Europa League 2015/16

**El Car** · 27-08-2015, 22:56

Southampton eliminated by FC Midtjylland with a 1-0 defeat away from home following a 1-1 first leg draw. This leaves just automatic qualifiers Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool as well as Champions' League drop-outs Celtic in the contest for the group stage draw from the 'British Isles' contingent. Legia Warsaw will be itching to draw Celtic in their group.

0762 · 28-08-2015, 14:10

Celtic drawn with Ajax, Fenerbahce and Molde. The Hoops will have a reasonable chance of beating Molde but I'll bet the Dutch and Turkish clubs will be delighted that they've got Scottish football opposition. The Europa League matches will be good to watch all the same!

**St Charles Owl** · 03-09-2015, 06:14

Liverpool got probably thee easiest group out of the British teams and should qualify from it as winners. Spurs may struggle a bit with Monaco and Anderlecht in their group but should get through. I think Celtic will struggle in their group and I don't see them getting through the group stages.

**El Car** · (This post was last modified: 05-11-2015, 22:08 by El Car.)

A fairly poor Europa League campaign for British sides continues tonight with an improving Liverpool securing a 1-0 win away at Rubin Kazan. They're now in a decent position to qualify but still sit 2 points behind group leaders Sion. European performances in recent seasons don't give a great deal of cause for confidence and they could yet blow it.

With just 4 points from 3 games Spurs have yet to play Anderlecht tonight, but would go top with a win. Like Liverpool they might make it through the groups but don't look anything like a sure bet.

Celtic have lost again to Norwegian league strugglers Molde, this time a 2-1 defeat at home. Last time they blamed defeat on the weather in Norway so we'll see what act of God cost them this time. Rooted to the bottom of the group with only 2 points from 4 games, Celtic nevertheless stand a fair chance of qualifying as Ajax and Fenerbahce laboured to a 0-0 draw consistent with how they've both performed to date. If there was any justice in football Molde would be the only team allowed to qualify from the group given how bad the other 3 sides have been.

**St Charles Owl** · 05-11-2015, 22:48

Liverpool should qualify from the position they are now in but they have looked frail so far. The Klopp factor may well be the thing that gets them through.

Celtic blew a chance to get right back into things tonight with their defence again not up to the task!! If they still had to face Fenerbahce at home I might give them a chance, but while they may beat Ajax at Celtic park I think they will lose in Turkey, this seeing them knoocked out!! I am sure Ronny was given set goals to achieve, with the emphasis being on Europe, but I also imagine that goal was to do better than going out of the Europa league at the group stage!!!! Could he now be under pressure???

Spurs currently lead 1-0 approaching halftime and lead the group at the moment.

**El Car** · 05-11-2015, 23:23

For me I don't think Celtic's progress or otherwise at this stage should be a decisive factor in his future. Their performances have been so poor in Europe generally under his charge that any CL aspirations would have to go out the window if they keep him on, and in particular their goalkeeper and defence, apart from Lustig, are all calamities waiting to happen (and in Europe they regularly have happened). Will next year be any better in that regard?

**El Car** · 27-11-2015, 02:30

And so a 2-1 defeat at home to Ajax confirms Celtic finish bottom of their group with a match to spare. Thus endeth Scottish involvement in Europe. A fairly damning statistic mentioned in the BBC match report is that Deila has won just 8 of his 25 Euro matches at Celtic, 4 of those coming against Icelandic part timers. The fact he'll have been in charge for 26 games in his 2 miserable seasons in Europe also shows just how hard it can be to actually get completely eliminated when you start off in the CL qualifiers!

Better news for English clubs as both Liverpool and Tottenham qualify from their groups with a game to spare, the Reds beating Bordeaux 2-1 at Anfield and Spurs winning 1-0 at Qarabag.

**St Charles Owl** · 27-11-2015, 05:31

As you say El Car, it's amazing that after two seasons of relative failure, or at best no progression at all, that they have played 26 games!!! Celtic seem to be in a rut in terms of how far they progress, but other Scottish teams must also do better than the early exits they all make as well!! The coefficient will never go up with the sort of performances seem by Scottish teams in recent years.

**El Car** · 27-11-2015, 15:34

It seems pretty hopeless right now when you look at how average Celtic look in the Europa League and then how dominant they are in the Premiership. Our other sides are basically on a par with those Icelandic sides at best.

0762 · (This post was last modified: 19-05-2016, 16:55 by 0762.)

And the Europa League tournament finally comes to it's conclusion tonight in Basel!!

Liverpool 1 Sevilla 3

I must say this was a wonderful bet for me with the usual favouritism for a Liverpool side that had a couple of great comeback nights at Annfield. But the Liverpool players were not playing at home and it was conveniently ignored that Sevilla and their coach, Emre, were chasing a 'hat-trick' of consecutive Europa League final victories - no mean feat and they've achieved it after a great goal scored by Daniel Sturridge to give Liverpool a 1-0 lead. Sevilla's Europa League pedigree was a big factor in overpowering the reds and deservedly winning this trophy again. Well done!