The Champions League Group Stage draw took place today, and Spurs fans should at least be content with their draw. We don't have a cake group by any stretch of the imagination, but it could have been a whole lot worse.
Spurs have been drawn in Group A with Internazionale Milano, SV Werder Bremen, and FC Twente. Drawing the defending champions seems tough, but there were no easy teams in Pot 1 and I believe that all eight teams in that pot would have been favorites to defeat Spurs. In pot 2, we got ultimate roller coaster team Werder Bremen. It's still yet to be seen if the loss of Mesut Oezil will have a significant impact on them. About 3/4 of their performance against Sampdoria was brilliant, but 1/4 of it was atrocious, as was their entire performance against Hoffenheim last weekend. FC Twente were among the better teams in Pot 4, but they have lost a couple of their key players from last season, along with their manager. I would have been happy with any pot 4 team not called Rubin Kazan.
Ultimately, while Twente and Werder are not cakewalks, Spurs should be favorites to get four or more points from both teams and advance to the knockout stages. I firmly believe that Spurs are the second best team in this group. We could have gotten an easier draw, but all I was hoping for is to be second favorites in our group. I think we got that.
CFC Shorts: Thursday Links is coming at you shortly. Wigan preview tomorrow.
Spurs have been drawn in Group A with Internazionale Milano, SV Werder Bremen, and FC Twente. Drawing the defending champions seems tough, but there were no easy teams in Pot 1 and I believe that all eight teams in that pot would have been favorites to defeat Spurs. In pot 2, we got ultimate roller coaster team Werder Bremen. It's still yet to be seen if the loss of Mesut Oezil will have a significant impact on them. About 3/4 of their performance against Sampdoria was brilliant, but 1/4 of it was atrocious, as was their entire performance against Hoffenheim last weekend. FC Twente were among the better teams in Pot 4, but they have lost a couple of their key players from last season, along with their manager. I would have been happy with any pot 4 team not called Rubin Kazan.
Ultimately, while Twente and Werder are not cakewalks, Spurs should be favorites to get four or more points from both teams and advance to the knockout stages. I firmly believe that Spurs are the second best team in this group. We could have gotten an easier draw, but all I was hoping for is to be second favorites in our group. I think we got that.
CFC Shorts: Thursday Links is coming at you shortly. Wigan preview tomorrow.