Champions League 05/06

[Darling]

Group A
Bayern Munich
Juventus
Brugge
Rapid Vienna

Group B
Arsenal
Ajax
Sparta Prauge
FC Thun

Group C
Barcelona
Panathanaikos
Werder Bremen
Udinese

Group D
Manchester United
Villarreal
Lille
Benfica

Group E
AC Milan
PSV Eindhoven
Shalke
Fenerbahce

Group F
Real Madrid
Lyon
Olymipiakos
Rosenborg

Group G
Liverpool
Chelsea (oh what a surprise! Well done UEFA. :rolleyes: )
Anderlecht
Real Betis

Group H
Internazionale
Porto
Rangers
Artmedia Brateslava

[Chavvy]

Oh FFS. :mad:

It looks like Liverpool (and Chelsea) have a a very very tricky group. BOLLOCKS.

[Darling]

Oh FFS. :mad:

It looks like Liverpool (and Chelsea) have a a very very tricky group. BOLLOCKS.

It's a bloody disgrace they were drawn together in the first place. I mean, would you really trust UEFA that this wasn't a "hot ball" situation?

Also, it'll be interesting to see how Rangers get on against Arkmedia, seeing as that was the team who put out Celtic. However, they were a poor poor team. It just happens that Celtic self destructed.

Arsenal, as per usual, have a reasonably easy group. However, they often shoot themselves in the foot. Will this year be different seeing as they have lost Viera but not really added any great strength to an (ageing?) side?

[jonffm]

It's all good. We have to beat these teams eventually, and it'll only mean more cash when we're visiting such hi-profile clubs. I'm fully confident we can beat chelsea. They didn't beat us in europe last year did they? All we need is to take one win from Chelsea, and we should be sailing. Real Betis are great, but we should be beating teams like that at Anfield. The away leg will be tricky, but we're still the better team, and have shown some amazing away form in europe.

So the Chelsea games will be difficult, as will the away visit to Real Betis. Barring that, we really should we in the other 4 games, or at least take a good 9 points from them.

[Darling]

As for the glorious Glasgow Rangers, I don't think there is any doubt there that Inter will be huge favourites to win the group (though hopefully I might be able to wangle tickets to the San Siro ;) ), and the second spot would be between Rangers and Porto. I imagine Artmedia would be the whipping boys of the group, unless Rangers do a Celtic and self destruct.

Johhny, I think your confidence is slightly ill founded. I don't think you will beat Chelsea as easy as you feel, nor Betis, who are a bloody good team. It is a very very strong group though. I have to say though, I think there has been a bit of UEFA fixing to make sure Liverpool and Chelsea were in the same group.

Manchester United I think can feel quite confident of progressing, though it would be interesting to see Forlan come back to haunt them.

[jonffm]

Not ill founded at all. We've proved so many times that there is no team in the world that can come to Anfield and not be given one hell of a ride. We can beat any club in the world, and we've proved that. Chelsea wobn't be easy, and I never said they would be, I said they will be difficult, but for all the resources they have available, we can match alot of their star players. Terry on Carra, Lampard on Gerrard, Cisse on Drogba, Garcia on Cole, and not fogetting the likes of Alonso, Sissoko and Hyypia. We can play with the likes of Chelsea and come out on top. They beat us a few times last year, twice by total luck. All we need is a little luck on our part, or even just for Chelsea not to get it ALL, and we'll do fine.

A club like us should be beating 2/3 of those teams, and be giving the last one a real go. If we draw to Chelsea, great. If we lose, nevermind. There's three games there we should win. The other three will be difficult, but I have full faith that the lads can beat anyone on their day.

[Dingbat]

Right, let's lay out something for this thread.

The Liverpool/Chelsea argument between Jonny and Darling has been done before.

The rest of us don't want to see it again.

On to the 'Gers - Porto are not the force they once were, but it is still going to be close between them and us for second. What I'm really pleased about is that we play Bratislava, who destroyed Celtic, and hopefully can beat them.

If we don't, I'll be severely disappointed. =/

Also could be fun to see Rangers vs. Inter Milan. Who knows what could happen? We've beaten better teams at Ibrox before :)

[Led Zepp Man]

Rangers dont have a very difficult group but artmedia is a tricky oponent to assess as i had never heard of them untill they beat celtic (suckers :P) and as for Porto and Inter they may do much better if rangers dismal preformance against famagusta carries over to the champions league

Fanfan tha' man!!!

[jonffm]

Firstly, there is no argument. Liverpool are european champs. Facts. Expecting them to qualify from the group stages is not a huge ask from the defending champions who are now much stronger than they where when they won the thing. Fact. That's all there is to it, really.

Besides, why the heck are people STILL insisting on downing Liverpool chances? They did it all they way through the last run, and a hell of alot of epople where made to look mugs, simply because they chose the 'safe bet' teams like Chelsea and Juve. But hay, it's all good...yet again we'll have no pressure as nobody will expect us to do well, so we can just focus on football rather than the soap opera of the media.

Anyways...Not difficult?!

I personally can't see Rangers playing at the same levels as Inter, mostly because they're not nearly AT the same level as inter. Porto have experience in europe, and let's not forbet the fact they won the damn thing 2 years ago. Rangers should beat Artmedia, but it's always difficult to play unknown teams. Basel sunk us the other year didn't they? Underestimate lower teams at your peril, as a certain scottish team found out not so long ago :D

I'd be surprised to see Rangers go through. They have one of the easier groups, but I simply think rangers aren't good enough to beat 2/3 of the teams they face. I'd like to be proved wrong, however, as it's always good to see more british clubs in the second round.

[Led Zepp Man]

Johnny:
you are sooo right... about celtic sucking the big bannana mobil