Manchester City have been given a tough draw in the Group Stage of the Champions League

Manchester City Football Club have become aware of their Champions League Group Stage rivals after the draw took place earlier this week. Manuel Pellegrini’s men find themselves lining up alongside Juventus, Sevilla and Borussia Monchengladbach in Group D. Many knowledgeable football fans will argue that getting an easy draw is not an option in a tournament as competitive as the UEFA Champions League, so it’s no use pondering on whether or not we got a favourable draw or a tough one. I on the other hand, am positive that we were unlucky and got a tough draw.  My claim will be backed up if you look at the teams that Manchester United have been drawn against.

I’m sure that you will have to admit that my side of the argument, has a strong case. And in my defence, I shall take a look at what other teams we could have been possibly grouped with. Beginning with Pot 1, I can easily name at least four teams that are weaker than Juventus. Zenit St. Petersburg, PSV Eindhoven, Paris Saint Germain and finally Benfica. Our task would have been so much easier had we drawn one of the above-mentioned teams in place of last year’s Champions League finalists. Pot 2 is of course where we found ourselves before the draw took place, so there’s no scope of any dissection here.

Andoni Zubizarreta drew Juventus out of Pot 1, but who would’ve thought that City would be drawn with them

But then again, Pot 3 gives us so much to talk about! Sevilla would have to be the strongest team in the entire Pot, at par with Italian side Roma. Dynamo Kyiv, Olympiacos, Galatasaray, CSKA Moscow, Olympique Lyon and Shaktar Donetsk can all be classified as easier opponents than back-to-back Europa League champions, Sevilla. Pot 4 also offers us plenty of room for discussion as we have been drawn with arguably the second toughest team in the whole set. Borussia Monchengladbach is an easier proposition than Wolfsburg. But then again, teams like BATE Borisov, Maccabi Tel Aviv, Dinamo Zagreb, Malmo FF, Gent and Astana would all have been easier draws than the team we got.

UEFA’s bigwigs carried out the draw at a glitzy ceremony in Monaco

Finally, I hope that I’ve been able to convey my point properly to all of you. If there’s anyone who still thinks that we got an easy draw, tell them to have a look at this piece and then tell them to have a look at United’s group! What’s really astonishing is how blessed our neighbours were. I think every single team heading into the draw would have been hoping to get what these guys got. I mean, had they got any other team from Pot 4 than Wolfsburg, they’d have gotten the easiest group imaginable.

Anyway, what those fellows are doing is none of my concern and being a Cityzen, I’d like to concentrate on what we are doing. I’m eagerly waiting for the games to begin and I can’t wait to see how our boys perform. Yes, we don’t have the easiest group, but then again, what’s life without some challenge!