Manchester City's Best & Worst Case Scenarios Ahead of 2019/20 Champions League Group Stage Draw
Manchester City have flattered to deceive in recent Champions League campaigns, but the Citizens will look to finally get it right in 2019/20 having dominated domestic matters last term.
Pep Guardiola's men have been champions of England for two successive seasons, yet they were eliminated from Europe at the quarter-final stage in both. The demand for a continental crown is growing and the quest begins in September as the groups get underway.
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Here's the teams City will be hoping to draw on Thursday and the ones they'll be keen to avoid.
Pot 1
As a member of Pot 1, the Citizens cannot be drawn against any other top seeds. That means a heavyweight clash with Bayern Munich, Barcelona or Juventus is out of the question for now.
However, there are several strong contenders lurking in Pot 2, so it isn't necessarily plain sailing for Guardiola and his squad.
Pot 1 | UEFA Club Coefficient |
Liverpool (CL) | 91.000 |
Barcelona | 138.000 |
Bayern Munich | 128.000 |
Juventus | 124.000 |
Manchester City | 106.000 |
Paris Saint-Germain | 103.000 |
Zenit St Petersburg | 72.000 |
Chelsea (EL) | 87.000 |
Best Case Draw: N/A
Worst Case Draw: N/A
Pot 2
Real Madrid - with their illustrious history in Europe - are without a doubt the biggest name in Pot 2. Nevertheless, they are not the only team to avoid from this group.
Neighbours Atletico regularly advance to the latter stages of the Champions League (making the finals in 2014 and 2016) and have become a fiercely competitive club under Diego Simeone.
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The same is true of 2013 finalists Borussia Dortmund, who are currently tearing things up in the Bundesliga. Jadon Sancho continues to thrive at Signal Iduna Park, whilst Lorenzo Insigne and Kalidou Koulibaly are just two of a number of first-rate players at Napoli's disposal. The Italians also bested eventual champions Liverpool at home in last season's group stage.
City cannot draw fellow English outfit Tottenham Hotspur and Ajax's run to the semis in 2018/19 will make them a side to be wary of. Benfica would do nicely for Guardiola; a challenge, for sure, but one that the Sky Blues should overcome with (relative) ease.
Real Madrid | 146.000 |
Atletico Madrid | 127.000 |
Borussia Dortmund | 85.000 |
Napoli | 80.000 |
Shakhtar Donetsk | 80.000 |
Tottenham Hotspur | 78.000 |
Ajax | 70.500 |
Benfica | 68.000 |
Best Case Draw: Benfica
Worst Case Draw: Real Madrid
Pot 3
Inter are to be feared this year. Romelu Lukaku has taken to Italian football like a duck to water and Antonio Conte has termed them into a well-oiled machine.
Valencia may be ranked near the foot of this pot, yet the La Liga battlers are a frustrating side to face due to their defensive rigidity. Bayer Leverkusen are another that prioritises a strong team unit over star names, making them a nuisance to come up against.
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One of Dinamo Zagreb and Club Brugge would suit City. The Croats have grown accustomed to thrashings in the group stages and rarely venture into the knockouts, whilst their Belgian counterparts do not have the quality in their squad to take on a powerhouse like the Sky Blues.
Pot 3 | UEFA Club Coefficient |
Lyon | 61.500 |
Bayer Leverkusen | 61.000 |
Red Bull Salzburg | 54.500 |
Olympiacos | 44.000 |
Club Brugge | 39.500 |
Valencia | 37.000 |
Inter | 31.000 |
Dinamo Zagreb | 29.500 |
Best Case Draw: Dinamo Zagreb
Worst Case Draw: Inter
Pot 4
Much of Lille's success last season came as a result of Nicolas Pepe's stellar form upfront. The Ivorian has since departed for Arsenal, leaving the Ligue 1 side looking rather short on top-level talent.
Fixtures with either them or Slavia Prague would be welcomed by Guardiola, with the latter also lacking the firepower to hurt the Premier League champions.
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Conversely, Red Star Belgrade have plenty of it. An away game versus the Serbs is a truly intimidating thought given the immense atmosphere their supporters stir up. Just ask Liverpool.
The Reds came undone in Belgrade nine months ago, the Reds struggling to cope with the ear-splitting noise, as well as the hostilities both on and off the pitch.
Pot 4 | UEFA Club Coefficient |
Lokomotiv Moscow | 28.500 |
Genk | 25.000 |
Galatasaray | 22.500 |
RB Leipzig | 22.000 |
Slavia Prague | 21.500 |
Red Star Belgrade | 16.750 |
Atalanta | 14.945 |
Lille | 11.699 |
Best Case Draw: Lille
Worst Case Draw: Red Star Belgrade
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Once the draw is made, group stage fixtures will begin on 17/18 September and conclude 11 weeks later on 10/11 December, followed by the knockout draw soon after.
