2012/13 UEFA Champions League thread

[Lineker]

Celtic face a trip to Finland after drawing HJK Helsinki or KR Reykjavik in the third qualifying round of the Champions League.

The Finnish side, who Celtic narrowly beat 3-2 on aggregate in the 2000-01 Uefa Cup, are 7-0 ahead after the first leg against KR.

The first leg of the tie will be played at Celtic Park on 31 July.

Champions League newcomers Motherwell drew Panathinaikos, with the first leg to be played at Fir Park.

The Athens club have won 20 Greek titles and reached the final of the European Cup in 1971.

Panathinaikos qualified for the Champions League after finishing second behind their great rivals Olympiacos in the Greek Superleague last season.

Former Rangers defender Jean-Alain Boumsong signed for the club in 2010, while 120-times capped Greece international Giorgos Karagounis plays a key role for the side.

Celtic's likely opponents HJK won their 24th Finnish league title in 2011, and currently sit second in the table after 17 matches of the current campaign.

Former Hearts striker Juho Makela is joint top scorer for the club this season with six league goals and a hat-trick in the match against KR.

Dundee United could face Liverpool in the third qualifying round of the Europa League.

Both sides are in Group Two for Friday's draw, along with Dinamo Moscow, Bursaspor and Steaua Bucharest.

The Tannadice side could also meet the winners of Young Boys v Zimbru Chisinau and Mura 05 v CSKA Sofia.

Should St Johnstone beat Turkish side Eskihesirspor in the second qualifying round, former Champions League winners Marseille are possible opponents.

Saints could also face Sparta Prague or the winners of Khazar Lankaran v Lech Poznan, Naftan Novopolotsk v Red Star Belgrade, Differdange v Gent and Levski Sofia v FK Sarajevo.

So, bih Motherwell.

Champions Route

NK Maribor (SVN)/FK Željezničar (BIH) v F91 Dudelange (LUX)/FC Salzburg (AUT)

FC BATE Borisov (BLR)*/FK Vardar (MKD) v KS Skënderbeu (ALB)/Debreceni VSC (HUN)

CFR 1907 Cluj (ROU) v FC Slovan Liberec (CZE)/FC Shakhter Karagandy (KAZ)

RSC Anderlecht (BEL) v Shamrock Rovers FC (IRL)/FK Ekranas (LTU)

FK Budućnost Podgorica (MNE)/WKS Śląsk Wroclaw (POL) v The New Saints FC (WAL)/Helsingsborgs IF (SWE)

Ulisses FC (ARM)/FC Sheriff (MDA) v PFC Ludogorets Razgrad (BUL)/GNK Dinamo Zagreb (CRO)*

Celtic FC (SCO) v HJK Helsinki (FIN)/KR Reykjavík (ISL)

Molde FK (NOR)/FK Ventspils (LVA) v FC Flora Tallinn (EST)/FC Basel 1893 (SUI)*

MŠK Žilina (SVK)/Hapoel Kiryat Shmona FC (ISR) v Neftçi PFK (AZE)/FC Zestafoni (GEO)

AEL Limassol FC (CYP)/Linfield FC (NIR) v Valletta FC (MLT)/FK Partizan (SRB)

League Route

Fenerbahçe SK (TUR) v FC Vaslui (ROU)

Motherwell FC (SCO) v Panathinaikos FC (GRE)

FC København (DEN) v Club Brugge KV (BEL)

FC Dynamo Kyiv (UKR) v Feyenoord (NED)

*Played in 2011/12 group stage.

[stokeriño]

I'll get this out of the way now:

Okay, continue.

[Colly]

Ross Turnbull mugging away with his backwards top so you know who he is...

[EddieG]

Toughest draw we could've had for Feyenoord, not confident about it at all.

[brenchill]

I'll get this out of the way now:

Okay, continue.

Why does Cech have some kind of... bubble around his head? It looks like his head has been photoshopped on.

[Dingle]

I don't think Stok actually took this photo or was that close, so you may have to ask Petr himself.

[Colly]

Thats why he wears the hat, without it you can see his weird halo.

[brenchill]

I don't think Stok actually took this photo or was that close, so you may have to ask Petr himself.

He did take it he told me.

[Adam]

Mach, I'm pretty certain that photoshopped 'bubble' is actually Oriol Romeu, just stood behind Cech.

[Lineker]

Celtic are leading HJK Helsinki 2-1 at Parkhead. They fell behind before Hooper and Mulgrew turned the scoreline around. About 20 minutes left in that one.

[IAceI]

Anderlecht won 5:0 with goals from De Sutter, Kanu, Mbokani x2 and Jovanovic (yes, that one) against Lithuanina Ekranas. FC Copenhagen and Club Brugge drew 0:0 with it being an utterly terrible match, however it makes the return match in Brugge suddenly a great deal more interesting.

Luxembourgian heroes Dudelange look to be on their way out though, lost 4:1 to Maribor in Slovenia so need a big result in Luxembourg if they are to get through.

[If_You_Wanna_Be_The_Man]

Are we at the point where we'll know who the EPL clubs will play in their qualifying matches yet?

[IAceI]

No. They need to finish these matches tomorrow and on Wednesday. Then do the draw.

[Guest mr. potato head]

If we were at that point, Lineker would have posted fixtures.

[If_You_Wanna_Be_The_Man]

I wasn't sure if Chelsea had to qualify from an earlier point than Arsenal since they didn't actually finish in the Top 4, I vaguely remember liverpool having to when they were the holders.

[TCO]

Chelsea go straight to the group stages I think, at the expense of Anderlecht, if my memory is accurate.

[Adam]

That's correct with Anderlecht taking Tottenham's spot in the qualifiers and Tottenham taking Chelsea's spot in the Europa League.

[Colly]

I wasn't sure if Chelsea had to qualify from an earlier point than Arsenal since they didn't actually finish in the Top 4, I vaguely remember liverpool having to when they were the holders.

That was when there was no rule in place regarding the champions not qualifying, Liverpool were effectively the 5th English club in, and if I remember rightly only got in because the Welsh FA offered the playoff? Chelsea enter as normal.

[Lineker]

Fucking Anderlecht.

[If_You_Wanna_Be_The_Man]

I do remember at the time there being a serious possibility Liverpool wouldn't be allowed in.

Just been trying to get my head around the coefficient as i remember there being discussion last season that Italy may lose a Champions League place if their teams underperformed again.