Champions League group stage draw: Pot 3
Thursday, October 1, 2020
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All you need to know about the eight teams in Pot 3 ahead of Thursday's group stage draw.
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Dynamo Kyiv (UKR)
UEFA coefficient ranking (end of 2019/20): 26
How they qualified: second in Ukrainian Premier League
Last season: third qualifying round (UEFA Europa League group stage)
Best European Cup performance: Semi-finals (1976/77, 1986/87, 1998/99)
2019/20: A forgettable campaign by Dynamo's standards, finishing 23 adrift of champions Shakhtar and suffering nine league defeats – their highest tally since the end of the Soviet Union. They did lift the Ukrainian Cup in July, Oleksiy Mykhaylychenko subsequently making way for Mircea Lucescu.
Salzburg (AUT)
UEFA coefficient ranking: 29
How they qualified: Austrian champions
Last season: group stage (UEFA Europa League round of 32)
Best European Cup performance: group stage (1994/95, 2019/20, 2020/21)
2019/20: An impressive first campaign for American coach Jesse Marsch, who led Salzburg to the double despite having to contend with a series of departures, most notably Erling Braut Haaland in January. Marsch found an able understudy in Patson Daka and after the resumption Salzburg were unstoppable.
RB Leipzig (GER)
UEFA coefficient ranking: 31
How they qualified: third in Bundesliga
Last season: semi-finals (L 3-0 vs Paris)
Best European Cup performance: semi-finals (2019/20)
2019/20: The finest season yet for Germany's new force. Despite losing Chelsea-bound Timo Werner for the knockout stages, Julian Nagelmann's side reached the last four of the UEFA Champions League while matching their best finish in the Bundesliga.
Internazionale (ITA)
UEFA coefficient ranking: 33
How they qualified: second in Serie A
Last season: group stage (UEFA Europa League runners-up)
Best European Cup performance: winners (1963/64, 1964/65, 2009/10)
2019/20: Spearheaded by Romelu Lukaku and Lautaro Martinez, and with fresh blood throughout the team, Inter enjoyed their best campaign in a decade. Antonio Conte's men finished a point behind Juventus in Serie A and reached the UEFA Europa League final, losing to Sevilla.
Olympiacos (GRE)
UEFA coefficient ranking: 35
How they qualified: Greek champions
Last season: group stage (UEFA Europa League round of 16)
Best European Cup performance: quarter-finals (1998/99)
2019/20: There was a new format in Greece, with a play-off round after the regular season, but it was business as usual for Olympiacos. Pedro Martins' side already had the title in the bag when they lost their only league game, while victory against Arsenal was the highlight of their European campaign.
Lazio (ITA)
UEFA coefficient ranking: 38
How they qualified: fourth in Serie A
Last season: UEFA Europa League group stage
Best European Cup performance: quarter-finals (1999/2000)
2019/20: Ciro Immobile outscored even Robert Lewandowski with 36 Serie A goals in a remarkable campaign. Simone Inzaghi's charges went toe-to-toe with Juventus before falling off a cliff after the resumption, picking up just 16 points from the last 12 games.
Krasnodar (RUS)
UEFA coefficient ranking: 45
How they qualified: third in Russian Premier League
Last season: play-offs (UEFA Europa League group stage)
Best European Cup performance: group stage (2020/21)
2019/20: The Bulls matched their best ever league finish, though for much of the season they looked destined for more before winning just three of their eight games after the restart. Murad Musayev bedded in several newcomers, including top scorer Marcus Berg.
Atalanta (ITA)
UEFA coefficient ranking: 48
How they qualified: third in Serie A
Last season: quarter-finals (L 2-1 vs Paris)
Best European Cup performance: quarter-finals (2019/2020)
2019/20: Serie A's top scorers pipped Lazio to third spot thanks to a 17-match unbeaten sequence after the new year, but the story of the campaign was the stirring run to the quarter-finals on their UEFA Champions League debut – despite losing their first three group games!