Translates to "on the trail of the lost pot with handles". I know we will have matchday threads but we've always had a special thread dedicated to all discussions related to the CL season. Plus you get to play with this cool tool: http://inker.github.io/cl-draw/?mode=gs
The toughest group we can be in would be IMO: Sporting, Donetsk and Barcelona. Dream would be: Apoel, CSKA and Olympiakos. I'd like to avoid all Spanish teams, Juve and Benfica.
My sim got me this (only 1 away from your group of death slash). Really looking forward to seeing this squad in the CL again!
I want us to win our group but we must avoid winning all group stage matches, because no team that has done so has ever won the Champions League.
Yeah I'd like to win every single match on the way to the CL title. If the UCL clubs perform in Europe like they did last year then I'm sure we will go deep. Even Athletico had a couple of bad matches. Speaking of them, they signed Kevin Gameiro from Sevilla. That guy had a lot of EL winning experience.
So much for offering CL football. In 10 weeks since Sevilla won Europa final they've lost their manager Unai Emery plus Krychowiak, Banega, Gameiro, Coke, Immobile & Reyes
As much as I'd like to see Italy take over the EPL for the 4th CL spot, Leicester should still make R16. Also, this is just preseason.
I too would like to see Italy take over the 4th spot. With a bit of money and or new mgmt. Roma, Milan and maybe even Inter can compete for the top 4 spots along with Juventus and Napoli. Leicester has lost and will lose key players. Getting to the knockouts will depend heavily on who they encounter. If they get Atletico/BVB and/or Villareal/Donestsk, they are screwed.
They are still a 1 pot. Definitely would not be surprised to see them finish 2nd in their group, but they'd need an unfavorable pot 3 draw to not make the R16. It's possible, but odds would favor they get a more easy draw there.
Half the teams in pot 2 are worthy pot 1 teams. Which means they have a 50-50 chance of ending up 2nd if they come up against Sevilla or Bayer. Now they are a PL team where none of the players have any European experience. Ranieri himself hasn't done well in Europe in the past. Plus they've lost key players. Most of the pot 3 teams have some European experience. Their presence would be a lot more convincing had they come first in a league other than the EPL.
I don't expect them to beat out a pot 2 team but they still should beat out pot 3 teams. They've only lost Kante AFAIK
Mahrez is likely gone as well. I guess this all depends on whether they really are a Cinderella team or not.
Even if they keep their entire squad intact, they are a one-hit wonder. The entire EPL was absolutely garbage last season and I would be shocked if Leiscter makes the EL.
This. Sevilla own the EL and still can't make much of the CL group stages. I can't help but not put much stock in Leicester. Odds are they will face experienced squads who are familiar with breaking down their expert but outdated counter attacking football from deep.