DIVISION 4

It came to the final day of a Division 4 campaign that had more ups and downs than a hookers knickers. Incredibly 6 teams could still win the title. Marseille were top on goal difference from Lokomotiv Moskva. Dynamo Kyiv and Leicester City were 1 point behind, River Plate were 2pts adrift and Celtic were 3pts behind but would need a 6 goal swing to finish above Marseille. One of they teams would be Champions in 90 min with another 2 being automatically promoted. Sporting CP could also sneak in to one the promotion places if results went their way. Play offs? Well 4 of the teams mentioned plus add Malaga and Dynamo Moskva to the mix can finish in the play off positions. Hope you are following because we have still to add in the relegation fight. FC Twente and Olympiacos are definitely relegated. That leaves two spaces and FK Partizan, Crystal Palace and Swansea will be fighting to avoid they places. For this one we will follow all of the games. It will be easier. The games that involve two teams fighting for the same thing are a potentially explosive Dynamo Moskva v Dynamo Kyiv, Lokomotiv Moskva v Leicester City, Marseille v River Plate and Malaga v Sporting CP. All games are covered and an update on the tables when time permits so it’s just about kick off time, the nerves are jangling and the teams are now out:

0min – And off we go for what should be an exciting last 90min in this car crash that is known as Division 4.

4min – no early goals as the teams settle but Borini has had the ball in the net for Olympiacos in their game with Sampdoria but it has been chopped off. A win for the Greek side could take them off the bottom on the last day.

5min – ⚽️ GOAL!! The first goal of the night comes for Olympiacos, just a minute after having one chopped off!! Pussetto scores. They stay bottom for now but things can change as long as they stay ahead. Olympiacos 1 Sampdoria 0.

10min – Still just the Olympiacos goal to report. All the other games still at 0-0.

12min – ⚽️ GOAL!! And it’s a big one!! Traoré has scored for Dynamo Kyiv in Moskva!! That goal takes Kyiv to the top of the table but still a long way to go.

19min – 🟥 RED CARD!! It’s come at The Hawthorns!! Gedson Fernandes has been sent off to reduce West Brom to 10 men and that must be a boost to Celtic’s play off chances!!

20min – Almost half way through the first half with only the Kyiv goal to talk about. As we seen, that goal puts Kyiv top of the table!!

21min – ⚽️ GOAL!! but it is at the bottom where the fight to avoid relegation continues. Bou has put FC Twente 1-0 up on FK Partizan in Enschede! A huge blow for Partizan and they need to score twice now if they want to have a chance of stay up.

23min – ⚽️ GOAL!! but, again, it’s at the bottom and it’s great news for Swansea fans as André puts them 1-0 up in Argentina against Boca Juniors! Swansea are in the driving seat to avoid the drop!!

BOTTOM

16. SWANSEA CITY 45pts

17. CRYSTAL PALACE 41pts

18. FK PARTIZAN 40pts

19. FC TWENTE 38pts

20. OLYMPIACOS 36pts

25min – GOAL!! at The Hawthorns and it’s 10 man West Brom who have taken the lead and promotion hopefuls Celtic!! This means Celtic slip to 7th, the last play off place. However, with Malaga and Sporting CP playing against each other, Celtic are guaranteed a play off place.

27min – GOAL!! It’s an equaliser for Boca Juniors against Swansea and that sees Swansea back into the relegation battle. Boca Juniors 1 Swansea City 1!!

30min – Half an hour into the games and it’s still Dynamo Kyiv in poll position!! The latest we have is:

DYNAMO MOSKVA 0-1 DYNAMO KYIV

MARSEILLE 0-0 RIVER PLATE

LOKOMOTIV MOSKVA 0-0 LEICESTER CITY

WEST BROM 1-0 CELTIC

MALAGA 0-0 SPORTING CP

Not a lot of action but I am confident things will heat up

31min – ⚽️ GOAL!! and just as I say that, it’s a huge goal as Beghetto scores to make it Marseille 0 River Plate 1!! and that changes things at the top!!

So Marseille drop to 4th meaning it will be the play offs for them as it stands!! River Plate now in an automatic promotion place!!

36min – ⚽️ GOAL!! it’s Malaga 0 Sporting 1!! Diaz has put the Portuguese side ahead and they are looking good for a play off spot!!

37min – ⚽️ GOAL!! Celtic fans look away now!! Calvert-Lewin has put 10 man West Brom 2-0 ahead at The Hawthorns. Celtic are safe in the play offs but any chance of a home semi final is fading fast.

40min – We are closing in on half time and there is still plenty drama ahead. I can feel it in my water!!

43min – ⚽️ GOAL!! It’s a crucial goal in France!! Grenier has equalised for Marseille!! The French side are back in the top three while River Plate are back to 5th!! The table is coming up at half time.

44min – ⚽️ GOAL!! It’s at the bottom and Linetty has brought FK Partizan level at FC Twente!! The Serbian club looked down and out but they keep themselves in with a chance of staying up!!

45min – The half time whistles should be sounding around Europe and South America so let’s see how things stand:

BOCA JUNIORS 1-1 SWANSEA CITY

DYNAMO MOSKVA 0-1 DYNAMO KYIV

ATHLETIC BILBAO 0-0 PSV EINDHOVEN

LOKOMOTIV MOSKVA 0-0 LEICESTER CITY

MARSEILLE. 1-1 RIVER PLATE

MALAGA 0-1 SPORTING CP

OLYMPIACOS 1-0 SAMPDORIA

FC TWENTE. 1-1 FK PARTIZAN

CRYSTAL PALACE 0-0 RUBIN KAZAN

WEST BROM 2-0 CELTIC

TOP

BOTTOM

16. SWANSEA CITY 43pts

17. FK PARTIZAN 41pts

18. CRYSTAL PALACE 41pts

19. FC TWENTE 36pts

20. OLYMPIACOS 36pts

So, there is still plenty to play for with 45min to play. We will be back with the second half shortly.

That was very short as we get ready for the second half. These 45min will decide who goes up to Division 3, who go into the lottery of the play offs and who joins FC Twente and Olympiacos in Division 5.

46min – All the games have kicked off again SS we wait on news from around the grounds.

48min – ⚽️ GOAL!! but it’s not important to anyone except Athletic Club fans. Kalinić has put Athletic ahead in their dead rubber with PSV. No bearing on either end of the table.

53min – ⚽️ GOAL!! and this one DOES affect the top of the table!! Adriano has equalised for Dynamo Moskva against Dynamo Kyiv!! So, Kyiv slip back to third in the table and Marseille are back on top!! I’m sure there would have been a huge roar in France as news of that goal reaches the Vélodrome!!

59min – ⚽️ GOAL!! it’s from the south of Spain and Sporting CP have one foot in the play offs as Luis Diaz makes it Malaga 0 Sporting CP 2!! Sporting looking good for a home play off semi final!!

and just as we give you news of that goal, we hear Swansea are back in front in Argentina!! André grabs his second goal of the night and Swansea are heading for safety!!

60min – ⚽️ GOAL!! and the Vélodrome has erupted as Augustin puts Marseille 2-1 ahead against River Plate!! Are Marseille heading for the Division 4 title?!!

61min – ⚽️ GOAL!! it’s unbelievable Jeff!! The Vélodrome is suddenly silenced just 60 seconds after erupting!! River Plate kick off and go right up the park to equalise!! Djaniny has scored and the Marseille celebrations are back on hold!! I promised you drama and there it is, right there!!

64min – 🟥 RED CARD!! and it’s not one red card, it’s two!! They have came in separate games. First, in Greece, Layún has been sent off for Sampdoria with Olympiacos still leading 1-0. The Greek side are still bottom of the table and would need 4 more goals to lift them up.
The other red card is far more important and we knew there would be at least one in this game!! Dynamo Kyiv’s scorer in Moskva has been red carded meaning Kyiv will play the last 25min with 10 men! Kyiv are 3rd at the moment but if they can’t hold on it could allow Leicester, still 0-0 at Lokomotiv, to nick that promotion place. It also would give River Plate a chance if they can get a winner in Marseille. I told you the division was a car crash!!

75min – We are into the last 15min!! Will there be more drama, more goals, more red cards?!! What a time to be alive!!

76min – ⚽️ GOAL!! and more drama it is!! Zaha has put Dynamo Moskva ahead!! It’s a disaster for Dynamo Kyiv as they fall to 5th in the table!! Leicester, meanwhile are still 0-0 and they, after doing nothing all night, are now 3rd!! And, I have an apology to make.. This goal has put Celtic out of the play offs!! I said Celtic were safe but they are 2-0 down at West Brom and now Dynamo Moskva have leapfrogged them on goal difference!! Confused?? I know I am!! Pass me some drugs!!

While that was happening, FC Twente are ahead in their game with FK Partizan!! Méndez with the goal. That should be enough for Twente to avoid finishing bottom but it looks like the end for Partizan with them and Crystal Palace, still 0-0 with Rubin Kazan, joining Twente and Olympiacos in Division 5 next season!!

77min – ⚽️ GOAL!! but wait!! Pavoletti has equalised for Partizan!! but it is surely too little, too late. 2-2.

Hold on! News coming in that Pavoletti’s strike will not count. Not sure of the reason but we believe it is still 2-1 to FC Twente. Too little, too late is bang on.

78min – ⚽️ GOAL!! and the goals keep coming! It’s squeaky bum time for Celtic as 10 man West Brom wrap up the points with a third goal!! Calvert-Lewin with his second of the night. Fantastic performance by the Baggies! West Brom 3 Celtic 0!!

And Sporting CP have surely sealed a play off place with Bouanga making it 3-0 in Malaga!! Sporting with a great result for them so far while Malaga set for another season in Division 4.

81min – ⚽️ – GOAL!! Celtic fans, hold your breath!! Now let it go and start smiling because 10 man Dynamo Kyiv have equalised in Moskva!! Hunou has sent the Kyiv bench and the very small band of fans that were allowed to travel wild!!! What a goal that is!! It puts Kyiv back in the automatic promotion places and at the same time knocks Moskva out of the play offs with Celtic back in!!! What will happen next?!! There is still 9 minutes for Kyiv to hang on with 10 men

89min – still no more news as the games go into the last minute! Celtic fans sweating, Kyiv fans sweating, Moskva fans almost in tears!!

90min – we are into time added on as we wait for the full time whistle!!

The first result is in and Swansea City are safe!! They needed a win tonight to be sure of safety and they have beaten Boca Juniors 2–1 in Argentina!! Well done to them.

It’s also full time in Moskva and it’s celebrations for Dynamo Kyiv!! It’s finished 2-2 and Kyiv are promoted!! A great fight back after being 2-1 down and playing with 10 men For the last 15 minutes It’s frustration though for Dynamo Moskva as they miss out completely!!

Athletic Club have beaten PSV 1-0 in Bilbao and back in Moskva, it’s all over as Lokomotiv Moskva celebrate promotion after a 0-0 draw with Leicester proved to be enough!! Leicester are in the play offs.

In France, the whistle has just went and Marseille are promoted as Champions!! 2-2 is how it finished and that is going to be enough to give Marseille the title. River Plate go into the post season with an away semi final tie looking likely.

Full time in Malaga and the Spanish club will feel they let their fans down as the play off hopes are snuffed out. A 3-0 defeat to Sporting CP is a huge disappointment but on the opposite side of the coin, it’s delight for Sporting as they fly into the play offs in great form and they could be the favourites.

Olympiacos have finished bottom of the heap despite a last day 1-0 win over Sampdoria. The Italians had nothing to play for and it seemed they were happy just to play out the 90min.

In Holland, FC Twente have beaten FK Partizan 2-1 to avoid finishing bottom. It is a depressing place tonight with their opponents joining them in Division 5 next season.

Crystal Palace will also join them in Division 5 after they failed to make any impression tonight at Selhurst Park. Full time Crystal Palace 0 Rubin Kazan 0

It’s full time at The Hawthorns where West Brom were reduced to 10 men but still went on to beat Celtic 3-0. Celtic fans look in good spirits as they seem to know that they are in the play offs even though we thought they were 9min away from being out. A mis-calculation possibly? Whatever it is, Celtic are 100% in the play offs.

So, to re-cap, Marseille are Champions and they go up to Division 4 with Lokomotiv Moskva and Dynamo Kyiv joining them.
In the play offs it is official now and Leicester City will play Celtic and Sporting CP will be at home to River Plate.
At the bottom Crystal Palace, FK Partizan, FC Twente and Olympiacos are relegated.

That’s it for tonight. I would say good luck to the teams in the play offs but we already know how that turned out.
Good luck to everyone for next season

Ciao