Friday, August 25, 2023 at 10:01 • Bart DHanis • Last update: 10:25
The Netherlands has done excellent business in recent weeks in the so-called ‘coefficient polonaise’. AZ and FC Twente were too strong for their opponents from Andorra, Sweden and Latvia in the preliminary rounds of the Conference League. PSV also recorded two victories against the Austrian Sturm Graz and scored important points. This week we did not have a perfect week, but we are still well ahead of coefficient competitors France and Portugal. Football zone reported extensively on the state of affairs last week and will provide a short update after this European round.
PSV
PSV kicked off this European week by drawing 2-2 at Ibrox. The people of Eindhoven can reach the group stage of the Champions League next Wednesday if they beat Rangers FC at home. The fact that PSV comes out as the winner is important because clubs receive a large number of bonus points from UEFA when they participate in the Champions League.
Current ranking (+points this week): #5????Netherlands 54.000 (+0.400) #6????France 52.248 (+0.167) #7????Portugal 47.482 (+0.167) … #8 ????Belgium 36,900 (+1,000) Full ranking on https://t.co/MHed8HQ996
— Coefficients (@uefacoef) August 24, 2023
FC Twente
On Thursday-evening, it was the turn of the other Dutch teams. In the last qualifying rounds for the Conference and the Europa League, Twente, AZ and Ajax came into action. Twente seemed to be on its way to a stunt, but was completely overrun after Youri Regeer’s red card and left the field with a 5-1 loss against Fenerbahçe. To reach the group stage of the Conference League, a real stunt is needed in Enschede next week. Twente does not rake any coefficient points within this week and seems ready in Europe.
THE
Dan AZ. AZ had to deal with the Norwegian SK Brann in-house. However, Pascal Jansen’s team choked on the Norwegians and even fell behind 1-0. Fifteen minutes before the end, Pantelis Hatzidiakos headed in the equalizer, so that AZ managed to score points in the battle for fifth place in the coefficient ranking. It is also important that AZ looks good next Thursday. In the group stage of the Conference League, many points can be earned for the Netherlands with six games.
Ajax
Ajax collected the most points for Dutch football this week. The team from Amsterdam was 1-4 too strong for the Bulgarian Ludogorets in the first leg of the Europa League play-offs and is therefore already with one leg in the group stage of the Europa League. Mohammed Kudus managed to find the net three times, but there is little chance that he will still be there next week.
France and Portugal
Our coefficient competitors also got into action this week. On behalf of Portugal, SC Braga won 2-1 at home against the Greek Panathinaikos. Panathinaikos, the conqueror of Marseille, can do us another favor next week if they manage to reach the group stage of the Champions League in favor of Braga. On behalf of the French, LOSC Lille played in the Conference League play-offs against HNK Rijeka. Lille won in the last minute (2-1), but this match can also be very exciting for Dutch football next week in Croatia.
After this week’s results, the standings look as tweeted above by UEFAcoef. The Netherlands is again ahead of France and Portugal, but more Dutch teams came into action. If PSV, Ajax and AZ manage to reach the group stage and also collect a number of points there, it is quite possible that the Netherlands will remain in fifth place in the coefficient ranking. Due to the expansion of the Champions League, this means that the Netherlands will receive no less than three direct Champions League tickets and a ticket for the preliminary round of the billion dollar ball in the 2024/25 season.
2023-08-25 10:44:00
#disappointing #week #Netherlands #continue #hope #tickets
