Pretenders and Contenders: Predicting the Champions League Group Stage

Group E: Bayern Munich (Germany), Ajax (Netherlands), AEK Athens (Greece), SL Benfica (Portugal)

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Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski

Prediction:

1. Bayern Munich
2. Ajax
3. SL Benfica
4. AEK Athens

No surprise here. 6 German titles in a row, 4 UCL semi-finals in the last 5 seasons and what possibly could be the world's deepest squad just got deeper, as they now also have Canadian 17-year-old prodigy Alphonso Davies (Vancouver Whitecaps, 10 million euros), Germany midfielder mainstay Leon Goretzka (Schalke 04, free) and both Renato Sanches and Serge Gnabry returning from their loans. Die Roten could easily have a go at winning the whole thing.

Ajax's young core of Matthijs de Ligt and Hakim Ziyech coupled with their summer signings Daley Blind (Manchester United, 16 million euros) and Dusan Tadic (Southhampton, 11.40 million euros) should make up for the departure of Justin Kluivert, putting them over the hump after another 2nd place finish in the Eredivisie.

Their second place counterpart over in Portugal, Benfica, have conversely lost ground in the summer market, losing key midfielder Joao Carvalho to Nottingham Forest and sending Anderson Talisca out on loan again.

Winners of the Greek league, AEK Athens return to the Champions League for the first time since 2006, though barring a marvelous performance on their part, they are mainly there to make up the numbers.