The 2017/18 Champions League Draw has taken place and Manchester City were placed into Group F along with FC Shakhtar Donetsk, S.S.C. Napoli, and Feyenoord.
Compared to draws in years past, Guardiola’s Manchester City will surely be considered the favourites to top the group. However, it would be a huge mistake for the Cityzens of Manchester to take any of the teams in this group lightly.
FC Shakhtar Donetsk are the reigning champions in Ukraine and house a small colony of Brazilian imports. 33% of the Shakhtar team is composed of Brazilians. The majority of Shakhtar’s midfield and attack is composed of fast, skilled, and experienced South Americans who are always ready to impress the fans. Manchester City midfielder Fernandinho is a club legend at Shakhtar so it will be interesting to see how he handles facing his former club and fans. This team could pose huge problems for City if the team does not play up to Guardiola’s standards.
S.S.C. Napoli are the most challenging team in the group. Maurizo Sarri’s Naples side play a similar brand of football to that of Manchester City. The team possesses highly technical players that press high up the pitch to win back the ball. Napoli were the highest scoring team in Serie A last season as a result of their brilliant passing game that cut teams open.
Players like Lorenzo Insigne and Dries Mertens possess the pace and technical ability that will give the City back four nightmares if left unmarked.
Lastly, Feyenoord, last year’s winners of the Eredivisie are the least threatening of the clubs that the Sky Blues face in the group stages. City should have enough to roll this team over even if the team can’t get out of second gear. The Dutch league has fallen off in recent years and if history is an indicator, this team will drop to the Europa League without putting up much of a fight.
Group Difficulty: B+
Group Predictions
- Manchester City
- S.S.C. Napoli
- FC Shakhtar Donetsk
- Feyenoord
By factoring in quality of opposition and travel distance, I believe the following would have been the most favourable and least favourable draws for City.
Most Favourable Draw: Spartak Moscow, Manchester City, FC Basel, NK Maribor
Least Favourable Draw: Real Madrid, Manchester City, S.S.C. Napoli, RB Leipzig
City’s actual draw falls somewhere in between the two so City fans and the team should be content with the draw.