Group A
After Liverpool’s detached begin to the season, the Champions League affords little respite. With Erik ten Hag departed after 5 seasons that yielded plenty of notable European outcomes, Ajax are one thing of an unknown amount beneath Alfred Schreuder, who managed Hoffenheim and was an assistant at Ajax and Barcelona earlier than overseeing the top of final season at Membership Brugge. He performs the acquainted high-pressing Ajax model of soccer, however has to take care of the exodus of Lisandro Martínez, André Onana, Sébastien Haller, Noussair Mazraoui and Ryan Gravenberch, with Antony maybe quickly to hitch them. Napoli, buoyed by the Georgian wonderkid Khvicha Kvaratskhelia , all the time represents a tough journey, and the environment at Rangers, again within the group levels after 12 years, is unlikely to be any much less fervent.
Predicted order: 1 Liverpool 2 Napoli 3 Ajax 4 Rangers
Group B
What Group B lacks in star energy it makes up for in intrigue. Sérgio Conçeiçao’s Porto have develop into habitually awkward opponents lately, eliminating Juventus the season earlier than final. There’s been the same old summer time flux on the Portuguese champions, with six gamers departing, amongst them Fábio Vieira to Arsenal, and 4 gamers arriving, however home kind has up to now been unaffected, with three wins out of three within the league. For Atlético, the story is a well-recognized certainly one of whether or not Diego Simeone can evolve to a extra progressive model, with monetary pressures starting to chew. Bayer Leverkusen completed third within the Bundesliga and have largely stored that aspect collectively however this marketing campaign has begun with 4 straight defeats. Membership Brugge are Belgian champions, however with Carl Hoefkens changing Schreuder as coach, this looks like a season of transition.
Predicted order: 1 Porto 2 Atlético 3 Leverkusen 4 Brugge
Group C
With out query probably the most glamorous group, with 14 titles between the edges. For Barcelona, Bayern, who beat them twice within the group stage final season and inflicted an 8-2 defeat on them within the 2020 quarter-final, signify a helpful check. After years of stagnation, Barça are maybe able to compete once more with the elite, having introduced in Robert Lewandowski , Raphinha, Franck Kessié, Andreas Christensen and Jules Koundé in a frankly inexplicable and really dangerous spending spree. Inter beat Barça and Bayern on their solution to the 2010 title and have reprised the Romelu Lukaku-Lautaro Martínez partnership. Bayern, having signed Sadio Mané and Matthijs de Ligt, have began the season by profitable three out of three, however home kind isn’t a problem. The Czech champions, Viktoria Plzen, make up the group.
Predicted order: 1 Bayern 2 Barca 3 Inter 4 Plzen
Group D
For Tottenham, the draw might have been worse. They’ve the stadium, they’ve the supervisor and with the arrival of Richarlison, Yves Bissouma and Ivan Perisic they maybe now can significantly problem once more, however when it comes to their progress maybe most important is having drawn Eintracht Frankfurt, the weakest of the Pot 1 sides. They got here eleventh within the Bundesliga final season, have misplaced Filip Kostic and never received a league recreation but this time period. Sporting completed six factors behind Porto final season and have already suffered a 3-0 defeat to them this season. Add in a 3-3 draw with Braga on the opening day and there are main issues over Rúben Amorim’s aspect. After final season’s second-place end, Marseille have spent a web £60m so as to add Alexis Sánchez, Jordan Veretout, Chancel Mbemba and Mateo Guendouzi.
Predicted order: 1 Tottenham 2 Marseille 3 Sporting 4 Eintracht
Group E
Profitable the Scudetto for the primary time in 11 years was a primary step in restoring Milan to greatness; the following is European progress — however it’s 10 years since Milan final reached the quarter-finals. Divock Origi and Charles De Ketelaere have arrived to bolster the assault, however probably the most important switch exercise could be the departure of Franck Kessié. Chelsea have been wildly inconsistent already this season and can in all probability add to their squad earlier than the window closes, however the largest drawback stays the shortage of a constant goalscorer. RB Salzburg reached the final 16 for the primary time final season, however their existence stays Sisyphean, constructing a aspect after which promoting their finest expertise: 10 gamers left this summer time. Dinamo Zagreb stay trapped between ranges: they’ve received 16 of the previous 17 Croatian titles however have solely received three of 36 group matches.
Predicted order: 1 Chelsea 2 Milan 3 Salzburg 4 Dinamo
Group F
Maybe probably the most outstanding facet of Group F is that, regardless of the conflict, Shakhtar are ready to participate, albeit enjoying residence video games in Warsaw, having misplaced massive numbers of gamers after Fifa allowed them to interrupt their contracts. The go to of the European champions, Actual Madrid, specifically might be an emotional event. How good Madrid are stays unclear. Their success final season appeared much less the results of any nice plan than the ending of Karim Benzema, the goalkeeping of Thibaut Courtois and an implacable self-belief. Casemiro has left, with Aurélien Tchouameni and Antonio Rüdiger arriving. RB Leipzig have misplaced Nordi Mukiele and Tyler Adams and gained Timo Werner however have had a tough begin, taking simply two factors from three video games. Celtic, a lot improved beneath Ange Postecoglou, have an inexpensive probability of a notable victory or two and even perhaps sneaking second.
Predicted order: 1 Actual Madrid 2 Leipzig 3 Celtic 4 Shakhtar
Group G
The apparent headline is the assembly of Erling Haaland and Borussia Dortmund, the membership he left for Manchester City. It’s to win the Champions League that he has largely been signed, as Metropolis look to discover a larger ruthlessness in entrance of objective within the hardest video games. These usually are not more likely to arrive within the group stage although. Dortmund, who’ve changed Haaland with Sébastien Haller and Anthony Modeste, stay inconsistent beneath Jürgen Klopp’s former assistant Edin Terzić. Sevilla mounted a obscure title problem for a time in Spain final season however defeat to Osasuna after which a draw at residence to Actual Valladolid suggests a repeat is unlikely regardless of a summer time by which the one participant of actual significance they misplaced was the centre-back Diego Carlos. Copenhagen are again within the group stage after a six-year hiatus.
Predicted order: 1 Manchester Metropolis 2 Dortmund 3 Sevilla 4 Copenhagen
Group H
The standard of Benfica will outline Group H. Roger Schmidt’s aspect have began the season impressively, dismissing Midtjylland and Dynamo Kyiv within the playoffs by a mixed whole rating of 12-2. In the event that they take factors from the Pot 1 and a pair of sides, the group might be very powerful. PSG have scored 17 targets of their first three league video games, with Lionel Messi apparently re-energised. However hammering Ligue 1 opposition shouldn’t be the very best stage of European competitors. Juventus are determined to return to former glories after ending fourth in every of the previous two seasons. Paul Pogba, Ángel Di María and Filip Kostic have arrived with Matthijs de Ligt, Aaron Ramsey and Paulo Dybala all departing. Maccabi Haifa, of their first group-stage look for 13 years, are the lowest-ranked aspect within the competitors.
Predicted order: 1 PSG 2 Juventus 3 Benfica 4 Maccabi Haifa
