UEFA Champions League Draw – Friday

By: Isaiah | July 31st, 2008

So tomorrow is a big day in European club football: it’s the Champions League third round qualifier draw. Win your two-legged affair and you’re in the group stage. It’s the first time in a while that Barça have had to enter this part of the competition, but we’re there and we’re doing it without Messi, who has jetted off to the Olympics.

Laporta seems worried that the team won’t get into the group stage without Messi, which, of course, is silly to most Barça fans. We’re not known for our lack of faith or expectation, that’s for sure. But imagine, for a moment, what Laporta is thinking: Oh crap, what if we fail!? I’m soooo screwed! After all, he didn’t fair so hot in the vote of no confidence and a major failure at the very beginning of the season after bringing in a new coach, getting rid of two popular players (Deco and Ronnie), maybe a third (Eto’o), and spending nearly €100million on bringing in new faces would certainly spell the end for Laporta’s reign. Laport and Txiki would certainly curl up in little balls rocking back and forth while their assistants attempt to clean them up for the resignation press conference…

Here is who we might get matched up against:

FC Sheriff (MDA) OR AC Sparta Praha (CZE)
Drogheda United FC (IRL) OR FC Dynamo Kyiv (UKR)
PFC Levski Sofia (BUL)
SK Slavia Praha (CZE)
Galatasaray AS (TUR)
FC İnter Bakı (AZE) OR FK Partizan (SRB)
Vitória SC (POR)
NK Domžale (SVN) OR NK Dinamo Zagreb (CRO)
Beitar Jerusalem FC (ISR) OR Wisla Kraków (POL)
R. Standard de Liège (BEL)
FC Twente (NED)
Tampere United (FIN) OR FC Artmedia Petržalka (SVK)
Aalborg BK (DEN) OR FK Modriča (BIH)
SK Brann (NOR) OR FK Ventspils (LVA)
Anorthosis Famagusta FC (CYP) OR SK Rapid Wien (AUT)

The scores are in from the first leg of the second qualifying round, so I’ve bolded the teams currently winning their ties. Draws are italicized (and by the way they are listed in order of who plays home first if you want to know who is in charge via away goals, etc). Atleti is also in this draw, but they can’t face off against Barça, so there was no point to listing them as an option.

Who do you think would be the worst draw for Barcelona out of this group? I’m going with Galatasaray, then Dynamo Kyiv then Slavia Praha. I just don’t ever fancy meeting up with a Turkish team with everything on the line.

Let’s hear your thoughts!