Champions League Football '07/'08

Very pleased with LFC's draw, this morning.

Group A - Liverpool - FC Porto - Marseille - Besiktas
Group B - Chelsea - Valencia - Schalke - Rosenborg
Group C - Real Madrid -Werder Bremen - Lazio - Olympiakos
Group D - AC Milan - Benfica - Celtic - Shakhtar Donetsk
Group E - Barca - Lyon - Vfb Stuttgart - Rangers
Group F - Manure - AS Roma - Sporting Lisbon - Dynamo Kiev
Group G - Inter - PSV - CSKA Moscow - Fenerbahce
Group H - The Arse - Sevilla/AEK Athens -Steaua Bucharest - Slavia Prague

At a glance, our group this year strikes a strong resemblance to last year -- complete with a challenging squad from a second-tier league, an overmatched French side, and a trip to Turkey. I think, like last season, we shouldn't have any problems. The games still need to be played, of course, but our depth this year is ridiculously good.

Group H, however, definitely looks the softest to me. Although you never know how Arsenal will handle trips to physical teams from the Eastern block. Sevilla, I believe, are definitely the best squad in that group.

Group E defintely looks the "group of death," but Chelsea will get all it can handle from Valencia and Schalke (the two teams I was convinced Liverpool would end up with). I don't envy them at all. But then, I suppose I never have...

Celtic have a great shot of advancing to the knockout rounds, but I have a feeling that every other group will play to form with the top two seeds advancing. Actually, Lazio might snipe Werder Bremen in Group C. What does it say about German football, these days, when their top team qualified for this tournament barely squeezes into second pot? The times have changed, indeed. Werder are rated 16th, according to UEFA coefficients, in the field of 32.

If there's any bad news for Liverpool in this draw, it's the we open with our toughest fixture: Porto, away. But then, at least we'll get that one out of the way early. Silver lining, huzzah!
September 18th - Porto (away)
October 3rd - Marseille (home)
October 24th - Besiktas (away)
November 6th - Besiktas (home)
November 28th - Porto (home)
December 11th - Marseille (away)

Based on the above, I expect 14 points and a first place finish. Bring on the knockout rounds.