The draw for the 2016/17 UEFA Champions League group stage was made this week as the anticipation and excitement for the globe's most exciting and prestigious club football competition hotted up.
There are already some intriguing storylines shaping up including whether or not Real Madrid can become the first club to successfully defend their UCL crown by picking up their 12th European title, whether last season’s surprising Premier League champions Leicester City can hold their own against some of the best teams around and if Lionel Messi can put his tax-evasion scandal and international see-sawing behind him to power Barcelona to the grand final next summer with some typically majestic performances.
We’re sure to be treated to some classic encounters between now and the culmination but for now, let’s cast our eye over how the draw panned out and examine who we think will emerge from each of the eight groups as winners and runners-up.
Also Read: UEFA Champions League 2016-17 Draw
Group A
Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal, FC Basel, PFC Ludogorets
For Arsenal and PSG, getting out of their group is an objective they will be aiming for at the very least. However, while both teams will be keen to avoid slipping up early on, it's the Gunners and boss Arsene Wenger in particular who will be feeling the pressure of getting past the round of 16 for the first time since 2010. However, there’s sure to be even more pressure on the cantankerous Piers Morgan after he tweeted that he'd wear Gary Lineker’s pants if they didn't make it through.
The French champions will look to get one over the north London side as it will be their battles that determine who gets the potentially easier opponent in the knockout stage. Having lost Zlatan Ibrahimovic to Manchester United, they have also seen their top European goalscorers leave (having scored five and assisted eight last term) so that will make their task of hitting the back of the net that much more difficult. Still, with Angel Di Maria, Hatem Ben Arfa and Jese they have real flair to boost them – and they’ll need it, too, seeing as Edinson Cavani is going through a very rough patch.
The remaining pair of Basel and Ludogorets probably won’t do too much damage to either top seeds’ qualification hopes but they are decent outfits. The Bulgarians became the first since CSKA Sofia in 1983 to win four domestic titles in a row, while the last time Swiss champions Basel competed at this level they finished behind Real Madrid in their group, managing to fend off Liverpool and, interestingly, Ludogorets for the runner-up spot in 2014/15.
Prediction: Arsenal and PSG to qualify.
Group B
Benfica SL, SSC Napoli, Dynamo Kiev, Besiktas
It’s not unreasonable to suggest that any of these four teams might emerge into the next round.
Indeed, Dynamo coach Serhiy Rebrov labeled it “a very even group” in the aftermath and that was the general consensus across the board.They've brought in close to £30 million from the sale of Marko Pjaca, Josip Brekalo and Marcelo Brozovic so they have some funds to beef up their squad in the coming weeks, but it's always a gamble trying to replace quality with quality, make no mistake. If they get that experiment right, they could overpower the rest – but it’s a big if.
It’s difficult to look past Benfica as the marginal favourites to top this group, though. Last season they reached the quarter-final stage where they pushed Bayern Munich hard over both legs with a narrow 3-2 aggregate defeat. The Glorioso are coming into this edition on the back of a three-in-a-row league win, and although the loss of Renato Sanches and Nicolas Gaitan will be tough to take, they still have a core squad of hardened warriors ready to go for the jugular of the best teams around.
Napoli cannot be discounted either. Ironically, it was Gonzalo Higuain who sent the club into the UCL with his record-breaking goal spree but now that he has left their ranks they will have to fend without him. That said, they have acquired quite a few quality players to make up for the Argentine’s departure such as Arkadiusz Milik and they will fight hard to make their mark.
Besiktas could well wind up bottom of the pile and even the potential arrival of Samir Nasri on loan won’t be enough for them to avoid that fate.
Prediction: Benfica and Dynamo (only just) to qualify.
Group C
Barcelona, Manchester City, Borussia Monchengladbach, Celtic
It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that both Barcelona and Manchester City are going to emerge from this group. The only questions remaining are which one of them will reach the pinnacle. Plenty of excited fans are going to anticipate the renewed meeting between Pep Guardiola and Barcelona and it should throw up plenty of fireworks. Both will aim to go very far in the competition so while we can expect them to flex their muscles early on, they’ll surely conserve their best for when it really matters in the key clashes.
Barca still have the deadly trident of Lionel Messi, Neymar Jr., and Luis Suarez as well as a whole cast of magician midfielders so they should overpower both Monchengladbach and Celtic, even if their defence continues to cause many fans a few sleepless nights. As for City, they look a little lightweight up front and are going to take some time before they get used to Pep’s perfect system but once everything ultimately clicks into place, they’ll prove a tall obstacle to overcome.
Celtic just about managed to scrape through the qualifiers and would gladly welcome qualification to the Europa League after they were drawn against Barca in the group stage for the third time. Hoops boss Brendan Rodgers won't find the going easy and he’ll have to pour all his efforts into overturning Monchengladbach both home and away. The Foals, however, possess a side brimming with youthful energy and as they scored the third most goals in the Bundesliga last season, they will be the favourites to secure third spot.
Prediction: Barcelona and City to qualify.
Group D
Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid, PSV Eindhoven, FC Rostov
This particular group pits last year’s losing semi-finalists in a group they’ll be expecting to win well, as Atletico Madrid set their sights on going all the way to avenge their disappointing defeat against Madrid in Milan last May. Diego Simeone was rather hard on himself in the aftermath of that loss but he has a never-say-die attitude and with a talented bunch of players to martial and mould again – spearheaded by the dazzling Antoine Griezmann – they shouldn’t shy away from grabbing top spot.
Bayern Munich will do their best to rebuild themselves in their life after Guardiola, and while it’s sure to take time to adjust to Carlo Ancelotti’s philosophy, Die Roten are always going to be a strong side worth taking heed of, especially considering their manager is one of only two men to win the tournament three times. Last time out, they fell to Atletico in the semi-final stage on away goals so they will be out for revenge which will certainly add a nice subtext to proceedings, and those two battles will certainly be key.
PSV Eindhoven have a great deal more European experience than FC Rostov but it’s perhaps the group’s clear underdogs who will be out to make the most eye-catching headlines as the so-called “Russian Leicester” aim to do some damage and give their fans a campaign to remember for years to come. It’s a long shot, but they clearly have the underdog DNA to do the unexpected and they could be worth a risky gamble for any brave punters.
Prediction: Bayern and Atletico to qualify.
Group E
CSKA Moscow, Bayer 04 Leverkusen, Tottenham Hotspur, AS Monaco
Potentially one of the most open groups of all, this could well have quite a few scares and surprises in store for us all.
There’s no question that Spurs fans will be licking their lips at the prospect of taking on all three of their opponents but their success will depend on whether or not they turn up as the team who challenged for the 2015/16 PL title or the one who imploded when the going got tough.
The Lilywhites have a terrific squad who should be good enough to push deep into the latter stages, especially with their creativity from midfield of Erik Lamela and Christian Eriksen, combined with the offensive clinical nature of Harry Kane and Vincent Janssen.
AS Monaco were well off the pace of eventual Ligue 1 winners last season, finishing 12 points behind PSG it’s clear they are not going to go on and win the entire contest and it’s expected that they will square off in a three-way battle with Bayer Leverkusen and reigning Russian Premier League champions Moscow. Leverkusen boss Roger Schmidt described the draw as “a very balanced group” adding that their goal is to reach the last 16, but the competitive nature means that it’s not going to be an easy task.
Prediction: Spurs and Moscow to qualify.
Group F
Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Sporting CP, Legia Warsaw
Undoubtedly, this is going to be a straight-shooter between Madrid and Dortmund for top spot.
In truth, it’s difficult to look past Los Merengues as the eventual group winners, not least because they will be more fired-up than ever and have Cristiano Ronaldo in their ranks. Whether they will be good enough to cope with the pressure of attempting to become the first team to ever retain the UCL title remains to be seen but their travails in the short-term should see them safely through to the las 16.
Dortmund have already spent over 100 million on eight new players so it’s clear that Die Schwarzgelben are looking to beef up their squad to battle on a number of fronts, although it’s still unclear whether they have done enough to replace the departures of Ilkay Gundogan and Henrik Mkhitaryan. Obviously, the league title will be uppermost in their thoughts but this draw means they should look to push into the next round at the very least and see how things pan out after that.
Legia Warsaw had to battle hard to find a way past League of Ireland outfit Dundalk but eventually managed to snag a 3-1 aggregate win so they will probably find the going tough despite possessing some exciting talents such as wingman Steeven Langil who is one to watch. As for Sporting, they certainly have what it takes to capture third spot in Group F and it will be their head-to-heads with Warsaw that they will likely plan and prepare most cautiously for.
Prediction: Madrid and Dortmund to qualify.
Group G
Leicester City, FC Porto, Club Brugge, FC Copenhagen
An interesting group and from Leicester City’s perspective it's perhaps one of the most attractive draws the Foxes could have hoped for.
On the face of it, it looks like Claudio Ranieri’s men and Porto will qualify from the group but as this is the competition which hosts the best clubs on the continent, absolutely nothing should be taken for granted - after all, this is arguably the tightest group on show. The reigning Premier League champions have not enjoyed the best start to their domestic campaign as the loss of Ngolo Kante in the summer has left a void which they have had difficulty filling. Nevertheless, they will be eager to make the most of their first foray into the elite stages and with players like Riyad Mahrez, Jamie Vardy, Ahmed Musa and shot-stopper Kasper Schmeichel they will probably have enough to get through.
Having overcome AS Roma 4-2 on aggregate in the UCL qualifiers they won’t fear anybody to come. Boasting the likes of Iker Casillas, Yacine Brahimi Joao Carlos Teixeira and others, the club who finished third in the Primeira Liga last season have a wonderful blend of expertise and flair and as they have shown on a number of occasions in the past, they know how to put those traits to excellent effect.
Copenhagen and Brugge will not be there to make up the numbers but it looks like they will have to battle it out between them for a crack at who manages to qualify for the Europa League. Interestingly, the Belgian club were the first to score in the UCL after it was rebranded in the early 90s.
Prediction: Leicester and Porto to qualify.
Group H
Juventus, Sevilla, Olympique Lyonnais, Dynamo Zagreb
Italian champions Juventus might have lost a few key players including Paul Pogba and Alvaro Morata but they have bought well in Gonzalo Higuain, Dani Alves, and Miralem Pjanic - and they have also got their eye on a few others to bring on board before the transfer window shuts. With that in mind, they will once again be one of the favourites to go on and win the tournament outright and will expect to top this group with some time and room to spare.
Also Read: UCL 2016-17: Is this Juve’s best chance at winning the trophy?
With that in mind, it’s likely to be a three-way shootout between record-breaking Sevilla, Lyon, and Zagreb.
Sevilla will be well-placed to nab second spot, and they will be as eager as ever to do so because they won’t want to drop into the Europa League again. In many people’s eyes, Jorge Sampaoli’s charges are good enough to finally make a real mark on the grandest club stage of them all. They have brought in resurgent midfielder Paulo Henrique Ganso to become a driving force, they’ve also bought Franco Vazquez, Joaquin Correa and have secured the services of the exciting Luciano Vietto on loan from Atletico Madrid, so they should have no problem scoring goals.
Lyon and Zagreb will certainly be out to make the most of their chances but the odds are certainly stacked against them as they have each lost some really good players over the last few months.
Prediction: Juve and Sevilla to qualify.
