We don't seem to have an official Chelsea in the Europa league thread, so here is one. Get your channel 5 hat on and enjoy the ride.

As it stands we are in the Round of 32 stage and here are the fixtures for this week.

Thursday 21st February 2013

Rubin Kazan v Atl Madrid

(agg 2-0)

17:00

CFR Cluj-Napoca v Inter Milan

(agg 0-2)

Dnipro v FC Basel

(agg 0-2)

18:00

Met'st Kharkiv v Newcastle

(agg 0-0)

18:00

Genk v VfB Stuttgart

(agg 1-1)

18:00

Lazio v Borussia M'gladbach

(agg 3-3)

18:00

Lyon v Tottenham

(agg 1-2)

18:00

Benfica v B Leverkusen

(agg 1-0)

20:05

Bordeaux v Dynamo Kiev

(agg 1-1)

20:05

Chelsea v Sparta Prague

(agg 1-0)

20:05

Fenerbahce v BATE Borisov

(agg 0-0)

20:05

Hannover 96 v Anzhi Makhachkala

(agg 1-3)

20:05

Liverpool v Zenit St P'sbg

(agg 0-2)

20:05

Olympiakos v Levante

(agg 0-3)

20:05

Plzen v Napoli

(agg 3-0)

20:05

Steaua Buch't v Ajax

(agg 0-2)

20:05

Edited February 20, 201313 yr by Zola

Why are the kick off times so strange for this cup?

Some good teams there. And Liverpool.

We do

 

http://www.theshedend.com/topic/23011-chelsea-v-sparta-prague-el-210213-ko-2005-gmt/

Would be funny if we meet Atl. Madrid at some point.

Would be great if we won it.

I know the cool kids amongst our support, look down on it, but hey, it's a final.

Agreed ST! (What's your name?? I'm forever agreeing with you and I want to stop calling you ST :-p) another tick off on the trophy haul. Won't be easy though, really does depend where we are in the league as to how serious it's taken by 'management'

Agree also, back to back champions league trophy and europa cup would be fantastic.

Edited February 20, 201313 yr by blue man

Would be funny if we meet Atl. Madrid at some point.

 

 

Actually, I hope they are put out at this stage.  They won this competition last year and gave us a right kicking when we played them earlier this season in the Super Cup.

 

I always hope that the stronger teams are put out before us in any cup competitions, which is why I was cheering for Reading against Man U on Monday in the FA Cup 

We do

 

http://www.theshedend.com/topic/23011-chelsea-v-sparta-prague-el-210213-ko-2005-gmt/

That's a single match thread, this is an overall tournament thread.

A win this evening against sparta prague for sure! About 2 or 3-0 nil to the blues.

Once you get past the league stage of this cup there are very good teams in the competition. 

 

I think if they scaled it down a little it would be a much more attractive competition to watch. 

As much as I dislike the FSW, I think we have every chance at winning this with the player's skill and experience.

It looks to be a strange year this time, a lot of the 'big teams' seem to be struggling and the perceived bigger competition could find themselves out tonight.

If the players can get back to playing free flowing footy (may have to ignore the waiter's orders to do this), we have as much, if not more chance than most.

Edited February 21, 201313 yr by Zola

Never watched the 1st leg and sounds like it was a wise decision.

Will watch tonight and hopefully see a great performance and god forbit a Fernando Torres goal...

Luidcrously we have one senior striker avaliable for these Europa games and that striker is Fernando Torres, and at some point against a good team (possibly Ajax) that will cost us.

 

I would be very surprised if we managed to win the trophy, even though the quality is vastly inferior to the CL there are still some strong teams and I have no faith that interim has what it takes to see us past teams like Zenit or Inter over two legs, especially with Torres leading the line. Torres performance last week in Prague was pitiful, his worst in a Chelsea shirt, which is some accolade.

 

I havent really paid too much attention to this competition untill this last week - can someone let me know the stage we are at ? If we win tonight and then beat Ajax are we in the semis or the quarters?

Edited February 21, 201313 yr by bjd

This is the round of 32, if we win tonight we are of course into the last 16.

If we get past the last 16 then we are in the quarter finals

Edited February 21, 201313 yr by Zola

With Hazard, Oscar, Mata, Moses ect it shouldnt be a big deal that we only have Torres.

We have a far better squad than 99% of teams left in this competition.

Moses can play as a striker remember.

I would like for us to win this trophy, and I think we could or at the very least be in the mix. Unfortunately our greatest opponent, and it's no disrespect to the teams in this competition, is the man that is supposed to be steering us to victory...

 

If the FSW could put his love for RM, Spain, and fatty foods aside for a bit then we could have a decent run in this competition and who knows.

 

As it stands now, I don't have a ton of faith. Still, COYB! Let's finish the job tonight.

Moses can play as a striker remember.

 

Id like to see this as an option. Ideally tonight and from then on every game that Demba Ba cannot play in.

Edited February 21, 201313 yr by bjd

Id like to see this as an option. Ideally tonight and from then on every game that Demba Ba cannot play in.

I would to but we both know it won't happen unless Torres is injured or suspended in the EL.

Could try a Spain and play with no number 9....

I would to but we both know it won't happen unless Torres is injured or suspended in the EL.

Could try a Spain and play with no number 9....

 

Because it worked so well the last time we did?

This is the round of 32, if we win tonight we are of course into the last 16.

If we get past the last 16 then we are in the quarter finals

 

What happens if we get past the quarter finals ?

What happens if we get past the quarter finals ?

 

If it becomes a lucky dip then if you survive that it's a massive game of musical chairs.

 

The survivors of that then compete in an intense game of Rock, Paper, Scissors .  

It just occured to me that Fulham is the only English club to have played in a Europa League final.

Because it worked so well the last time we did?

Aye cause the team we play tonight are just as good as Juve.......

LOL