CL Group Draw

Thanks Kob (if I may call you that)!

This is one of the best draws in recent memory for Barca, even given guarding against overconfidence. Compared with, say, groups E (Juve, Feyen, Kiev, and Newcastle) and G (Bayern, Deportivo, Milan, and Lens), this is a favorable group.

The other benefit, I guess, is Barca gets the trip to Turkey out of the way in the first round. Someone correct me, but this means that if Barca and Gala advance, as many predict they will, no Gala in the second group stage.


Barca

Tony

 

Looking good (on paper).

I guess you can call Barça's group the Group Of Life

They still have to play the games, but as long as they keep their focus, they should be in the second round. Looks like they go to Moscow on Matchday 3, which is good. They definitely didn't want to be going there on Matchday 6, especially if it was a crucial match. Instead, they have Gala at home.

On kind of a related note, my girlfriend & I are going to Portugal/Galicia for two weeks in November. It's gonig to be tough to restrain from throwing a wrench into our plans and going to BCN for the Gala match. We will be in Galicia for Barça - Deportivo on the following Sunday. Hopefully, we'll be able to get a pair of tickets.

 

Re: Looking good (on paper).

Exactly. Matchday 6 is always the one to stress about.

I might as well begin my unusually vague and worthless predictions right now (heh heh): Since Barca has two road games (in Turkey, in Moscow) in weeks 2/3, sandwiched around league games against Espanyol in the Barcelona derby and away to Betis (who frighten me this season) they will go through late. After struggling in the first three weeks of CL people will be up in arms and Van Gaal will be villified as usual, but they will see it through.

jay

 

Actually I think they did away with the 2nd group stage and they go straight to brackets now.