Qualification for Europe: Which Team is Your Money On?

The race to play in Europe’s premier club competitions has been on-going for almost a month now. Qualification for Europe has seen some teams go through all the various stages and others join at select stages.

The group stages of both the UEFA Champions League and the Europa League starts soon. And while some clubs have confirmed their spot, others are still trying to. And the process continues later this week.

Qualification for Europe (Champions League)

This week, teams vying for a UCL spot will play the return leg of their Round 4 qualifying clash. That means away goals and the advantages from the first leg counting.

The only game of that first leg that finished in a 0-0 score line was the one between Slavia Praha and FC Midtjylland. That means there are no advantages for either sides going into this second leg encounter. It’s all to play for.

In the other games, Omonia Nicosia must overturn a 2-0 first-leg deficit or get knocked out. It’s the same storyline for PAOK, Maccabi Tel Aviv and KAA Gent. These sides now have to overturn a first-leg deficit and try to move further along in this qualification process.

FC Krasnodar, Molde, RB Salzburg and Olympiacos were the biggest scorers of the first leg. They must no repeat their feat if they’re to see themselves through to the next round.

Qualification for Europe (Europa League)

Just like in the UEFA Champions League, this weekend will see the second leg of round four games in the qualifiers.

For teams like AC Milan (without Zlatan) and Basel that won their games (at home) but still conceded two goals, it’s still a very open tie. Either of the teams involved can still push its way through to the next stage of the qualifiers.

PSV Eindhoven and Lech Poznan scored five goals in the first leg. Malmo scored five too. CSKA Sofia, Victoria Plzen, Kobenhavn,  and Tottenham all scored three first-leg goals. These are the biggest winners from the first leg games; the sides that take an advantage into the second round of games.

APOEL Nicosia, Besiktas, Rio Ave and Floriana did not enjoy such luxury. With their first-leg games ending in a draw, it’s a do-or-die affair in this second leg. For the away side, it will be all about making that away advantage count. For the home side, keeping the enemy at bay while finishing off the task at hand will be the goal.

Which European team is your money on this week? Join the conversation by dropping your comments below.