Group Stage [R]

[dwinkler]

Originally posted by thepremierleague
Newcastle? Are you serious?

They will breeze through it. They could even win the group.

Dynamo are not a force anymore, Feyenord finished 3rd in the dutch league, and Juventus don't exaclty have a great record in the CL recently.
I'm sure he's serious, and so am I. I'd put big money on a bet that Newcastle won't win that group. I doubt they'll even qualify for the second group stage.

Dynamo may not be a force, but playing in Kiev is always difficult. Feyenoord can't be underestimated. And Juve don't have a great recent CL record? Neither does Newcastle.

Newcastle have the hardest road out of the English teams, followed by Arsenal, Liverpool, then Man United. I expect the latter three to qualify for the next stage.

[Clan]

I wouldn't go for the win the group one, but i would take the bet with you that they take second spot on the back of their home performances.

They are awefull hard to beat there and will no doubt have a packed house for each and every game.This is a team that last season set back to back attendance records for the dour Inter-toto cup.

I would expect them to take all 9 at home and that in itself may be enough to go thru.
If it were against any of those teams in the UEFA cup with straight home and away aggregate results to determine the winner i would go against them also.

[AFCA]

Ajax, Inter, Lyon, Rosenborg.

Easy group? There are no easy groups! Inter is a strong team, never easy to beat. Lyon is unknown but since French (club)football has moved up they might prove very difficult. Rosenborg in Norway is very hard to beat.

If Ajax don't start playing up to their potential and keep ************ing around like the last two matches they will not qualify for the second round.

Anyway, I'll probably be seeing all away matches so even if we shouldn't make it.... at least we'll have fun.

[Forza Bayern]

Yes, yes, yes!!! Finally an Italian team. I have waited so long (almost 10 years) for an Italian team coming to Munich. And it is AC Milan. The last game between Bayern and Milan was in the season 1989/1990. The Munich Olympic Stadium will definitely be full. Probably against La Coruna, too.

There will be very tough matches in group G.
I think Bayern (1st) and La Coruna (2nd) will advance. And Rivaldo will have to play in UEFA Cup.

[simmer down]

Originally posted by dmar
Group G is very difficult... poor Deportivo

I think the cause for concern should be that the same Depor team that waxed Real twice is a better side this year.

Irureta would not come back for one year unless he felt that they had a very real chance of winning it all.

[Jawz10]

Originally posted by Forza Bayern
Yes, yes, yes!!! Finally an Italian team. I have waited so long (almost 10 years) for an Italian team coming to Munich. And it is AC Milan. The last game between Bayern and Milan was in the season 1989/1990. The Munich Olympic Stadium will definitely be full. Probably against La Coruna, too.

There will be very tough matches in group G.
I think Bayern (1st) and La Coruna (2nd) will advance. And Rivaldo will have to play in UEFA Cup. You seem quite eager. The last friendly match Milan and Bayern played Bayern won 2-1. Considering they are one of the best sides in the world, and Italian teams are in 'crisis' I would have expected a wider margin but no. . . in fact Milan scored first.

Milan beat Deportivo in the Riazor two years ago and drew at home. Not afraid of them.

In fact, as a cynical Milan fan I'm actually not afraid of anyone in this group. That has to be a good sign.

[dmar]

Originally posted by simmer down


I think the cause for concern should be that the same Depor team that waxed Real twice is a better side this year.

Irureta would not come back for one year unless he felt that they had a very real chance of winning it all.

Depor is playing good soccer, but the last year they had various key players who were already old, and now those are 1 year older and even tehy sold Emerson and bought Acuña who is an old player too... I'm not very confident about their chances.

[dmar]

Originally posted by thepremierleague


I was going to say Spanish teams instead of just Deportivo, but Real beat Bayern so I wasn't sure and Spanish teams are better afterall.

Spanish are hardest for English often I would agree.

Well, Real always struggles a lot against Bayern, I think they're our nº1 foe. IMO, that's due to German style. And I agree that the English teams are easyer for teh Spanish.

Originally posted by thepremierleague
At least they are all good against Italian style football. :D

:D

[Forza Bayern]

Originally posted by Jawz10
You seem quite eager. The last friendly match Milan and Bayern played Bayern won 2-1. Considering they are one of the best sides in the world, and Italian teams are in 'crisis' I would have expected a wider margin but no. . . in fact Milan scored first.

Milan beat Deportivo in the Riazor two years ago and drew at home. Not afraid of them.

In fact, as a cynical Milan fan I'm actually not afraid of anyone in this group. That has to be a good sign.

I like Milan. Milan is a great team. And I hope they will advance, but last year(s)...no, no, no.

[Spartak]

Originally posted by Syncope
Real Video feed of the drawing. Not quite as captivating when you know the results, but still fun to watch the reactions--especially RC Lens' reaction upon being drawn into the group with Bayern, AC Milan, and La Coruna; took the air right out of them.

http://www.uefa.com/live/competitions/ucl/draw/gs1_32.2002/draw_high.ram
I would have liked to see the face of Joan Gaspart when they were drawing the ball for Milan's group. Either Milan would go to Bayern's group or Barca's group. I think he breathed a sigh of relief when Milan were slotted to Bayern's group, postponing Rivaldo's trip back to Nou Camp.

[AFCA]

If Milan play the same level they did last year they don't have a chance against Deportivo.

[n00bie deluxe]

Just watched the draw. Did you see the RC Lens coach do the "sign of the cross"? He was probably praying that he didn't get put in Group G!

And the look on his face after he dreew G was classic. He looked like he was at a funeral!!

The draw can be a cruel beast indeed.

[BrianCappellieri]

Tuesday, 17 September
A Arsenal-Borussia Dortmund
A Auxerre-PSV Eindhoven
B Basel-Spartak Moscow
B Valencia-Liverpool
C RC Genk-AEK Athens
C AS Roma-Real Madrid
D Ajax-Lyon
D Rosenborg-Internazionale
Wednesday, 18 September
E Dynamo Kiev-Newcastle United
E Feyenoord Rotterdam-Juventus
F Manchester United-Maccabi Haifa
F Olympiakos-Bayer Leverkusen
G Bayern Munich-Deportivo la Coruna
G Milan-Lens
H Barcelona-Club Brugge
H Lokomotiv Moscow-Galatasaray