The Champions League draw is out and Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City are prepared to discover their fate – who will go through and who will face an early exit?
Photo: YiAN Kourt / Shutterstock.com
The UEFA Champions League: Europe’s elite football tournament. The very reason why English teams are hell-bent on finishing in the top four of the Barclay’s English Premier League (EPL) each season.
Chelsea looks to have the easiest path to qualification from the group stages but can we say the same for the other clubs?
Let’s take a look at each team’s group and their chances.
Photo: Laszlo Szirtesi / Shutterstock.com
Liverpool [Group B]
Opponents: Real Madrid (Spain), Basel (Switzerland) & Ludogorets Razgrad (Bulgaria)
Back in the Champions League after a four-year absence, it doesn’t get any bigger for Liverpool as they face defending champions Real Madrid. Basel won’t be any pushovers too, and the tricky tie against the Swiss side will be key to determining their progress into the second round.
Debutants Ludogorets should be interesting to watch as well, after their dramatic entry into the competition. They had to rely on a defender to save two penalties in a shootout to reach the group stages.
Prediction: 2nd in group
Arsenal [Group D]
Opponents: Borussia Dortmund (Germany), Galatasaray (Turkey) & Anderlecht (Belgium)
The Gunners should qualify from this group but the question is whether they can do so as group winners. They face familiar foes Dortmund for the third time in four seasons, and getting a result in those games (home and away) will be key in determining
top spot.
Finishing second in the group has been their downfall in recent seasons, so Arsene Wenger had better not mess this up again.
Prediction: 2nd in group
Photo: Maxisport / Shutterstock.com
Manchester City [Group E]
Opponents: Bayern Munich (Germany), CSKA Moscow (Russia) & AS Roma (Italy)
It’s the “Group of Death” yet again for City! But, seeing how they have steadily improved in Europe over previous seasons, you would think they’ve learnt their lesson.
Roma won’t be a walk in the park while the distance to travel to play CSKA Moscow will take a toll but the match against Bayern is the biggest of them all. Still, I back them to qualify, albeit by the skin of their teeth.
Prediction: 2nd in group
Chelsea [Group G]
Opponents: Schalke 04 (Germany), Sporting Lisbon (Portugal) & NK Maribor (Slovenia)
The Champions League gods must be smiling on Jose Mourinho’s men as they couldn’t have asked for a better draw. Schalke seems to be the biggest test in the group but their level is nowhere near the pedigree of the Blues.
I’d go as far to predict that Mourinho will use his second team for the last two games.
Prediction: 1st in group
By Ahmad Khan
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About Ahmad Khan
Ahmad Khan (@AhmadKhan12) is a presenter for Red Card Sports Radio. He has the potty idea that football makes the world go round and is convinced that the beautiful game forges greater bonds than the United Nations.
Call 6281 1898 and join him in his rant about football every weekday from 6pm-8pm, on #RedCardDRIVETIME, and every weekend just before the EPL matches on #RedCardLIVE.
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