2020-2021 UEFA Champions League Groups are set:
Group A: Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid, RB Salzburg, Lokomotiv Moskva
Group B: Real Madrid, Shakhtar Donetsk, Internazionale Milan, Borussia Moenchengladbach
Group C: Porto, Manchester City, Olympiacos, Marseille
Group D: Liverpool, Ajax, Atalanta, FC Midtjylland
Group E: Sevilla, Chelsea, Krasnodar, FC Stade Rennes
Group F: Zenit St Petersburg, Borussia Dortmund, Lazio, Club Brugge
Group G: Juventus, FC Barcelona, Dynamo Kyiv, Ferencvaros
Group H: PSG, Manchester United, RB Leipzig, Istanbul Basaksehir
Group B is the spelling group of death
Group H looks the most balanced
EDIT: the Round of 16 matchups have been made (teams listed second will play at home in the second leg):
Barcelona v PSG
RB Leipzig v Liverpool
Lazio v Bayern Munich
Borussia Monchengladbach v Manchester City
Porto v Juventus
Atalanta v Real Madrid
Atletico Madrid v Chelsea
Sevilla v Borussia Dortmund
Discuss
Comments
H is the group of death to me.
Group G is the kind of group that reminds you that they absolutely rig this shit sometimes.
edit: Decided only H as group of death. Group B to me is four quality teams, but doesn't have three teams who expect to make it through.
Feels a lot more balanced than most years. Pot 3 was definitely weaker than in years past so it doesn't really feel like there's a "group of death" but if I had to pick one, it would be group H.
Group H looks scarier than it is just based on names. Leipzig will be well down from last year's form, and United are paper tigers at present. PSG should sweep the group, and it's probably a crapshoot for second place. And whoever it is, I don't see them going as far as whoever takes second in B or F.
two kinds of "group of death" ... a group where you have one whipping boy and the other three teams are competing for two spots and whoever is left out will feel awful (the typical group of death) , and the other kind is where there is one clear strongest team and the other three teams are competing for second and two teams will feel somewhat disappointed. Group B is the latter, and Group H looks like the former but is actually the latter -- I wouldn't be surprised to see Istanbul Basaksehir grind out a surprise 1-0 win or frustrating draw. They have that weird blend of younger talent with older seasoned vets that can really make life terrible for opponents, and they have the best home advantage in that group because they play way further east even if it's closed door matches.
edit: looks like fans allowed if local law allows it
That's an interesting view of them.
For me a group of death is where there are three teams who expect to make the knockouts, whether that's based on precedent, history, and/or form. It doesn't even matter if the 4th team is shit, a group of death to me is when there are three teams who expect to play Knockout football every year, and one of them won't be. If the 4th team is solid then that's a magnitude greater group of death, but for me the only qualifier is one more team that expects to make it than can go possibly go through.
Also, in regards to group B, I think Inter was one of the pot 3 teams you wanted to avoid. They reinforced the squad at key positions, and we will (painfully) be facing one of their biggest upgrades in Achraf Hakimi, a RWB custom built for a Conte system. Overall, I consider it to be a pretty average group though.
I agree with you regarding that traditional view -- nowadays it just seems like everyone tries to find the most relatively difficult group and call it group of death, which is why my view has changed a bit on what might qualify as one.
Group H is the group of death for me. When you have the champions of Turkey as the pot 4 team, that's a tough group. On current form, Man United might be the worst team in the group.
Great draws all the way around, that group H looks brutal for ol' Ole. I wish we could've gotten an easier pot 2 and pot 3 draw, but every match should be high energy and tons of goals. Atalanta was a tough out last year, and Ajax always has young talent to show. Should be some fun this year. Up the Mighty Reds!
Expect a lot of goals in Group D
Yeah, it'll be good though to go against teams and styles that actually try to go head to head with us rather than parking the bus and hope for the counter/mistake (I'm looking at you Simeone)
As a die hard united fan this group couldnt have been a whole lot harder. Excited for ronaldo vs messi the most.
Come on Blues and Capt America!
Sub 20 talent, damn I love my Reds #ScouserJones
Onto the round of 16
Anybody could make it out of group B. It'll be a fun final matchday next week.
Every match and match week in Group B has been a roller coaster.
And just when you thought Inter were down and out they pull out a big win but still have alot to do. Real have been disappointing this campaign so far but it doesnt help that Hazard lives on the injury report.
It's much more than just Hazard. Ramos was out, and has been out since the Int'l break, which is an even bigger loss than Hazard. Carvajal has been injured most of the year, his backup Odriozola has been injured most of the year, a backup CB/RB alternate Militao has been injured, so we've been playing RW Lucas Vazquez as a RB for what feels like two months. Fede Valverde and Casemiro have been injured/out with COVID respectively, and that has caused us a lot of issues in the midfield, forcing us to play Modric constantly for full 90's which isn't his best role with his current legs. Just been a tough one to navigate with the injury report. It still doesn't excuse losing to Shakhtar the way we have been.
And in typical fashion United cave in their last two games and will be sent to the europa league. How the hell Ole keeps his job after this I don't know other than woodward lacking a brain. This team struggle to start in any form everytime the third goal was laughable de gea absolutely at fault
Round of 16 matchups are out and have been updated above
What do you all think?
Barcelona v PSG
RB Leipzig v Liverpool
Lazio v Bayern Munich
Borussia Monchengladbach v Manchester City
Porto v Juventus
Atalanta v Real Madrid
Atletico Madrid v Chelsea
Sevilla v Borussia Dortmund
Liverpool and Chelsea caught tough matchups IMO.
Monchengladbach is my sleeper for a HUGE shakeup. If you didn't watch how they played in the CL group, or watch much Bundesliga, you might no know how comfortable they are sitting back and how lethal they can be on the counter. Would be shocked if Thuram doesn't slot at least one in on the counter against City.
A little worried about Atalanta because of their style of play, but they aren't on quite the hot streak they put together near the end of last season.
Europa League draw is out too. A couple big matchups. Arsenal plays Benfica and Man U plays Real Sociedad. Aside from that nothing too exciting at first glance.
Like the Spurs draw and how they are playing now...
Salzburg vs Villareal is a nice matchup too
Looks like David Silva will get a couple more shots at United...and Sociedad are top of La Liga right now!
All five league leaders are in the Europa League currently. Really weird season.