Two days after the end of the third round of the Premier League, Monaco was held at 18 o'clock local time, and the draw for the group stage of the European Champions League was held in Monaco.

Last season's quarter-final rivals met again, with Chelsea meeting Valencia and Roma getting their revenge on Manchester United. Real Madrid are in the same group as Bremen and Lazio, while the defending champions AC Milan, Inter Milan and Liverpool are in a group that does not have teams from the four major leagues.

The end of the Champions Cup group stage draw marks the beginning of the 2007 European football game, of course, this kind of pure luck draw, will not get a satisfactory result for everyone, and this way will also lead to a lot of "side stories......

From the point of view of the league, it should be said that the draw for Serie A is good, Milan and Manchester United are divided into a group that is recognized as satisfactory, Roma and Manchester United are in a group, but the other two teams in the same group are Sporting Lisbon and Dynamo Kiev, in terms of strength, Manchester United is the favorite in this group, but Roma has a great chance of competing for another place in the group, if you can turn the shame of 1-7 last season into motivation, then it is not impossible to get points on Manchester United, it can be said that Roma has a great chance of qualifying.

Relatively speaking, Lazio are the most disadvantaged, Real Madrid are the strongest in Group C, but Lazio and Bremen are in the race for second place in the group.

Among the three teams in La Liga, Sevilla has the best signing, although it is difficult to say who will win the first and who will be the second with Arsenal, but in the qualification, the Bucharest star and Slavia Prague are too far apart, and this group is somewhat similar to the group of Liverpool and Eindhoven last season; Valencia's signing was the worst, not only being suppressed by Chelsea. also has to face the pursuit of Schalke 04, and the line-shaped shì is not optimistic. And Barcelona and Royal must be careful to deal with strong opponents, as long as they play at their level normally. Qualifying should be no problem.

The luck of the Premier League teams is not so good, Liverpool and Arsenal are in the two better groups, but Arsenal's prospects for the first place in the group are not optimistic, with Sevilla and AEK Athens still having one game, Sevilla are 2.01 and Arsenal are 2. Chelsea are still the strongest in their group, but it is a very draining group. Valencia and Schalke 04 are both difficult to play, while Manchester United are in the same group as Roma, Sporting Lisbon and Dynamo Kyiv, combined with United's current unlucky situation. Qualifying is not so safe.

The Bundesliga has less Bayern and less dominance, Stuttgart and Schalke are in the third pot, and Bremen is in the second pot, but the strength has dropped too much, and it is not impossible for the whole army to be wiped out. Group B Schalke 04 has a chance to fight Valencia. Stuttgart will be fighting Lyon for second place in Group E. Bremen face Lazio in Group C, with Bremen perhaps the most promising of the three, followed by Stuttgart and Schalke.

The Champions Cup is a tournament with a lot of history, and every draw will bring out a lot of old things, when Maldini drew out of Roma and then after Group F. He laughed, and so did everyone in the room. Roma and Manchester United, last season's rivals, have met again.

The 7-1 win at Old Trafford was a spectacle in the last Champions Cup, and it was this game that made the club realise the importance of depth on the bench and brought in a number of new signings this summer.

Chelsea have run into old rivals Valencia again, and to be fair, this is an opponent that Chelsea don't want to meet, Chelsea are afraid of technical teams, and last season's quarter-1/4 elimination of Valencia was very difficult.

In the 00/01 season, Lazio and Real Madrid had a passionate collision, two games between the two teams scored 9 goals, Real Madrid won one win and one draw, only won one goal, and did not have an advantage, but the current Real Madrid is not much worse than Real Madrid back then, but Lazio is not what it used to be.

Benfica and Celtic were also old rivals last season, with both sides playing 3-0 at home, and I don't know how it will go this time.

PSV Eindhoven and Fenerbahce faced each other in the 03/04 season, with both teams winning at home, with PSV Eindhoven beating Fenerbahce 2-0 at home and losing 3-0 away.

Of course, there are also favourable "old rivals", as Galliani pointed out after the game: "Every time AC Milan meets Celtic, they always reach the final. "That's true, in the 03/04 season, AC Milan 3-1 at home, 0-0 Celtic away, advanced to the final against Liverpool, won the runner-up, last season AC Milan eliminated Celtic 0-0 away in the 1/8 final, 1-0 in extra time at home, and finally won the championship. In this group, Benfica have also played AC Milan four times in the past, with AC Milan winning 3 and drawing 1, and it is unknown if they can continue their overwhelming record this time.

The reunion of the old man is a sight to behold in the group stage of this year's European Champions Cup, with Rui Costa returning to San Siro to visit familiar places; And AC Milan is not just the Portuguese who has welcomed old friends, former AC Milan midfielder Donati, who just moved to Celtic this summer, will also play AC Milan as an opponent.

Barcelona and Lyon are in a group that will be a mixed affair for Abidale who moves from Lyon to Barcelona this summer, while Group F sees Sporting Lisbon side of his former team-mate with Manchester United. In the summer, the exchange of players between European giants became frequent, resulting in endless stories of "old players meeting old owners" in the Champions League. In addition, there is Schuster, who will return to Germany to fight with Real Madrid, which is also an alternative "old man meets old master", I wonder if these people will get applause or boos?

Although this year's Champions Cup is missing Juventus and Bayern Munich, a lot of color, but many European giants, as well as the rise of the "second pot team" mixed together to draw, the "group of death" is inevitable, this draw, the birth of three groups of death are Chelsea in Group B, Barcelona in Group E and Manchester United in Group F......

Group A: Liverpool, Porto, Marseille, Besiktas!

For Liverpool, this is a recognized "signing". Marseille are no longer what they used to be, and Besikotas are the weaker team in Pot 4, so the biggest suspense in this group is mainly the battle for second place in the group. Obviously, the schedule of the Champions League group stage is in favor of the teams in Pot 2, if Liverpool qualify early, then Porto will play Liverpool away in the last round, and it is likely to take all three points or one point as needed, of course. Besiktas may also be released if he goes out early, but from the analysis of strength, Liverpool's hope of winning the championship ahead of schedule is greater than the possibility of Besiktas going out early. After all, the Turks' home stadium is still very strong. In addition, Porto's odds to win the title are also significantly better than Marseille's.

Group B: Chelsea, Valencia, Schalke 04, Rosenberg!

Judging from the grouping, in addition to Norway's Rosenberg, who is destined to play the role of "accompanying the prince to study", it seems that the three giants of Britain, Spain and Germany are bound to eliminate one. Judging by the odds. Chelsea 6.5, Valencia 26, Schalke 67, this is one of the groups with the closest odds, judging from the table of previous group stages, Chelsea is not a big problem, the key is the battle between Valencia and Schalke 04, William Hill's odds are more inclined to Espanyol. It's about the strength, on the schedule. If Chelsea are dragged into the final round of a group like this, then it could be Valencia who will be unlucky as they will take on Valencia at Stamford Bridge in the final round, while Schalke 04's opponents Rosenberg are likely to be out of the tournament early.

Group C: Real Madrid, Bremen, Lazio, Olympiacos!

Unlike Group B, Bremen and Lazio are big names but they are not what they used to be. Especially Lazio, the process of qualifying for the qualifying round is walking on thin ice, for the two teams, the smart strategy is to compete for the second place in the group, and the pattern of Group B is completely different, Group C will be unprecedentedly fierce competition for another place in the group except Real Madrid, Bremen's disadvantage is that it is not in good shape, when the team can adapt to the style of play without Klose is still a problem, Lazio's disadvantage is that there are too few players in the rotation, and the squad is too thin. However, in contrast, Bremen's current many injured players should be in better shape if they return. Olympiacos is not without the ability to eat Bremen and Lazio at home, and even to cause problems for Real Madrid, and the shape of Group C is somewhat similar to Group A. The key is to look at the final round, Olympiacos is not easy to be left behind, and Bremen has more expectations than Lazio.

Group D: AC Milan, Benfica, Celtic, Shakhtar Donetsk!

The same is the pattern of "one strong and three weak", but this "three weak" is more flat, Shakhtar Donetsk, Benfica, Celtic, it is difficult to say which is stronger and which is weaker, from the perspective of the schedule, the last round of Shakhtar Donetsk will play against Celtic in the ice and snow, which is an advantage that cannot be ignored, and if AC Milan qualifies ahead of schedule, from the perspective of the past years, it is inevitable to use the last garbage game "from human feelings", therefore, in the fight for second place in the group, Benfica and Donetsk are in a better situation than Celtic.

Group E: Barcelona, Lyon, Stuttgart, Rangers!

Laporta said: "Group B and Group E are the two most difficult groups to play. "On paper, Group E is more difficult than Group D, as Rangers are clearly better at disrupting the game than Rosenborg. Barcelona should theoretically finish top of the group due to Lyon's declining strength, but it is undeniable that Lyon are still recruiting at the last minute in the transfer market, and the new squad is constantly getting familiar and running-in. For Stuttgart and Rangers, it is necessary to take advantage of the opportunity of Lyon's big change and immaturity at the beginning of the season to quickly grab points and fight for another qualifying place outside Barcelona.

Group F: Manchester United, Roma, Sporting Lisbon, Dynamo Kyiv!

Laporta didn't mention Group F, but in reality, it was the only group in Pot 1 that looked dangerous. Manchester United's poor situation and Roma's improvement have to be mentioned, but Saha is coming out and Wayne Rooney should be in time for the second game of the Champions League group stage. Their main opponent Roma is much stronger than last season, in the first round of Serie A, Roma won the strong team Palermo cleanly, showing strong strength, and the odds of winning the championship have also changed a lot, in addition, the shame of 1-7 will be the motivation, Spalletti has said: "Failure is motivation." "Meanwhile, Sporting Lisbon was in the same group as Bayern Munich and Inter Milan last season, and they showed a strong ability to disrupt the game, and Sporting Lisbon's home stadium is difficult for anyone to beat.

Group G: Inter Milan, PSV Eindhoven, CSKA Moscow, Fenerbahce!

Inter Milan drew a good draw because the second pot team PSV Eindhoven was down in strength. At 1.36 at William Hill Gambling Firm's odds, Inter Milan are the favourites to top the group. Similar to the group AC Milan is in. The other three teams all have a chance to compete for the second spot, especially Fenerbahce in Pot 4, coached by Zico and recruited excellent players such as Carlos in the summer, are underrated teams, and their 'hell' home game will face CSKA Moscow in the final round, and the Turks are not without a chance of upset.

Group H: Arsenal, Sevilla/AEK Athens, Steaua Bucharest, Slavia Prague!

Sevilla FC and AEK Athens are still one game away, but due to a 2-0 advantage in the first round. We can see that the Spaniards have entered this group. This is the least suspenseful group, and the suspense lies in who is the first and second in the group between Arsenal and Sevilla. There is a huge difference in quality between the two Eastern European teams and the two big teams. Fighting the game is difficult, and Slavia Prague in Pot 4 will be a little more serious than the Romanian after knocking out Ajax in qualifying.

This grouping. The biggest rivals are undoubtedly Manchester United and Roma. Although last season the two teams met each and won one game each. But the 7-1 at Old Trafford completely erased any trace of the 2-1 at the Stadio Olimpic. 7-1, which should not have been a single score in the knockout round of the Champions League, left a mark of shame in the hearts of the Roma.

The two teams are in the same group again this year, and Ferguson said: "It's definitely going to be the focus of attention". The first leg of the first leg between the two teams will be at Old Trafford on 3 October, Roma's first chance for revenge, and on 13 December, United travel to Rome. The shape shì will determine the meaning of this game. If two teams or one of the teams have been confirmed to qualify, the possibility of "fighting to the death" will be weakened, and once both teams will have to rely on this game to gamble on life and death. Then the competition, which confuses grievances, interests, and shapes, will really become the focus of attention.

In terms of lineups, the two teams have also changed. At 7-1, Manchester United's attacking center Alan Smith is no longer there, although Rooney can return, but the state cannot be guaranteed after a long injury, and Tevez, Saha, etc. have made Ferguson difficult to rely on, and the problems of the forward line may still plague the Red Devils at that time; The overall strength of Roma has improved, and Giuli, Sicinho and others have joined, in addition to their combat effectiveness, the thickness of the squad has also been greatly enhanced, which has laid the foundation for their revenge.

The factors on the sentiment cannot be ignored either. Manchester United will certainly have a psychological advantage, but it is clear to everyone that a 7-1 victory is due to luck, and Roma's desire to be humiliated may inspire unprecedented fighting power.

After the draw for the Champions League group, Ferguson saw not only Roma with red eyes and shame, but also Sporting Lisbon, "It's Portugal again," he might have muttered.

Manchester United seem to have been linked to the Portuguese side in the Champions League in recent years, and there have been more frustrations than good ones. In the last four seasons, Manchester United have been eliminated by AC Milan twice, and the remaining two have been done by the Portuguese.

Manchester United have played Portuguese sides three times in the last four years. In the 2003-04 season, Jose Mourinho's Porto knocked out Manchester United at Old Trafford, and the Portuguese ran and knelt on the sidelines, starting a feud with Ferguson; The 2005/06 season was Manchester United's most humiliating Champions League encounter in recent years, as they failed to progress from the group after losing 2-1 at Benfica in a do-or-die defeat.

Last season, United's "Portuguesephobia" improved, and they avenged a year-old vengeance with two wins over Benfica, 1-0 and 3-1.

For Sporting Lisbon, Ferguson is both familiar and unfamiliar. Manchester United have poached Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani from the team, and should know their personnel well, and in terms of head-to-head records, the two teams have not faced each other in recent years, and this time the fight is an encounter.

If you have to count the European confrontation between Manchester United and Sporting Lisbon on the European stage, it goes back to the European Cup Winners' Cup 44 years ago, and it was the only European match between the two teams. Incredibly, Manchester United, who boast George Benster, Dennis Law and Bobby Charlton, were swept 5-0 by Athletic in Lisbon.

From the point of view of technical characteristics, the Portuguese team does have a headache for Manchester United, their technical ability is not under the Red Devils, and the on-the-spot play is more cunning, according to Ferguson's words more "unscrupulous", which seems to make the Englishmen who play "tendons" a little difficult to adapt, and Manchester United's attention will most likely be on the revenge-bent second-tier opponent Roma, once a little relaxed, it is not impossible to fall at the feet of the Portuguese again.

Chelsea were drawn in the 2007/08 Champions League group draw with Valencia, Schalke 04 and Rosenborg, with the seeding system allowing the Blues to avoid the previous strong conversations.

Kenyon commented after the game: "The biggest difference this year is that we are seeded. We've reached the semi-finals twice in the last four years and we've made it out of the group every year. However, he also admits the Champions League is an 'unpredictable' competition for Chelsea.

Luck is one of those elusive things, and in the Champions League group draw, it seems to be the norm for Chelsea to meet fierce rivals. A striking coincidence over the past three seasons has been that Chelsea have been in a group with the defending champions every year.

In the 2004-05 season, Chelsea met the 04 champions Porto in the group, with Jose Mourinho facing his old club with one win and one defeat; In the 05-06 season, the Blues were in the same group as Liverpool, who won the miracle title in the summer, and the two were 0-0; Last season, Chelsea and Barcelona met giants in the group stage, with the Blues holding the upper hand 1-0 and 2-2.

Seeded this year, Chelsea have lost the chance to meet AC Milan, otherwise it would be a spectacle to be in the defending champions for the fourth year in a row. However, in the draw for the second pot, the Blues picked Valencia.

Valencia are UEFA's highest-rated team in Pot 2 this year, with a score of 99.374, which is not far from Pot 1, and they have also been one of the most experienced and best-finished teams in Pot 2 over the past 10 years.

After being drawn as the defending champion for three consecutive years, and being seeded, it seems that there is always providence in the dark, and Mourinho wants to count on a good "luck" in the Champions Cup, which seems to be impossible.

Monte Carlo, at the Champions Cup draw ceremony, three players in black suits, with the Milan crest on their chests and Manchester United stood together, they are Maldini, Kaka, and Jonck, who were originally representatives of the old, middle and young generations of AC Milan players, but now they belong to two camps, and they are also the best candidates for last season's UEFA Champions League.

UEFA selected a total of five best: best goalkeeper, best defender, best midfielder, best striker, best player, and two players from AC Milan won two awards, Jonk won the best striker and best player awards, Kaka became the best midfielder, Maldini was the best defender, in fact, the only one of the five awards that did not belong to Milan last season was the best goalkeeper, Dida entered the candidate, unfortunately, not two mistakes against Manchester United and Bayern, perhaps with the excellent performance of the final, He would have had a chance to win this award.

In addition, two other players from AC Milan, Andrea Pirlo and Gattuso are among the candidates for the best midfielder.

When UEFA officials announced "Best Player, Jonker", Jonk and Kaka's hands shook together, and then, Maldini took the initiative to high-five Jonker, and time froze at this moment, Jonk seemed to have taken over the inheritance from Maldini, but unfortunately it has long been different.

Later, Jonk was interviewed in Portuguese: "I didn't expect to score so many goals in the Champions League last season, and this is also because of the support of my teammates......"

Jonker scored 11 goals in the last European Champions Cup and was named the top scorer in the Champions Cup, because of this number of goals, the best striker and best player both accolades; Kaka was key to AC Milan's Champions League final last season, and his impressive performances against Manchester United and Bayern Munich ensured that AC Milan had two of their toughest hurdles. Maldini was the one who was expected to receive the honour two years ago, if it weren't for that strange six minutes...... The 39-year-old defender has won such an honor at such an age, which is a lifetime honor. (To be continued......)