As soon as it was clear we would not directly qualify for
the Champions League Group Stage last season, I started to have Champions
League-themed nightmares. What if we didn’t even make the third place
qualifying spot? What if we got the qualifying spot, but drew a much better
team and didn’t qualify? Or even worse, what if we drew a team that was poor,
but still managed to beat us? Well in less than three weeks, we’ll see if it
was my dreams or my nightmares that came true, but today my fears were faced as
we found out who our opponent will be for the qualifications.
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| The qualifying round could be Allegri's worst nightmare |
Allegri's history of slow starts every season he has coached threatens to make the qualifying round our worst nightmare. But I am hoping that our boys will come good despite his record, and we will manage to get to the Group Stage. Of course, that will bring up a whole different set of nightmares, but that is a problem I would like to have.
So without further ado, out of a possible five opponents in
the qualifying round, here is Milan’s opponent:
PSV Eindhoven
The results of the draw in Nyon, France today:
The first leg matches will be played Tuesday and Wednesday,
August 20-21, with the second leg matches the following week, August 27-28.
So at least we can finally face our nightmares now knowing our opponent. PSV will be tough. Now it will be up to Allegri and our boys to do the work and qualify and make our dreams come true. No easy
feat with an away match to Hellas Verona in between, the first round of Serie
A. But I believe. Champions League is part of our DNA.
This post inspired by the music of
The Cure’s “To Wish Impossible Things”