Problems increase in coefficients: Portugal on track for a big load of bonus points | Dutch football

Only PSV provided color to the cheeks at the Netherlands, through the Swiss FC Zurich with 5-0 defeat. This makes the people of Eindhoven the only team that caught the full loot of 0.400 points this week. Ajax went again down against Napoliwhile AZ surprisingly lost to Apollon Limassol (1-0). Feyenoord again drew against FC Midtjylland (2-2) bringing the weekly total to 0.600 points.

Thanks to the resounding victory, PSV is the first Dutch club that is sure of a European winter. In the last three games it will be determined whether PSV will continue the adventure after the winter in the Europa League or Conference League. Despite the defeat, AZ also has good papers for an extended stay in the Conference League. Things are looking less rosy for Feyenoord and especially Ajax. The team from Amsterdam is third in the Champions League and threatens to grab next to the huge bonus of four coefficient points that stand for the winter.

If Ajax places itself as number three for the Europa League, the Netherlands will receive two bonus points. As usual, this must of course be divided by the number of participants. Feyenoord and PSV can earn four bonus points with the first place in the Europa League, while second place is good for two points. For Conference League participant AZ, the bonus is two points for group wins and one point for second place.

Portugal did slightly better than the Netherlands, but the differences were minimal: in total the Portuguese clubs took 0.666 points. Nevertheless, for the number seven in the coefficient ranking, there is a bonus after the group stages.

Benfica, FC Porto and Sporting Portugal are still on course to spend the winter in the Champions League. In this way, the Southern Europeans would wipe out a large part of the arrears with the Netherlands. Braga is second in the Europa League and drew 3-3 against Union Sint-Gillis.

Even after this European week, the Netherlands still has a buffer compared to Portugal, which has virtually had to give up the two tickets for the group stage of the Champions League to the Netherlands for months. The difference between the numbers six and seven is 2.284 points. With a deficit of more than two points, the Netherlands still has number five France in their sights, but they will probably quickly distance themselves by taking bonus points.

The rosy outlook for the three Portuguese Champions League participants is worrying for the Netherlands. If Porto, Benfica, Sporting and Braga manage to survive the group stage, Portugal may add 2,333 points*. This would considerably reduce the built up lead of the Netherlands, depending of course on the bonus points that the clubs take.

5. France 54,664
6. Netherlands 52,500
7. Portugal 50.216

* We assume second place for Braga