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.
