Liverpool - PSV - Marseille - Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid - Juve - Zenit - BATE the interesting groups.

Group D, G and H are very interesting! E isn't bad either.

H’ Real Madrid, Juventus, Zenit St Petersburg, Bate Borisov
G’ Arsenal, Porto, Fenerbahce, Dynamo Kiev
F’ Lyon, Bayern Munich, Steaua Bucharest, Fiorentina
E’ Manchester United, Villarreal, Celtic, Aalborg
D’ Liverpool, PSV Eindhoven, Marseille, Atletico Madrid
C’ Barcelona, Sporting Lisbon, Basel ,Shahtar
B’ Internazionale, Werder Bremen, Panathinaikos, Anorthosis Famagusta
A’ Chelsea, Roma, Bordeaux, CFR Cluj

Early predictions:

Chelsea, Roma
Inter, Werder Bremen
Barcelona, Sporting
Liverpool, Atletico
Man Utd, Villareal
Bayern Munich, Lyon
Arsenal, Fenerbahce
Real Madrid, Juventus

Predictions:

H’ Real Madrid, Juventus

G’ Arsenal, Dynamo Kiev

F’ Lyon, Fiorentina

E’ United, Villarreal

D’ Atletico Madrid, Marseille,

C’ Barcelona, Sporting Lisbon

B’ Merda, Werder Bremen

A’ Chelsea, Roma

Not sure what makes goal.com think group H is the group of death! it clearly is not. Juve and Real will qualify easily.

Groups D, E, F and G are more difficult IMO.

So, since everyone makes predictions:

A - Chelsea, Roma (Bordeaux)

B - Inter, Werder

C - Barcelona, Shakhtar

D - Marseille, Atletico (that's a dream-mode)

E - Manchester, Villareal

F - Fiorentina, Bayern

G - Arsenal, Fenerbahce

H - Real Madrid, Juventus (Zenit)


Some very tuff groups and interesting fixtures..

Because Zenit is a strong team and won't be easy to beat them.

My predictions:

A: Chelsea, Roma.
B: Inter, Bremen.
C: Barca, Shakhtar.
D: Liverpool, Atletico.
E: United, Celtic.
F: Bayern, Lyon.
G: Arsenal, Porto.
H: Juve, Real Madrid.

That woman who was presenting the CL draw was hot!

Dont know her name though

Boss.

My predictions:

A: Chelsea, Roma.
B: Inter, Bremen.
C: Barca, Sporting Clube de Portugal .
D: Liverpool, PSV.
E: United, Celtic.
F: Bayern, Fiorentina.
G: Arsenal, Porto.
H: Juve, Real Madrid.

I didn't see it!

Any pics? Porty?

when i looked at the groups i really didn't see a "group of death." sure, there are some tough ones, but it seems like there are 2 in each group that SHOULD easily advance.

I definitely think Inter got that cake walk group though.

So can someone explain which modification will the CL go through next season? There will be a format change, or?

Zenit isn't that good a team anymore without Arshavin. It looks like the team was built around Arshavin and without the key playmaker, they've not been able to get things going for them. They've been losing to teams in the relegation zone and have lost to the top teams as well. They're currently 6th or 7th in the league with 19 games played.

When did Arshavin leave?

He has not left. Advocaat has not made him play because he is sure that he will leave and wanted to acclimatize the team to play in his absence. And that hasn't worked yet seemingly.

He's officially my least favorite coach now. It's stupidity benching him, and risking the team. A time will come when he'll leave and you've just got to be ready for it, not dress rehearse it. Ha! Nincompoop.

I don't think he's benched him personally. Arshavin comes accross to me as somebody who thinks he's some sort of footballing God - rather than the one season wonder that he is. So I think he's said he doesn't want to play after he had his little strop last week. After the Euro's he said he wouldn't consider a move to any team not in the CL, and wanted Barca. He then had to settle for any CL club, not just Barca, when he found they weren't interested. Then he had to lower his standards to Spurs - a team that finished 11th last season. He's got an ego problem. Funny how he's 27 and there's been little interest in him, one season wonder so far, nothing more.

Hmmm. So, that's the story, then? Pity. So much talent, going to waste.

At least he's showing a semblance of class; in choosing his dress. He looked horrible (and a kid) wearing a tee when he posed along with Messi and Kaka in the Golden Ball ceremony.

Yeah, any?


You mean FC Bunyodkor? The same club that had this thing going for them that Eto was about to sign with them? Yeah, he's there, and will play his first match there shortly. At the age of 36, I think it's a good choice. He may as well have moved to some gulf club (more $$$).

And to think that he's a former FIFA, European and World Soccer player of the year (1999). Bah! Yeah, I liked him when he played for Brazil. He was instrumental in the World Cup win in 2002.

I'm sorry but you can sense that hotness from this distance

Is that suit really classy, acid?

Looks like there is none.


At least he got to play for a few World class teams. Denilson was one of my favourites, and to think the biggest club he played for was the Sevilla ametuer side, poor him.

It looks like he's spilled red wine all over his shirt.

I will make it a personal crusade of mine to get a clear picture and name of this woman, fear not Kurt and others

So you're know working for the others?

Well, it's a suit for starters. Or at least, looks like one. Not exactly class, and certainly not something I'll ever match and wear. But you've got to admit, his tee-shirt-and-leather-jacket shtick at last year's awards was lot worse. Looked like a punk or a funking 22 year-old-gangsta-kid. Oh wait, he was just that then.




I'm sorry too, but that is a little bit too distant for me to sense the hotness. True.


Diddlysquat.


Yeah, him. How easy do we forget Denilson. Very talented player.


Good luck, and Godspeed soldier. May the force be with you!

Melanie Winiger. It's not the first time she's in UEFA draws.

Yet again Porty saves the day! She looks beautiful.

Where does Porty get all those wonderful toys?

Can always count on you.

I hate it when women are 'used' this way...

Women shouldn't be used in anyway, in the first place. Anyway, she looks charming, huh, zd?

Women aren't being "used" in any way. If they don't want to be labelled 'hot' and such, then why do their wear what the wear (or what they don't wear in some cases) and wear make up!? They're asking for it I tells ya, asking for it!

Very good question? And I won't answer it. Maybe any of our female members here can explain it better?

She's good but I've seen better


Yeah, you have a point. but there ARE women who don't 'try' to look like THAT in any way (heavy make up, sexy clothes, etc.) but they are still as good and charming as the rest!! I'm saying these are women one should respect! those who don't like to be used like a product here and there just because they attract men!

Maybe they wear make-up to look pretty to themselves? I mostly think that sophisticated modern-day females usually dress-up chic and pretty because of themselves, their own security, taste and appetence's.

Yep, there's very few that don't look horrendous without make-up. Usually the prettiest girls in clubs are pretty middle of the road without all the slap and short skirts etc...!

I think bayern munich, and very sad to say, our pathetic cousin/brother/sister, whatever you like to say - inter.

maybe jose can win champions league again this season.

Chelsea, Inter and Man Utd... in no particular order.

So the first round of group stage games is next week. Here are the matchups:

Matchday 1 - 16 September 2008

A Chelsea v Bordeaux
A Roma v CFR

B Panathinaikos v Internazionale
B Bremen v Anorthosis

C Basel v Shakhtar
C Barcelona v Sporting

D PSV v Atlético
D Marseille v Liverpool

Matchday 1 - 17 September 2008

E Man. United v Villarreal
E Celtic v AaB

F FC Steaua Bucureşti v Bayern
F Lyon v Fiorentina

G Porto v Fenerbahçe
G Dynamo Kyiv v Arsenal

H Juventus v Zenit
H Real Madrid v BATE

The Man U-Villareal, Juve-Zenit, and Lyon-Fiorentina games are the ones that interest me especially.

(For those who are interested, I've set up a milanfan fantasy league on uefa.com's CL fantasy game. See fantasy league thread in 'off topic' for details.)

I think I'll watch Marseille vs Liverpool for Tuesday and.. Juve vs Zenit or United/Villarreal for Wednesday, that's a tough call.

I'll watch Gourcy on Tuesday and Fiorentina or Juve on Wednesday!

UEFA country rankings

Well I was reading this, and it would seem that 4th may soon not be good enough for Champions League football in Italy. If Germany had clubs do well in both the Champions League and in Europe over the next season or two, it's highly possible they'll pick up enough points to move into 3rd in UEFAs rankings, making them one of the 3 countries that has 4 CL spots, while Italy would have 3. This isn't good news for us at all, we better hope the Germans fail.

England top? Damn UEFA, what do they know about football? The leagues overrated

And I hope the Italian's keep onto 3rd, the thought of another German team is hardly great.

So the first matchday of the CL is going to start in...45 minutes. Be interesting to see how the teams do.

(psst, zd! Rosetti is refereeing PSV-Atletico)

This should be Called Losers League,
There Is No true Champion when Milan Are Missing.