We’ve just come from the most exciting World Cup so far! FIFA might not come for another four years, but we don’t need to miss the world’s biggest sport at all. It’s the UEFA Champions League and we’re about to enter the grueling Group Stage. Here’s everything you need to know.
“May the best league win.” Yes, it’s that time of the year again. Don on your favorite league’s jersey and settle yourself in. It’s about to get bloody. The UEFA Champions League has just rounded out its Group Stage match ups and we’ve got some pretty epic games ahead. Put your seatbelts on as Europe’s most vicious football battle begins.
Group Stages Fixtures, Dates, And Predictions
The UEFA Championships League Group Stage will kick off in the middle of September this year. Thirty-two teams are battling out for the chance to be crowned as European champions. And the final battle is set to take place in June 1 at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid, Spain.
In the recent years, the tip of the weighing scale was always heavier towards contending teams such as Real Madril and Manchester United. However, this summer came a game-changer. Cristiano Ronaldo’s transfer from Real Madrid to Juventus may just as well shake things up this season. There’s even a chance that Real Madrid (with their 13 impressive UEFA Champions League titles) can get knocked off earlier than usual.
Let’s have a look at this season’s contenders and who are most likely to emerge and take the crown.
Schedule
OFFICIAL: PSG start their Champions League Group C campaign away at Liverpool. Partial closure of Parc des Princes will take place vs. Crvena Zvezda. #UCL pic.twitter.com/y6ETth5xIU
— Jonathan Johnson (@Jon_LeGossip) August 30, 2018
Predictions
Heavy favorites will be matching up with this UEFA season’s dark horses. Who’s going to get taken off the chess board. The Group Stages might not be as bloody as the semi-finals, but the stakes and the nerves are still high. Here are our predictions.
Group A
Atlético Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Monaco, Club Brugge
Atlético Madrid just recently bagged the Europa League title. This puts them on the hype list of top contenders this season. They have a formidable record of two finals and a semi-final in the Champions League for five years now. Atlético, undeniably, is now part of the European Elite. It’s safe to say we won’t be seeing this team go just yet. As for AS Monaco, they’ve been hit-and-miss in European competions. And Dortmund, meanwhile, is not nearly as incredible as it was when Kylian Mbappe was with them. Club Brugge is looking to be the weakest in the group.
Prediction: Atletico de Madrid and Borussia Dortmund qualifies.
Group A Match Details
09/18: Brugge v Borussia Dortmund
09/18: Monaco v Atlético Madrid
10/3: Atlético Madrid v Brugge
10/3: Borussia Dortmund v Monaco
10/24: Brugge v Monaco 5.55pm
10/24: Borussia Dortmund v Atlético Madrid
11/6: Monaco v Brugge 5.55pm
11/6: Atlético Madrid v Borussia Dortmund
11/28: Atlético Madrid v Monaco 5.55pm
11/28: Borussia Dortmund v Brugge
12/11: Brugge v Atlético Madrid
12/11: Monaco v Borussia Dortmund
Group B
Barcelona, Tottenham Hotspur, PSV Eindhoven, Inter Milan
Now here is a group that is bound to give us more than a fair share of thrills. The Spanish champions, Barcelona will be facing a relatively even-matched group of opponents. Italian giants Internazionale, the North London side Tottenham Hotspur, and PSV Eindhoven will have the task to break FC Barcelona’s record of being champions of the group stage for the past 11 consecutive seasons. Perhaps their biggest threat is the Tottenham Hotspur. The Hotspur certainly made a statement when they crushed Manchester United 3-0 in the Premier League.
Prediction: FC Barcelona and Tottenham Hotspur qualifies.
Group B Match Details
09/18: Barcelona v PSV Eindhoven
09/18: Inter Milan v Tottenham Hotspur
10/3: Tottenham Hotspur v Barcelona
10/3: PSV Eindhoven v Inter Milan
10/24: PSV Eindhoven v Tottenham Hotspur
10/24: Barcelona v Inter Milan
11/6: Tottenham Hotspur v PSV Eindhoven
11/6: Inter Milan v Barcelona
11/28: PSV Eindhoven v Barcelona
11/28: Tottenham Hotspur v Inter Milan
12/11: Barcelona v Tottenham Hotspur
12/11: Inter Milan v PSV Eindhoven
Group C
Paris St-Germain, Napoli, Liverpool, Red Star Belgrade
This group was quickly given the nickname “The Group Of Death”. There is the Ligue 1 champions, Paris Saint-Germain and the Italian League runners-up SSC Napoli. Rounding out the deadly group is last year’s Champions League finalists, Liverpool and Crvena Zvezda from Serbia. Paris Saint-Germain is always itching to seize the European title. So far, they haven’t done so despite spending gold for an elite team. Napoli seems to have good odds, too. Elite manager Carlo Ancelotti knows more than a thing or two about winning a European champsionship. There is no doubt, however, that Liverpool is the strongest contender. We should be expecting some action from newcomers Alisson, Fabinho, Naby Keita and Xherdan Shaqiri.
Prediction: Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain qualifies.
Group C Match Details
09/18: Liverpool v Paris St-Germain
09/8: Red Star Belgrade v Napoli
10/3: PSG v Red Star Belgrade
10/3: Napoli v Liverpool
10/24: PSG v Napoli
10/24: Liverpool v Red Star Belgrade
11/6: Red Star Belgrade v Liverpool
11/6: Napoli v PSG
11/28: PSG v Liverpool
11/28: Napoli v Red Star Belgrade
12/11: Liverpool v Napoli
12/11: Red Star Belgrade v PSG
Group D
Lokomotiv Moscow, Porto, Schalke, Galatasaray
How this group performs in this stage is anybody’s guess. With these teams, anything can happen. FC Porto can perhaps get a guaranteed top finish based on their recent performances in the Liga NOS. FC Schalke and Galatasaray will most likely fight for second place. The russian team, Lokomotiv Moskva seems to be the weakest in the group as of right now.
Prediction: FC Porto and FC Schalke qualifies.
Group D Match Details
09/18: Galatasaray v Lokomotiv Moscow
09/18: Schalke v Porto
10/3: Lokomotiv Moscow v Schalke
10/3: Porto v Galatasaray
10/24: Lokomotiv Moscow v Porto
10/24: Galatasaray v Schalke
11/6: Porto v Lokomotiv Moscow
11/6: Schalke v Galatasaray
11/28: Lokomotiv Moscow v Galatasaray
11/28: Porto v Schalke
12/11: Galatasaray v Porto
12/11: Schalke v Lokomotiv Moscow
Group E
Bayern Munich, Benfica, Ajax, AEK Athens
Group E will be straightforward. Bayern Munich, of course, shines from the pack. In the five seasons since their European victory in 2013, the German champions have gone close, but not quite in securing the crown again. Itt is safe to say that this group might present some challenges, however, it won’t be as complicated as the other groupings.
Prediction: Bayern Munich and Benfica qualifies.
Group E Match Details
09/19: Ajax v AEK Athens 5.55pm
09/19: Benfica v Bayern Munich
10/2: Bayern Munich v Ajax
10/2: AEK Athens v Benfica
10/23: AEK Athens v Bayern Munich 5.55pm
10/23: Ajax v Benfica
11/7: Bayern Munich v AEK Athens
11/7: Benfica v Ajax
11/27: AEK Athens v Ajax 5.55pm
11/27: Bayern Munich v Benfica
12/12: Ajax v Bayern Munich
12/12: Benfica v AEK Athens
Group F
Manchester City, Shakhtar Donetsk, Lyon, Hoffenheim
This is another extremely straightforward match up. Shakhtar is obviously Manchester City’s only solid contender. Only if we take last year’s performances into account. Hoffenheim’s young coach Julian Nagelsmann will be guiding the team for his last season before getting shipped off to Red Bull Leipzig, so who knows how this is going to pan out. Lyon, in the meanwhile, is more likely to struggle in this grouping.
Prediction: Manchester City and Shakhtar qualifies.
Group F Match Details
09/19: Manchester City v Lyon
09/19: Shakhtar Donetsk v Hoffenheim
10/2: Hoffenheim v Man City
10/2: Lyon v Shakhtar Donetsk
10/23: Hoffenheim v Lyon
10/23: Shakhtar Donetsk v Manchester City
11/7: Manchester City v Shakhtar Donetsk
11/7: Lyon v Hoffenheim
11/27: Hoffenheim v Shakhtar Donetsk
11/27: Lyon v Manchester City
12/12: Shakhtar Donetsk v Lyon
12/12: Manchester City v Hoffenheim
Group G
Real Madrid, Roma, CSKA Moscow, Viktoria Plzen
Who’s to say how this will all play out. Where do we begin? For Real Madrid, this is the first season that they don’t have Cristiano Ronaldo on their side. And we think that without football’s greatest goalscorer, things will, unfortunately, not look the same. Roma will most likely perform well. They delivered a great run last season. Moscow, on the otherhand, has not been able to get out of the group stage since 2012.
Prediction: Real Madrid and Roma qualifies.
Group G Match Details
09/19: Real Madrid v Roma
09/19: Viktoria Plzen v CSKA Moscow
10/2: CSKA Moscow v Real Madrid
10/2: Roma v Viktoria Plzen
10/23: Roma v CSKA Moscow
10/23: Real Madrid v Viktoria Plzen
11/7: CSKA Moscow v Roma
11/7: Viktoria Plzen v Real Madrid
11/27: CSKA Moscow v Viktoria Plzen
11/27: Roma v Real Madrid
12/12: Real Madrid v CSKA Moscow
12/12: Viktoria Plzen v Roma
Group H
Juventus, Manchester United, Valencia, Young Boys
The game changer, no doubt, is Juventus’ somewhat new but very experienced goalscorer in the form of Cristian Ronaldo. Ronaldo returns, again, to Old Tafford and it will be nothing less than momentuos. It will be a difficult draw for Manchester United. But don’t count Young Boys just yet. The Swiss team tipped the scale when they ended Basel’s domination of Swiss football. They might actually cause an upset if the other teams in this group are not careful.
Prediction: Juventus and Manchester United qualifies.
Group H Match Details
09/19: Young Boys v Manchester United
09/19: Valencia v Juventus
10/2: Juventus v Young Boys 5.55pm
10/2: Manchester United v Valencia
10/23: Young Boys v Valencia 5.55pm
10/23: Manchester United v Juventus
11/7: Valencia v Young Boys 5.55pm
11/7: Juventus v Manchester United
11/27: Manchester United v Young Boys
11/27: Juventus v Valencia
12/12: Young Boys v Juventus
12/12: Valencia v Manchester United