When you hear the 'champions!', that synonymous theme music lets us know it is that time of year again, another season of Champions League football is upon us. The draw as usual threw up its combination of interesting groups, and some predictable match-ups, that we seem to see every season in the competition. Let us take a look at who will qualify from their groups for the knockout stage.
Group A
Paris Saint Germain
Real Madrid
Club Brugge
Galatasaray
Paris Saint Germain managed to keep hold of Neymar, and he scored an outrageous overhead kick in injury time on the weekend, to give them momentum going into their group opener against Real Madrid. An early season defeat against Rennes has meant Ligue 1 has started more interestingly than usual, but expect the Parisians to advance from this group, the question is, once they have can they actually make shockwaves in the knockout phase? Zinedine Zidane sets about trying to win his fourth Champions League, starting a campaign with Real Madrid for the first time without Cristiano Ronaldo, but they will still go through with PSG. New signing Eden Hazard has not got a great Champions League scoring record but expect him to be lively. Galatasaray, made some good moves in the summer bringing in the likes of Radamel Falcao (Monaco), Jean Michael Seri & Ryan Babel (Fulham), Mario Lemina (Southampton) and Steven N''Zonzi (Roma),they will be a difficult prospect especially at home, but they will fall short of qualification.
Group B
Bayern Munich
Tottenham Hotspur
Olympiacos
Red Star Belgrade
After drawing the likes of Barcelona and Inter Milan last year, things look slightly more straightforward for Tottenham this time around, although that still does make it easy for them. A surprising home league defeat to Newcastle, means they are already playing catchup, but after their european exploits last season they should have enough to get by here. Bayern will top the group, they look better now under Niko Kovac, and after struggling defensively despite winning another Bundesliga title last year, they have added French internationals Benjamin Pavard (Stuttgart) and Luis Hernandez (Atletico). At the other end, in come Phillippe Coutinho (Barcelona) and Ivan Perisic (Inter), and they will be a force again. Both Spurs and Bayern will need to be wary of their respective away trips to Greece and Serbia, both atmospheres will be hostile, and Spurs go to Olympiacos in their first game so need to be professional, or things could get complex for them in the group.
Group C
Manchester City
Shakhtar Donetsk
Dinamo Zagreb
Atalanta
It has come to the point where there is no reason to do a draw for Manchester City's Champions League groups anymore, just give them Shakhtar Dontesk, as City drew the Ukrainians for the third season on the trot in the group stage. With Croatian champions Dinamo Zagreb being next out of the pot, it looked like City would not have to field their strongest side in any match until Atalanta were drawn into Group C. The Italians shocked some with their third place finish in Serie A last season, and will cause problems in this group with their attacking style. Zagreb beat Liverpool last year in the group stage, and will fear no one, but they may not have enough to advance, despite having talisman Ghanaian Richmond Boakye back after a stint in China. In normal circumstances, Shakhtar's experience should bode them well, but I have a funny feeling that Atalanta will be who will advance with Manchester City to the next round.
Group D
Juventus
Atletico Madrid
Bayer Leverkusen
Lokomotiv Moscow
Group D, is one of the tougher groups, but the two biggest names in it, should be who get out of it. Juventus and Atletico lock horns again after meeting each other in the last 16 in the 2018/19 season, and they will both top the group, it is the order they are in which will be the issue. The early call, is that it may be Atleti, with Juventus adapting to life under new manager Maurizio Sarri. A goalless draw for Juve on the weekend away at Fiorentina did not give them the best preparation for their trip to the capital this week. But saying that Atletico lost away to Real Sociedad, so Juventus will feel that they can get a point and then go on to possibly top the group. Leverkusen, lost playmaker Julain Brandt to Dortmund, and also lost away to them 4-0 on the weekend, they I would think should have enough to get third and go into the Europa league. Lokomotiv, have added Joao Mario from Inter, and despite being fifth in their domestic league, they are only three points off the top and will not be short of confidence.
Group E
Liverpool
Napoli
Red Bull Salzburg
Genk
Liverpool and Napoli meet again in the group phase, after Liverpool's narrow 1-0 in the last group game of 2018/19, helped them scrape through to the next round, they of course after that went on to win the competition after that. Napoli, will be seeking revenge, and the two meet in the first group game. They will both qualify from Group E, but neither side can take Salzburg or Genk for granted, as they are champions of their respective countries and will not be pushovers. Liverpool have started the Premier League season as they finished it and are top with an 100% record, whereas Napoli got their second win of the Serie A season on Saturday at home to Sampdoria, keeping a clean sheet after conceding 7 in their opening two league games. Salzburg, lost their top scorer, Israeli Munas Dabbur to Sevilla and are now pinning their hopes on teenager Erling Haland, he may just be the reason they claim third from Genk.
Group F
Barcelona
Borussia Dortmund
Inter Milan
Slavia Prague
Barcelona and Inter repeat being in the 'group' of death' in the last campaign, as they are coupled together again in the toughest group this year. Add German runners-up Borussia Dortmund to the mix and we have ourselves quite a group. To round things off, Czech champions Slavia Prague, were in the Europa League last season, and beat Sevilla before falling to eventual champions Chelsea in the quarter finals, so anyone who thinks they will be easy to beat are mistaken. Barcelona, have stuttered in their start to La Liga with Lionel Messi out, but Luis Suarez returned on the bench and scored as they beat Valencia. Dortmund lost to Union Berlin in the Bundesliga, before bouncing back to beat Leverkusen, and they will need to be at their best to shed their 'bottlers' tag and emerge from this group. Inter, are now under the tutelage of Antonio Conte, and will be more organised and tighter at the back, early call is that it will be them who go through with Barca.
Group G
Zenit Saint Petersburg
Benfica
Olympique Lyonnais
Red Bull Leipzig
This is the most wide open group in the Champions League. Anyone of these four sides can go through to the knockout phase and how many points teams pick up on their travels, will go a long way to whether they get through. Leipzig are the early frontrunners in the Bundesliga and after avoiding defeat at home to Bayern on the weekend, they will feel they can stay up there for time being. Timo Werner is scoring goals, and if Emil Forsberg can stay fit, then I fancy them to advance. Zenit have a well balanced them and may just be who accompany them. The Russian champs are difficult to break down, and no one will enjoy travelling to Russia, the firepower of Artem Dzyuba and Sardar Azmoun may just get them over the edge. Benfica have lost teenage starlet Joao Felix to Atletico Madrid and will need the likes of Pizzi and Haris Seferovic to be at their best if they are to have any chance. Lyon are without captain Nabil Fekir who left for Real Betis, and need Memphis Depay who has had a very good start to the season for club and country to help fire them through, but may just fall short.
Group H
Chelsea
Ajax
Valencia
Lille Metropole
Ajax were seconds away from making last years final and lost captain Mathias de Ligt to Juventus, they troubled Bayern in the group phase last season and will believe that they can give Chelsea a run for their money here. Chelsea, are adapting to life under Frank Lampard, with the former club legend having his hand forced to use some of the young players with the club having a transfer embargo. If they are not intimidated by the big stage, then they can get out of the group, however it will be far from easy for the Londoners. Valencia let go of Marcelino, despite the head coach doing so well last term, and this may hinder them. Lille, sold top scorer Nicolas Pepe, but have a 20 year-old Nigerian Victor Osimhen currently lighting up Ligue 1, but their inexperience at this level may tell in the end. It is tough to call, but Ajax and Chelsea are the early picks to progress from Group H.
@DubulDee
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