Champions League group stage draw: Pot 4
Thursday, October 1, 2020
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All you need to know about the eight teams in Pot 4 ahead of Thursday's group stage draw.
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Lokomotiv Moskva (RUS)
UEFA coefficient ranking (end of 2019/20): 51
How they qualified: second in Russian Premier League
Last season: group stage
Best European Cup performance: last 16 (2002/03*, 2003/04)
2019/20: The Railwaymen, whose third Russian championship came in 2017/18, finished second to Zenit for the second year running, an 11-match unbeaten run ensuring they would end the season as runners-up again. Summer signing Grzegorz Krychowiak was the surprise top scorer for Yury Semin's side.
*second group stage
Marseille (FRA)
UEFA coefficient ranking: 53
How they qualified: second in Ligue 1
Last season: N/A
Best European Cup performance: winners (1992/93)
2019/20: André Villas-Boas returned to European football and oversaw a steady start to the season before a 14-match unbeaten run prior to the French season being curtailed in March. Argentinian striker Darío Benedetto was OM's league top scorer in his first season at the club.
Club Brugge (BEL)
UEFA coefficient ranking: 57
How they qualified: Belgian champions
Last season: group stage (UEFA Europa League round of 32)
Best European Cup performance: runners-up (1977/78)
2019/20: The Blauw-Zwart collected their third title in five seasons, losing a solitary game in a season curtailed by the pandemic. Club Brugge also drew away to Real Madrid and Galatasaray in an impressive first campaign under Philippe Clement, a champion with Genk in 2018/19.
Mönchengladbach (GER)
UEFA coefficient ranking: 61
How they qualified: fourth in Bundesliga
Last season: UEFA Europa League group stage
Best European Cup performance: runners-up (1976/77)
2019/20: A strong first season for ex-Salzburg boss Marco Rose, whose team spent several weeks top of the Bundesliga and beat Bayern before falling away, finishing in the bunch behind the champions. The Foals are back in the group stage after a three-season absence.
İstanbul Başakşehir (TUR)
UEFA coefficient ranking: 71
How they qualified: Turkish champions
Last season: UEFA Europa League round of 16 (L 3-1 vs Copenhagen)
Best European Cup performance: group stage (2020/21)
2019/20: The greatest season yet for the club founded in 1990, becoming only the sixth team to win the Turkish title. Okan Buruk's side hit the front after the resumption and did not look back, adding further gloss with a UEFA Europa League campaign marked by late comebacks.
Midtjylland (DEN)
UEFA coefficient ranking: 102
How they qualified: Danish champions
Last season: UEFA Europa League third qualifying round
Best European Cup performance: group stage (2020/21)
2019/20: The Wolves eased to their third title in six seasons, hitting the front at the start of August and slowly tightening their grip on top spot. The Danish season had only just resumed following the winter break when the COVID-19 pandemic forced a three-month delay.
Rennes (FRA)
UEFA coefficient ranking: 107
How they qualified: third in France
Last season: UEFA Europa League group stage
Best European Cup performance: group stage (2020/21)
2019/20: Having guided Rennes to their first trophy in 48 years on 27 April 2019 in his first full season in charge, Julien Stéphan led the side to third in Ligue 1 before the season was curtailed in March – their highest ever finish. Eduardo Camavinga, 17, leads a strong crop of youngsters.
Ferencváros (HUN)
UEFA coefficient ranking: 135
How they qualified: Hungarian champions
Last season: third qualifying round (UEFA Europa League group stage)
Best European Cup performance: quarter-finals (1964/65)
2019/20: It was more of the same as Serhiy Rebrov guided the Budapest outfit to back-to-back titles, finishing 13 points clear of second place. Dinamo Zagreb barred their path to the UEFA Champions League and they missed out on the UEFA Europa League knockouts despite losing only once.