Champz League 17/18

[Winston Biscuit]

Group stage draw made later today

Pot 1
Real Madrid (ESP),
Bayern München (GER),
Juventus (ITA),
Benfica (POR),
Chelsea (ENG),
Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR),
Monaco (FRA),
Spartak Moscow (RUS)

Pot 2
Barcelona (ESP),
Atlético Madrid (ESP),
Paris Saint-Germain (FRA),
Borussia Dortmund (GER),
Sevilla (ESP),
Manchester City (ENG),
Porto (POR),
Manchester United (ENG)

Pot 3
Napoli (ITA),
Tottenham Hotspur (ENG),
Basel (SUI),
Olympiakos (GRE),
Anderlecht (BEL),
Liverpool (ENG),
Roma (ITA),
Beşiktaş (TUR)

Pot 4
Celtic (SCO),
CSKA Moskva (RUS),
Sporting (POR),
Apoel (CYP),
Feyenoord (NED),
Maribor (SVN),
Qarabağ (AZE),
RB Leipzig (GER)

[Jim Royal]

Will be interesting to see who get's drawn against Europe's elite from Pot 1.

[Silver Fox]

There's some big clubs there for sure, don't think it's fair that the English clubs are denied the easiest draw

[Sanguine]

Interesting the impact of change of seeding process to allocate Pot 1 solely to league winners (correctly in my view).
On coefficient alone, five teams in Pot 2 are in the best 8 teams in the competition, and all of pot 2 are ranked higher than Monaco, Spartak and Shakhtar.

'Group of death' might be:

Real/Bayern
PSG/Barcelona
Napoli/Liverpool
RB Leipzig

Liverpool and Spurs will be hoping for Spartak, Porto and Maribor.

[Sutekh]

Er.... it's not he only one but for example, how are Chelsea in pot 1 and Barcelona in pot 2?

Going to be a very odd draw, groups could all be a "group of death"

[Winston Biscuit]

League champs innit

[Winston Biscuit]

Bayern, Barca, Napoli, Leipzig is my Group Of Death
Spartak, Porto, Basel, Qarabag is my Group of Life



though Qarabag is a long ol' journey so I guess people may want to avoid it

[BR0B0T]

Interesting the impact of change of seeding process to allocate Pot 1 solely to league winners (correctly in my view).

I think it should be based upon strength (assuming that's the co-efficient)

It's subjective tho and that's just my NSHOpinion

[Jim Royal]

Er.... it's not he only one but for example, how are Chelsea in pot 1 and Barcelona in pot 2?

The real question should be, how are Liverpool in pot 3 when Qarabağ are in pot 4? Qarabağ won their league last season and Liverpool haven't won a title for 26 years.

[Stranded]

Er.... it's not he only one but for example, how are Chelsea in pot 1 and Barcelona in pot 2?

The real question should be, how are Liverpool in pot 3 when Qarabağ are in pot 4? Qarabağ won their league last season and Liverpool haven't won a title for 26 years.

As you know the actual answer, I'm just going to say it's because UEFA hate Azerbaijan and all it stands for.

[Sanguine]

Er.... it's not he only one but for example, how are Chelsea in pot 1 and Barcelona in pot 2?

Going to be a very odd draw, groups could all be a "group of death"

They changed it, pot 1 is now league champs of the top 8 countries per the UEFA coefficient.
Interestingly* Belgium have leapfrogged Ukraine for 8th spot in the current coefficient, which means next season the Belgian champions will get a pot 1 seeding, likely to benefit Anderlecht or Club Brugges.

[Sutekh]

A

Porto
Manchester United
FC Basle
CSKA Moscow

B

Bayern Munich
Paris St German
Anderlecht
Celtic

C

Chelsea
Athletico Madrid
AS Roma
Qarabag

D

Juventus
Barcelona
Olympiacos
Sporting

E

Spartak Moscow
Seville
Liverpool
Maribor

F

Shaktar Donetsk
Manchester City
Napoli
Feyenoord

G

AS Monaco
Porto
Besiktas
Leipzig

H (ouch!)

Real Madrid
Borussia Dortmund
Tottenham Hotspur
APOEL

[genome]

Tough group for Chelsea, that

[double d]

Goodbye spurs.

LOL at Celtics group. Seeing as they let in 4 against Astana, Bayern and PSG will have a field day with free defending like that

[Brum Royal]

Celtic got their wish to avoid Barcelona then...

[Stranded]

Looking at those groups would expect all the English teams bar Spurs to qualify, Chelsea will have it hardest but should just have enough.

If Spurs were at WHL, would have fancied them to pull off one win against Real/Dortmund but can't see it at Wembley. Europa League for them.

[Sanguine]

Yep, Spurs excepted the English sides have got to be fairly happy with that. Chelsea should have enough to better Roma over those two games and get through.

Going to be some big sides in the round of 16 as group runners-up!

[genome]

I think Spurs will fare better than some people think.

They should get 6 points from APOEL and it's well within their ability to beat Dortmund at home, and come away with a point at their place if they learn their lessons from a couple of seasons ago. Dortmund have a new manager and a young squad as well.

It will be tough no doubt but it's not impossible.

[Jim Royal]

Who did Arsenal get in their group?

[Sanguine]

Who did Arsenal get in their group?

It's remarkable, Jim, the sense of 'humour' you share with a now departed contributor.