2013/14 UEFA Champions League

[Big Sam]

Wien aside, this could be the most competitive UCL group stage in years. Every club has good form in Europe in recent years and won't be daunted.

And for those of you night owls, the draw is at 1:45am (Syd time) tonight.

 

[Jimbo]

Normally the draws are on around 9-10pm

1:45am is most inconvenient...

 

[Big Sam]

Normally the draws are on around 9-10pm

1:45am is most inconvenient...

That was when they had it on Friday lunchtime (Europe time). This year it's Thursday probably because all the UEFA bureaucracy has to fly to Prague for the Supercup.

 

[Jimbo]

Anyone watching?

 

[Big Sam]

Yes. Everybody's struggling with the balls.

 

[Big Sam]

PL clubs getting it easy so far.

 

[Jimbo]

Pretty happy so far, with Schalke and Basel

 

[Big Sam]

No real group of death so far although if Napoli end up up in Group F...

 

[Jimbo]

No real group of death so far although if Napoli end up up in Group F...

Picked it like a dirty nose :lol:

Tough group for Arsenal. Suarez might not sign with them now...

 

[Big Sam]

The Goners are up shitcreek. The other 3 PL clubs should be fine.

Gonna stick my neck out and say Sociedad will get 2nd behind Man U. And it won't exactly be smooth sailing for Milan with some tough away trips.

 

[Sir Biffo]

Barcelona, Milan, Ajax, Celtic is a tough group

 

[Jimbo]

CSKA might be a rough trip for Citeh

Group G is pretty open

 

[Jimbo]

You'd think Messi would be able to afford a decent suit...

 

[Sir Biffo]

So the full groups

Group A

Manchester United, Shakhtar Donetsk, Leverkusen, Real Sociedad

Group B

Real Madrid, Juventus, Galatasaray, Kobehavn

Group C

Benfica, PSG, Olympiacos, Anderlecht

Group D

Bayern Munich, CSKA Moscow, Manchester City, Plzen

Group E

Chelsea, Schalke, Basel, Steaua

Group F

Arsenal, Marseille, Borussia Dortmund, Napoli.

Group G

Porto, Atletico Madrid, Zenit, Austria Wien

Group H

Barcelona, AC Milan, Ajax, Celtic

 

[Jimbo]

Busy day for the Europa division

They're having a draw at 9am for the playoff losers to see who gets Fenerbahçe's spot

Then at 11am AZ and Atromitos have to play the last 31 minutes of their match which was abandoned last night

Then the group stage draw is on at 1pm...

 

[Mong]

So the full groups

Group A

Manchester United, Shakhtar Donetsk, Leverkusen, Real Sociedad

Group B

Real Madrid, Juventus, Galatasaray, Kobehavn

Group C

Benfica, PSG, Olympiacos, Anderlecht

Group D

Bayern Munich, CSKA Moscow, Manchester City, Plzen

Group E

Chelsea, Schalke, Basel, Steaua

Group F

Arsenal, Marseille, Borussia Dortmund, Napoli.

Group G

Porto, Atletico Madrid, Zenit, Austria Wien

Group H

Barcelona, AC Milan, Ajax, Celtic

:lol: arsenal

Things just never seem to go right for them...

What a shite group that is.

 

[AusKnightRKO]

If they are good enough they will get through, Dortmund will win the group, Arsenal are good enough to take both Napoli and OM

 

[Big Sam]

If they are good enough they will get through, Dortmund will win the group, Arsenal are good enough to take both Napoli and OM

 

[Twizzle]

Busy day for the Europa division

They're having a draw at 9am for the playoff losers to see who gets Fenerbahçe's spot

Then at 11am AZ and Atromitos have to play the last 31 minutes of their match which was abandoned last night

Then the group stage draw is on at 1pm...

wake me up when its over so I can see what power house faces us next

 

[Big Sam]

So UEFA decided to rule out both Fenerbahce and Besiktas.

Besiktas' spot was taken by Tromso whom they defeated in the play-off round.

For Fenerbache's spot, UEFA had a random lucky loser draw as Jimbo alluded to. This was won by APOEL.

In future, surely UEFA should put an earlier cutoff on CAS appeals for dodgy clubs so this mess doesn't happen again.