UEFA rank Liverpool as third best

Jun 22 2007 by Nick Smith, Liverpool Daily Post

LIVERPOOL have earned their highest Champions League seeding yet for next season’s competition.

Although Rafael Benitez’s side have to navigate the qualifiers after finishing third in the Premiership, they have risen one place to third in the rankings after reaching this year’s final off the back of lifting the trophy in 2005.

The two winners since then, AC Milan and Barcelona, are the only sides that are seeded higher than Liverpool.

And if they make the group stages, they are guaranteed to avoid another English club after Chelsea were finally granted a place among the top eight.

The former Barclays Premiership champions have missed out before now having failed to amass enough ‘co-efficient’ points.

But UEFA have now installed Jose Mourinho’s side among the top seeds, meaning the now-deposed English champions will be handed a supposedly easier group stage draw in the coming season.

Milan, winners in Athens against Liverpool last month, are top seeds (133.808 points) followed by Barcelona (119.374), then Liverpool (112.618) and Inter Milan (107.808).

Arsenal are England’s second-highest seeds with 104.618 followed by new Spanish champions Real Madrid (104.374), Chelsea (99.618) and Premiership champions Manchester United (also 99.618).

Seedings are based on the club’s performances in Europe over the preceding five years as well as th ranking of their national association.

Therefore, Champions League debutants Sevilla, although not among the eight, have a relatively high ranking score due largely to their double UEFA Cup triumph over the last two years.

Chelsea have been drawn with Barcelona in the group phase twice in the last three years because the Catalan side have been seeded. The Blues’ new status, however, means they will avoid Barca and other top teams until the knockout phase.

The advantage of seeding was clear to see in Liverpool’s run to the knockout stages last year as they easily brushed aside Bordeaux, PSV Eindhoven and Galatasaray in their group.

England is the only country to have all of their teams seeded for the tournament, which climaxes with the final in Moscow next May.

Meanwhile, Liverpool midfielder Danny Guthrie has boosted his chances of making an impact in the Premiership by signing on a season-long loan at Bolton Wanderers.

The 20-year-old spent the second half of last season playing in the Championship for Southampton and helped them reach the promotion play-offs.

But Bolton manager Sammy Lee has seen enough to convince him that Guthrie can make an impact in the top flight.

He said: “Danny is a dynamic midfielder who is very comfortable on the ball.

“He has a tremendous work ethic and has got a great engine. He is a very good passer who will suit our type of football.”

Guthrie broke through into the Liverpool first team last season and made seven appearances – three in the League Cup, three in the Premiership, and the other in the Champions League group game in the Ataturk Stadium against Galatasaray.