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Could be worse for Bayern and Bremen The draw for the first group stage of this season's Champions League has pitted Gemany's two representatives up against some reknowned and interesting opposition.
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| The road to the final in Rome next May starts off with a journey into the past for Bayern München - and into the unknown for Werder Bremen.
The draw in Monte Carlo put FC Bayern in with Olympique Lyon, Fiorentina and Steaua Bucharest. Bremen meanwhile came out of the pot together with Inter Milan, Panathinaikos - and Cypriot champions Anorthosis Famagusta, who sensationally saw off Olympiakos Piraeus along the way to qualifying. Grand finale in the eternal city For Bayern fans, the name Lyon remains synonymous with Franz Beckenbauer's legendary tirade in March 2001. After the Munich team had gone down 3-0 at Olympique in the second group phase, a furious Beckenbauer tore into the players at the after-match banquet, saying among other things that they had put in a performance worthy of the "Uwe Seeler Old Boys' IX". Coincidentally or otherwise, Bayern never looked back after that, going on to beat Valencia on penalties in the final a couple of months later. Their campaign this season kicks off in Bucharest on September 17th, and ends - as far as the group phase is concerned - in Lyon on December 10th. Bremen begin with a home game against Famagusta on September 16th. Their final Group B encounter is, on paper, their toughest - away to Inter on December 9th. As chairman Jürgen L. Born succinctly put it, "I really hope that one is not a final for us." The actual final this season takes place in Rome, on May 27th 2009. The draw in full: Group A: FC Chelsea, AS Roma, Girondis Bordeaux, CFR Cluj Group B: Inter Milan, Werder Bremen, Panathinaikos Athens, Anorthosis Famagusta Group C: FC Barcelona, Sporting Lisbon, FC Basel, Shakhtyor Donetsk Group D: FC Liverpool, PSV Eindhoven, Olympique Marseille, Atletico Madrid Group E: Manchester United, FC Villarreal, Glasgow celtic, Aalborg BK Group F: Olympique Lyon, FC Bayern München, FC Steaua Bukarest, AC Fiorentina Group G: Arsenal, FC Porto, Fenerbahce Istanbul, Dynamo Kiev Group H: Real Madrid, Juventus Turin, Zenit St. Petersburg, BATE Borissov |
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