Group G analysis: Maccabi, Dynamo Kyiv, Porto, Chelsea
Thursday, August 27, 2015
Article summary
The highlight of Group G is a reunion with Porto for Chelsea manager José Mourinho, while Dynamo Kyiv and Maccabi Tel-Aviv will hope for a positive return.
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Group G pedigree
Maccabi Tel-Aviv (ISR) – Pot 4
Previous group stage campaigns: 1 (2004/05)
Last season: UEFA Champions League third qualifying round/UEFA Europa League play-offs
Best European Cup performance: group stage (2004/05)
Dynamo Kyiv (UKR) – Pot 3
Previous group stage campaigns: 13 (last appearance: 2012/13)
Last season: UEFA Europa League quarter-finals
Best European Cup performance: semi-finals (1976/77, 1986/87, 1998/99)
FC Porto (POR) – Pot 2
Previous group stage campaigns: 19 (last appearance: 2014/15)
Last season: UEFA Champions League quarter-finals
Best European Cup performance: winners (1986/87, 2003/04)
Chelsea (ENG) – Pot 1
Previous group stage campaigns: 13 (last appearance: 2014/15)
Last season: UEFA Champions League quarter-finals
Best European Cup performance: winners (2011/12)
Matchday one fixtures (Wednesday 16 September)
Dynamo Kyiv v Porto
Chelsea v Maccabi Tel-Aviv
Key group facts
- Chelsea manager José Mourinho won the first of his two UEFA Champions League titles with Porto in 2003/04.
- Chelsea have lost only one of their six fixtures against Porto, a 2-1 reverse in Portugal in the 2004/05 group stage. The English side have won four of those games, including the last three, most recently two 1-0 victories in the 2009/10 group stage.
- Chelsea have never played Dynamo Kyiv or Maccabi Tel-Aviv; the Israeli team have never encountered Porto.
- Porto and Dynamo have faced off six times, all in the European Cup. Perhaps the most significant tie was their first, the Portuguese club winning 2-1 both home and away in the 1986/87 semi-finals en route to claiming the trophy for the first time. They have met twice in the group stage in recent years, each winning away in 2008/09, before Porto prevailed 3-2 at home and drew 0-0 away in 2012/13.
- Dynamo and Maccabi shared two draws in the 2011/12 UEFA Europa League group stage, 1-1 in Israel and 3-3 in Ukraine.
Reaction to the draw
Serhiy Rebrov, Dynamo Kyiv coach
We have a good group where we can compete for one of the knockout stage berths. We are capable of performing against any side. The team who consider themselves favourites may pay for it, and I'm saying that not only about Chelsea but about everyone who plays in the Champions League. We have chances to reach the next round but we have to prepare well for every game.
Julen Lopetegui, Porto coach
It's a tough group, with good teams that won their respective league titles, one of them the English Premier League, the biggest league in the world. Chelsea are a great team, with players that are not accessible to most European teams, and they have a coach who knows our club and Portuguese football inside out. We will have to work with optimism and confidence in our abilities. We will see on the field who's the best.