MACGYVER DAILY: REACH FOR THE STARS - COMBO

Apart from Celtic and Glasgow Rangers (but often them too), Scottish teams tend to play quite conservatively in Europe. Almost always with just one striker, or barely even that. But that's not how St Mirren's celebrated manager, Stephen Robinson, thinks. Mobilised full strength for the meeting in Iceland last week and with normal results would have won that game, by a wide margin. There were plenty of scoring chances, both ways - with St Mirren having a clear advantage. Stephen Robinson himself said this afterwards: ‘I'm very pleased with the performance, not often games like this end 0-0, we might as well have won 7-3’. Now I think you finish the job at home instead. Toyosi Olusanya and Mikael Mandron were a constant threat up front. I'm rooting for St Mirren a bit more, because I don't think a team that signs Gylfi Sigurdsson deserves to qualify (those of you who know, you also know why).

Djurgården have put themselves in the driving seat thanks to their 3-0 win at Tele2 last week. Were they really that superior then? No. Rather, more efficient. They have just come from an energy-consuming match against Elfsborg - a match played on a rain-slicked plastic carpet. Now it is completely different conditions. A half-soaked lawn, down in Luxembourg. Suffered new injuries. Progres Niederkorn are in much the same situation as last year. Lost the away game against FC Midtjylland, but won at home (2-0) and took everything to extra time. Once they started scoring goals, for real, up in Stockholm, they conceded several corners and free kicks - which could very well have resulted (especially when they substituted their set piece specialist). I'm thinking this could be something like Malmö FF (competitor with Djurgården in the Allsvenskan)... Won 4-1 at home against Klaksvik, only to lose the away meeting: 2–3.

Ajax are trying to turn the page... But it may be some time before it reaches its ‘usual standard’ again. There was constant turbulence last year and unexpectedly poor performances abounded. New coach in Francesco Fariolis. The idea is that he will breathe new life into the club, but that it will ‘continue to be the orignal Ajax’. The finances are also under strain and the board recently issued the following statement: ‘If we want to be able to sign players for €40 million, we must first sell players for €100 million’. That is also how it looks right now. You put a 40-year-old man between the posts and that can only mean trying to sell coveted goalkeeper Diant Ramaj. Last week's starting line-up, which eventually won 1-0, included two players who are almost certain to be sold after the summer. Vojvodina must feel they have a rare opportunity to knock out one of Europe's giants, even if they have to play on a neutral pitch.

Sheriff Tiraspol usually win the domestic league, but failed last year and the squad is not as strong as before. Looked strangely ‘small’ last week. They usually play with greater authority at home, but felt weak and slow. Instead, it was Elfsborg who made the game to their own. Maybe they didn't create a lot of goal chances, but they had total control. Won in the end well deserved, after 1-0 (penalty) Don't need to win tonight, but way too risky to play on results, when you only have 1-0. Fell against Djurgården on Sunday, but dominated the game after the break. Have played the best football in the league (Allsvenskan), after the European break.