Champions League draw, Group D: Juventus, Manchester City face off in Group of Death

Group D for Death? You bet.

Italian champion Juventus was drawn into the fourth UEFA Champions League group Thursday, and was soon joined by English giants Manchester City, Spanish club Sevilla, and German outfit Borussia Monchengladbach.

Far from easy for any of these teams, but the former three will at least be slightly relieved to avoid Wolfsburg - who remained with Monchengladbach as the final two teams in the draw - from Pot 4.

Where teams in other groups have a bit of a relief in some of the continent's smaller teams, Group D features four big names, none of which can be discounted.

The saying goes that you need to beat the best to be the best, and for Juventus, replicating a march to the UEFA Champions League final means kicking off this season's campaign with a semifinal-level match against Manchester City.

The sleeper pick here is Sevilla. The Spanish outfit has won the last two iterations of the UEFA Europa League, and much of the team has stuck together. This is a tournament team through and through and one that cannot be taken lightly.

Ultimately, the Group of Death is little more than a turn of phrase, and it's tough to see Juventus or Manchester City faltering in this stage of the competition. City, in particular, has looked very impressive in the early going of the 2015-16 English Premier League season.

Juventus is dealing with the losses of key players like Arturo Vidal, Andrea Pirlo, Carlos Tevez, and Fernando Llorente, but still has plenty of quality in the squad to see them through. As for Monchengladbach, the German side will be glad to be in the competition, having beaten out teams like Schalke and Borussia Dortmund for the spot.

Predicted finish

1. Manchester City
2. Juventus
3. Sevilla
4. Monchengladbach