Tuesday, 20 November 2012

Juventus vs Chelsea: A Win, A Draw A Loss? How it stands


We're playing Juventus today. What'll be required of us to qualify, if we win? Draw? Lose? #CFC

First of all, let's get the most straightforward way on the table: if we win today in Turin, we're through, and we'll just have to play for 1st or 2nd place. Assuming that Nordsjælland'll lose to Shakhtar  (albeit in Copenhagen), we'd then have to beat Nordsjælland and Shakhtar'd have to draw or lose against Juventus, for us to win the group.

This is due to the UEFA rule, that head-to-head results matter more than goal difference - and even though we beat Shakhtar once, they also beat us - and we only scored one goal in Shakhtar, while they scored two at Stamford Bridge.

What'll happen if we draw in Turin? Well, we'd still be almost sure to qualify - we'd just have to beat Nordsjælland at Stamford Bridge, a manageable task. If Shakhtar then drew both against Nordsjælland & Juventus, we'd top the group - naturally, we'd also top it if Shakhtar lost one of their games. (Still assuming we beat Nordsjælland!)
Let me once again remind you, that should Shakhtar win the remainder of their matches, we cannot win the group.

What would then happen if we lost? Well, here's where it gets tricky - and we could only finish 2nd at best. If we lose, Juventus'll be 2 points ahead of us, and assuming Shakhtar beat Nordsjælland, they'll be 3 points ahead of us, and thus unreachable again due to the head to head results.
This would leave us needing a Shakhtar win in their last game against Juventus - and naturally, we'd have to beat Nordsjælland. If Shakhtar and Juventus draw, we are out. Why? Assuming we beat Nordsjælland, we'd be level on points with Juventus & 3 behind Shakhtar - but we've drawn one and (in this scenario) lost one against Juve, thus achieving poorer head-to-head results and leaving us 3rd in the group. A Juventus win in Ukraine, and they'll top the group, us finishing 3rd due to head-to-head results again.

But if Shakhtar beat Juventus - which isn't unlikely - then we'd finish one point ahead of the Italians, again assuming we beat Nordsjælland.

I say let's just avoid all this, and pick up points in Italy tonight! Forza Chelsea!

-Chelsea Rumours

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