By Myles Palmer
This draw in Group C is the easiest Champions League group Arsenal have ever had.
Nobody as tough as Dynamo Kiev or Barcelona, no trips to Moscow or Ukraine during the Russian season. And they have avoided going to Turkey.
And they have avoided Roma, the most dangerous unseeded club
That does not mean Arsenal will win the group. But they have the talent and experience to win the group.
Schalke are bigger and better than Werder Bremen, but not a side to be feared.If you have played Kiev, Barca and Bayern, you will not be scared of Schalke 04. We can check them out in the Bundesliga, whuch Sky now show.
In Group A Capello takes Roma back to Real Madrid, where he won the title in his only season there. Roma and Real also play Lokomotiv Moscow and Anderlecht.
Liverpool have a VERY tough Group B against three teams I really wanted to avoid : Borussia Dortmund, Dynamo Kiev and Boavista, the surprise champions in Portugal.
Boavista are Hasselbaink’s former club and the No.2 club in Porto. They are the kind of team who could give Liverpool a lot of problems.
Celtic face Juventus, Porto and Rosenborg in Group E. Martin O’Neill will be looking for a miracle in Turin and may ask the Pope to pray for the Bhoys.
Manchester United should comfortably negotiate six games against Deportivo, Olympiakos and Lille in Group G.
Bayern Munich don’t really have too much travelling with Sparta Prague and Feyonoord in Group H. It will be very interesting to see how Moscow Spartak, a side capable of terrific flair, do against Bayern.
The Lazio-Galatasaray-PSV-Nantes line-up in Group D is, for me, a very hard one to call. I’m not making any predictions there because everybody could beat everybody.
Rivaldo is the best player never to have won the Champions League, and his Barcelona side MUST qualify against Lyon, Leverkusen and Fenerbahce in Group F.
A good day for Arsenal. After losing to Leeds they needed a good day.
23 August 2001.
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FIXTURES :
11th September Schalke 04 v Panathinaikos
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11 September Real Mallorca v Arsenal
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19 Sept Arsenal v Schalke 04
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19 Sept Panathinaikos v Real Mallorca
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26 Sept Panathinaikos v Arsenal
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26 Sept Schalke 04 v Real Mallorca
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16 October Arsenal v Panathinaikos
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16 Oct Real Mallorca v Schalke 04
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24 Oct Panathinaikos v Schalke 04
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24 Oct Arsenal v Real Mallorca
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30 Oct Schalke 04 v Arsenal
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30 Oct Real Mallorca v Panathinaikos
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