Champions League takes on less predictable look after draw

The Champions League group stages took on a less predictable look after Thursday’s draw, helped by UEFA’s decision to tweak the seeding system. Only Group A, where Paris St Germain and Real Madrid should steam through, and Group F, set to be dominated by Bayern Munich and Arsenal, appeared to be foregone conclusions after the hour-long ceremony in Monaco. Other sections looked far more difficult to call, particularly Group D where anything could happen between Juventus, Manchester City, Sevilla and Borussia Moenchengladbach.

We need to finish first in the group because we know that the knockout rounds are very dangerous. We will see the calendar and prepare well. In the Champions League it is not just a bad night that punishes you, but just a bad 15 minutes.

Real Madrid director Emilio Butragueno

In past years UEFA have based their seeding system for the draw on club coefficients, a complex ranking based on results in European competition. This time European soccer’s governing body brought in a change, the top seeds were the champions of the eight most successful nations in club competition. Whether by accident or design, the draw could pump a little more excitement into a competition that, recently in the group stages, has been short on romance and shock results.

UCL draw Sports