- Feb 1, 2005
- 55,704
- 205,889
- Admin
- #121
I couldn't care less what group we get, there are hardly going to be any walkover groups anyway.
I agreeI would not complain if we have had a group of death. That's what the Champions League is all about, facing the top teams in Europe. A weak group would be a bit underwhelming. Our youngsters can only benefit from playing the top teams.
I hope we get a group where we have to play one superclub (e.g. Barcelona), but two other teams that we can certainly finish above. I don't want an 'easy' group, but, as much as it would be great to face several massive teams, I hope we don't get an extremely difficult group as well.
I hope we get a group where we have to play one superclub (e.g. Barcelona), but two other teams that we can certainly finish above. I don't want an 'easy' group, but, as much as it would be great to face several massive teams, I hope we don't get an extremely difficult group as well.
Found this, good indication of that the pots will be. Basically guaranteed to be pot 3 as only Shahktar can go into pot 2 as 2 out of the 3 remaining positions will have higher coefficient than us. Although obviously this assumes all seeded team go through in the play off which isn't always the case. I think the best we'd need is Porto and Man City to go out in the play off and Liverpool to win the CL for us to get put into pot 2
View attachment 23291
Benfica have already won their league.We can also go into Pot 2 if only one of Porto and City go out in the play-off, should Shakhtar Donetsk lose as well either in the playoff or qualifier. However, the whole thing is also relying on Benfica not messing up the Portuguese league on final day.
As things stand, Shakhtar's most likely potential opponents in the 3rd Qualifying Round would be:
PAOK
Monaco
Young Boys (Remember them?)
FC Rostov
Dinamo Bucharest
And in the Playoff, Shakhtar (assuming they make it there), City and Porto would potentially be up against:
Anderlecht
Borussiaa Mönchengladbach
Roma
Fenerbache
Sparta Prague
If Shakhtar don't make it, whoever beats them would also be a potential opponent for City and Porto - so in theory we could be helped twice over by one over-achieving team.
Barcelona, Dortmund, Sporting Lisbon. That would be brilliant from a spectacle point of view.
Basel, Benfica, APOEL if we want the best chance of getting through.
It's the Champions League! They are all good teams by and large. Just enjoy the ride.
Oops sorry, didn't see that, will fix now Good news for us though.Benfica have already won their league.
Assuming we're in Pot 3 it's very likely we'll get something that'll be labelled that - we have certainly made things tough for ourselves by not always showing the Europa much respect. I'd say we'd be underdogs against 6 of the 7 teams we could get from Pot 1 (all bar CSKA Moscow), and all bar 2 out of 6 of the likely Pot 2 sides (Bayer Leverkusen and FC Basel). So for odds of a "Group of Death" we'd be looking at around (6/7) * (4/6) = 24/42 = just over 57%. The weakest draw that could count under that would be Benfica, Napoli, Tottenham and I think that is indeed very much dicey for us. That'd leave about a 43% chance of a much more manageable group - featuring either CSKA Moscow, Leverkusen or Basel, or indeed both as things stands (Chance of "Group of Life" where we get favourable draws from both top pots being 1/21 or under 5%).We are going to be in the group of death because we are in it.
If we do not get out of the group, then what is better, 3rd or 4th?
If we do not get out of the group, then what is better, 3rd or 4th?