This isn't taking place until this Friday (11:30 a.m. CET in Nyon, Switzerland, or 5:30 a.m. ET), but I thought I'd start the thread and pass along what I know about it. There are 16 teams in four pots - the eight 1st Group phase champions, and the eight 1st Group phase runners up. The draw is divided into 4 pots of 4 teams, with the 8 champs going into Pots 1 and 2, and the 8 runners up going into Pots 3 and 4. The four 2nd Group Phase groups are made by drawing one team from each pot. Things to remember: You cannot be drawn against a team in your domestic league, and you cannot be drawn against a team you played in the first group stage. For all intents and purposes, the difference between coming in first in our group and finishing second is the level of opposition. Arsenal, as a group champ, will either be in Pot 1 or Pot 2. They will have to face another group champ (from either Pot 1 or Pot 2), but will then get to face two group runners up, who will be picked from Pots 3 and 4. If Arsenal had finished as runners up, they would have had to face two group champions and one group runner up. As far as I can tell, the other benefit of winning your group is that you start the next group phase at home, which begins Nov. 26th or Nov. 27th. UEFA should release seeding information this Thursday, so we'll know more then.
Let the rampant speculation begin! Depending on what you read, Arsenal will/won't have to face either Real Madrid/Valencia/Barcelona in the next round. (For the record, the Sporting Life says it's a possibility, and Christopher Davies in the Telegraph says it definitely won't happen. But I think he's wrong.) Also, one report I've read said we're definitely facing Roma. Another said we're definitely either facing Roma/Deportivo La Coruna (who haven't even qualified yet). Then, depending on what happens today, the last opponent could come from a pool consisting of Ajax/Basle/Bayer/Brugge or Gala or Lokomotiv/Kiev or Feyenoord. Confusing? You bet. More rampant speculation as soon as it becomes available.
What we do know Last night's Arsenal match program(me) explained that, using known coefficients, the main group (Pot 1, I assume) will have Real Madrid , Barcelona, Valencia and ManUre (if they win their group) or Juventus (if they dont). That means Arsenal will go in Pot 2 along with the other group winners not included in Pot 1.
It's pretty impossible to figure out at this point. But here's my "Fun" group: Arsenal Barca (love Kluivert) Ajax (my 2nd favorite) Galatasaray (revenge for the UEFA Cup final) For an easy draw: Arsenal Inter (weak group winner) Basel (nice story, but...) Brugge (weank 2nd in a weak group) Hard draw: Arsenal Valencia (16 out of 18 points) Roma (tough Italians) Lokomotive Moscow (brutal travel) Wow, coming in first really helps us. If we came in 2nd we could be looking at playing Valencia and AC Milan along with a tough trip to Dinamo Kiev or Loko Moscow.
The official Arsenal site has a pretty good rundown on the whole thing, and they're going to be covering the draw on their Live Text. http://www.arsenal.com/sportsappcon...e&type=com.sportapps.news.NewsItem&id=3273221 Looks like we can still get into Pot 1, but only if ManUre and Juventus don't win their groups, which is a real longshot, especially for Juventus.
Well, Loko are in at the expense of Galatasaray. The final 2 spots, between Kiev/Newcastle and Lens/Depor look like they're truly going down to the last minute.
Unofficial "Pots" for the draw Based on the coefficient information presented on the Arsenal site, here's my guess how the pots will look. They officially come out tomorrow sometime: Pot 1 Real Madrid CF (ESP) 147.233 Manchester United FC (ENG) 125.729 FC Barcelona (ESP) 116.233 Valencia CF (ESP) 106.233 Pot 2 Juventus FC (ITA) 91.334 Arsenal FC (ENG) 90.729 Internazionale FC (ITA) 88.334 Milan AC (ITA) 69.334 Pot 3 RC Deportivo La Coruña (ESP) 82.233 Bayer 04 Leverkusen (GER) 81.495 AS Roma (ITA) 77.334 BV Borussia Dortmund (GER) 73.495 Pot 4 FC Lokomotiv Moskva (RUS) 57.645 AFC Ajax (HOL) 48.082 Newcastle United FC (ENG) 43.729 FC Basel (SUI) 14.312 So, based on this, Arsenal will draw a very tough Spanish team (one of the three in Pot 1), either Leverkusen or Roma from Pot 3, and either Lokomotiv, Ajax, or Basel from Pot 4. Again, this is all unofficial until tomorrow.
Official pots for the draw Guess we don't have to wait until tomorrow after all, although this story does say that "the draw procedure is to be ratified at a meeting of UEFA's Club Competitions Committee in Geneva on Thursday." http://www.uefa.com/uefa/News/Kind=16384/newsId=42253.html
By my calculations the group will be Arsenal Roma Barcelona or Valencia Lokomotiv Moscow, Ajax or Basel
I think you're exactly right, here's why as far as I understand it. Remember, teams from the same domestic league and who faced one another in the previous group can't meet in this phase. So...Roma (Pot 3) has to face a team in Pot 2. The only non-Italians in Pot 2 are Arsenal. Then, since we're facing Roma, that means we avoid Real Madrid, since Roma and Real were in the same group in the first phase. I doubt if anyone's going to have it easy. Looks like ManUre are going to have to face: Deportivo Juventus/Inter/AC Milan Lokomotiv/Ajax/Basel
Ive noticed that a number of people hold Arsenal and Ajax as favorites, possibly because of DB10. So who are you going to support? A draw maybe? This will be the first meetings of the teams, if it happens, that I can remember.
Hmm, playing Roma might be fun. If memory serves (no guarantees) last time we played at Stadio Olimpico we manhandled Lazio 2-0 with Robert Pires scoring a majestic goal from way the hell out. Champions league first group phase two years ago.
Clearly I'd vote for both teams to advance. I love the Dutch, Cruyff and that 95 Ajax team (Kluivert, Davids, Seedorf, Kanu, Overmars, Rijkaard, teh De Boers, Van der Sar, oh my God what a team). But Arsenal is my #1. Arsenal played in the Ajax preseasn tournament in 2000, don't remember the outcome. Speaking of Ajax, did anybody see the move their young Superstud Rafael Van der Vaart made in the game the other day? Two guys in front of him, inside the box. He draws the ball back with his left foot, then with the same foot slides the ball behind himself to the right, steps over and shoots on goal. I have fantasies about him coming to Arsenal. I rate him as high as any midfielder we have, and he's maybe 20 years old.
The game at Lazio was a 1-1 tie, with Pires scoring that great goal in the 88th minute. It started from the edge of our box on the left side when Wiltord hit a long ball that the Lazio defender (Nesta?) misjudged. It went over his head and Pires ran onto it and chipped the keeper from way out. Great goal. The 2-0 game happened at Highbury, Freddie with both goals.
Besides the pre-season match that Rick mentioned, the teams have met four times in the early '70s. Arsenal won the first meeting 3-0, then proceeded to lose the next three. You can actually go to the official website, click Statistics then Advanced Search, and type a team in the Opposition field.
Only four possible groups Looks like there are only four possible groups for Arsenal: -Barcelona, AFC, Roma, Ajax -Barcelona, AFC, Roma, Basel -Valencia, AFC, Roma, Ajax -Valencia, AFC, Roma, Lokomotiv Moscow Ajax is the only team in Pot 4 that's not "poison," if you will, for one of the other teams in the first three pots. Barca and Lokomotiv were both in Group H, and Valencia and Basel were both in Group B. That means we have a better chance of getting Ajax than Lokomotiv or Basel. So, the first or third group above looks the likeliest.
The draw should work out like this. Definately ROMA. We can't play against any of the other Italian teams. Either BARCELONA or VALENCIA as we can't get Man. U. If we get Barcelona we can't get Moscow, and likewise with Valencia we can't get Basle, and obviously not Newcastle. So the group should look like this. ARSENAL ROMA BARCELONA / VALENCIA MOSCOW / BASLE
Please...please....no Valencia!!!!.... Arse have a better chance against Barca...you heard it here first. Match up well against Ajax and Roma IMHO.
Drumroll please...................... Group A Inter Milan Bayer Leverkusen Barcelona Newcastle United Group B Ajax Roma Arsenal Valencia Group C Borussia Dortmund AC Milan Real Madrid Lokomotiv Moskva Group D Juventus Basel, Basle, Whatever... ManUre Deportivo La Coruña
1st Rd. Stats Goal Differential: Arsenal: 5 Valencia: 13 Roma: -1 Ajax: 1 Don't be misled by Valencia's strike rate. Look at who they played: Spartak Moscow, Quiverpool, Basle.
I'm excited about this because A) I think we can progress, and B) my two favorite teams will play. I've already started speaking with the guys from Ajax USA and hopefully we can do some fun things on each others websites and maybe organize some viewing parties.
Not a bad group and the non-flying Dutchman can at least make it to one of the games. Of course, in the 2nd round of the Champs League none of the groups are "easy". Arsenal should go through this group, hopefully as group winners. Valencia will be the toughest opposition as they are flying high and in good form. The keys to the campaign will be Vieira and Henry. Vieira needs to control the midfield and cut out the service to opposition forwards. Henry needs to actually finish his chances! Here is his chance to prove he is the best striker in Europe (if not the world). BTW - Ajax is going down!
Time for Arsenal to step take their seat at the table. I just saw the result and they're already calling our group the 'Group of Death', which I think is an overstatement, they all look tough, that's why its called the 'Champions League' no? I think the real headache is going to be Valencia who alway seem to run rings round Arsenal, or any other English opposition.