UEFA Champions League Draw 2012: When and Where to Watch Critical Event

The UEFA Champions League group-stage draw will take place on Thursday. Even though the top teams will be favored to advance regardless of where they end up, the draw is often a make-or-break situation for the fringe contenders.

Here's a look at where you can watch the event followed by a couple elite teams to keep an eye out for during the event to see what groups they land in. All of them will be looking to avoid the dreaded "Group of Death" that exists in seemingly every major tournament.

When: Thursday, Aug. 30, at 11:30 a.m.

Watch: Fox Soccer Channel

Teams to Watch For

Barcelona

Barcelona comes off a disappointing season, at least based on its incredibly high standards. Not only did the Blaugrana watch as their rivals from Real Madrid won the La Liga championship, but they were also eliminated from the Champions League in the semifinals.

Barca, which will be looking to get back atop the club football world this season, is once again led by dominant striker Lionel Messi. The Argentine superstar has gotten off to another red-hot start in the new campaign.

While Barcelona knows Messi will always produce, a bigger key to success will probably be the return of David Villa. If he can return to pre-injury form, the Barca attack becomes even more dangerous and will put them on track for another deep run.

Chelsea

Fans remember Chelsea's improbable run to the Champions League trophy last season, but now the question becomes how far can the Blues advance in their title defense. Repeating is often harder than winning the first one.

If the beginning of the Premier League season is any indication, Chelsea is ready for that extra layer of pressure. It has won the first three league games of the season by a combined score of 8-2, putting the Blues atop the table. The level of offensive production has been the most encouraging sign after a lot of inconsistency last season.

That includes Fernando Torres, who already has two goals and may finally be getting back on track after a prolonged slump.

Real Madrid

Like its rivals from Barcelona, Real Madrid failed to make the finals of the Champions League last season after being knocked out by Bayern Munich in the semifinals. The team last took home the tournament title in 2002.

Although Cristiano Ronaldo dominates the headlines, the team's deep midfield, which features several world-class playmakers, is what makes Los Blancos so explosive. From Mesut Ozil and Xabi Alonso, it's a tremendous group.

Even though Real Madrid hasn't gotten off to an ideal start to the league season, there's simply too much talent on the roster to have any type of prolonged struggles.

Even a tough group likely won't be enough to slow them down.