The European Champions League draw will take place in Monaco within the next 24 hours. UEFA’s rules will see the 32 qualified teams allocated into eight groups of four. Each will contain a top seed, plus one club from the second, third and fourth pots. These are determined by a UEFA ranking system which makes it virtually impossible to work out who exactly Manchester United will be drawn against BUT there are a number of clubs who will definitely be avoided.
The top two in each group will go through to the last 16 knock out phase while the third placed side will have the consolation of being relegated to the knock out stages of the Europa League. So this is where we stand at the moment.
Premier League rivals Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal will NOT be in the United group. Neither will Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Porto or Inter Milan.
Anyone from Pot two can join them – Shakhtar Donetsk, Lyon, Villarreal, AC Milan, Valencia, Marseille, CSKA Moscow, Benfica.
As will those from Pot three – Zenit St Petersburg, Olympiakos, Ajax, Bayer Leverkusen, Traznipor, Basle, Lille.
And those in Pot four – Borussia Dortmund, Bate, Dinamo Zagreb, Napoli, APOEL, Genk, Otelul Galati, Viktoria Plzen.
All will be revealed in the next few hours but I must admit that these Group Stages can get a little boring. The qualifiers can usually be predicted with a 90 to 100% accuracy so what’s the point of them except for guaranteeing each club a minimum income from at least three home matches.
Give me the uncertainty and excitement of the old ‘Draw from the Hat” knock out competition of years ago – ANYTIME.
What will be your preferred group in the Champions League?
always a nervous but exciting time, by brain always wants the easy, draw while my heart loves the big names and games.
Group of Death
Milan
Zenit
Dortmund
Group of Delight
Marseille
Basle
Genk
Agree Jack , love CL draw time. Maybe a new place to visit which would be nice.
Agree with your group of Death , but i really think Utd wouldnt struggle no matter what the group.
Got £10 on Utd V Barcelona final again.
@Martin, This may surprise many but I would not mind betting £10 that Barca will NOT be in the Champions League final in May!
Agree with you Frank… i think Barca wont be in final… Hopes that Man united will reach there and win it… All these money tempted players should know that its the most fans following team and its where success is a routine, and its where dream come true.Or ask the players who left united ..After MU its Hell… Very less became successful…
Basle Benefica Napoli
Maybe not the weakest teams but best combination of weakness and travelling!
Ella
Benfica, Basle and Otelul thingy lol. Gotta be very happy with that Reds?
It could have been worse Martin, MUCH worse. But then again, it’s what United deserve after so much success in Europe during the last few seasons.