Who would you like to win the Champions League?

[Kevin D]

The draw for the group stages is tomorrow, who would you like to see picking up the trophy, or, more likely, who would you be least offended by winning it?

[moof]

Anybody apart from the English teams. Napoli are a decent outside bet.

[Jairzinho]

Napoli.

[Newport]

Ra.. erm Napoli. Wouldn't mind Dortmund or Barcelona either.

[Guest LFD]

Dortmund.

[Section_31]

Juve, the old lady isn't it?

[PaulMcC]

Napoli.

[TheHitman]

Forza Napoli

 

 

Napoli key to group of death

August 28, 2013

 

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By Dale Johnson

 

 

The seeding pots for Thursday's Champions League draw can be confirmed after the final qualifiers were completed.

 

Lyon's exit to Real Sociedad handed a boost to Juventus, who were set to be in pot three but have moved up into pot two as a result of the Ligue 1 club's failure.

 

Lyon were the only one of the five seeded teams in the non-champions route to fail to make the group stage. By beating Dinamo Zagreb, Austria Vienna were the only non-seeds to qualify from the champions route.

 

Manchester City drop into pot three due to their poor display last season, while last season's runners-up Borussia Dortmund climb into pot three after being among the bottom seeds in 2012-13.

 

With big-spending Napoli in pot four another group of death seems likely, and City will be eager to avoid that for a third successive season. The nightmare scenario would see City drawn against Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid or Paris Saint-Germain, and Napoli. The holders will also want to avoid such a tough draw.

 

But Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal are also in danger of getting that group of death, should one of those teams be drawn to play Atletico or PSG, Borussia Dortmund and Napoli.

 

The worst case for Barcelona and Real Madrid would see one of the Spanish giants face PSG, Man City or Borussia Dortmund, and Napoli.

 

You can follow the draw for the group stage live on ESPN FC, starting from 16.30 BST on Thursday.

 

Seeding is calculated on performance in all European competitions over a five-year period.

 

Pot One: Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Manchester United, Arsenal, FC Porto, Benfica.

 

Pot Two: Atletico Madrid, Shakhtar Donetsk, AC Milan, Schalke, Marseille, CSKA Moscow, PSG, Juventus

 

Pot Three: Zenit, Man City, Ajax, Borussia Dortmund, Basel, Olympiakos, Galatasaray, Leverkusen

 

Pot Four: FC Copenhagen, Napoli, Anderlecht, Celtic, Steaua Bucuresti, Viktoria Plzen, Real Sociedad, Austria Vienna

[fowler9]

anyone who isn't English

[kalasoma]

Leverkusen, for Sami.

[DooooodekNo5]

Africa.

[Pidge]

Bayer Leverkusen

[BCM]

Forza Napoli.

 

Is this draw tomorrow. You can see Moyes v Rafa in there or Mourinho, infact i reckon its nailed on

[Code]

Juve, the old lady isn't it?

 

Put me down for that.

[Strontium]

Forza Rafa

[Innova]

Juve, Napoli, Dortmund or Celtic

[RobbieOR]

Napoli or Barca.

 

Like to see Atleti and Sociedad have a good run too.

[Ne Moe Imya]

Napoli, of course.

 

Followed by Leverkusen, then Dortmund. Then Barca, then "anyone but the English teams."

[Bobby Hundreds]

Napoli for me to.

[Brigant Moloch]

Real. My brother supports that lot and I'm a good person

[Ne Moe Imya]

Looking over that seeding system it seems odd to me.

 

Let's take Napoli, who most of us would like to see do well in this competition. They could have a group consisting of themselves with Benfica, CSKA, and Olympiakos OR Barca, Juve and Dortmund. Quite a range of possible outcomes, there.

[Gym Beglin]

I hope Moysey wins it.

 

I honestly don't care who wins it, I dont even hate United this year, I hate MAdrid and Barca and Chelsea and City more than anything, closely followed by Bayern and their faux organic approach.

 

Actually, I hope Arsenal win it and Wenger does that creepy smile.

[Russ Atmosphere]

Us, again.

[Babb'sBurstNad]

Leverkusen, for Sami.

 

This.

[navbasi]

Napoli for me.