0 in the first stage of a football cup competition, a group containing several of the best teams in the competition, not all of whom can move onto the next stage: --
The group of death has three teams - Arsenal, Napoli and Dortmund - who could all potentially win the tournament.
After the draw for a tournament has been made, debates often arise about which of the preliminary groups is the group of death.
Fans may describe as the group of death any tough group which contains their favoured team.
Lack of consensus about which is the group of death can fuel debates among fans and journalists.
There may be an emphasis on the group of death having a tight finish, with all four teams in contention.
Typically, a group of death will see an unusual match-up of heavyweight sides, due to a quirk in the seeding system.
This was called the group of death for black humour.
The group of death has become the group of life.
