The UEFA Champions League group stage draw was always going to provide some juicy match-ups, but this year's draw was filled with them.
Inter Milan and defending champion FC Barcelona will clash in a battle of top teams who traded star forwards this summer as Samuel Eto'o and Zlatan Ibrahimovic pay visits to their old stomping grounds.
Real Madrid was bound to have one of its blockbuster summer signings face a former club and Kaka was the lucky player as he and the Galacticos will meet AC Milan in the group stage.
That group, Group C, features AC Milan, Real Madrid, Marseille and FC Zurich in what some would consider the tournament's Group of Death.
Inter Milan and Barcelona won't have an easy road as they are joined in Group F by Russian champions Rubin Kazan.
Here is a rundown of the entire group stage draw:
UEFA Champions League Group Stage Draw
GROUP A– Bayern Munich, Juventus, Bordeaux, Maccabi Haifa
GROUP B– Manchester United, CSKA Moscow, Besiktas, VFL Wolfsburg
GROUP C– AC Milan, Real Madrid, Marseille, FC Zurich
GROUP D– Chelsea, Porto, Atletico Madrid, APOEL (Cyprus)
GROUP E– Liverpool, Lyon, Fiorentina, Debreceni (Hungary)
GROUP F– Barcelona, Inter Milan, Dynamo Kiev, Rubin Kazan (Russia)
GROUP G– Sevilla, Rangers, VFB Stuttgart, Uniera Urziceni (Romania)
GROUP H– Arsenal, AZ Alkmaar, Olympiakos, Standard Liege
Some early thoughts:
Glamour club most likely not to make it past the group stage: Bayern Munich
Lesser known club most likely to impress: AZ Alkmaar
Best player match-up that nobody is thinking about: Grafite and Edin Dzeko vs. Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic
We will get provide a more in-depth look at the groups later on today. For now, what do you think of the group draw? Which group do you consider the toughest? Which do you see as the weakest? Which particular match-up do you find the most appealing? Who do you see winning it all?
Share your thoughts below.
Was Arsenal’s group drawn for the Europa League? They should have the easiest time of the “big clubs” for getting through.
My team Stuttgart got lucky with an easy draw considering the possible teams in Pot 1 &2.
Group F contains all champions: Spain, Italy, Ukraine, Russia. Although there was a possibility for a group to have been drawn of champions from: Spain, Italy, France and Germany.
Would have liked to see Standard Liege drawn with AC Milan. Seeing Gooch possibly face off against his old teammates would have been a good story.
I hope Wolfsburg will get their asses kicked so they can go back to manufacturing cars…
@ Mario in SJ
“Is it me or do others think that there are a number of what appear to be weak teams? Is this the result of Platini’s reorganization of how teams enter the group stage?”
Partially, but I think it has more to do with the number of surprise league winners last year. If you replaced newcomers Wolfsburg, AZ, Standard Liege, Rubin Kazan and Unirea Urziceni with more standard league powers like Werder Bremen, PSV Eindhoven, Anderlecht, Spartak Moscow and Steaua Bucaresti, it would seem a lot stronger. But its called UEFA CHAMPIONS League not Traditional Powers League.
@ Korey Sutton
If you’re upset that a team from Cyprus made the group stage, take it up with the Serbian and Danish champions who had a chance to beat them and didn’t.
I think the high profile flame out is going to come from one of the Italian teams.
Group C, D & E are all pretty heinous especially compared to Arsenal’s group. I’m not sure who Wenger had to ‘service’ to get that group but he obviously did a good job as I’m pretty sure Arsenal’s academy team could secure a place in the knock out stages in that group.
I still think Barca is going to take it all again. They have only gotten better in the off season and they are just positively lethal. Should be an interesting Champions League in any event!
perhaps my knowledge of some of clubs in leagues with lower coefficient rankings is not quite up to that of everyone else on this blog. but i thought group d, with chelsea, porto and atletico madrid, was a tough group.
in response to madmax, i think the chances of the epl teams drawing weaker groups is good–none of those teams can be in the same group and most of those teams usually get through to the quarters and semis (ergo, most clubs can look weak relative to them).
Incredibly every EPL team drew a weaker group. What are the odds of that happening?
The statistics used to determine UEFA rankings are common knowledge, and apply equally to all teams. There’s no way to call foul play when everybody knows the rules in advance.
Wolfsburg is a team that’s gonna be tough to beat. They can top ManU IMO. Bayern will make it out of group stage no prob. Arsenal looks tough to beat nowadays see if it carries over to group play.
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
same old crap year after year.
thank goodness i watch Libertadores.
The group stage this season is a load of crap! It is made up to only benefit the large clubs. I really don’t think any team from Cyprus should have made it. Lame!!!!!!
Blokhin, I agree. While Inter hasn’t been in top form early in the season, expecting DK to beat them may be a bit optimistic. They are definitely not beating Barcelona. OTOH, DK gave Arsenal quite a game in Kiev, they barely salvaged a point; DK also beat Porto in Porto, and was unlucky not to make into the Round of 16. So, who knows..
Blokhin was my favorite player when I was growing up.
So did a bookie put those groups together those odds are stacked i can already tell you who will make it past group stages.
Congrats to the Israeli club. Representin
NO track record themselves, ugh…
Another note on the seeding:
A team’s rank on seeding is determined not just by that particular team’s success in European Competition (UEFA/Europa and CL) the past 5 years, but also by their league’s success in the same time frame. In other words, if Burnley somehow qualifies for CL next, they won’t be last in seeding since they get credit for advancing to the CL from a tougher league even if they have to track record themselves.
I think Bayern will have an easier time getting out of group than AC Milan.
“Rubin Kazan FTW!”
Posted by: malkin | August 27, 2009 at 02:03 PM
Isn’t it WTF?
But seriously, it’s exciting to see some new teams in the competition. I just hope they won’t just bunker (like Puerto Rico Islanders like to do).
Is it me or do others think that there are a number of what appear to be weak teams? That 4th pot has some new blood but will they simply turn into cannon fodder. Is this the result of Platini’s reorganization of how teams enter the group stage?
VERY happy with Arsenal’s draw. Gunners got representatives from the 8th-, 12th- and 14th-ranked countries, avoiding Spain, Italy, Germany, France, Russia and Ukraine. Should be a cakewalk into the Round of 16.
As for people who claim the draw is “rigged” — get real. It is clearly not rigged. But it also is clearly not random. Teams that have performed well in Europe the past five years will benefit. Get over it.
Oh, and with European club competitions I mean the CL AND the Uefa Cup. Sevilla won the Uefa Cup twice recently. Hence they get an easier draw than teams which have achieved to get into the knock-out stages in the CL in the recent past. A win in the Uefa cup counts as much as a win in the CL (there are some bonus points in the CL though).
The ranking of 2008/09:
1 Shakhtar Donetsk
2 FC Barcelona
3 Manchester United
4 Chelsea
5 Werder Bremen
6 Hamburger SV
7 Liverpool
8 Bayern München
9 Dinamo Kiev
10 Arsenal
http://www.xs4all.nl/~kassiesa/bert/uefa/data/method4/tcoef2009.html
“Seems to me to be based too much on the more distant past performance. It’s ridiculous that AC Milan (which finished 3rd in Serie A last year) was seeded higher than Inter.”
The results in European club competitions over the last 5 years determine the seed. The results in the domestic leagues have no influence. If Bari won Serie A this season they would be the lowest seeded team in the CL draw next year as they have not participated in European club competitions over the last 4 years (as far as I know).
ummm, can’t wait to watch these games! When and where? ESPN hopefully???
“(SBI-The seeds are based on recent performances in European competition. Sevilla has won two UEFA Cups in recent years while Real Madrid really hasn’t done much in Europe in five years.)”
Seems to me to be based too much on the more distant past performance. It’s ridiculous that AC Milan (which finished 3rd in Serie A last year) was seeded higher than Inter. So Inter got screwed and are drawn with Barca and two tough other teams.
I have to say– Barca-Inter game, a juicy one.
PS, that’s the first time i’ve ever used ‘ftw,’ I hope it was appropriate.
Rubin Kazan FTW!
@ Justin O
If you are going to respond to me first read what I wrote, don’t take liberties and gloss over what I wrote.
“Are you saying that people who complain about diving are hypocrites because they don’t complain about steroids in baseball? First, people have complained extensively about steroids for years. And in any case, what does one have to do with the other?”
Steroids ruined baseball’s imagine in America and hopefully around the world. People are arguing that diving is ruing soccer’s image in America. How do you not follow that argument? Are you incapable of logical reasoning or analytical thought?
“In any case, it’s especially problematic in soccer as such actions can, and sometimes do, result in the entirety of scoring in the whole match. Basketball? A minute fraction of total scoring in any game comes from your example.”
You don’t watch enough basketball. Basketball games are won and lost by the accumulation of these “minute fraction of total scoring” events that decide who wins by +1 +2 +3 and on ward. Go tell the coach of the losing team that the ref’s decision to hand out an AND 1 on Reggie Miller’s three when he kicks out his leg at the defender is a minute infraction, you’ll get your ear chewed off.
“And getting a player up in the air in basketball and letting him fall on you is also irrelevant. First, because that’s allowed in the rules. Second, because there has to be contact for there to be a foul. As such, that’s an apples and oranges comparison. Show me a basketball player go tumbling down on the court when there was no contact and you have an apples and apples comparison. There’s no hypocrisy at all.”
Justin read what I wrote. I said when the shooter jumps into the defender, can you read or do you just take what you like because it suits your argument?
“It’s one thing when the defender does obstruct the shooter, but when the shooter jumps into the defender a la Reggie Miller (countless times) it disgusts me.”
looks like a fight with Rubin for a UEFA spot for my Dynamo
hey… arsenal’s group isn’t that easy. two of the other teams won their league! If anything freaking Man u got the a nicer group
too bad Maccabi wasn’t drawn with Madrid, Milan, and Marseille. That would have been 12 magnificent matchups- mmmmm mmmmm good.
Any of the top 8 clubs who were put into group H would have walked away with everyone calling it the easiest group.
its funny how many people are just tossing Arsenal’s group aside. AZ is quality. Standard took Liverpool to extra time last year. but whatever, english biased crowd.
Well, I hope this satisfies everyone who wants Arsenal punished for Eduardo’s dive….
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Sorry – couldn’t say that with a straight face.
Wow, as a Sevilla fan I couldn’t be happier. I see them winning group G on a trot. I’m interested to see what’s gong to happen in group E. Lyon look stronger than last year, and Fiorentina and Liverpool have struggled a bit so far. Might be their year to make a breakthrough.
WTF Group G? Arsenal play into a weak group, Barca gets no favors as Champions, how did they figure the pools for this draw? Laughably unbalanced.
My Bavarian’s don’t have an easy task in A. Just hope they make it out of the group stage.
Arsenal with an easy group. If Group C that much harder than Group A? I guess only if Galacticos II are head and shoulders above the rest of Europe.
Groups F & B are tough; I won’t be surprised if a superclub misses out. Sevilla, Rangers, and Stuttgart should thank their lucky stars for their draw.
Here’s how I see it breaking down:
A: Juventus then Bayern
B: Utd then Wolfsburg
C: Real then Milan
D: Chelsea then Atletico
E: Liverpool then Fiorentina
F: Barca then Inter
G: Stuttgart then Sevilla
H: Arsenal then Olympiacos
Yeah, I was hoping ManU would have a rougher group, but that aint exactly a cakewalk. Mike, don’t assume you have to be a top 4 team in 1 of 3 leagues, just to be tough competitions.
This draw was rigged…UEFA always pulls this crap!!!
man u has a cake group? wolfsburg is the best team from the 4th pot. cska and besiktas arent exactly weak sides. united better be in top form.
F-I-X-E-D!!!!!!
Question here… Why did Sevilla get seeded higher than Real Madrid. I know Sevilla finished higher in the table but that same premise doesn’t apply for the German sides. Wolfsburg won the Bundesliga yet both Bayern and Sttutgart are seeded higher. Does UEFA seriously believe sevilla is a better club than Real?
(SBI-The seeds are based on recent performances in European competition. Sevilla has won two UEFA Cups in recent years while Real Madrid really hasn’t done much in Europe in five years.)
Yeah, Arsenal’s group is essentially a 6-game bye.
They could beat all those teams with their 2nd squad.
Well, based on last year’s form, Group F is the “group of death”. You’ve got the champions of the Spanish, Italian, Russian and Ukrainian leagues (UEFA coefficient rankings 2,3,6,7 respectively). And of course Barca were European champs too.
With player movement over the off-season it’s a different situation today probably, but that’s still a hell of a group.
Arsenal’s group is a joke.
Wow, Man U. has a cake group.
Groups A and C should be pretty interesting
Celtic fans can eat their hearts out for the second straight day as Gers get a plum draw (not that they’ll take advantage of it).