UEFA Champions League Group Stage Draw 2015/2016

With the Champions League group stage almost upon us, here is my prediction as to how each group will pan out:

  

Group A – PSG, Real Madrid, Shakhtar Donetsk, Malmo

Without doubt, PSG and Real Madrid lead the way in Group A. PSG have largely underachieved in this competition of late and Laurent Blanc will be hoping to turn the Parisian’s fortunes around. I fancy the Madrid to top the group, with PSG winning one of the matches against the Spanish Royals. As for Shakhtar, Douglas Costa will be sorely missed and Malmo won’t offer the top seeds much of a challenge as they are just happy to be welcoming European powerhouses to Sweden.

Group B – PSV, MUFC, CSKA, Wolfsburg

United fans have a reason to be optimistic about their chances in the group stage. The match against PSV will see Memphis Depay return to visit his former club. While it is a tricky group, United should be looking to win all their home games and sneak and draw or preferably a win at the away fixtures. Away, all games will test United through a mix of travelling, fearsome atmospheres as well as the decent players they will face. Undoubtedly, City have done their neighbours a favour in buying Wolfsburg’s best player. To qualify, I tip United, and Wolfsburg with PSV gaining the Europa League spot.

Group C – Benfica, Atletico, Galatasaray, Astana

Astana become the first Kazakhstan side to qualify for the Champions League, and will no doubt cause people to complain about the air miles they will rack up. Atletico will be favourites for this group and it will be an interesting affair for the second spot. Benfica are the Portuguese champions and we know about the pedigree of some of the Galatasaray players. Both sides endured dismal campaigns last year, finishing bottom of their respective groups. I tip Benfica to get second spot while the Turks will claim the Europa League spot.

Group D – Juventus, MCFC, Sevilla, B. M'Bach

Another ‘nightmare’ group for City fans that may not turn out to be that bad. Last year’s runners up, Juventus are yet to get off the mark in Serie A, recording two losses against Udinese and Roma respectively. Likewise, Monchengladbach are rooted to the bottom of the table, losing all three of their opening Bundesliga games. With City splashing the cash on some real talent, I think they will top this group and mount a real challenge towards the latter stages. I’m also tipping Juventus to progress while the German side struggle to be rooted to the bottom.

Group E – Barcelona, Leverkusen, Roma, BATE

Ready to defend their crown, Barcelona will be pleased with their group and I fully expect them to have qualification wrapped up with matches to spare. Roma have been disappointing in 2015 so far, winning just 11 of their games in all competitions. With Javier Hernandez on the verge of completing his move to Leverkusen, he will provide extra fire power to compete for a starting spot with Stefan Keißling. Although only two games in, Roma have started the season well and I would tip them for that second spot with Leverkusen in third.

Group F – Bayern, AFC, Olympiacos, Dinamo Zagreb

How many times over the last few years have Arsenal faced Bayern Munich in the Champions League? I think the qualification places already write themselves, barring a major upset. Bayern haven’t been the same side since they won the competition in 2013, and Pep Guardiola will be looking to prove to his doubters that he can win a Champions League without Lionel Messi. They will top the group, with Arsenal in second. While Arsenal have beaten the German champions injh Munich before, Wenger’s inadequacies in the transfer market leaves his side a long way off competing with the top European clubs.

Group G – Chelsea, Porto, Dynamo Kyiv, M. Tel-Aviv

Chelsea have had a poor start to the 2015/2016 campaign but should be confident about qualifying from their group. They have been handed a relatively comfortable group, which sees Jose Mourinho return to face the club that he won the Champions League with. Most people expect Chelsea to top, with Porto following behind. As for the other two, Dynamo have sought after midfielder Andriy Yarmolenko and Aleksander Dragovic while the Israeli side are under the stewardship of Jordi Cryuff and are looking dominant in the Israeli league. I’m predicting a Dynamo third place finish.

Group H – Zenit, Valencia, Lyon, Gent

Last but certainly not least, Group H. While it may not house any of the top European sides, it shouldn’t be taken lightly. Lyon have a fantastic set up in central France, producing some top talents such as Nabil Fekir and Alexandre Lacazette. Retaining that talent has led them to struggle to compete with the top sides in Europe. Similarly, Valencia have decent players within their ranks. New purchase Rodrigo will form a partnership with Alvaro Negredo while Pablo Piatti will pull the strings in midfield. Both Shkodran Mustafi and Aymen Abdennour will provide muscle at the back. It will be an amusing watch to see which side will come out on top.

The new regulations for the Champions League groups have thrown up some interesting ties, who do you think will top the groups?