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It is that time of the year again. 32 teams start their journey once again to fight it out in the hopes of lifting that beautiful big eared cup, and be called the champions of Europe.
Matchday 1 presents a large number of absolutely delicious match-ups. We look at the individual matches and try to predict who will remain standing when the dust settles at the end of Matchday 1.
Group A - Atletico Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Club Brugge, AS Monaco
Club Brugge vs Borussia Dortmund
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Club Brugge from Belgium and Borussia Dortmund from Germany go up against each other at Jan Breydel Stadion in Bruges. The Belgians often struggle in the UCL and they will be trying to put an end to their winless run in the elite competition.
The Millionaires aim to kick off their campaign in style and everything points to the fact that they will go all guns blazing in their opener. Look-out for Marco Reus, who decided to stay put at the club in the summer transfer window
Prediction: 1-2
Monaco vs Atletico Madrid
Stade Louis II in Monaco will host Tuesday's game between AS Monaco and Spanish giants Atletico Madrid. Monaco faced all sorts of problems in the group stage last term, with the team being able to pick up only 2 points from a possible 18 in the process.
Les Rouges et Blancs are no longer the exciting side from a couple of seasons ago, and it is no surprise they are seen as the underdogs.
Los Rojiblancos probably have all the motivation necessary for the Champions League this season as they'll be the hosts to the finals in June. Antoine Griezmann is likely to pose a big threat for the opposition defenders in their Champions League opener.
Prediction: 0-2
Group B - FC Barcelona, Internazionale, PSV, Tottenham Hotspur
FC Barcelona vs PSV
The Spanish champions kick off their UCL campaign with a match against Dutch side PSV. The Catalans have made a flying start to their LaLiga campaign and they are surely brimming with confidence.
Valverde’s men are a real force to be reckoned with at home as they have recorded a win in each of their previous five home games in the elite competition. That is surely getting the fans optimistic.
PSV will have a much bigger fish to fry in their Champions League opener against Barcelona than they had whilst qualifying for the competition. It's David vs Goliath at the Nou Camp and we predict that the Spanish champions are going to record a routine win over the visitors in Barcelona.
Prediction: 3-1
Internazionale vs Tottenham Hotspur
Stadio Giuseppe Meazza will host the game between Internazionale and English wannabe champions Tottenham. The man to watch in the home team will be Croatian World Cup finalist Ivan Perisic.
Spurs on the other hand have big ambitions going into the 2018-19 season, and we have every right to believe that they are going to adopt an attacking approach in Tuesday’s match-up. Harry Kane is likely to pose a big threat for Inter Milan defenders, and taking everything into account, we believe that there is big value in betting on both teams to score.
Prediction: 2-2
Group C - Red Star Belgrade, Liverpool, Napoli, Paris Saint Germain
Red Star Belgrade vs Napoli
Red Star Belgrade earned their place in the elite competition for the first time since the 1991-92 season thanks to a 2-2 draw with RB Salzburg. The Red and Whites will take on Italian powerhouse Napoli in front of a packed stadium, and there is no doubt that the Italian side face a difficult task.
Nemanja Radonjic is no longer associated with the Serbian champions, but head coach Vladan Milojevic has a number of star players to choose from and we think that the hosts are going to find the net. Dries Mertens will be one of the many men to watch out for in the away team.
Prediction: 1-2
Liverpool vs Paris Saint-Germain
All eyes will be on Anfield when Liverpool and French champions PSG face each other for the first time ever in the Champions League. The Reds went over the top to make it into the Champions League final last season, but a certain side from Madrid eventually proved to be a big catch for the Merseyside club.
Liverpool have never been stronger and they will play their regular attack-minded heavy metal football against PSG. Les Parisiens are the dominant force in Ligue 1, but they have longed to be a part of the European elite.
Tuchel’s troops produce much better showings at home, and seeing that Jurgen Klopp can count on key players for the opener, we predict that The Reds are going to pick up all three points from the Anfield extravaganza.
Prediction: 2-1
Group D - Schalke 04, Galatasaray, Lokomotiv Moscow, Porto
Galatasaray vs Lokomotiv Moscow
Turkish giants Galatasaray are the hosts for their match against Lokomotiv Moscow at their Turk Telekom Stadium. The Turkish side will be playing a match for the first time since 2015 when they failed to make it to the knockout stages.
Lokomotiv Moscow return to the UCL following a 14 year absence and they will be eager to give their fans something to cheer about. The two teams are evenly matched and we think that they are going to share the spoils.
A man to watch for the home team will be Swiss international Eren Derdiyok, whereas the Galatasaray defense would have to keep Peruvian winger Jefferson Farfan at bay.
Prediction: 1-1
Schalke vs Porto
Schalke will be looking to kick off their campaign in true style when they host Porto at their Veltins-Arena. Schalke continue life without key midfielder Leon Goretzka, and it is no surprise that they have been struggling to find their best form.
Porto on the other hand did exceptionally well to win the national championship last term and they are eager to continue their form in the elite competition. A close encounter is on the cards and we predict that the two teams are going to share the spoils in their Champions League opener.
Prediction: 1-1
Group E - AEK Athens, Ajax, Benfica, FC Bayern Munchen
Ajax vs AEK Athens
The Johan Cruyff Arena has witnessed Ajax scoring goals for fun at the start of the new domestic campaign, and they are brimming with confidence ahead of their UCL opener.
The side from Amsterdam proved their worth against Dynamo Kiev in the qualifying rounds and seeing that they are on a 3 game winning run at home, we are tempted to bet on the Dutch side.
AEK eliminated Celtic in the play-offs, but despite that we believe that there is big value in betting on the hosts.
Prediction: 1-0
Benfica vs Bayern Munchen
Benfica and Bayern Munchen face off at Estadio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica. The mighty Bavarians aim to make an impressionable start to their Champions League campaign, but beating Benfica on the road is not as easy as it sounds.
The Eagles failed in their pursuit of the national championship last season, but they eventually found their place in the group stages through the qualifiers. Bayern Munchen are likely to go all out attack in Wednesday’s clash and everyone will be looking up to striker Robert Lewandowski when the two sides face each other in the Portuguese capital.
Prediction: 0-2
Group F - Lyon, Manchester City, Shakhtar Donetsk, 1899 Hoffenheim
Shakhtar Donetsk vs 1899 Hoffenheim
Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk square off against Hoffenheim at Metalist Oblasny Sport Complex. Over the years, Shakhtar Donetsk have established themselves as one of the best teams in Europe.
The Miners are on a 5 game winning run at home, and seeing that they made an impressive start to the season, we believe that there is big value in betting on the hosts. The two sides have never met before in any of the European competitions.
Prediction: 2-1
Manchester City vs Lyon
Manchester City kick off their campaign with a game against French side Olympique Lyon at the Etihad Stadium. The Citizens put up fine performances in the elite competition last term, but Liverpool eventually proved too much for Pep Guardiola’s men.
The PL champions are ready to impress in yet another season, and we predict that the hosts are going to emerge triumphant. Sergio 'Kun' Aguero has been in fine form at the start of the season, but there are questions on his fitness for the match.
Seeing that Lyon’s away record in this competition is anything but good, we are tempted to put our money on the Premier League title holders.
Prediction: 3-1
Group G - CSKA Moscow, Viktoria Plzen, Real Madrid, AS Roma
Viktoria Plzen vs CSKA Moscow
Doosan Arena will host the game between Viktoria Plzen and CSKA Moscow. Viktoria are on a 7 game winless run in the competition, but looking at the fact that CSKA are no longer as sharp as they used to be in the past few years, we believe that the hosts are capable of grabbing something from their opener.
The Czechs are likely to rely on their solid defence and the fact that CSKA are not regarded as good travelers, a low-scoring match is on the books.
Prediction: 0-0
Real Madrid vs AS Roma
Real Madrid and Roma face each other at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu. Los Blancos did well to win their third consecutive title in the UCL last term, but as always their fans are hungry for more success.
CR7 left the club for greener pastures, but seeing that new coach Julen Lopetegui has found his feet at the club, we predict that the hosts are going to emerge triumphant in Wednesday’s football match. The Romans have always been tough to beat at home, but their record on the road is anything but good.
Prediction: 3-1
Group H - Young Boys, Juventus, Manchester United, Valencia CF
Valencia vs Juventus
Valencia host Juventus at the Estadio Mestalla in the Group H match-up. Marcelino did a terrific job with Los Che last season and they totally earned their place in the elite competition.
It is well known that Valencia are brilliant at home than on the travels, but they will have a big fish to fry when the star-studded Italian giants come to town.
Cristiano Ronaldo has been struggling to find his goal-scoring boots at the start of the new Serie A campaign, but his experience against the Valencia players will definitely help. We can almost be sure that he is going to be quite a handful for the opposition back-line.
Prediction: 0-1
Young Boys vs Manchester United
Manchester United will be aiming to shake off early season blues when they take on Young Boys in Bern. The Red Devils have been having their downs and not many ups at the start of the new Premier League campaign.
Top scorer Romelu Lukaku has found his goal-scoring touch lately, and Jose Mourinho’s men are seen as hot favourites to win. Young Boys are a force to be reckoned with at home, but their lack of experience in big matches will ultimately be the downfall of the Swiss outfit in the opening match of their Champions League campaign.
Prediction: 1-2
