The UEFA Champions League makes its return as the first round of group games taking place on the 6th and 7th of September. This season's Champions League is going to be very different. Due to the World Cup taking place in November, all group games will be held from the 6th-7th of September to the 1st-2nd of November. Within the space of just two months, congesting the fixture list. Here is a preview of all eight groups and where they will likely finish by November.
GROUP A: AJAX, LIVERPOOL, NAPOLI & RANGERS
Group A would be interesting given all four teams' changes during the off-season. Ajax retained their
Eredivisie title but many of their key players and manager Erik ten Hag have
all left the Johan Cruyff Arena. Now, they have Alfred Schreuder as their new
manager and had their biggest transfer spree ever. Despite experiencing these
situations occasionally, the heavy turnover plus the change of manager could
hamper their chances of making out of the group but Ajax will still be Ajax. Liverpool was beaten in the Champions League Final in May, prompting big changes at Anfield. Mohamed Salah signed a new contract, but Sadio
Mane departed for Bayern Munich while Uruguayan striker Darwin Nunez came in
for a potential record fee from Benfica. Liverpool is having a stuttering start to the season which
will make their games away from home very tricky., making Having gotten close to achieving football immortality last season, maybe this season is looking like a comedown for the Reds. Napoli have let go of their
experienced core in Kalidou Koulibaly, Lorenzo Insigne, Dires Mertens and
Fabian Ruiz. They have brought in eight new players but a lot more
responsibility will have to come from the likes of Victor Osimhen, Hirving
Lozano and Piotr Zielinski. Naples has always been a tough place to go and
with a strong start to the season that few expected, Napoli could throw a
surprise. Rangers are back in the group stages in over a decade. Their European
exploits in the Europa League gained a lot of attention as they reached the
final losing to Eintracht Frankfurt on penalties. Now, manager Giovanni van
Bronckhorst is getting a full season as Rangers boss. Though they are the
weakest of the four, they will not leave any stone unturned and the atmosphere
at Ibrox will be extremely loud.
LIVERPOOL & NAPOLI to go through. RANGERS to the Europa League
GROUP B: FC PORTO, ATLETICO MADRID, BAYER LEVERKUSEN & CLUB BRUGGE
Group B is
that group that many will say is a Europa League group in terms of the quality
of the four teams. FC Porto won the Portuguese Primeira Liga last season, but their European exploits were cut short. Getting knocked out in the Champions
League group stages and were quickly eliminated in the Europa League Round of
16. Well experienced in Europe, reaching the quarterfinals in 2021, they have a
strong chance of making the knockouts despite losing Vitinha and Fabio Vieira. They
may have reached the last eight last season; it was a disappointment for
Atletico Madrid. Only just making Champions League places at the tail end of
last season. Not much business has been done at the Metropolitano with Axel
Witsel, Sergio Reguilon and Nahuel Molina coming in. Even though things do not look
for Diego Simeone, they should still make it to the knockout stage's top of the group. A lot more will have to come from Joao Felix, who many still have high hopes of coming good at Atletico. Bayer Leverkusen is back in the Champions League for the first time since 2019
and they have a plethora of players that will be looking to their mark this season.
Their major hitters include Patrik Schick, who scored 24 goals in the Bundesliga
last season. Moussa Diaby, Jonathan Tah, and Lukas Hradecky are also key players for
Leverkusen including young attacking midfielder Florian Writz, who is still
recovering from a knee ligament injury from last season. Considering the competition
in their group, Leverkusen will fancy their chances of getting to the knockout
stages. However, it does depend on their games against Atletico and Porto. Club
Brugge won the Belgian Pro League despite finishing second in the regular
season. They have lost young star Charles De Ketelaere to AC Milan, but they
still have their other star player Noa Lang plus signing Ukrainian striker
Roman Yaremchuk from Benfica. The weakest team in the group, Brugge has a lot
to do but last season's performances could get them encouragement after getting points
from PSG and RB Leipzig last season.
FC PORTO
& ATLETICO MADRID to go through. BAYER LEVERKUSEN to the Europa League
GROUP C: BAYERN MUNICH, FC BARCELONA, INTER MILAN & VIKTORIA PLZEN
The most
exciting group in the eyes of football fans, Group C is the group of death with
one major hitter missing out on the knockouts. Firstly, Viktoria Plzen has the
unfortunate honour of being in this group. However, they won the Czech First
Division last season and qualified for the group stages after a lengthy playoff
series beating HJK, Sheriff Tiraspol and Qarabag. However, their long road in
Europe most probably will not go beyond the group stages and may not get only points at all. FC Barcelona had the
biggest transfer window of any team across Europe, making seven signings including
Robert Lewandowski, Jules Kounde and Raphinha. Although they are still holes in
the squad, it looks well equipped to battle on multiple fronts this season.
Particularly in the Champions League, having not won it since 2015 and only
made the semifinals once since winning it. A lot of pressure will be on Xavi to gel all these players to gel together and create a side capable of going far in the competition. Inter Milan missed out on the
Scudetto last season and reached the knockout stages for the first time in a
decade. They have brought back Romelu Lukaku, having experienced success before
in Milan whilst keeping key players. With a settled squad and a more proven manager
in Simone Inzaghi, the
Nerazzurri really poses a threat to Barcelona and if
they get points off the Catalan club, they could make out of the group. Bayern Munich is one of the favourites to win it but suffered a shock exit to Villarreal in the
quarters last season. They also had a big transfer spree, signing Sadio Mane,
Matthijs de Ligt and Ryan Gravenberch to bolster their squad. Despite letting
go of Robert Lewandowski, Bayern looks more well-rounded and under the image of
Julian Nagelsmann. They are the favourites to go through at the top of the group and
could make it to the Final in Istanbul.
BAYERN MUNICH
& FC BARCELONA to go through. INTER MILAN to the Europa League
GROUP D: EINTRACHT FRANKFURT, TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR, SPORTING CP & MARSEILLE
Another
group that does not have any big hitters like Group B, stills gives the four
teams a strong chance to make a strong impression in Europe this season.
Eintracht Frankfurt made it to the group stages by winning the Europa League
and this will be their first appearance in Europe’s premier competition in over
six decades. Frankfurt fans carry a big atmosphere wherever they go in Europe
and having avoided the major teams, the Europa winners might feel there is a
chance for them to go through. Tottenham is the big favourite to go through at the top spot. They have backed Antonio Conte in the summer window and made it
back in the Champions League since 2019, the Lillywhites will be hoping for a
European run they had in the 2018/19 season, reaching the final. However, Conte’s
European record might say otherwise. Sporting made it to the knockout stages
last season, only to lose heavily to Manchester City in the Round of 16. Manager
Ruben Amorim has a lot of work on his hands, losing six key players from last
season despite his success at Sporting. Having had a tougher group the last
time around, Sporting has a chance, but this season feels a step too far. Marseille
had a fine year in 21/22, reaching the semifinals of the Conference League and
finishing second in Ligue 1. In typical Marseille fashion, chaos struck once
more. Coach Jorge Sampaoli left the club over disagreements with how the club
was run and they brought in Igor Tudor as his successor. They have lost William
Saliba and Boubacar Kamara, who were important last season, and their way of
playing has already changed with Tudor going for a more direct style of
play. Marseille’s recent record in the Champions League is poor. They have
not reached the knockouts since 2012 and the last appearance in the 20/21
season saw them finish bottom of the group. Despite an unbeaten start to Ligue
1 this season, that might not be replicated in Europe at the Velodrome.
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR & EINTRACHT FRANKFURT to go through. SPORTING CP to the Europa League
GROUP E: AC MILAN, CHELSEA, RED BULL SALZBURG & DINAMO ZAGREB
AC Milan finished bottom of their group last season. However, it did not matter as they went on to win the Scudetto for the first time since 2011. Their only major signings have been Divock Origi from Liverpool on a free transfer and Charles De Ketelaere from Club Brugge. What was important was keeping hold of their best players like Fikayo Tomori and Rafael Leao. Having that winning feeling back at the San Siro and a kinder group, the
Rossoneri should get through the group. Chelsea had the biggest transfer spree of their history, but it has not stopped the questions of whether they have done enough to improve their side. They have brought in Kalidou Koulibaly, Raheem Sterling and Marc Cucurella as their key signings. Not to mention signing Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang from Barcelona. Chelsea is a team that can navigate its way into cup competitions, which has continued under Thomas Tuchel. Having won the competition in 2021, Chelsea should get out of the group at the top spot and see how they fare in the knockouts. Red Bull Salzburg made it to the Round of 16 last season for the first time. Having dominated Austrian football for so long, they have been trying to make their mark in Europe for some time now. Despite losing important players, the ones to look out for are midfielder Luka Sucic, who is 19 years of age. Plus their strikers Benjamin Sesko and Noah Okafor. Dinamo Zagreb won the Croatian First Division last season and qualified to beat Ludogorets and Bodo/Glimt in the playoffs. The ones to watch are goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic and striker Josip Drmic. The weakest team in the group, Zagreb could take points away from the other teams, particularly at home but nothing more than that.
AC MILAN & CHELSEA to go through. RED BULL SALZBURG to the Europa League
GROUP F: REAL MADRID, RB LEIPZIG, SHAKHTAR DONETSK & CELTIC
Real Madrid did it again, winning the Champions League last season for a record-extending 14th time. They also did it in some fashion as well. Beating PSG, Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool along the way to win it. Not to mention the incredible performances of Karim Benzema and Vinicius Junior, who scored 19 goals between them in the Champions League last season. Carlo Ancelotti has made a few changes in the playing squad. They signed central defender Antonio Rudiger and central midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni, who now will come in to play at the base of midfield as long-serving defensive midfielder Casemiro left for Manchester United. A team of veterans who have won it all and young players who have tasted success already, do not be surprised to see Madrid not only top the group but reach the final as well. If last season was an indicator. RB Leipzig was forgetful last season, not going beyond the group stages. Having Jesse Marsch at the start but appointing Domenico Tedesco last December, they achieved success in the end winning the DFB-Pokal. Their first major trophy. Christopher Nkunku was their star man, scoring 35goals last season. With a strong supporting cast in Andre Silva, Dominik Szoboszlai and now Timo Werner, who returned after an unsuccessful stint at Chelsea, Leipzig should get out of the group, considering their competition. Shakhtar are having to play their games in the city of Lviv in Western Ukraine due to the ongoing conflict in the country. Due to the conflict, all their foreign players left either on loans or little fees. One player to look out for is Ukrainian winger Mykhaylo Mudryk, who attracted interest from Arsenal. Celtic won the Scottish Premiership last season but over the past few years, their performances in Europe have been more than awful. They have been refreshed under Ange Postecoglou, and have players of experience like Joe Hart and Aaron Mooy, captain Callum McGregor and a growing group of foreign players in Jota, Kyogo Furuhashi, Reo Hatate and Daizen Maeda. Celtic Park will bring in a strong atmosphere, which could be massive for the Celtic's chances of going through.
REAL MADRID & RB LEIPZIG to go through. CELTIC to the Europa League.
GROUP G: MANCHESTER CITY, SEVILLA, BORUSSIA DORTMUND & FC COPENHAGEN
Manchester City dramatically won the Premier League on the final day of the season and almost made it to the Champions League Final, only to lose it against Real Madrid in dramatic fashion as well in the semifinals. The pain from their defeat in the semis-, could be felt across Europe as they have signed one of the most in-demand players in Sterling Haaland from Borussia Dortmund. A terminator in nature and prolific with his finishing, it does not look good for anyone who comes in City's way. With four other signings like Kalvin Phillips, Sergio Gomez and Julian Alvarez, City should top their group, potentially with maximum points and be the favourite to win it this season. The city should hope Haaland does not suffer many injuries or a malfunction in his programming but even without the Norwegian, Pep has the means to go again. Sevilla suffered a big drop-off in the second half of last season, only just making the final Champions League spot plus getting knocked out in the group stages. They also lost their defensive pair last season as Jules Kounde and Diego Carlos both departed this summer window and pressure is on manager Julian Lopetegui as he has lost the support of some Sevilla fans for his defensive style of play. They are very prone to a regression this season which could affect their campaign in the Champions League. Borussia Dortmund has lost Haaland and sacked coach Marco Rose, prompting changes at the Westfalonstadion. They have brought Edin Terzic to take the reigns as Dortmund Boss and have backed him. Signing Sebastien Haller, who is still recovering from a tumour, Karim Adeyemi, Niklas Sule and Nico Schlotterbeck. With midfielder Jude Bellingham, the
Black and Yellow have the means to get through the group. They may have lost Haaland but Dortmund has managed to deal with the needs of their squad. FC Copenhagen FC Copenhagen won the Danish Superliga last season and beat Trabzonspor in the playoffs. Pep Biel was their top scorer with 18 goals but departed for Olympiacos. They will have a lot on their plate including facing a fellow Norwegian terminator.
MANCHESTER CITY & BORUSSIA DORTMUND to go through. SEVILLA to the Europa League
GROUP H: PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN, JUVENTUS, BENFICA & MACCABI HAIFA
Despite signing Hakimi, Wijnaldum, Sergio Ramos and Lionel Messi, Paris Saint-Germain fell below expectations last season, winning Ligue 1 in not conceiving fashion and was eliminated from the Champions League against Real Madrid with a whimper. The fortunate thing for the French champions was keeping Kylian Mbappe which have prompted changes in the backroom. Sacking Mauricio Pochettino and sporting director Leonardo and bringing in former Lille coach Christophe Galtier and sporting director Luis Campos. They have done some strong business signing Hugo Ekiteke, Vitinha, Fabian Ruiz and Renato Sanches. The drama will still follow PSG, with Neymar and Mbappe gaining attention both on and off the field. However, the
Parisians are trying to act like a football club and with a strong start playing some wonderful football, opinions on PSG will not change just yet despite them being one of the favourites. Juventus had a bad drop-off, finishing fourth and sixteen points behind the champions. Their summer business was fine, bringing in Angel Di Maria, Paul Pogba, Glesion Bremer and Filip Kostic. Maxi Allegri in his second spell in Turin has been underwhelming due to the style of play or lack thereof and poor results. Dusan Vlahovic is the main man in the attack but Pogba will be unavailable due to an injury. Juventus should get out of the group but they are vulnerable if they are not careful. Benfica surprised many in last season's Champions League, reaching the quarterfinals with Darwin Nunez scoring eight times. They have a new manager in Roger Schmidt, prompting big changes. Nunez is gone, but so are Roman Yaremchuk, Jota, Everton, Jan Vertoghen and Gedson Fernandes. Players to look out for in the Portuguese team are midfielder Enzo Fernandez, winger Rafa Silva and striker Goncalo Ramos. Maccabi Haifa won the Israeli Premier League last season and became the first Israeli club since Maccabi Tel-Aviv in 2015 to qualify for the Champions League. Their journey getting to the group stages was not straightforward, beating Olympiacos, Apollon Limassol and Red Star Belgrade to make it to the groups. A tough group as their reward, their journey will likely end here.
PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN & BENFICA to go through. JUVENTUS to the Europa League
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