Chelsea three lessons from a glorified Champions League friendly

3. Coming first did not guarantee Chelsea an easy Round of 16 ride by any means

Ever since UEFA changed how teams were potted for Champions League groups, coming first versus second has become less important. Coming first still slightly increases the odds of a decent Round of 16 opponent, but not so much so that it is the be all end all. If anything, playing away first and at home second is the more important advantage gained.

As things currently stand with only half the groups finished, Porto, Lazio, and Barcelona will be potential opponents. Group A is down to Atletico (a nightmare draw for Chelsea) and Salzburg. Group D could be Ajax or Atalanta, either of which would be fine. Group H needs to be finished after yesterday’s unsavory events and it could go between Paris Saint-Germain and RB Leipzig. Both would be tricky, but beatable on current form. Group B is the true no one really knows situation. All of Gladbach, Shakhtar, Real Madrid, and Inter Milan could finish second yet.

All of this is to say that coming first could see Chelsea potentially against a handful of easy enough opponents, a handful of tricky but beatable opponents, and then a handful of teams the Blues would rather face in the semifinals at the earliest. Knowing Chelsea’s luck, the Blues will get drawn against the toughest possible opponent (also known as the anti Manchester City draw).

That may disappoint some but for others it will be exciting. After all, why play in the Champions League if you aren’t prepared to play the very best? The draw is Monday and the next round is a long time from now, so the Blues will have plenty of time to prepare.

What lessons did you learn from this one? Let us know in the comments and on Twitter!