Champions League group stage draw: Pot 3
Wednesday, August 28, 2019
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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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Lyon (FRA)
UEFA coefficient ranking (end of 2018/19): 27
How they qualified: third in France
Best European Cup performance: semi-finals (2009/10)
What to expect: A two-time UEFA Champions League winner with Barcelona, Sylvinho has replaced Bruno Génésio as OL coach, with club great Juninho Pernambucano also brought in as sporting director. The Brazilians have made no big changes, but Lyon should be competitive despite losing Nabil Fekir to Betis.
Bayer Leverkusen (GER)
UEFA coefficient ranking (end of 2018/19): 28
How they qualified: fourth in Germany
Best European Cup performance: runners-up (2001/02)
What to expect: Leverkusen have lost Julian Brandt, but the arrivals of Nadiem Amiri and Kerem Demirbay should fill that gap, and all indications are that Leverkusen will once again be an entertaining side. They will be looking to at least advance to the knockout phase.
Salzburg (AUT)
UEFA coefficient ranking (end of 2018/19): 29
How they qualified: Austrian champions
Best European Cup performance: group stage (1994/95)
What to expect: Marco Rose has departed for Mönchengladbach, leaving new boss Jesse Marsch to try to make sense of a squad that shed a clutch of players over the summer. Even so, the Austrian champions' accent on youth means they specialise in regenerating most seasons. Underestimate them at your peril.
Olympiacos (GRE)
UEFA coefficient ranking (end of 2018/19): 35
How they qualified: second in Greece, play-off winners
Best European Cup performance: quarter-finals (1998/99)
What to expect: Pooled with Juventus and Barcelona in 2017/18, Olympiacos found things understandably hard; however, Pedro Martins' Portuguese-tinged team showed their quality in progressing from last year's UEFA Europa League group stage, and then their defensive mettle with five clean sheets in this summer's qualifiers.
Club Brugge (BEL)
UEFA coefficient ranking (end of 2018/19): 37
How they qualified: second in Belgium, play-off winners
Best European Cup performance: runners-up (1977/78)
What to expect: After losing all six of their 2016/17 games, Club Brugge fared better last term by taking six points in a challenging group. They may benefit from the experience of coach Philippe Clément. The big defender represented the club in three group stages during the 2000s, and steered them through qualifying this time.
Valencia (ESP)
UEFA coefficient ranking (end of 2018/19): 39
How they qualified: fourth in Spain
Best European Cup performance: runners-up (twice, most recently 2000/01)
What to expect: A team effort. Coach Marcelino boasts a tight-knit group; his Valencia side concede few goals, work like mad in midfield, and look electric up top. Newcomer Maxi Gómez will only enhance what is one of the best front lines on the continent.
Internazionale Milano (ITA)
UEFA coefficient ranking (end of 2018/19): 46
How they qualified: fourth in Italy
Best European Cup performance: winners (three times, most recently 2009/10)
What to expect: Fury. Antonio Conte will bring his usual hunger to Inter, with new striker Romelu Lukaku and midfielders Stefano Sensi and Nicolò Barella well suited to his 'with me or against me' approach. The Nerazzurri should be very hard to beat with Conte on the bench and Diego Godín bossing a solid back three.
Dinamo Zagreb (CRO)
UEFA coefficient ranking (end of 2018/19): 51
How they qualified: Croatian champions, play-off winners
Best European Cup performance: group stage (six times, most recently 2016/17)
What to expect: Dinamo may prefer to forget the most recent of their UEFA Champions League group stage forays: they lost all six games in 2016/17, failing to score a single goal. However, after making it through three qualifying rounds (ousting Rosenborg in the play-offs), they should be ready to compete.