Liverpool, fortunately, found their name in to today’s Champions League group draw but received anything but an easy group.
The reds were paired with a couple of opponents we know very well from the last two Champions League campaigns.
The reds were drawn with PSV Eindhoven, Marseille and Atletico Madrid.
Atletico were definitely one of the strongest ‘fourth’ seed sides and include not only Sergio Aguero, but ex-red Luis Garcia, one of the ‘experts’ at European goal-scoring!
Liverpool met PSV Eindhoven four times on the way to the 2007 final, twice in the group stage and again in the Quarter Finals. The reds put six past Eindhoven in those four games without conceding a goal.
In last year’s campaign the reds had Marseille in their group. Though the reds lost 1-0 at Anfield, a 4-0 demolition in France redressed the balance. The reds also beat Marseille over two legs in the 2003/04 UEFA Cup campaign.
Liverpool have never met Atletico Madrid in a competitive fixture.
The full draw is:
Group A
CHELSEA
Roma
Bordeaux
CFR Cluj
Group B
Inter Milan
Werder Bremen
Panathinaikos
Anorthosis Famagusta
Group C
Barcelona
Sporting Lisbon
Basel
Shakhtar Donetsk
Group D
LIVERPOOL
PSV Eindhoven
Marseille
Atletico Madrid
Group E
MAN UTD
Villarreal
Celtic
Aalborg
Group F
Lyon
Bayern Munich
Steaua Bucharest
Fiorentina
Group G
ARSENAL
Porto
Fenerbahce
Dynamo Kiev
Group H
Real Madrid
Juventus
Zenit St Petersburg
Bate Borisov
Surprise surprise, Liverpool have yet again been given the most difficult draw of any club. This may seem strange but following Michel Platini’s comments about our supporters following the 2007 final, I wouldn’t be surprised if the draw was indeed fixed. Following the group stages last year, could it have got any tougher for us? Inter, Arsenal and then Chelsea. People have said we had a poor season last year, but I think it’s fair to say that Chelsea and Utd’s paths to the final were significantly easier than ours was.
By the way, anyone know the dates of these games? El Tel Alicante
I think Callum (above) is being very negative abut this draw. Sure it isnt easy, but it certainly aint the hardest we could of got. We have beaten 2 of the teams really well over the last few seasons, and if we do get our form (once we have bought 2 quality wide men ala Downing and Milner), then i think we could go all the way once again. But i put the emphasis of immediate signings of these 2 before the deadline. El Tel Alicante
oh y oh y do liverpool always get a hard path to a final of a cup
the champions of holland an excellent french team and a up and coming spanish team hu r definately goin to be a threat to liverpool back 4
arsenal chelsea nd man u have all easy no doubt going through grups and for our perfomance last night im not sure we will progress through the group stage
if we can just get back into the usual brill lfc routine and get keane of the mark and buy reira. i am confident and am behind liverpool fc all the way roma 09 lets make it the 6th
YNWA
I think that we will be ok for the group stages, just look at our record in the champions league under rafa.Psv not a bad fisrt seed to get,marseille, could have been worse, but athletico is the toughest fourt seed, but we will be fine.
My concern however is that because it is a tough group rafa will be more concentrated on the champions league than the league, which should be the priority, i am sure we are all more concerned about the league than the champions league but i am still not convinced that rafa is the same.
Forget Riera he is not good enough, Downing and Milner are the men, we REALLY need quality wingers, PLEASE SELL VORONIN!