Champions League: The Group Stages

[Chucky McChuckface]

Congrats to Pool, 4 English and a Russian Team in the Group stages, got to be good for the banter on here if nothing else!

So, the draw is later today, we all find out where we’re going and who is most likely to be playing with the Goonies after Christmas.

So potentially really tough draws could come out, my Spuds could get Real, PSG and the Red Bull chaps from Germany… that would be an easy group, reckon Poncho could rotate until his heart is content with that lot… (note to Poncho, please don’t do what you did last year!).

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[Rob Tab]

the draw for the CL has always been flawed, the teams that either scrape through or qualify via the back door and end up in relatively easy groups while the teams that came 1st or 2nd in their respective leagues get the more difficult groups.

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[Chucky McChuckface]

My boys managed to screw up an “easyish” group last year, might as well bring on the big-guns! Go down in a blaze of glory and all that…. 🙂

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[whoisbeni]

Man Utd get their mandatory easiest group – warm balls anyone?

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[Chucky McChuckface]

I reckon we’ve got the toughest one there, nice to get a chance against Real again, still remember that cheating fooker Marcelo getting Crouchie sent off in about the 15th minute of the first leg the last time we got them in the Champions League. Not too sure about the level Dortmund are playing…. and some kebabs. At least we should be in the Europa next year! 🙂

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[Careworkerlfc]

Pretty Favourable draw for Us, Spartak Moscow, Sevilla and Maribor to take on,I’m not saying that it’s going to be a breeze but We are capable of winning our Home Ties and pick up a point or Two Away so not exactly doom and gloom after the Draw.

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[CrustyHoop]

Boring group for us (Liverpool) but no reason why we can’t win the group.

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[Editor]

The complete 2017/18 UEFA Champions League Group Stage draw!

Most exciting group?#UCLdraw pic.twitter.com/Jf9ebJrJ9t

— #UCLdraw (@ChampionsLeague) August 24, 2017

Utd have no excuse to not top that group. Liverpool should really be getting through theirs too. In fact, with the exception of Spurs, the PL teams should all be fine. I wouldn’t even write Spurs off just yet though either. On their day, they’re very capable of beating the likes of Dortmund so I’d say 2nd place is very much up for grabs there

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[nine nine nine]

Totally agree with that summary Ed.

I still don’t understand though how you can be Champions and in Pot 1 and not Pot 3 and Liverpool still get an easier Group?

If Carlsberg did CL draws eh. ?

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[Careworkerlfc]

Looks like the Co-Efficents could do with a revamp 🙂

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[Editor]

Bit odd 9 to say the least! Utd and Liverpool, in particular, could have got much tougher groups. Ours is arguably a bit “easier” but as a pot 3 team, Liverpool were much more likely to get a really tough one so will probably count themselves one of the most fortunate teams in this draw

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[whoisbeni]

Would have been happy to be in the Barca Juve group, or PSG and Bayern – you want to be in this competition to play them and have them at Anfield.

Bit disappointed to be honest….

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[Editor]

It’s a fair point Beni. Still, an easy group hopefully means facing those kind of teams in the knockout stages. You’re right though. It’s the games against the liks of Barca, Bayern, Real Madrid that gets the fans and players excited again for those European nights

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[Nike19]

Chucky, good luck to your boys – man what a draw!

Maybe a possibility to plan a Wembley visit – for a former hero 😉

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[mwake]

Hardest groups in order:

Group G
Group C
Group H
Group F

What do you think?

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[Rob Tab]

as predicted the teams that least deserved to qualify have the easiest groups-normal

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[whoisbeni]

Not true. Spurs fully deserved to qualify.

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[Nike19]

Champions League once upon a time essentially was about just 2 teams from each league and when all thrown together, they would be on par with each other.

I know from our own experience in finishing 4th led to a historical triumph in 2005, but a team finishing 4th could have finished 15-20 points behind the champions. That to be is a bit of a gulf in quality and achievement.

So from the 2 made pots, isn’t the starting point of this essentially 2-tier?

I just think if we are going about it in this manner, then the title of the competition needs a rethink. From a personal point of view, I’ve been longing for it to revert back to the old-skool knockout competition.

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[nine nine nine]

nb, UEFA are committed to a strategy of spreading the CL still further and encouraging the smaller Leagues so I cant see it going back to what it was and only the biggest Leagues have 3/4 places available which as you rightly said led to 2005 which was probably one of the most memorable Finals of them all.

Can’t see it going back to a straight knock out competition based on the above.

But you’re right without you’re in a Group of death like Spurs it really doesn’t really get going until the round of 16.

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