Champions League Group Stage Draw.

[MrRed]

For those that are interested!

The group stages start on 18/19 September and finish on 4/5 December.

Likely pots:

Pot One: Chelsea, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Manchester United, Bayern Munich, Arsenal, Porto, AC Milan.

Pot Two: Valencia, Benfica, Shakhtar Donetsk, Zenit St Petersburg, Schalke, Manchester City, Braga.

Pot Three: Olympiakos, Ajax, Anderlecht, Juventus, Paris St Germain, Galatasaray.

Pot Four: Borussia Dortmund, BATE Borisov, Dinamo Zagreb, Malaga, Montpellier, FC Nordsjaelland.

Celtic, Lille, Spartak Moscow, CFR Cluj and Dynamo Kiev yet to be assigned pots having come through qualifiers on Wednesday.

• Venue: Monaco
  
• Date: 30/08/2012
  
• Start: 1645 BST
  

[SantiSuk]

http://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/newsid=1851457.html

Is the official web page. Curiously it says the draw will be explained at 16:45, as though they haven't made their mind up on the rules of the draw yet!

I'm sure I have seen the selection order on another site but can't find it again. We all know that you can't face your own nation's teams and that Pot 1 teams (inc Arsenal, Chelsea and Man U) cannot face other Pot 1 teams.

Presumably each team is drawn against a team from each of the other three pots?

[CNF55]

Some really strong teams in Pot 3 - might even be stronger than Pot 2. Plus Dortmund in Pot 4.

Great potential for some really interesting and competitive groups.

[smokie36]

Why are Citeh in pot two?

[siampreggers]

Man. U.

Man. C.

Juve.

Dortmund.

please.

[nev]

Why are Citeh in pot two?

This,,, i want to know why too, maybe it is the 3 stars above the badge has fooled Eufa,, they did not know they are there only for decorative purpose

[nev]

Man. U.

Man. C.

Juve.

Dortmund.

please.

Sorry mate 2 teams from the same country cannot be drawn together.

[mrbojangles]

Why are Citeh in pot two?

Seeding isn't it? Last year was our first venture and we were in Pot 3, so I suppose it's an improvement.

[MrRed]

Why are Citeh in pot two?

Seeding isn't it? Last year was our first venture and we were in Pot 3, so I suppose it's an improvement.

Nice one mate,soon you will be all grown up and join the big boys eh!

[mrbojangles]

Why are Citeh in pot two?

Seeding isn't it? Last year was our first venture and we were in Pot 3, so I suppose it's an improvement.

Nice one mate,soon you will be all grown up and join the big boys eh!

And there we have it folks, a typical RAG statement.

[MrRed]

Why are Citeh in pot two?

Seeding isn't it? Last year was our first venture and we were in Pot 3, so I suppose it's an improvement.

Nice one mate,soon you will be all grown up and join the big boys eh!

And there we have it folks, a typical RAG statement.

I hope you draw Real Madrid

[SantiSuk]

Nice one - but I know you knew that had just been drawn!

We've avoided the ones out of Pot 2 I wanted to avoid. Schalke is an ok draw for our supposed next most successful (at CL) group opponent. Man U get Braga (the Arsenal of Portugal - again, not too tough though they played well in their qualifier - very quick fluid passing). Chelsea get an annoyingly long trip to a difficult Shaktar Donetsk.

Arsenal get Olympiacos as their number 3 team (beatable but can be tricky)

Oh good ManU have picked up Galatasary - always horrid playing in Istanbul - one of my wanted to avoids!

[SantiSuk]

Man City's group already looks like the group of death - Ajax, Real and Man City. All you need now is Celtic to make your nightmare complete!

Edit: Chelsea Shaktar Juve looks pretty tough too!

[MrRed]

Man City's group already looks like the group of death - Ajax, Real and Man City. All you need now is Celtic to make your nightmare complete!

Dortmund would be good

[MrRed]

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE DRAW

Here's your completed line-up for the Champions League group stages:

Group A: Porto, Dynamo Kiev, Paris St Germain, Dinamo Zagreb.

Group B: Arsenal, Schalke, Olympiakos, Montpellier.

Group C: AC Milan, Zenit St Petersburg, Anderlecht, Malaga.

Group Death: Real Madrid, Manchester City, Ajax, Borussia Dortmund.

Group E: Chelsea, Shakhtar Donetsk, Juventus, FC Nordsjaelland.

Group F: Bayern Munich, Valencia, Lille, BATE Borisov.

Group G: Barcelona, Benfica, Spartak Moscow, Celtic.

Group H: Manchester United, Braga, Galatasaray, CFR Cluj.

[smokie36]

Get the chequebook out mrboj!

[SantiSuk]

Ouch - Man City have to beat both the German and Dutch Champions to get out of the group stages. [i'm assuming Ajax won it last year in Holland].

Of course you could say Real have the toughest task cos they are not a national champion!

Man U and Arsenal got a good rub. Chelsea got a pretty tough group, except they got an obvious nil pointer in their group, which none of the rest of us have.

Enjoy the ride Celtic. I think you'll need a few brilliantly disguised glasgae kisses to squeak out of that group (Barca, Benfica, Moscow). I'd love a ticket for Celtic v Barca - if Barca think they've seen it all they've got another think coming.

Edit: Spot the deliberate mistake - forgot that Real actually beat Barca to La Liga title last year.

[SantiSuk]

Why are Citeh in pot two?

Good question - they have a nothing record in the Champions League. I would have put them on a par with Celtic and Borussia Dortmund in Group 4.

Money talks I guess

[salty]

Any one watch the cringe inducing rigmarolle to select player of the year in European competition after the draw had taken place?. Dreadful. The 3 guys on stage looked about as comfortable as on a trip to the dentist. Iniesta the winner over Ronaldo and Messi FWIW.

[smokie36]

Why are Citeh in pot two?

Good question - they have a nothing record in the Champions League. I would have put them on a par with Celtic and Borussia Dortmund in Group 4.

Money talks I guess

Exactly.

[mrbojangles]

Why are Citeh in pot two?

Good question - they have a nothing record in the Champions League. I would have put them on a par with Celtic and Borussia Dortmund in Group 4.

Money talks I guess

Exactly.

Nothing to do with us winning the prem league then, which consisted of 3 other english teams that were in pot 1 and one of which won the Champs League. We had the same amount of money last year and were in pot 3. Nobody can deny we have improved since last year and should therefore be seeded higher.

[smokie36]

Why are Citeh in pot two?

Good question - they have a nothing record in the Champions League. I would have put them on a par with Celtic and Borussia Dortmund in Group 4.

Money talks I guess

Exactly.

Nothing to do with us winning the prem league then, which consisted of 3 other english teams that were in pot 1 and one of which won the Champs League. We had the same amount of money last year and were in pot 3. Nobody can deny we have improved since last year and should therefore be seeded higher.

Its all about your European performances isn't it?

At least that's what I thought....

[JacknDanny]

Why are Citeh in pot two?

Good question - they have a nothing record in the Champions League. I would have put them on a par with Celtic and Borussia Dortmund in Group 4.

Money talks I guess

Exactly.

Its all about the 'old elite'!!

in my opinion, the Champions League should be seeded on a year to year basis, and not on form from several seasons ago.

But your connected teams like Bayern Munich will never let that happen.!!

City should have been seeded ahead of United and Arsenal. Dortmund should have been seeded ahead of Bayern.

Otherwise those teams who have been excellent performers in the past, have an unfair advantage in the present.

[siampreggers]

Any one watch the cringe inducing rigmarolle to select player of the year in European competition after the draw had taken place?. Dreadful. The 3 guys on stage looked about as comfortable as on a trip to the dentist. Iniesta the winner over Ronaldo and Messi FWIW.

Afer Messi scoring a World Record 73 goals last season?!?

Looks like winning a national tournament is a prerequisite then.

[SantiSuk]

Why are Citeh in pot two?

Good question - they have a nothing record in the Champions League. I would have put them on a par with Celtic and Borussia Dortmund in Group 4.

Money talks I guess

Exactly.

Its all about the 'old elite'!!

in my opinion, the Champions League should be seeded on a year to year basis, and not on form from several seasons ago.

But your connected teams like Bayern Munich will never let that happen.!!

City should have been seeded ahead of United and Arsenal. Dortmund should have been seeded ahead of Bayern.

Otherwise those teams who have been excellent performers in the past, have an unfair advantage in the present.

Your basis is just as flawed - takes you into impossible arguments about which are the strongest national leagues. On your basis you have to put all the national champions into one pot (Helsingborg on a par with Citeh) or decide on a national seeding coefficient. I suspect there is a bit of quiet national seeding going on which is why ypo come out high despite your inexperience.

[JacknDanny]

Exactly.

Its all about the 'old elite'!!

in my opinion, the Champions League should be seeded on a year to year basis, and not on form from several seasons ago.

But your connected teams like Bayern Munich will never let that happen.!!

City should have been seeded ahead of United and Arsenal. Dortmund should have been seeded ahead of Bayern.

Otherwise those teams who have been excellent performers in the past, have an unfair advantage in the present.

Your basis is just as flawed - takes you into impossible arguments about which are the strongest national leagues. On your basis you have to put all the national champions into one pot (Helsingborg on a par with Citeh) or decide on a national seeding coefficient. I suspect there is a bit of quiet national seeding going on which is why ypo come out high despite your inexperience.

I think its common sense. Its generally accepted the 2 strongest leagues are English and Spanish, followed by Italian and German. How many 'Leagues ' are involved? I am not sure..... but I would imagine Dutch/ Portugese/ Russian Leagues are next. Then I guess any 1 from 4 or 5.

Then the runners ups of those leagues in the next pot, and so on.

That is the fairest way.

I am not saying this because I am a City fan, but they have just won the Premiership, probably the hardest League to win, and they get seeded behind teams that havent won their respective League for years!!!

The old elite want a closed shop!! Tossers like Rummenigge whining like a little b#tch when City start spending money, to enable them to get on the same level. So what do Bayern do, now they havent won the league for a couple of years????? Thats right, break the bank to buy the guy from Bilbao!!

[mrbojangles]

Nothing to do with us winning the prem league then, which consisted of 3 other english teams that were in pot 1 and one of which won the Champs League. We had the same amount of money last year and were in pot 3. Nobody can deny we have improved since last year and should therefore be seeded higher.

Its all about your European performances isn't it?

At least that's what I thought....

Obviously not smokes, otherwise how did we rise up a pot off last years performance?

I agree with jack. This comp is called the Champions League, which is a competition for the champions and (also rans ) of the european leagues from last year, not 10 years ago. Therefore how can the likes of Arsenal be seeded above us? Maybe it should be left to the FA to submit their choice as to the English seedings. Just a thought.

[mrbojangles]

In fact, the more I think about this current seeding system the more it stinks. All 4 teams in our group are current champions of their own leagues. How can that be right.

[JacknDanny]

In fact, the more I think about this current seeding system the more it stinks. All 4 teams in our group are current champions of their own leagues. How can that be right.

Its a disgrace!!

Dortmund have won the Bundesliga 2 yrs in a row, yet they are in pot 4!!!!

There is absolutely NO reason why the Champions of the 8 strongest Leagues are put as top seeds, then runners up in those Leagues etc.

This is purely seeding on past history and not current form!!!

So in other words, teams like City and Dortmund are penalised because they are newbies to the CL!! Because the powers that be donrt want any new members to their 'elite' club

Why bother seeding??

Just play it one v one without seeding.

But they wont do that in case Bayern meet Barcelona in the first round!!!

How can you justify seeding a team highly based on reputation and previous history???

The system is being manipulated by the clueless f#ckwits at the top.

[SantiSuk]

Perhaps they thought that the fact that Arsenal have qualified for the CL for the last n years and have usually got to the final stages and you guys make one appearance in living memory and couldnt get out of the group with a squillion euro squad counted for something.

Im gutted for you