffeeDan]

Pot A seeds have been handed an unreasonably tough set of non-seeds (based on their ranking/coefficients) and Pots C and E a more favourable set.

Based on position in the Rankings (adding 20% for Pot A to make-up to 6 teams for comparative purposes)

Seeds v Non-Seeds (1-29; 30-58 expressed as 1-29)
Pot A c85 v c76
Pot B 95 v 94
Pot C 87 v 93
Pot D 94 v 92
Pot E 88 v 93