Manchester City handed favourable Champions League draw
By James Fudge
Manchester City found out where they will begin their European adventure today as the Champions League group stages were drawn.
Kaka read out the names and Diego Forlan chose where each team ended up and it was favourable for the Premier League champions, for once.
In Group F will be Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine), Olympique Lyonnais (France) and TSG 1899 Hoffenheim (Germany). Pep Guardiola and his squad will be happy with that draw, which certainly could have been a lot harder as previously predicted on Man City Square.
The fixtures have been finalised and the journey to Atletico Madrid’s Wanda Metropolitano begins on 18 September when the Etihad Stadium hosts Lyon.
The French team has started their Ligue 1 campaign indifferently with two home victories and a defeat away from their Groupama Stadium. You may think that is normal, however, the defeat and performance against Stade Reims was not expected for a squad of Champions League ability.
That fixture will see the return of Jason Denayer to the Etihad Stadium following his long-awaited departure from the club. He joins Memphis Depay, Nabil Fekir and Tanguy Ndombélé as the stars coming to Manchester. They will likely be Ukrainian title holders biggest challenge to advancing through to the knockout stages.
Going to Germany is next and scheduled on the Tuesday before an early title decider away at Liverpool. The potential to rest a few key players is likely as no players are considered a considerable threat to stealing the three points.
Andrej Kramaric is their star player and unlikely to give the central defenders sleepless nights. He failed to prove his worth at Leicester City and was eventually sold. Their coach is rated as one of the best, though, and his young age has attracted many suitors in the past, before confirming he will be joining RB Leipzig next season.
Beaten by Bayern Munich comfortably on the opening day of Bundesliga season, a giant-killing is unlikely to happen.
The biggest worry will be Shakhtar Donetsk. They featured in City’s group last season and were one of the five teams to beat the Cityzens in an incredible season, by two goals to a Sergio Aguero stoppage time penalty. That loss may be repeated on Matchday Three with City returning home on Matchday Four.
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The squad of a mixture of Brazilians and Ukrainians will be a tough ask for City, with travel, temperatures and technical flair mixed with eastern European grit to trouble any side within the draw.
The group has been favourable but City will have turn up in the six fixtures as their quest for Champions League continues. Time to plan for Pep and his staff as he embarks on club football’s greatest challenge.