UEFA Champions League Draw Is Complete

By: Greg | August 30th, 2007

All the pomp and circumstance is complete and the Portuguese clubs have taken their rightful places among the world’s best (Don’t gimme any BS about any of the rest of the world’s clubs. These are, HANDS DOWN, the best club teams in the world.) Here’s how the draw shakes out, along with analysis of each club’s prospects in their respective groups:

Group A
Liverpool (England)
Porto (Portugal)
Olympique Marseille (France)
Beşiktaş (Turkey)

Liverpool, as always, is no joke. This has been their bread and butter throughout their existence and I expect they’ll mop up at Anfield and coast while on their away trips. Given Marseille’s overwhelmingly mediocre start to their domestic season (6 points from 6 games) I don’t see them as being a real threat. Beşiktaş is the real wild card here as playing in Turkey is never oodles of fun for anyone but the Turks. Nonetheless, Porto ought to come out with the second spot here as their squad is well polished, experienced, and will be extremely tough at the Dragao.

Group D
AC Milan (Italy)
Benfica (Portugal)
Celtic (Scotland)
Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine)

This group is a rough call for me. Milan will probably dominate and go through on top. If Benfica’s recent performance in the domestic league as well as their razor-thin qualification through Copenhagen is any indicator, expect Celtic to be all over them. If you think Copenhagen were flying at the net in the first half against Benfica yesterday, wait until Celtic take the pitch against the fleshes-color. Celtic have taken maximum points thus far in their domestic league (12 points in 4 games) and are mowing their opponents down in short order. Shakhtar Donetsk have been rather mediocre in Europe in the past and I think Benfica should be able to take points from them. Nonetheless, I feel the deciding games for Benfica in this group will be how many points they take from Milan at home and Celtic away. Don’t let that 3-0 win at the Luz last year fool you, Celtic basically laid down because they knew they were already through.

Group F
Manchester United (England)
AS Roma (Italy)
Sporting (Portugal)
Dynamo Kyiv (Ukraine)

I genuinely believe that if Sporting and Benfica were to swap spots that both would have a more favorable shot at advancing. Manchester United has to be breathing a sigh of relief that the Portuguese side they’ll be facing in this stage is not Benfica, given the recent history between the two sides. ManU played OK against Roma at Old Trafford in last year’s knockout stages (If you don’t remember this game, you must have just started watching international club football), so in spite of i Lupi’s upgrades over the summer, Sir Alex’s men should feel somewhat comfortable with those ties. Either way, unless Sporting take huge advantage of the ties with Dynamo Kyiv (who have more Champions League experience than the Lions) and scape together some points from the two group monsters, they’ll be playing for a UEFA Cup spot.

All things considered, if two Portuguese sides make it through to the next round, it will be a hell of an accomplishment for Portuguese football. Porto should be there come the next round but Benfica and Sporting are up against some extremely tough odds. Hey, you never know. That’s why they play the games on the pitch and not on paper. Until then… Força Portugal!!!!!!!

PS – I know I promised further Benfica – Copenhagen analysis but that game seems so far in the past now that this draw is out and discussion can begin. If you want further analysis, you aren’t getting any so suck it up and deal.