Groundhog Day doesn’t come around until Monday, Feb. 2. But for two soccer teams with a serious case of déjà vu, it will feel like it’s come early.
The playoff draws for the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League were made on Friday, and what transpired would make Bill Murray’s cynical weatherman Phil Connors shudder in recognition.
The most noteworthy tie in the Champions League was an instant rematch between Real Madrid and Benfica, who met in the league phase earlier this week, when a dramatic last-gasp headed goal from Benfica goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin kept José Mourinho’s team in the competition.
But they aren’t the only two teams who will do battle again in European football’s knockout phases.
Bulgaria’s Ludogorets and Hungary’s Ferencváros have been drawn against each other over two legs in the Europa League playoff round, meaning they will meet for a fourth and fifth time this season despite playing in entirely different domestic leagues.
They first met in August across in the two-legged third qualifying round of the Champions League.
The first clash produced a 0-0 draw in Razgrad, Bulgaria before Ferencváros won their home leg 3-0 a week later in Budapest, Hungary.
However, Ferencváros lost to FK Qarabag in the final qualifying round, meaning they dropped into the Europa League.
Their fourth fixture in the league phase? You guessed it: a home clash with Ludogorets on Nov. 6, which ended in a 3-1 win for Ferencváros.
After both teams finished in midtable in the Europa League league phase, they were drawn together on Friday in a playoff, with the first leg on Feb. 18/19 at Ludogorets, and the return leg a week later on Feb. 25/26 at Ferencváros.
The good news for both teams is that that fifth fixture will spell an escape from this time loop for them — one side will advance to the round of 16, the other will be out of Punxsutawney — sorry, Europe — entirely.
