THE UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2022/23 GROUP STAGE DRAW
THE UEFA CHAMPIONS
LEAGUE 2022/23 GROUP STAGE DRAW
OVERVIEW AND
PREDICTIONS
-Mitansh Kagalwala
The balls have been drawn, the names have been read, and the groups have been formed. The UEFA Champions League has taken place, and with the matchups finalized, here's what we made of it:
Group A
Ajax, Liverpool, Napoli, Rangers
On paper, this group should be straightforward for Napoli
and Liverpool. The Italians have been in great form, scoring 5 and 4 in their
first two fixtures, but Liverpool’s form has been dodgy. The English giants
have seemingly struggled to adjust to life without Sadio Mane, suffering two
draws and a defeat before finally picking up their first win of the season
against Bournemouth, a 9-0 thrashing might signal a return to form, so don’t
count them out just yet. Ajax will have to deal with the loss of their manager
and several key players, including Sebastien Haller, Lisandro Martinez,
Noussair Mazraoui and Ryan Gravenberch and most probably Antony, but the
Amsterdam outfit can and probably will put up a fight. Rangers could end up
being the dark horse of this group, last year’s Europa League finalists
overcoming the qualifying round and looking in fine shape in the Scottish Premiership.
Prediction: Liverpool, Napoli, Ajax, Rangers
Liverpool Return To Face Napoli Once Again
Group B
Atletico Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, Club Brugge, FC Porto
While Group B may not look the most exciting, it certainly
has several reasons for intrigue. FC Porto have established themselves as a
traditionally awkward draw, and despite losing six players, including Fabio
Vieira, have had an unaffected domestic start, winning 3 out of 3. For Atleti,
it once again comes down whether Diego Simeone can have the Madrid side playing
progressive football against traditionally weaker sides. Their recent 2-0 loss
to Villarreal does not bode well, however. Leverkusen have kept most of the
side that finished third last season, but have begun the season terribly, with just
one win from their first 5 games. Brugge did win the Belgian league, but will
have to deal with the loss of old coach Alfred Schreuder, and the transition to
a new manager.
Prediction: FC Porto, Atletico, Leverkusen, Brugge
Group C
Bayern Munich, FC Barcelona, Inter Milan, Viktoria Plzen
The Champions League draw has never been very kind to Czech
sides, has it? It couldn’t really be much harsher this time around, drawing
Plzen alongside Inter, Barca and Bayern, in what is undoubtedly the Group of
Death, and probably one of the toughest groups to be drawn. Barca are on a
rebuild, having thrown the cash around in the summer to hugely improve their
squad, Bayern are Bayern, while Inter’s form has been dodgy, winning their
first two, but losing to Lazio most recently. The return of Romelu Lukaku has
certainly boosted Inter’s hopes, while Robert Lewandowski return to face
previous club Bayern Munich has everyone licking their lips. Barca fans will be
hoping that the Polish striker, along with their other new signings, can
prevent Barca suffering last season’s fate.
Prediction: Bayern Munich, FC Barcelona, Inter
Milan, Viktoria Plzen
The "Group of Death"
Group D
Eintracht Frankfurt, Tottenham Hotspur, Sporting,
Marseille
Undoubtedly the “dark horse” group, Group D promises several
interesting match-ups. Tottenham, with the additions of Richarlison, Ivan
Perisic and Yves Bissouma, look the strongest. Marseille shouldn’t be counted
out either, with a strong summer window, where they added Alexis Sanchez,
Matteo Guendouzi, Chancel Mbemba and Jordan Veretout to their squad. Frankfurt
won the Europa League last season, but have lost Filip Kostic to Juventus, and
haven’t yet won a league game this season. Sporting’s form is in question,
having already lost 0-3 to Porto and drawing 3-3 to Braga.
Prediction: Tottenham, Marseille, Sporting, Eintracht
Group E
AC Milan, Chelsea, Dinamo Zagreb, RB Salzburg
Milan took a step in the right direction last season,
winning the scudetto as they look to rebuild back to their past glory. Charles
De Ketelaere and Divock Origi have arrived to bolster the attack, but the
departure of Franck Kessie might hit them the most. Chelsea have been wildly
inconsistent, drawing excellently to Spurs, only to then lose 3-0 to Leeds, but
their lack of creativity in midfield and no consistent goalscorer, are evident.
The Blues will probably add to their squad before the end of the transfer
window, but this group could pose trouble for the London side. RB Salzburg reached
the last 16 last season, but 10 players have left the side this summer. Dinamo
Zagreb have dominated their national league for two decades, but have failed to
really succeed in Europe.
Prediction: AC Milan, Chelsea, RB Salzburg, Dinamo Zagreb
Group F
Celtic, RB Leipzig, Real Madrid, Shakhtar Donetsk
Shakhtar are in a precarious situation, having lost a large
number of players and forced to play their home games in Warsaw because of the
war. The clash against perennial opponents Real Madrid will be an emotional
occasion. Los Blancos’ quality is unclear, having lost Casemiro, but adding
Aurelian Tchouameni and Antonio Rudiger to their squad, however no one can
doubt the immense self-belief the holders have in themselves. Leipzig lost key
players Nordi Mukiele and Tyler Adams, but signed Timo Werner. Their early form
has been questionable, picking up only 2 points from 3 games. Celtic look much
improved, and could probably notch up a fight for second place.
Prediction: Real Madrid, Celtic, RB Leipzig,
Shakhtar
Group G
Copenhagen, Dortmund, Manchester City, Sevilla
The return of Erling Haaland to face his former club is the
main headline. City look fearsome with Haaland leading the line, the Norwegian
having already scored 6 goals in 4 games in the Premier League. Dortmund brought
in Karim Adeyemi, Sebastien Haller and Anthony Modeste to replace Haaland, but
look inconsistent so far. So do Sevilla, who have to make do with the departure
of Diego Carlos. Copenhagen return to the UCL after a six year hiatus, looking
to make it out of a tough group.
Prediction: Manchester City, Dortmund, Sevilla,
Copenhagen
Group H
Benfica, Juventus, Maccabi Haifa, Paris Saint-Germain
This group will be decided by how good Benfica are. PSG look
absolutely incredible, with Neymar, Leo Messi and Mbappe all in top form, and
look to finally win that coveted European trophy. Juventus look dull and
boring, without any spark of creativity and threat, though the additions of
Angel Di Maria, Paul Pogba and Filip Kostic should help. Benfica looked good in
their qualifying ties, dispatching Midtjylland and Dynamo Kyiv for a combined
score of 12-2. It remains to be seen whether Benfica can pull off another upset
over a European giant like last season. Maccabi Haifa are in the group stage
for the first time, appearing as the lowest ranked side in the tournament. Good
exposure, but we don’t think there’s anything for them there.
Prediction: PSG, Benfica, Juventus, Maccabi Haifa
Comments
Post a Comment