Official: Champions League Group Stage Draw

[Ray. 217]

The only team we have played in the past is Porto in 04/05 just after Jose left them to join us.

We had them in the group stage and beat them 3-1 at home and lost 2-1 away although we had already qualified for the knock out stages.

We have also met them in 06/07 season in the last 16 of the competition drawing 1-1 away and beating them 2-1 at home.

As for the other 2 its the first meetings of the 2 clubs.

Thanks Kez, OK so we've played Porto before and looks like a win for us should be possible. Should be interesting to see how we match up against the other 2. Out of those 2, I guess Atletico Madrid is the one I've heard of before. I don't think by any means they'll be easy matches. As long as we put in the right training and know which palyers from the opposing are a threat we should be OK. What do I know, i'm still learning....

[Kez 2,727]

Athletico will be a tough match i think, and i reckon it will be Aguero that'll do the damage. As for Apoel i've never heard of them before it's their first time in the competition so hopefully a safe 6 points there but you never know in football.

[Shane 2,275]

The only places we should drop points are Porto away and Athletico away, We should be well able to beat Apeol home and away, and Porto and Athletico at home. We need to send out a marker to Real and Barca that this year is OUR year.

[BlueLion. 21,491]

Group Stage Round-up

Atlético de Madrid finished 4th in La Liga last season, and overcame Panathinaikos in the Third Qualifying Round to secure a mark in the group stage. Their talented front-line usually consists of two forwards; Kun Aguero and former Manchester United striker Diego Forlan, with Portuguese winger Simao and Argentine wide-man Maxi Rodriguez or José Antonio Reyes; formerly of Arsenal operating on the right flank. Their defence is very, very tight, with Czech Republican and Spanish centre-backs Ujfalusi and Jaunito forming the heart of their backline. They also have the likes of Santana, Sinama-Pongolle and Raul Garcia on the books, and young Sergio Asenjo is an excellent goalkeeper.

Whilst having a wonderful season last year, in their first game of this campaign, Atlético were trounced 3-0 away to Malaga, who finished 8th last term. It should be warned that their potent strike partnership of Aguero and Forlan notched an incredible 55 goals between them last season, and though the new campaign has not got off well for the Spaniards, they will be the hardest team to beat in the group.

FC Porto won the Portuguese Liga last season and have already claimed a 2-0 victory in the Supercup over Pacos de Ferreira. However, the Portuguese side have seen over thirty players leave the Estadi do Dragao this summer on either loan or being sold, including the likes of Lucho Gonzales to Marseille and Lisandro Lopez and Ahly Cissokho to Lyonnais. Porto's biggest signing of the summer is Fernando Belluschi, who cost the club €5 million from Olympiakos, and will operate alongside Hulk as a second striker; replacing Lisandro. Alvaro Pereira, formerly of CFR Cluj and a player who played against Chelsea last term for the Romanian side, has also joined the club, along with Radamel Falcao García, Diego Valeri, Sebastián Prediguer and Maicon fron Nacional, who is a talented young defender in the mould of former Porto star Pepe.

The club have had an excellent start to the season, claiming seven points from nine and sit second in the Liga Sagres behind Braga. They have yet to concede a goal at the Dragao and have scored three goals in each of their last two fixtures, and coach Jesualdo Ferreira seems set on playing a 4-1-2-2-1 formation that closely mirrors the Christmas Tree of Chelsea. With Hulk injured for the first part of the season, top scorer Falcao has began the season in fine form, operating in front of two widemen; Silvestre Varela and Gonzales Mariano, who broke into the first team last term after signing a permanent contract. Fernando operates as the holding midfielder, behind Belluschi and Raul Meireles, who scored against Chelsea in a 1-1 draw at the Dragao in 2007. Alleged Chelsea target Bruno Alves is their defensive linchpin, but with Lucho, Lisandro and Cissokho all leaving, the side have lost a lot of pace and power in their attack as well as creativity and guile in the midfield.

APOEL Nicosia are the Cypriot champions after cruising to the title last term, claiming 82 points from a possible 96 whilst losing only twice all season. APOEL won the Cyprus Super Cup a couple of weeks back but lost 4-3 in their opening league match. Little is known of the Cypriot side, but they do have a number of talented youngsters on their books, including former Chelsea starlet Nuno Morais, who had since blossomed into a promising defensive midfielder for APOEL. Nenad Mirosavljević, a Serbian forward, is the club's star player, and he has scored 21 times for the club since joining, and already have four goals to his name this campaign. APOEL also have a talented youngster called Demetris Kyriakou who is certainly one for the future, but I know little else of the club - let's just hope they're not too much of a surprise to Ancelotti's troops.

[terry26 6]

Haha i want to go to the APOEL game

wouldn't mind myself after finding out Nuno Morais plays for the

[Term-X 7,891]

boring old porto yet again.. meh

the athletico tie should be good though.

Edited September 3, 2009 by Terminator X

[BlueLion. 21,491]

For those of you on a budget, I would like to remind you that the Champions League Group Stage home ties are all at discount prices; usually around £25 for an adult.