Champions League Third Qualifying Round – McClaren’s Revenge?

By: Daryl | August 1st, 2008

The big Steve McClaren plan was to fold up the brolly, dust himself off, pretend Euro 2008 never happened and go prove himself in foreign lands. And lo and behold, the Champions League Third Qualifying Round draw has paired his new team FC Twente with the Premier League’s very own Arsenal. I’ll bet he never thought he’d get a chance to redeem himself so quickly. Oh wait, apparently he did:

“I expected one of the English teams – fate deals you certain cards and it has dealt us this card. On one hand it is very, very tough — we know that — but on the other very exciting.”

I’d forgotten how simultaneously silly and dull Steve McClaren’s quotes were.

But the man now has the chance to prove myself and all the other haters wrong. And to take a small slice of revenge on those who mocked him for, well, for doing a shitty job as England manager. All he has to do is beat Arsenal over two legs. And remember to leave the brolly at home. Rest of the draw after the jump:

Of course, McClaren’s shot at glory isn’t the only story here. Easily the biggest game is Schalke 04 vs Atletico Madrid, two big teams who’ll be expecting to go through.

Barcelona face a trip to either Wisla Krakow or Beitar Jerusalem, neither of which will be easy, and could conceivably get messy without Messi (sorry) while Liverpool have a potentially troublesome opponent in Standard Liege.

So here is the draw. First legs will be played August 12th and 13th, second legs will be August 26th and 27th. The 16 winners will join the 16 already qualified teams in the groups stages.

Anorthosis Famugusta (Cyprus) or Rapid Vienna (Austria) v
Olympiakos Piraeus (Greece)

Vitoria Guimaraes (Portugal) v IFK Gothenburg (Sweden) or
Basel (Switzerland)

Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine) v Domzale (Slovenia) or Dinamo
Zagreb (Croatia)

Schalke 04 (Germany) v Atletico Madrid (Spain)

AaB Aalborg (Denmark) or Modrica (Bosnia) v Rangers
(Scotland) or Kaunas (Lithuania)

Barcelona (Spain) v Beitar Jerusalem (Israel) or Wisla
Krakow (Poland)

Levski Sofia (Bulgaria) v Anderlecht (Belgium) or BATE
Borisov (Belarus)

Standard Liege (Belgium) v Liverpool (England)

FC Baku (Azerbaijan) or Partizan Belgrade (Serbia) v
Fenerbahce (Turkey) or MTK Hungaria (Hungary)

Twente Enschede (Netherlands) v Arsenal (England)

Spartak Moscow (Russia) v Drogheda United (Ireland) or
Dynamo Kiev (Ukraine)

Juventus (Italy) v Tampere United (Finland) or Artmedia
Bratislava (Slovakia)

Brann Bergen (Norway) or Ventspils (Latvia) v Olympique
Marseille (France)

Fiorentina (Italy) v Slavia Prague (Czech Republic)

Galatasaray (Turkey) v Steaua Bucharest (Romania)

Panathinaikos (Greece) or Dinamo Tbilisi (Georgia) v Sheriff
(Moldova) or Sparta Prague (Czech Republic)

[source: Reuters]

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Category: Champions League

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Jonah

I cant see anything other than a convincing win for Arsenal, which will put an abrupt end to the biggest carrot that attracted McLaren to Twente in the first place - the prospect of managing a club in the Champions League. Sorry Mac.
Jonah

I cannot see anything other than a convincing victory for Arsenal, which would automatically halt the biggest carrot that attracted McLaren to Twente in the first place: the chance to manage a club in the Champions League. Sorry Mac.

At Just-Football we have looked at this draw from a different angle for anyone interested, I hope you do not mind me posting the link here Daryl:

http://www.just-football.com/2...
Antonio

Don't worry, about it. I won't be posting on Roma's page much more anyway.

Because you guys don't talk calcio over there. You just insult those who have a different viewpoint. It's alright though.

Keep on doing what you're doing.
chris

No, it wasn't truthful, actually, because no one banned you. Looks like you just posted too fast in a row, so your "ban" is actually your own doing. You've been approved, but it takes some time to kick in - if it works. Wonderful as our platform is, the spam filter is very stubborn and occasionally inefficient.
Rob

Antonio should post his rant everywhere, because it'll raise our pageviews.
Antonio

Chris,

Not a rant. A truthful explosion.

Oh, and I just tried to post. It said, "This comment wasn't given a second chance."

Thanks for your input though. It's really appreciated.....
Daryl

Sam, It's not about English players, it's more about Steve McClaren facing off against an English football team.

Most neutral English football fans will want to see Arsenal go through to the group stages just because they're (technically) an English team.
Sam

He's playing ARSENAL though. Since when do they have any players McClaren knows from the England squad?
chris

Or we have a spam filter, Antonio, and you will see your posts which were flagged for moderation, oh, about now.

Thanks for the rant though.
Antonio

I would just like to make it known that I have been "banned" from posting comments on the ROma offside. I did not curse, insult, or yell at any individual. All I did was post my opinion on Totti. Which, was different then everyone else's.

Any time someone poses an opinion different from a Roma fans point of view they:
1) Insult you. Not knowing much about calcio, and thinking all there is to Serie A football is Roma (which they are sadly mistaken), this is basically all they can do.

2) Call Totti top 5 players EVER. All I can do when this happens is pray for them, and their helpless souls.

3) Ban you from commenting. For posting an opposing viewpoint.

Just thought I should make that known.

P.S. YOu may see this on other articles around theoffside. I just think enough is enough. So, I will make it known.
Rob

The last time he faced Arsene Wenger though, his Boro team got absolutely slaughtered.
diana

It had better don't rain on the day FC Twente come to the Emirates Stadim. That is all. If not all those jokes are coming back again.

'But the man now has the chance to prove myself and all the other haters wrong.'
Agreed.