Part two of my Champions League group stage predictions. Here is part one.
Group E
Winners: Chelsea, thus far this season, have been excellent going forward but utterly diabolical at the back. In a relatively weak group though, this won’t hurt them too much.
Runners-up: Sevilla won the Europa League (for a record sixth time) last season, but usually struggle when entering the big boys’ club. Like Chelsea though, they will benefit from a good draw and make it through to the knockout stages.
Third: Rennes seem decent enough, but success in French football is hardly a barometer of quality. Europa league seems more their level, particularly after losing goalkeeper Edouard Mendy to Chelsea over the summer.
Fourth: Krasnodar will, like most Russian sides in Europe, ultimately lack quality. Probably. To be honest I know bugger all about them.
Group F
Winners: Borussia Dortmund look to have assembled an exciting young side, notably featuring Erling Braut Haaland and Jadon Sancho (he’s particularly excellent). Can be suspect at the back and a tad inconsistent but will be good enough to top this group.
Runners-up: Lazio have started this season poorly on the domestic front, but last season put together a strong – if ultimately futile – title challenge. They should qualify fairly easily and won’t be far behind Dortmund.
Third: Zenit are another European regular who, being Russian, I know little about. I know they’re not as good as Dortmund and Lazio though.
Fourth: Club Brugge will struggle to compete with their far superior oppenents, just as they have in their last two Champions League excursions. They were busted straight down to the Europa League on both occasions, and Zenit will likely prove a tougher proposition to finish above than Galatasary and an abysmal Monaco did in those campaigns. Last.
Group G
Winners: Juventus are supposedly undergoing a (non-Maoist) cultural revolution at the moment under new manager Andrea Pirlo, with a number of younger players receiving opportunities. This is in the aid of improving the club’s prospects in Europe, where for the last decade their more conservative playing style has failed to bring success. They’ll win the group by virtue of being better than their opponents.
Runners-up: Barcelona’s 8-2 humiliation at Bayern’s hands in last season’s competition was no freak result, and they remain a deeply flawed outfit. A number of problem elements such as Busquets, Ousmane Dembele and the wantaway Lionel Messi remain at the club, and while I expect them to qualify for the next round it will only be by virtue of having been drawn in what is (outside of Juventus) a poor group.
Third: Dynamo Kyiv are, regrettably, not of the same class as wither of the teams I have above them. They should, however, be better than Ferencváros.
Fourth: Ferencváros have done well to advance the cause of Hungarian football by reaching the group stage, but that will be as far as they get.
What I really want to say about this group though is that I am supremely uninterested in it. The meeting of Messi and Ronaldo will likely excite many – particularly those who write headlines for the tabloids – but it does not interest me. Ronaldo is 35 and playing in a good side, but one trying to evolve, while Messi simply no longer wants to be at Barcelona. This will be no all-or-nothing clash of titans. Given the supremacy of their two sides to Dynamo Kyiv and Ferencváros, their meetings are unlikely to matter much at all.
Group H
Winners: PSG fell at the final hurdle in last season’s tournament, extending their European pain. They have not significantly strengthened over summer but did retain all their considerable attacking talent. This will be more than enough to see them through to the knockout stages as group winners.
Runners-up: Manchester United will, sadly, qualify from the group. They seem to have finally got underway at the weekend with a 4-1 win against Newcastle, after a dire start to the season. If their quality doesn’t see them through the group, their luck will. It is a commodity that rarely seems to be in short supply at Old Trafford.
Third: RB Leipzig lost Timo Werner to Chelsea over the summer but have started the new season superbly regardless. They were unlucky to be drawn in the group of death, but I hope they can spring a surprise and qualify.
Fourth: Istanbul Basaksehir lack the ability of their three opponents and have started their domestic season poorly to boot. They will finish bottom of the group.
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