Group Stage Predictions

Group A

Paris Saint-Germain Real Madrid Shakhtar Donetsk Malmo

It’s a very big ask for either Shakhtar or Malmo to finish above either PSG or Madrid to earn a place in the last sixteen. Shakhtar are a dangerous team but they are far from the level of PSG or Madrid. Malmo you imagine will be the whipping boys of this group, they overcame Celtic to make the group phase but I don’t think they are going to have enough to keep up with the other three sides in this group. With every passing season the expectation level rises at PSG, they are almost certs for the French League every year but with the money spent and the squad they’ve

My UEFA Champions League 2015/16 Predictions

now got they need to come a lot closer in Europe. They improve slightly every year but have yet to reach the final four and by now I’m sure the PSG owners will be expecting them to get to finals and soon enough win the competition. They have splashed the cash again bringing in Angel Di Maria from Man United and if they see more of the player who played in Madrid rather than the one we saw in Manchester they’ll need to be taken even more seriously this year in this competition. Madrid are coming off the back of a poor season in which they said goodbye to Carlo Ancelotti and have welcomed Rafa Benitez. I’m not sure at all that he is the right man for the Madrid job, I think he could easily be in danger of becoming engulfed by the size and expectation level of that club. They still without question have one of the best squads in Europe even minus David De Gea so you’d think they would be there or there abouts again but if I were a Madrid fan I wouldn’t have much faith in Benitez. So for that reason I’m putting my neck on the line and saying PSG just about edge top spot in this group.

Prediction:

Group B

PSV Manchester United CSKA Moscow Wolfsburg

1st Paris Saint-Germain2nd Real Madrid3rd Shakhtar Donetsk4th Malmo

Man United haven’t been drawn with a big European powerhouse here but this group is far from easy. PSV, Moscow and Wolfsburg are three very good and dangerous teams so this group isn’t going to be a stroll in the park for United although they will be relieved that they haven’t landed themselves a Barcelona or a Bayern Munich. Many people think United aren’t good enough to win the Premier League so I doubt many will have them down as potential winners in this competition either. And it is a long shot but Van Gaal was plenty of winning experience in this competition so United could be ones to watch in Europe although I think they may struggle at times because their squad is lacking depth in a good few areas. Memphis will return to PSV first up, the Dutch Champions have sold arguably their two best players in Memphis to United and Wijnaldum to Newcastle but they’re still a decent side, they’d have to be to be champions of Holland, you don’t win titles with just two players. Moscow is always a dangerous assignment, tricky opponents and the travelling is never easy plus Wolfsburg are in there too and they may have lost De Bruyne to Man City but I believe they’ve replaced him with an equally good player in Draxler from Schalke and are arguably the best Germany has to offer after Bayern. I think the Germans will be United’s toughest challengers in this group and I’ll predict them to go through with Van Gaal’s side but I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see United miss out on top spot, in fact it wouldn’t be such a shock to see two sides from this group finish above United and send them packing early.

Prediction: 1st Manchester United2nd Wolfsburg3rd CSKA Moscow4th PSV

Group C

Benfica Atletico Madrid Galatasaray Astana

This is a pretty open group and although I don’t hold out much hope for Astana I think the two qualifying spots are up for grabs. It’s Astana’s first taste of Champions League football, they’ve earned their spot as the champions of Kazakhstan but this is a completely different world and I’ll think they’ll struggle to live with the quality of their three opponents. You’d probably make Atletico the favourites out of the other three teams, I like the quality they’ve brought in this summer, in particular Jackson Martinez from Porto. So I can see them topping the group which brings it down to Benfica and Galatasaray for the runners up spot. Both sides have good quality in their team, the sort of quality that should be playing Champions League football. So I think second spot could be decided by the two games those two play against each other and at a push I’ll say Benfica with that little something extra I think they have over the Turks will shade second spot.

Prediction: 1st Atletico Madrid2nd Benfica3rd Galatasaray4th Astana

Group D

Juventus Manchester City Sevilla Borussia Monchengladbach

This group is far from easy for City, it could’ve been worse but then again it could’ve been much easier. They need to improve drastically in Europe, they have spent enough money and have enough of an established squad to be doing much better than the last sixteen every season. They should be reaching at the bare minimum quarter finals by now, honestly they should be making the last four and are capable of playing in the final. And when you consider the big money they’ve spent again this summer they have to start producing far better in Europe. But as I said this group is far from a walkover, you’ve got the Italian Champions and last season’s runners up, the Europa League winners and Monchengladbach who’ll be no mugs. Juventus enter this group as top seeds, they’ve done very well to keep hold of Paul Pogba, they’ll have an even more difficult task keeping him next summer but when you consider the clubs interested in him and the money rumoured they were prepared to spend for him it’s definitely the best bit of business Juve have done keeping him. They’ve strengthened the depth of their squad and they’ve desperately needed to because the likes of Tevez, Pirlo and Vidal will prove to

be big losses but they have brought well however it’s difficult to envision them performing as well this season in this competition than last. Sevilla enter this group as Europa League winners so they are to be taken as a serious threat but could have had it much easier than being put in there with Juve and City. You’d therefore look at Monchengladbach as the outsiders of this group however they’re a half decent side and have earned their spot in this season’s competition ahead of the likes of Dortmund and Schalke so they’re not to be taken lightly. However I think Juve and City should definitely have enough to make it through here, and I’ll take a punt and say City will manage to top the group which should give them an easier task in the last sixteen.

Prediction:

Group E

Barcelona Bayer Leverkusen Roma BATE Borisov

The defending champions have been handed a group you imagine they would’ve taken before the draw was made. They’ve got some competition in Leverkusen and Roma here but Barcelona deserve to be defending champions, they are the best the European game currently has to offer and despite Leverkusen and Roma being two sides not to be taken lightly you don’t see them threatening Barca’s

1st Manchester City2nd Juventus3rd Sevilla4th Borussia Monchengladbach

place in the next phase. BATE are the outsiders in this group, it would be some achievement by them if they sneaked the third place spot sending them to the Europa League but even that would be too much to ask for them you’d think. Everyone will expect Barcelona to top this group comfortably and I do to, in fact I don’t think a side in the history of the Champions League since its 1992 inception has had a better chance of retaining the trophy which has yet to be done. So I think it brings it down to a fight between Leverkusen and Roma for the second qualifying spot and I think Roma may have the edge, They’ve added Edin Dzeko to their ranks and have started the season strongly, they’ve been the closest thing to a challenger Juventus have had in Italy in recent years and although Leverkusen had a decent showing in last season’s tournament only losing out to Atletico in a penalty shootout in the knockout phase I think the Italians will claim second spot.

Prediction:

Group F

Bayern Munich Arsenal Olympiakos Dinamo Zagreb

Arsene Wenger will be quite satisfied with this group, yes they’ve been thrown in there with Bayern Munich but neither of the other two sides should threaten their place in the last sixteen. The

1st Barcelona2nd Roma3rd Bayer Leverkusen4th BATE Borisov

problem for Arsenal is that if they finish in second below Bayern then they may find themselves up against one of the elite in the last sixteen again so that will be Wenger’s greatest concern. As I said Olympiakos and Zagreb don’t really stand a chance here, they’ll more than likely end up fighting it out over the third Europa League spot. It will come down to the two games between Arsenal and Bayern to decide who tops the group most likely and it’s still a big ask for Arsenal to get the better of those games to secure top spot. Bayern have added to their ranks another top quality midfielder in Vidal this summer, Pep Guardiola’s two seasons in charge though can be looked back on as pretty disappointing especially in Europe. Rumours suggest this will be his last season in charge at Bayern and they’ll be demanding he delivers at least one European title but whether he does or not you can’t see him there beyond this season. However I do see his side being good enough to top this group which could leave Arsenal in a difficult situation if the draw for the next phase doesn’t go there way.

Prediction:

Group G

Chelsea Porto Dynamo Kyiv Maccabi Tel-Aviv

1st Bayern Munich2nd Arsenal3rd Olympiakos4th Dinamo Zagreb

I don’t think Jose Mourinho could’ve handpicked a better group, this is a godsend for him and his side. No matter how poorly they’ve started the Premier League season this group should be a walkover and they should stroll through to the next round. Porto are the toughest competition here but I don’t think they even pose a serious threat to Chelsea here. The Portuguese side have lost their star striker in Martinez, that’s a huge blow for them but nevertheless you would expect them to have enough to see off Kyiv and Tel-Aviv to make the next phase. They’ll almost certainly finish in second place behind Chelsea and Kyiv and Tel-Aviv will fight it out for the Europa League spot. Chelsea have to improve on last season’s European effort and they’ve certainly been given a comfortable start.

Prediction:

Group H

Zenit St. Petersburg Valencia Lyon Gent

This is a very open group, Gent are the outsiders but you can definitely see any two of the other three sides making the next round. Andre Villas-Boas is still in charge at Zenit, he’s working with a good squad and a handful of talented players and is coming off the back of a league and cup double from last season. Valencia are

1st Chelsea2nd Porto3rd Dinamo Kyiv4th Maccabi Tel-Aviv

also ones to watch, after Madrid and Barcelona there is plenty of competition in Spain for those two converted Champions League spots but they’ve earned their place this year but questions will be asked about how much will losing Nicolas Otamendi to Man City affect them. On the other hand you have Lyon who were able to keep their star man in Alexandre Lacazette despite plenty of interest. This is Gent’s debut in the competition but they’ll have to spring a surprise or two to earn a spot in the next around ahead of at least two of the other teams in this competition. I don’t see Gent being capable of that but when it comes down to Zenit, Valencia or Lyon this group really is anybody’s. No one likes going to Russia so I think that may work in Zenit’s favour and I’ll say Valencia just beat Lyon to the punch for the other qualifying spot.

Prediction: 1st Valencia2nd Zenit St. Petersburg3rd Lyon4th Gent