2023/2024 Conference League Group E: AZ Alkmaar - Aston Villa - Legia - Zrinjski

[Greyn]

As for Legia:

After the home match vs Midtjylland and using pyro and throwing items on the pitch by Legia fans, there was an investigation by UEFA. There was a realistic danger that the whole stadium or some parts of it will be closed and not available for the fans. At the end, UEFA fined Legia with 40k euro, but the whole stadium will be available for the fans, so the club started selling tickets yesterday for the home match vs Aston Villa.

[Forza AZ]

Zrinjski released information about the ticket sale:

Package 3 home games - 50€ lower stand/40€ upper stand
Single tickets (if any are left after package sale) - 20€ lower stand/15€ upper stand.

The capacity of the stadium is around 6500 so the away fans are obliged to get at least 325 tickets. The rules also say the price for away fans can't be higher then the most expensive ticket price in free sale so the price for the away fans will probably be 20€.

AZ got 375 tickets for next week, which cost €23,- (including service fee).

[BorisMo]

Does anybody know price for away tickets at Villa Park?

[Jackson Harrison]

Does anybody know price for away tickets at Villa Park?

Take a read of this https://www.avfc.co.uk/news/2023/july/1 ... r-2023-24/

[Dragonite]

AZ Alkmaar

Hatzidiakos left, replaced by Alexandre Penetra.

Zrinjski

Batarelo and Ramic replaced by Barisic and Kis.

[BorisMo]

Batarelo and Ramic replaced by Barisic and Kis.

Kiš can play as striker or as second striker (number 10) behind Bilbija. He is not defensive midfielder. This could be lineup if you raise Kiš up to 4-2-3-1, but I doubt it. As we are underdogs I don't think we will play with both Bilbija and Kiš.

My expected lineup is 4-2-3-1:

----------------------Bilbija----------------------
---Tičinović-----Ćuže---Malekinušić-
----------Čanađija-----Ivančić-------------
Memija-Jakovljević-Senić-Ćorluka
----------------------Marić----------------------

Ćuže is winger but coach likes to put him as a 10 lately. Barišić would usually be our starting CB but he had some health problems recently, so I'm not sure if he will be ready. Also, we played really badly last few games, so any changes are possible.

[Polak]

It's nice that Dragonite thinks Legia can be above Aston Villa, but having seen his logic for it, it's completely baseless. Historical results in Europe really are not important in predicting outcomes of fixtures happening now. You can't make predictions between two teams based on their European history. Well you can, but it won't get you very far. Legia drew with Real Madrid in the CL in 16/17. They got knocked out by Dudelange in a Europa League qualifier 2 seasons later. Neither of those results have any relation to the strength of Legia's team now.

Also, Legia also has more experience in Europe than Man CIty. So what? They would be destroyed by them now if they competed. I admit that I make this mistake myself sometimes, taking European experience into account when making predictions. For instance I predicted that Braga would finish above Union Berlin in the CL based on European experience.

Aston Villa have a strong team and should top this group. Legia have an outside chance for 2nd, given that AZ appeared to struggle in knocking out Brann, but I still think they'll be 3rd, or even 4th if they're no careful. Zrinjski could be a bit of a surprise package. Theoretically the weakest team in the group, but they could take some points from others, particularly Legia. Last season they beat Tobol and only lost to Slovan Bratislava on penalties in the Conference League qualifiers. This season they smashed Breidablik and narrowly lost to LASK.

Oh, and I almost forgot the most important reason. Legia has two Portuguese players, Yuri Ribeiro and Josué

Make that 3 . They loaned Gil Dias from Stuttgart.

1. Aston Villa
2. AZ
3. Legia
4. Zrinjski

[BorisMo]

No suprises in group E. Standings are as everybody expected.

[Jackson Harrison]

No suprises in group E. Standings are as everybody expected.

Flip it on its head and that's how I expect it to finish

[Greyn]

Aston Villa should recover, but I think that AZ are not favourites to finish in top 2 anymore.

[bugylibicska]

Aston Villa should recover, but I think that AZ are not favourites to finish in top 2 anymore.

Both results were unexpected. If AZ cannot beat Villa in Alkmaar and Legia can avoid defeat in Mostar then the Polish team have a minimum 3 points advantage. Still might need to keep the balance with AZ.

[Greyn]

Aston Villa should recover, but I think that AZ are not favourites to finish in top 2 anymore.

Both results were unexpected. If AZ cannot beat Villa in Alkmaar and Legia can avoid defeat in Mostar then the Polish team have a minimum 3 points advantage. Still might need to keep the balance with AZ.

Next MD we have AZ - Legia match, which in my opinion might be a key match for AZ to stay in a race for top 2. Odds for AZ to win are at ~1.7, but I think that Legia have a decent chance to avoid a defeat in the Netherlands. AZ have to win, a draw would be good result for Legia and a win for Legia would be close to a disaster for AZ. Legia are quite good away this season in Europe (2-2 vs Ordabasy, 5-3 vs Austria Wien and 1-1 vs FC Midtjylland), while AZ already had a not convincing campaign in the qualifiers. This is just a theory of course, this time AZ might get an early lead vs Legia and won't collapse like they did vs Zrinjski. We will see.

[bugylibicska]

Aston Villa should recover, but I think that AZ are not favourites to finish in top 2 anymore.

Both results were unexpected. If AZ cannot beat Villa in Alkmaar and Legia can avoid defeat in Mostar then the Polish team have a minimum 3 points advantage. Still might need to keep the balance with AZ.

Next MD we have AZ - Legia match, which in my opinion might be a key match for AZ to stay in a race for top 2. Odds for AZ to win are at ~1.7, but I think that Legia have a decent chance to avoid a defeat in the Netherlands. AZ have to win, a draw would be good result for Legia and a win for Legia would be close to a disaster for AZ. Legia are quite good away this season in Europe (2-2 vs Ordabasy, 5-3 vs Austria Wien and 1-1 vs FC Midtjylland), while AZ already had a not convincing campaign in the qualifiers. This is just a theory of course, this time AZ might get an early lead vs Legia and won't collapse like they did vs Zrinjski. We will see.

I think if Legia avoid losing at AZ the job is almost done. From then on it's for Legia to lose the qualification.

[Greyn]

I think if Legia avoid losing at AZ the job is almost done. From then on it's for Legia to lose the qualification.

I agree, in such a scenario AZ would have to count on Legia to lose points vs Zrinjski. Zrinjski is a really tricky team, usually considered as an outsider in this group, they surely have a potential to grab some points particularly at home (like they already did vs AZ). Kosta Runjaić will prepare Legia team for the match in Mostar from mental point of view, but even if not underestimated, Zrinjski will be very tough to beat. I don't think they will advance from this group (that would be sensational imo), but they already proved they are not going to be a punchbag for the other three.

[babaluj1]

The most shocking match ever in Mostar! Turning 0:3 into 4:3 against a top team like AZ Alkmaar is an unprecedented miracle, that's why we love football. Congratulations to Zrinjski, as well as to Legija, who won the strong favorites of the group.
In the end, they will pass the group AZ Alkmaar and Aston Villa, who are among the main favorites to win the Conference League, but the great victories of Zrinjski and Legia will remain in the memory for a long time. I have already written about Zinjski and BIH clubs, which are much better than people think, as well as about the growth of Polish clubs and the Polish league, these matches confirmed it.