UEFA Champions League Draw 2011: Complete Guide to Euro Cup Contenders

The eyes of the football world will be firmly fixed on the Grimaldi Forum in Monte Carlo on Thursday, as UEFA announce how the field of 32 teams will be organized for the group stage of the 2011-12 Champions League.

The best clubs in Europe will be back in action against one another starting on September 13, with everyone from Arsenal to Zenit St. Petersburg aiming to keep Barcelona from defending their turf atop the continent while earning their fifth European Cup.

The upcoming draw will play a huge role in how the field shakes out by early December, when the top two teams from each group will advance to the knockout stage and the rest return to simply domestic competition.

This year's tournament will boast as much excitement and intrigue as any, from established powers like Manchester United and Real Madrid looking to add to their stocked trophy cases to up-and-comers like Manchester City and Lille hoping to assert themselves among the world's elite sides.

Not to mention the flurry of breakout stars, juicy story lines and shocking dark horses that will take the Champions League by storm on the march to Munich.

With all of that in mind, let's have a gander at who and what to watch for in this season's edition of the top club competition. 

Top Contenders

Barcelona

The defenders of the European Cup return as the favorite to emerge victorious in Munich in May. Barca return nearly their entire first-team squad from last season, with the additions of striker Alexis Sanchez from Udinese and midfield maestro Cesc Fabregas from Arsenal giving Los Blaugranes arguably the deepest and most skilled attack in the world.

Few, if any, clubs can play possession football quite like Pep Guardiola's side, giving them an even greater advantage in their quest to hold steady as the best club on Earth.

Manchester United

Meanwhile, Man U have done anything but stand pat since their 3-1 defeat to Barca in last year's Champions League final at Wembley Stadium. The Red Devils have gotten considerably younger and more athletic in that span, replacing retirees Edwin van der Sar and Paul Scholes with new boys David de Gea and Ashley Young, respectively, while promoting starlets from within.

Chief among those starlets to whom Sir Alex Ferguson has delegated greater responsibility are Danny Welbeck and Tom Cleverley. The two youngsters have been sensational thus far, giving Fergie enough pause to keep Dimitar Berbatov, last year's co-winner of the Premier League Golden Boot, off the pitch.

Indeed, United are once again deep and dangerous and have the potential to dwarf the quality of the side that finished runner-up to Barca in the Champions League once Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic return to fitness.

Real Madrid

Of course, with all the talk about Barcelona, how could we ever forget Real Madrid. Los Blancos have encountered a bit of early turmoil with rumours swirling that club brass is trying to force out Jose Mourinho in just his second season on the job.

Distractions aside, Madrid once again have more than enough talent and experience to bring a record 10th European Cup back to Santiago Bernabeu by late spring. Real welcome back all the principles from the side that fell to Barca in the semifinal round of the Champions League this past spring, Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka included.

The addition of Fabio Coentrao from Portuguese power Benfica should give the side of "The Special One" a shot in the arm to once again prove that royalty matters in club competition.

New Challengers

Manchester City

Welcome to the big time, Manchester City. Roberto Mancini's side will participate in the Champions League for the first time in their history, though the introduction figures to be a rather rude one.

Not even Sheikh Mansour could buy the Citizens better than a third seed heading into Thursday's draw, leaving them likely to face off with the likes of Barcelona, AC Milan and/or Real Madrid in the group stage.

Luckily for Mancini, he'll have no shortage of top-shelf (and high-priced) talent to rotate through as he attempts to keep his club competitive in Premier League and domestic cup action as well. That being said, the viability of City's evil empire will hinge on how well they fare in their first-ever chase of the European Cup.

Lille

The three-seed Mastiffs haven't qualified for the Champions League since the 2006-07 season, when they were eliminated in the knockout stage by Manchester United amidst quite a bit of controversy.

Now, Lille return for their third crack at the European Cup by way of capturing Ligue 1 title as well as the Coupe de France in just their second campaign under manager Rudi Garcia. The French champions withstood the defections of Gervinho and Yohan Cabaye this summer to Arsenal and Newcastle United, respectively, leaving them with more than enough quality players to give the powers of England, Spain and Italy a run for their money. 

Dark Horses

Borussa Dortmund

Disrespectful as it may seem to refer to the reigning champions of the Bundesliga as a "dark horse," that is exactly the position in which Dortmund find themselves as the start of Champions League play draws near.

The Borussians, who grade out as the best club in pot four, hasn't competed for the European Cup since 2003, though they do have one in hand from their run in the 1996-97 edition of the tournament. Jurgen Klopp's club will enter group play with roughly the same first-team squad that won the Bundesliga last season, with the possible addition of Nicklas Bendter from Arsenal still on the horizon.

Chelsea

Say what you will about Chelsea and their aging first-team squad, but at least give credit to the talent and experience with which new manager Andre Villas-Boas will have the privilege of working on the way to a European championship.

The Blues will be without Michael Essien until at least the turn of the calendar year to 2012, though they've wasted no time and spared no expense to fill in the gap left behind by the Ghana international. The addition of Juan Mata from Valencia, along with youngsters Oriol Romeu from Barcelona and Romelu Lukaku from Anderlecht, figures to breath new life into the club while giving aging stars like Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole, not to mention the lifeless Fernando Torres, energy with which to work their magic one more time.

Best Qualifiers

Arsenal

Yes, Arsenal are clearly not the side they used to be, the side that could be penciled in to the group stage year in and year out.

Of course, the Gunners find themselves there once again, this time by way of dispatching Udinese 3-1 on aggregate in a Champions League playoff.

Arsene Wenger's side has more than their fair share of glaring deficiencies, to be sure, especially with Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri departed to Barcelona and Manchester City, respectively.

However, the cupboard at the Emirates isn't exactly left bare (see Robin van Persie and Theo Walcott, above). Arsenal will still be a top-seed in their group and, with a swath of players due to return to training soon and Wenger's pockets well-lined to make a big splash in the transfer market, should be in prime position to bring joy back to North London when group play gets underway.

Bayern Munich

Just two years removed from their runner-up finish to Inter Milan in the Champions League, Bayern find themselves back in the group stage as a top seed after defeating Zurich 3-0 on aggregate.

The Bavarians still boast a number of key contributors from that second-place European squad, including Franck Ribery, Arjen Robben, Bastian Schweinsteiger and 21-year-old Thomas Muller.

Disappointing as their third-place finish in the Bundesliga was last season, don't expect Jupp Heynckes' side to squander this golden opportunity to once again take Europe by storm.

Breakout Stars

Sergio Aguero

If Manchester City are to survive their first Champions League gauntlet, they will have Sergio Aguero to thank.

Kun arrived at Etihad in July by way of a £35 million transfer deal with Atletico Madrid and has done nothing but sparkle since. As if the Citizens' attack of Edin Dzeko, David Silva, Carlos Tevez and now Samir Nasri weren't enough, Aguero will leave defenders trembling every time he takes to the pitch, thereby giving City a legitimate chance to outscore any and every opponent they face in European competition.

Eden Hazard

 Eden Hazard has emerged as one of the finest young players in Europe throughout the last two years.

Now, the rest of the world will have the pleasure of seeing what the 20-year-old Belgium international is capable of on the biggest stage in football.

Hazard has been the subject of much transfer speculation of late, though Lille have refused all offers for their budding superstar, at least until next summer. In the meantime, the Mastiffs will rely on Hazard to carry an even greater burden on the pitch with Gervinho as attacking partner with the French champions last season, having departed for Arsenal this summer.

As such, Hazard will have every opportunity to live up to the lofty expectations of those who say he's the next Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo.

That is to say, the next big thing in football.

Storylines to Watch for

Players' Strike in Spain

While most Champions League participants are busy balancing their domestic commitments with their European obligations, the four representatives of La Liga—Barcelona, Real Madrid, Villareal and Valencia—remain concerned with simply keeping their players on the pitch to get the league fixtures back on track.

Following Barca's victory against Real Madrid in the Super Cup, the Association of Spanish Football Players went on strike regarding the withholding of more than $70 million in salary to more than 200 players in the top two tiers of Spanish football.

Spain's widespread financial woes have taken their toll on clubs across the country, even forcing traditional powers like Valencia to cut back significantly in recent years.

Should the picket lines continue into September, Spain's Champions League sides could be left behind in European competition without having had much opportunity to get themselves into fitness on the pitch.

Or, on the flip side, with fresher legs with which to dominate their continental competitors.

European Powers at Crossroads

At least three of this year's pot one participants find themselves dancing dangerously close to the edge of Europe's top tier.

Arsenal's summer struggles have been well documented. Arsene Wenger has had to sell off two of his top stars, Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri, to fellow Champions League sides while failing to secure quality replacements and watching first-teamers drop like flies with injuries.

Chelsea enter European play in better shape than their North London rivals, though the Blues have yet to establish a true replacement for the wounded Michael Essien. Furthermore, first-year boss Andre Villas-Boas is charged with the difficult task of bridging the generation gap between his youthful new boys and Chelsea's aging stalwarts.

As for Inter Milan, the 2009-2010 Champions League victors have plenty of problems of their own to address. The Nerazzurri will look to new manager Gian Piero Gasperini to reshape a squad in search of a replacement for Samuel Eto'o, who recently departed for Anzhi, all while fending off persistent rumors of Wesley Sneijder's imminent departure to Old Trafford. 

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