Here is the Champions League group stage draw:(thanks to espnstar.com)
Group A
Chelsea, Roma, Bordeaux, CFR Cluj
Group B
Internazionale, Werder Bremen, Panathinaikos, Anorthosis Famagusta
Group C
Barcelona, Sporting Lisbon, Basle, Shakhtar Donetsk
Group D
Liverpool, PSV Eindhoven, Marseille, Atletico Madrid
Group E
Manchester United, Villarreal, Celtic, AaB
Group F
Lyon, Bayern Munich, Steaua Bucharest, Fiorentina
Group G
Arsenal, Porto, Fenerbahce, Dynamo Kiev
Group H
Real Madrid, Juventus, Zenit St Petersburg, BATE Borisov
Groups A, B, C, E & G are the ones where the top two stick out and are sure to proceed to the knockout stages. I’m worried about my team because they’re in a very well-contested group (not because the other teams play well, its because ours is struggling as of now). From Group D I expect Liverpool and Marseille to go through but I cannot underestimate the remaining two teams.
From group F its either Fiorentina or Bayern Munich (more so because the german team has been performing so poorly over the last couple of years that everyone has lowered their expectations from them). And my gut feeling is it will be the munich outfit into the next round.
Group H is very interesting because St Petersburg are the UEFA cup champions and hence Juve and Madrid might slip up against them at least in one of the ties. Still the Galacticos and Old lady of Turin are favorites to go through with Zenit back in the UEFA cup after the group stages.
So this is what I think the knockout stage will look like:
Group A
Chelsea, Roma (1st and 2nd in the knockout stage)
Bordeaux (UEFA Cup)
Group B
Internazionale, Werder Bremen (1st and 2nd in the knockout stage)
Panathinaikos (UEFA Cup)
Group C
Barcelona, Sporting Lisbo (1st and 2nd in the knockout stage)
Basle (UEFA Cup)
Group D
Liverpool, Marseille (1st and 2nd in the knockout stage)
Atletico Madrid (UEFA Cup)
Group E
Manchester United, Villarreal (1st and 2nd in the knockout stage)
Celtic (UEFA Cup)
Group F
Lyon, Bayern Munich (1st and 2nd in the knockout stage)
Fiorentina (UEFA Cup)
Group G
Arsenal, Porto (1st and 2nd in the knockout stage)
Dynamo Kiev (UEFA Cup)
Group H
Real Madrid, Juventus (1st and 2nd in the knockout stage)
Zenit St Petersburg (UEFA Cup)
Can’t wait for the Match Day 1
