Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
“Portugal’s gift” brings Betis closer to the champions… and the decisive scenarios begin with “Emirates”.
The battle for the fifth Champions League qualification spot has entered a crucial stage as the Spanish clubs can secure this extra spot without waiting for Rayo Vallecano’s next match against Strasbourg in the Europa League next Thursday, based on results against Arsenal and Atletico in London tonight and where they stand. BavariaAnd Paris tomorrow in the Champions League in Munich.
No one at Real Betis expected Dorgeles’ late goal against Sporting Braga to feature in their Europa League semi-final first-leg win over Freiburg, especially as it knocked Betis out of the competition. But this goal weakened the position of the German clubs and opened the door for the “Verdeblancos” to get closer to the dream of the champion, as they currently occupy the 5th position in the league table of Spain.
There are two ways to secure Spain’s extra place without waiting for Rayo Vallecano’s results in the conference league, the first is a win; “Atletico” of Madrid. They beat Arsenal in London and qualified for the final in Budapest, while Bayern Munich will not win tomorrow at the expense of Paris Saint-Germain.
As for the second scenario, Atletico Madrid draw with Arsenal and then qualify on penalties, while Bayern Munich vacillate (draw or lose) against… Paris:No recovery.
The hopes of La Liga, particularly Betis (currently fifth) and Celta Vigo (seventh, who could claim a European seat), hinge on strong performances from Atletico Madrid and Rayo Vallecano against Bayern Munich and Freiburg.
La Liga clubs currently have 21,781 points compared to Bundesliga clubs’ 21,214 points, but La Liga points are divisible by 8 (the number of clubs participating in European competitions) while Germany’s points are divisible by 7, making Germany’s win value (0.428) slightly higher than Spain’s win value (0.375).
The results of the first game were completely in favor of the Spaniards. Atlético drew with Arsenal (1-1), Rayo Vallecano beat Strasbourg (1-0), Bayern Munich lost to Paris Saint-Germain (5-4) and Freiburg lost to Braga (2-1). This collective German slip-up gave La Liga a big boost in the standings.
While the road is still challenging in London and Strasbourg, the atmosphere in Seville and Vigo is full of optimism as the European dream is closer than ever.
