The season is really hotting up as Chelsea await their Champions League opponents for 2022/23. Istanbul will play host to this year's pots and balls, with the group stage draw set to get underway at 5pm UK time on Thursday, August 25th.
The Blues will be keen to launch another attack at Champions League glory having lifted the trophy in 2020/21 before falling in dramatic fashion to Real Madrid earlier this year. There will certainly be a belief that Chelsea can be among the contenders once again.
The competition is due to get underway in just 12 days and clubs and supporters alike will be able to start planning their trips around Europe. The full selection of teams was complete with the final qualifiers finishing on Wednesday evening and now the draw simply needs to be made.
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Chelsea will be in pot two for the draw, with teams selected from three other pots.
Pot 1: Real Madrid, Eintracht Frankfurt, Manchester City, AC Milan, Bayern München, Paris Saint-Germain, Porto, Ajax.
Pot 2: Liverpool, Chelsea, Barcelona, Juventus, Atletico Madrid, Sevilla, RB Leipzig, Tottenham.
Pot 3: Borussia Dortmund, RB Salzburg, Shakhtar Donetsk, Inter Milan, Napoli, Benfica, Sporting CP, Bayer Leverkusen.
Pot 4: Rangers, Dinamo Zagreb, Marseille, Copenhagen, Club Brugge, Celtic, Viktoria Plzen, Maccabi Haifa.
football.london looks at the best and worst case scenarios that could unfold.
Best case scenario
Eintracht Frankfurt, Sporting CP, Celtic.
AC Milan are the lowest ranked pot one side in terms of UEFA's coefficient and a trip to the San Siro before it's demolished would certainly be appealing but the Italian side's history and Serie A title makes it difficult to see them as a favourable opponent.
Eintracht Frankfurt are Europa League champions and a team Chelsea defeated on the way to their own Europa League success in 2019. The Blues edged through on penalties on that occasion and would hope to make easier work of the ties on a new occasion. The atmosphere in Germany was an attraction in itself and could provide an exciting element to the tie. Porto would offer another favourable option that would allow for some reminiscing.
The lowest ranked side in pot 3 would be Bayer Leverkusen but if the Blues are drawn alongside Frankfurt, another trip to Germany would not be possible. That would leave Sporting as the most favourable option as per UEFA's coefficient, which would offer an alternative trip to Portugal.
Celtic could not make it past the knockout round play-offs of the Europa Conference League having fallen out of the Europa League last season and would offer a relatively easy trip for Chelsea supporters. Once again, Parkhead would provide a fantastic Champions League atmosphere and the clash between home nations would add just a little bit of bite. Maccabi Haifa may offer the easier tie but could mean a lengthy journey in a very hectic part of the season, which could disrupt Premier League preparations.
Worst case scenario
Real Madrid, Inter Milan and Marseille.
There is no denying the quality of the current champions and while it would be nice for the Blues to dish out some revenge, doing it when the stakes are possibly higher may provide just a little bit more satisfaction. It's also a trip that has been done relatively recently and it's always good to see another European giant.
A game against Los Blancos would appear destined for Antonio Rudiger to step up to the plate, and perhaps for former target Aurelian Tchouameni to have an impact, not to mention Eden Hazard. While former players could haunt Stamford Bridge, a current one could also pose a threat in Romelu Lukaku and his Inter Milan side. The Nerazzurri may not have won Serie A last term but bring plenty of quality and the Belgian would no doubt, feel like he had a point to prove.
While Rangers would offer the highest ranked opposition in pot four, the easy journey plays out in their favour perhaps leaving Dinamo Zagreb or Marseille as the most frustrating opposition to land. Certainly, the French side has the more recognisable figures with the likes of Alexis Sanchez, Dimitri Payet and Arkadiusz, in addition to Jonathan Clauss who was linked with the Blues earlier this summer.
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