Europe’s final 32 begin hunt for continental glory
By Sajan Jabbal, Contributor
Who will knock off the defending three-time UEFA Champions League winner Real Madrid? With the loss of icon, Cristiano Ronaldo, the door is swung wide open for Europe’s final 32 clubs to chase after club soccer’s most prominent team title. Here are the predictions for the Group Stage.
Group A
1. Athletico Madrid
2. Borussia Dortmund
3. AS Monaco
4. Club Brugge
Being last year’s Europa League champions, Atletico Madrid have a lot to prove. Manager Diego Simeone added some young talent in the summer: players like Thomas Lemar from Monaco, Gelson Martins from Sporting in Portugal and Rodri from Spain’s Villarreal. They will be looking to compete for a top spot in the Spanish league, as well as be successful in bringing a first Champions League to the fans. Borussia Dortmund will look to compete with Athletico for top spot. After a disappointing domestic and European performance last year, they added key players like Axel Witsel and Paco Alcacer, which will help them maintain the reputation as one of Europe’s best.
Group B
1. Barcelona
2. Inter Milan
3. Tottenham Hotspur
4. PSV Eindhoven
Every year it seems like Barcelona have a tendency to come out on top of the group stage, but tank when it comes to the knockout stages. The Catalan’s were an easy choice for top of the group, but look for them to be out of the knockout round much quicker than expected. The second spot is going to be a battle, and although Tottenham is the logical team to take second place, Inter Milan have been clicking on all cylinders to start the season. If their star players like Mauro Icardi and Sime Vrsaljko keep up their performance, they are going to give the Spurs a run for their money.
Group C
1. Paris Saint Germain (PSG)
2. Liverpool
3. Napoli
4. Red Star Belgrade
Although Paris Saint Germain was given the top spot in the league, watch out for Liverpool to be battling with them for the top spot. It is going to be a joy to watch the two teams with the best striker lineup, and we already got a taste of the talent when Liverpool beat PSG in a close match in the first game. Keep an eye on Napoli as well, they are second in the Italian league and are on fire right now.
Group D
1. F.C. Porto
2. Galatasaray
3. Lokomotiv Moscow
4. Schalke 04
Probably the easiest yet most competitive of groups, Group D is tough to predict because all of the teams are almost equal in kill and statistics. Porto was placed number one because finishing first in the Portuguese league last year and currently leading the league now, they are the team in the best form. Although Schalke won second place in the German league last year, they have had a horrific start to this season, and sitting in last place with no wins, they are in the worst form in the group.
Group E
1. Bayern Munich
2. Benfica
3. Ajax
4. AEK Athens
Bayern Munich seems to finish in first in everything but the Champions League. However they will look to get back to their winning ways this season with an easier group that they should coast through. Look for Benfica to win second place and as they will look to outperform their rivals Porto in this league, as well as domestically.
Group F
1. Manchester City
2. Olympique Lyonnais
3. Shakhtar Donetsk
4. Hoffenheim
After losing their first game in the Champions League, Manchester City will look to bounce back so they don’t suffer another loss. After demolishing the Premier League last season, they will look to do the same, and add a Champions Cup to their list of silverware. Lyon will battle Shakhtar for second place and being that they were already able to beat City in the first game, they are one step ahead.
Group G
1. Real Madrid
2. A.S. Roma
3. CSKA Moscow
4. FC Viktoria Plzeň
Defending champions, Real Madrid, will have an easy time getting out of the group stages with Roma being the only team that will compete with them. However, the knockout stages are not going to be easy without their star Ronaldo, as he made the move to Juventus in the offseason. They will look for scoring options from Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema and will need them to perform if they are going to have another chance at winning its fourth Champions League in a row.
Group H
1. Juventus
2. Man U
3. Valencia
4. Young Boys
Juventus should not have trouble winning group H this season. They upgraded their offence by adding Ronaldo and will look to make a large impact this season. Although Manchester United is predicted second place, the turmoil in the dressing room as well as the fiery attitude of manager Jose Mourinho is something to be worried about. History tells us that when it comes to Manchester United, anything can happen.
