2012/13 Europa League thread

[Hobo]

Suarez beats everyone and sets up Gerrard for a tap in.

2-0.

[Nerf]

Suarez has been absolutely phenomenal tonight! So glad he signed a new contract.

[therockbox]

Joe Allen at the game.

[Nerf]

Glen Johnson makes it 3.

[Hobo]

It was not a strong opposition but it was miles better than the US tour performance wise. It was very encouraging.

[DavidMarrio]

Great atmosphere at the ground today, we played really well especially Suarez, Gerrard and I thought Lucas had a really good game too. Can't get carried away because its only Gomel but there are good signs. Also although his goal was great, Johnson is a cunt......had Borini first scorer and 2-0 which would have won me 75 quid.

[Lineker]

Liverpool have been drawn against Hearts, while Newcastle will face Greek side Atromitos in the Europa League play-off round.

Liverpool are due to travel to Hearts on 23 August, with Newcastle heading to Atromitos. The return legs are scheduled for 30 August.

The winners of the two-legged games will join Tottenham in the group stage.

Liverpool beat FC Gomel 4-0 on aggregate to take their place in the final round of Europa League qualifying, while Newcastle are back in Europe for the first time since 2007, when they lost to Dutch side AZ Alkmaar in the last 16.

Newcastle's opponents Atromitos finished fourth in the Greek Super League last season.

Motherwell are also in the play-off round after crashing out of the Champions League qualifiers with a 5-0 aggregate defeat by Panathinaikos. They have been given a tough assignment against Spanish La Liga side Levante.

Poor Hearts. They drew us last year!

[Cadj]

We can't do worse than last year.

Also we will beat Liverpool, probably.

[Nerf]

I don't think you understand the meaning of the word 'probably.'

To be fair, the first leg is just days before our match with City, and the return match is days before Arsenal. I reckon we won't exactly be fielding our best squad.

[Hobo]

If we play like last night, Hearts have no chance. That was glorious.

[Cadj]

We have no chance anyway

It should be fun though, as long as we don't lose at Tynie 5-0 again and maybe score a goal this time it should be good. Could use the money the tie will make too.

[DavidMarrio]

Travelling works out for both sets of fans and both clubs really as well.

[If_You_Wanna_Be_The_Man]

Good to see Borini get a goal straight away, not that there would be the same amount of hysteria, but avoids a Carroll/Forlan situation

[Colly]

Atromitos! Sounds tasty.

[Lineker]

Steven Gerrard, Luis Suarez, Martin Skrtel and Glen Johnson have all been omitted from the Liverpool squad for Thursday night's Europa League play-off first leg against Hearts at Tynecastle. The game is on ITV4 tomorrow night.

[Hobo]

Henderson, Carroll, Coates and Jack Robinson or something to play then. We can't play our new signing either cause he played in the qualifiers already.

[DavidMarrio]

Reina, Jones, Kelly, Agger, Carragher, Coates, Flanagan, Shelvey, Lucas, Adam, Allen, Henderson, Spearing, Downing, Borini, Carroll, Wilson, Robinson, Sterling, Eccleston. That's the provisional squad so I reckon the line up would be something like

Reina, Kelly, Agger, Coates, Flanagan, Spearing, Shelvey, Henderson, Downing, Sterling, Carroll.

[Lineker]

Fernando Llorente and Javi Martinez are left out of Athletic Bilbao's Europa League playoff squad, fueling speculation that they're both about to leave.

Newcastle boss Alan Pardew will rest some of his regular starters for the Magpies' Europa League play-off first leg against Atromitos - Fabricio Coloccini, midfielder Cheick Tiote, strikers Demba Ba and Shola Ameobi and Shane Ferguson and Haris Vuckic were not due to travel., but summer arrivals Vurnon Anita, Gael Bigirimana and Romain Amalfitano hope to play. Teenage striker Adam Campbell, who scored a hat-trick for the development team against Tottenham at the weekend, could also feature.

[IAceI]

Llorente and Martinez were both left out on Saturday as well, so not surprising really. Llorente will most likely be gone but Athletic seem quite insistent on buy out clauses being met at the moment. Although they should probably accept €20m for Llorente and €40m for Martinez if they are genuinely there. They can sell them to foreign countries and invest the money in a player like Benat, Igor Martinez etc. The longer it drags on the less likely they will be able to replace, and the two players will inevitably go whether it's this year or next.

[Monkey D. Lars]

I am really hope Feyenoord will pull out the win tomorrow against Sparta, they owe me did, for the loss against Dynamo Kiev. Will be there again