2014/15 UEFA Champions League - Group Stages

C. Atlético de Madrid
Juventus FC
Malmö FF
Olympiacos FC

FC Basel
Liverpool FC
PFC Ludogorets
Real Madrid CF

SL Benfica
Bayer 04 Leverkusen
AS Monaco
FC Zenit St Petersburg

SC Anderlecht
Arsenal FC
BV Borussia Dortmund
Galatasaray SK

FC Bayern München
PFC CSKA Moscow
Manchester City FC
AS Roma

AFC Ajax
APOEL FC
FC Barcelona
Paris Saint Germain

Chelsea FC
NK Maribor
FC Schalke 04
Sporting CP

Athletic Club Bilbao
FC BATE Borisov
FC Porto
FC Shakhtar Donetsk

Incredibly excited to be playing Madrid; we were always likely to get a really big team from pot 1 it was just whether we'd have a tough pot 2 team. I don't think Basel will be a push over but I'd expect minimum 4 points from the two games with them. Ludogorets will be a nice 6 points for Madrid and us and probably Basel.

I think we can definitely give Madrid a game at Anfield; they're a million times stronger than when they got demolished in 2009 but our team should be able to worry them. I'm hoping by the time we meet at Anfield our defence will have settled down because our fullbacks obviously have one almighty task.

If we don't lose in Madrid then that's a massive bonus.

I actually think Basel will be pushovers. Not expecting much from them at all.

The odd thing is that both RM and Liverpool are kind of looking for new identities. Will be interesting to see how things shape up.

When do the fixtures get released? Playing the first match at Anfield could potentially be a disaster for us.

UTTERLY boring

always the same teams

good draw for schalke

again arsenal

It will be interesting to see how we line up in Europe - Rodgers has obviously never been tested in this competition and tactically he hasn't really mastered the big games where you try to win 1-0 which Rafa was a genius at with us.

Against Madrid I'd like to see us go something like this:

---------------Mignolet-------------

--Flanagan-----Sakho-------Lovren--------Moreno----------

---------------Henderson-----Can------------------------

----------------------Lallana/Coutinho--------------------------

-------Sterling-------------------------Balotelli-----------

----------------------Sturridge-----------------------------

I think Can looks a player who could get around the pitch more than Gerrard and provide that physical presence next to Henderson.

Europe should suit Coutinho more than the Premier League but Lallana is also a great option to have just to keep the ball and use it well.

Kroos wrote:UTTERLY boring

always the same teams

I second this frustration.

There should be a rule that teams can't be in the same group two years running.

The real annoyance for me was this whole 'side of the draw' thing. I'd have liked the possibility of going into a few more groups than just 3 by the time we were drawn. I'm sure it never used to be like that?

They should just do away with seeds and have a free for all but keep the rule where you can't face a team from the same country.

Not the best draw (I think Anderlecht may be a potential banana skin) but we've had worse.

Got my Ludogorets tickets today! Buzzing to be back at Anfield on a Champions League night, god how I've missed them. I was a bit of a jammy git as you needed to have gone to 1 Europa League game from 2012 and apparently I went to LFC vs FC Young Boys

Just bought tickets to the Leverkusen / Benfica game

I can't figure this group out. I have no idea who will qualify.

Jaime wrote:I can't figure this group out. I have no idea who will qualify.

Benfica and Leverkusen I think.

I think this is probably the most equal of all the groups, with , apart from Leverkusen, a big Portuguese influence. Tonight we play Zenit, with Villas Boas as coach, three ex-SLB players who all played under Jorge Jesus, plus a couple of Portuguese players in Danny and Neto, and also Hulk, who was our nemesis during his time in Porto. A very complicated game that would be nice to win.
Monaco, with loosing James Rodrigues and Falcao can't hope to be as strong as last season.

I think im gonna watch this match tonight...Dort-Ars.

Anfield on a European night!

Lovely goal immobile to make it 1-0 for Dortmund. Arsenal look weak. Though Wellback should have scored.

HT 1 - 0. Dortmund deserve the lead, having walked all over us for most of the half. However the way we conceded was ridiculous - Immobile allowed to run almost the whole length of the pitch unchallenged and strike at an angle.

As expected, a makeshift defence with 18 year old debutant Bellerin at RB. A bit rabbit in the headlight for the first 15 minutes but hasn't disgraced himself so far. It was Mertesacker and Arteta culpable for the goal.

We are the most idiotic team in the history of the game. I have never seen a team face their goal (which is a sign of danger) as much as we have done in those 45 minutes. Really, who does stupid shit like that??????

Just like in every big game away from home, every single misplaced pass further up the pitch results into almost a 100% chance for the opposition. We are lucky we are playing a depleted Dortmund side, this could have been as ugly as the away matches to Chelsea and Liverpool last season.

Arsenal concede again, straight after the whistle. 2-0. Good goal.

Juve going for another draw? Against Malmo?? WTF? Maybe this isn't such an easy group for Yooway, what with Olympiakos leading against Atletico.

Until the Milanese clubs get their act together and make it to the CL, Serie A will continue to lose coefficients...

EDIT: Tevez just scored.