UEFA Champions League: Who Will Make it Past the Group Stage?

Okay, so the draw for the group stages has been completed last night in which we saw a lot of exciting games heading towards us. I say it is going to be on the competitive group stages in the past decade and difficult to make predictions but I’ll try to be as accurate as my football knowledge helps me be. So without further ado let’s see what teams do we have in which groups.

Group A

Bayern Munich (Germany)

Villareal (Spain)

Manchester City (England)

Napoli (Italy)

The Group of Death and which makes it hard to predict the two teams that would progress to the knock out rounds. All of the teams are great in their own sense and playing style . We have Bayern Munich the most successful team in Germany. Villareal the team that reached the semi-finals’ of last season’s Europa League only to be beaten by eventual champions Porto, Big spending Manchester City who this year have acquired the services of two Marquee players Sergio Aguero and Samir Nasri who are capable of winning matches on their own and last but not the least the Italian based club Napoli who are now reaching back to past glories after the Diego Maradona era with Uruguayan goal scoring machine Edison Cavani they can beat any team.

I say that Bayern Munich will top the group with City being runners up and Villareal occupying the Europa League place.

Group B

Inter (Italy)

CSKA Moscow (Russia)

Lille (France)

Trabzonspor (Turkey)

Another tough group. In it we have 2010 Champions League winners Inter Milan who did the treble in the same year. Lille the french champions and possess one of the hottest properties in Europe, Eden Hazard who is on the radar of Arsenal stay or leave he will cause opposing teams all kinds of problems. Then we have the most successful team in Russia CSKA Moscow who can beat any team on their day and lastly we have Turkish league runner ups Trabzonpor who are replacing champions Fenerbahce after they were removed from the Champions League following match fixing scandals.

Inter to top the group with Lille arriving as runner ups while CSKA take Europa League position.

Group C

Manchester United (England)

Benfica (Portugal)

Basle (Switzerland)

Otelul Galati (Romania)

Manchester United could not have wished for an easier group no offence to the other teams in the group but looking at the draws this is got to be a walk in the park for the English Champions.

Benfica could prove a hurdle for the Red Devils but still i will put my money on Untied topping, Benfica as runners up while Basle to take the Europa League spot.

Group D

Real Madrid (Spain)

Lyon (France)

Ajax (Netherlands)

Dinamo Zagreb ( Croatia)

Real Madrid face familiar foes in this group in the form of Lyon and Ajax whom they played against last in Knock out rounds and Group stage respectively while beating both of them. This would be the third consecutive season in which Real will take on Lyon in the Champions League during the previous two seasons Lyon won the first time while Real won last time around.

Okay without any question Madrid would be winners while the fight for the second position would be an interesting one between Lyon and Ajax but I have a gut feeling that Lyon would just edge past Ajax who would then participate in the second tier of European competition.

Group E

Chelsea (England)

Valencia (Spain)

Bayer Leverkusen (Germany)

Genk ( Belgium)

Like I said earlier this year round we have a lot of difficult groups and this is no different. Chelsea’s new manager AVB would have his first outing in the Champions League as a manager and would be looking to get his team past the group stage but this would be no easy task. Also former player Michael Ballack would face his old club Chelsea for the first time after his transfer and new signing Juan Mata would also go ahead against Valencia.

It’s a three way battle for the top two positions and I’m not predicting this group cause it looks like the results would be surprising.

Group F

Arsenal (England)

Marseille (France)

Olympiakos (Greece)

Borussia Dortmund (Germany)

This group contains Arsenal who just made it through the play-off’s and are really weakened by the departure of Cesc Fabreagas and Samir Nasri so it will be hard work for Arsene Wenger’s men to make it past the group stage. Also this contains German Champions Borussia Dortmund who would be trying their luck in Europe after a long absence and Marseille who were knocked out of the tournament by Manchester United last season would want to go ahead to the Knock-outs and hopefully further.

Borussia Dortmund to top while Arsenal’s to end up as runners up and Marseille would be taking the Europa League spot.

Group G

Porto (Portugal)

Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine)

Zenit St Petersburg (Russia)

FC Apoel ( Cyprus)

A group where anyone can make it to the next round which makes this so exciting. Porto would now be looking at Champion League glory after winning the Europa League last year but are weakened following the departure of top scorer Falcao to Athletico Madrird but still are a very good side. Shakhtar Donetsk had a very wonderful time in the Champions League last year after making to the quarter finals last year only to be beaten by eventual champions Barcelona so they would be looking to emulate their previous adventures.

Also Russian champions Zenit St Petersburg would look to progress to the next round but I think they would take the Europa League spot with Porto as toppers and Shaktar as runner ups.

Group H

Barcelona (Spain)

AC Milan (Italy)

BATE Borisov ( Belarus

Viktoria Plzen ( Czech Republic)

The last group but my favourite as European Champions Barcelona takes on Italian Champions AC Milan . The reason I like this group is because Barcelona would be taking on AC Milan and hopefully defeating them thus making Milan’s president eat his own words who earlier this week said that Barcelona were great because of their luck so that should teach him how lucky Barcelona are.

So Barcelona topping and AC Milan as runners up while I can’t predict who would take the Europa League spot.

So their you have it guys my prediction on who would make it past the group stages and please give me your predictions too. P.S Messi was rewarded the European footballer of the year award after beating Ronaldo and Xavi so congratulations to him.