Europa league group stage predictions

The group of stage of the Europa league takes centre stage tomorrow with a host of games to decide the twenty four berths for the knock out stage in the new year. Some competitive groups featuring some big sides with firm aspirations of hoisting the trophy on May 16th in Lyon, France. AC Milan, Athletic Bilbao, Arsenal, Villarreal just some of the sides with designs on glory. Eleven sides are making their Europa league group stage debuts and it includes a first ever Macedonian side in Vardar. So here's how I think the groups will pan out.


Group A:
Villarreal have a host of injury concerns going into the group opener with Astana. Of the sides in the group they have the quality to top the group and I feel they will achieve that. Behind them is tricky to predict however. Slavia Praha, Astana and Maccabi Tel-Aviv are all of similar quality which will make for a tight group. I think Slavia will just about edge through behind Villarreal.

1. Villarreal
2. Slavia Praha
3. Maccabi Tel-Aviv
4. Astana

Group B:

No doubt the headline of this group is the FK Partizan and Skënderbeu clashes with Serbia and Albania going head-to-head for the first time since the drone clash in 2014. Ukrainians Dynamo Kyiv are my favourites to top this group and Swiss side BSC Young Boys will be aiming to join them. I think however FK Partizan will edge out the Swiss side and join Dynamo in the next phase. 

1. Dynamo Kyiv
2. FK Partizan
3. BSC Young Boys
4. Skënderbeu Korçë

Group C:

A tricky group to predict with a mix of regular European competitors and novices. Sporting Braga make a habit of doing well in Europe and I think their experience will get them through this group. However you can make a good case for the other three sides. İstanbul Başakşehir were the width of a post away from knocking Sevilla out of the champions league. Hoffenheim were not as impressive in the champions league qualifiers and they will be looking to string an improvement. Ludogorets in the past have progressed through the group stage and will be a threat. I'll go with Istanbul Basaksehir to continue their European campaign after christmas. 

1. Sporting Braga
2. İstanbul Başakşehir
3. Hoffenheim
4. Ludogorets Razgrad

Group D:

AC Milan will dominate this group, they have a much stronger team than any of the other sides. Many people's favorites to win the tournament outright I think Milan will comfortably sail through this. Joining them is the tricky part to this group. Rijeka, Austria Wien and AEK Athens it can be argued are of similar quality and for me I have a feeling AEK Athens can just about squeeze through but expect a tight group behind Milan. 

1. AC Milan
2. AEK Athens
3. Rijeka 
4. Austria Wien

Group E:

Not the most difficult group to predict to be honest. Lyon and Everton will get through. Atalanta are the dark horse however and while I'm not dismissing them completely I just don't think they'll have enough to nudge into the top two. Everton it depends if they take the competition seriously and Lyon have the motivation of the final being played in their own stadium. Cypriots Apollon Limassol will be up against it but hopefully they won't be cut adrift. 

1. Lyon
2. Everton
3. Atalanta
4. Apollon Limassol

Group F:

Lokomotiv Moskva I feel will top the group but it has the looks of a very close group with FC København also in the mix. Moldovan powerhouse Sheriff Tiraspol will have designs on progressing through a group for the first time. Czech cup winners Fastav Zlín are the rank outsiders but could catch the other three off guard. A tight group with København just about joining Lokomotiv in the next round. 

1. Lokomotiv Moskva
2. FC København
3. Sheriff Tiraspol
4. Fastav Zlín

Group G:

Viktoria Plzeň will meet Steaua București again after the Romanians knocked them out of the champions league qualifiers. Steaua then proceeded to get knocked out by Sporting CP in the following round but a rematch will no doubt give the Czechs a massive incentive. Also in the group are Swiss cup holders Lugano and Israeli champions Hapoel Be'er Sheva. Hapoel progressed from a tougher group last year and should do again this season. I fancy Viktoria Plzeň to join them. 

1. Hapoel Be'er Sheva
2. Viktoria Plzeň
3. Steaua București
4. Lugano

Group H:

A group that Arsenal ought to be comfortably topping, depending on how seriously they take the competition of course. Köln will be favorites to join them but I think Red Star Belgrade will edge out the Germans behind Arsenal. BATE Borisov will be dark horses but won't have enough to get through. 

1. Arsenal
2. Red Star Belgrade
3. Köln
4. BATE Borisov

Group I:

I'm expecting quite a competitive group here. Marseille should be able to get through and put recent domestic woes behind them. Salzburg usually get through groups and that experience will be invaluable. Konyaspor are still novices on the European scene having made their debut last season, however I can't see them making much inroads into progressing from the group. Vitória Guimarães another side that have potential to mix it up will be in the running to progress but I think Salzburg will edge through. 

1. Marseille
2. RB Salzburg
3. Vitória Guimarães
4. Konyaspor

Group J: 
Östersunds were the story of the Europa league qualifiers by knocking out both Galatasaray and PAOK en route to the group stage in their debut European campaign. They will need to dip into that formula of giant killing to get through this group. Athletic Bilbao will get through comfortably with Hertha BSC and Zorya Luhansk making up the group. Hertha are favorites to acompany Bilbao and it is hard to argue against that however maybe the Swedes have a couple of more shocks in store?.

1. Athletic Bilbao
2. Hertha BSC
3. Östersunds
4. Zorya Luhansk

Group K:

Lazio are perhaps favorites to top this group which they should justify. Joining them I think will be Nice who unlike last season won't be involved in a domestic title race. Vitesse and Zulte Waregem will be in the hunt but Nice have slightly more quality in their armory than the Benelux duo. 

1. Lazio
2. Nice
3. Vitesse
4. Zulte Waregem

Group L:

I think there may well be a surprise in this group. Zenit are no doubt favorites to top the group with Real Sociedad also looking to get through. Rosenborg however I think will pose a significant threat to aforementioned two. Macedonians Vardar who eliminated Fenerbahce in the play off round will be up against it but could sneak a surprise result or two. 

1. Zenit St Petersburg
2. Real Sociedad
3. Rosenborg 
4. Vardar 

Champions League group stage preview

The group stages of the champions league returns tomorrow night with some interesting match ups in some of the groups. The draw has as usual been kind to some and harsh to others. This year sees Azerbaijan make their group stage debut with Qarabağ with Leipzig also set for their debut, while there is the returning Feyenoord to this stage for the first time in more than a decade

Group A
Manchester United's run of group stage luck continued with a very straight forward group that sees them pitted against Basel, Benfica and CSKA Moskva. They ought to be topping this group comfortably.
Behind them isn't as clear cut. Benfica have in the past two years made it out of the group and were quarter-finalists in 2016 which makes them my slight favorites ahead of Basel. Basel will challenge Benfica close for a place in the round of sixteen but Benfica's experience will edge Basel to the Europa league. CSKA Moskva have a rotten record at the group stage and being honest it's hard to make a case for them getting anything other than fourth place in the group.

1. Manchester United
2. Benfica
3. Basel
4. CSKA Moskva

Group B:
A group with two clear favorites and two rank outsiders. This group will be split into two battles, which of Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich tops the group and which of Anderlecht and Celtic gets the Europa league spot.
I expect Bayern's know how to get them top spot in the group condemning PSG to runners-up. For me the other battle is far more interesting as both Anderlecht and Celtic will have strong designs on obtaining European football after christmas. It is arguable that Anderlecht have a slightly higher quality team playing in a higher quality league week in week out but Celtic do have a fantastic home record. However Celtic's away record is abysmal and that for me will edge Anderlecht into third spot.

1. Bayern Munich
2. PSG 
3. Anderlecht
4. Celtic

Group C:
A genuinely tricky group to call that features three sides with firm aspirations of getting through. Of course three doesn't go into two and the team I feel that will miss out is Roma. Atlético I think will top the group but there won't be much between them, Chelsea and Roma in the final standings.
Group stage debutantes Qarabağ will finish bottom of the table but I fancy them to pick up one or two points.

1. Atlético Madrid
2. Chelsea
3. Roma
4. Qarabağ

Group D:
Barcelona will win the group, Juventus will finish second. Olympiacos I can see will just about nab the Europa league berth ahead of Sporting CP. Sporting CP missed out on the Europa league berth last season to Legia Warszawa and I feel Olympiacos are a stronger side than the Poles.

1. Barcelona
2. Juventus
3. Olympiacos
4. Sporting CP

Group E:
A tricky one to call. Sevilla despite their fantastic Europa league record haven't been able to transfer that form to the champions league, which opens this group up. Spartak Moskva will pose a threat to both Sevilla and Liverpool I feel. I can see Sevilla edging through in first place with Liverpool also getting through, Spartak in third and NK Maribor in fourth.

1. Sevilla
2. Liverpool
3. Spartak Moskva
4. NK Maribor

Group F:
Manchester City counted their lucky stars with decent group and they will get through quite comfortably. Napoli will get second spot comfortably as well. Feyenoord are back in the champions league but I think with Shakhtar Donetsk's more experience at this level in recent years will see the Ukrainians into third spot.

1. Manchester City
2. Napoli
3. Shakhtar Donetsk
4. Feyenoord

Group G:
The most open group of them all. AS Monaco have been decimated this summer but have bought decently. They won't repeat last year's run to the semi-finals but I think they'll squeeze through this group. I can see Porto joining them ahead of Leipzig given that Porto have a lot of experience of this competition and Leipzig playing on the European scene for the first time. However Beşiktaş are a side that are more than capable of upsetting the cart so although I won't predict the Turks to go through I wouldn't exactly be shocked if they do.

1. AS Monaco
2. Porto
3. Leipzig
4. Beşiktaş

Group H:
A group that Real Madrid ought to be topping. Borussia Dortmund or Tottenham to join them is the only interesting subplot in this group. APOEL will be finishing bottom of the group and it's difficult to see them picking up many points.
Borussia Dortmund are not the side of four-five years ago and for all the hype about this Tottenham side their European record in recent years has been awful. Tricky to predict but I'll side with Dortmund just about getting through behind Real Madrid.

1. Real Madrid
2. Borussia Dortmund
3. Tottenham Hotspur
4. APOEL

Ireland's debut in the Scottish challenge cup

League of Ireland clubs Bray Wanderers and Sligo Rovers took part in the Scottish challenge cup last weekend as debut guest teams. Bray Wanderers were drawn away to Scottish League Two side Elgin City while Sligo Rovers hosted Championship side Falkirk. It presented an opportunity for both clubs to pit themselves against sides they wouldn't ordinarily get the chance to play in a competitive fixture.
I'm reluctant to use one off games as a means to come to conclusions to the relative strengths and weaknesses of certain leagues over others but these games did provide us at least some glimpse into how our sides could fare in a competitive fixture against Scottish clubs. Irish sides haven't played a competitive fixture against a Scottish opponent in over ten years with Derry City's thumping aggregate victory over Gretna, who were at the time Division 2 (3rd tier champions), in the UEFA cup.
Last year I did a blog post on how I thought Irish sides would fare in the Scottish system, of course all hypothetical but to summarize I thought basically only the top two in Ireland would do reasonably well in the top division with the rest of our Premier division sides being of Scottish championship standard and below.

Embarrassment in Borough Briggs:
The first game last Saturday kicked off at 3pm with Bray Wanderers making the trip north to Elgin City. On paper and in the odds Bray were favorites here. The Wanderers had started the season very well but their campaign has now meandered into a what could've been season after the fiasco of financial problems in July. Elgin City meanwhile were third in League Two after four games. The first half came and went with both sides level at 0-0 by the interval. A lightning start to the second forty-five saw Elgin take the lead through Chris Dodd and that breakthrough forced Bray to go chasing a route back into the game. Elgin would add a second in stoppage time as Bray became desperate with Jordan Allen sticking the final nail into Bray's debut adventure. 2-0 the final score and the reaction was that of embarrassment from a Bray and League of Ireland point of view.

Sligo's unbeaten run ended:
Next up at 7:45pm was Sligo hosting Falkirk. Sligo struggling in the relegation battle albeit unbeaten in six games and Falkirk on the back of a disastrous start to their season lying in ninth.  This on paper was a much tougher assignment for Sligo than Bray had faced. Falkirk's average home crowd last season was just over 5,000, the third highest in the division behind Hibernian and Dundee United. Sligo's meanwhile was just over 1,700 in 2016 which was the fourth highest in Ireland. So going on figures such as those, Falkirk budget wise were much stronger.
On the game it took the Scottish visitors just nine minutes to make the breakthrough with Nathan Austin finishing after a slip in the Sligo defense. Seamus Sharkey leveled nine minutes later through a header from a corner. However Falkirk had one more sting though and retook the lead just before the half-hour mark with James Craigen slotting home. Sligo couldn't force another equalizer and like Bray before them exit the competition before they had a chance to get momentum together.

Verdict:
My thoughts before both clubs entered was that both were capable of going deep into this competition. With both teams knocked out in the debut campaign it doesn't look particularly good on the league that a team from the Scottish fourth tier could knock a top five side out while also keeping a clean sheet. Falkirk were always going to be a tough draw considering the other teams that Sligo could've been drawn against. The fact that the Sligo Falkirk game was a close fought battle is a little bit better from the League of Ireland point of view but overall this adventure has not been good.
Critics will point that Sligo are engulfed in a relegation battle and that this competition was a distraction will no doubt get an airing but Bray barring an incredible series of results will be safe come October and had the easier of the ties on paper ought to have looked for a decent run in this competition.
As I've mentioned earlier it's hard to draw conclusions on such a small sample size such as two games last weekend. I find the aspect of the SPFL including foreign sides into this competition interesting as this may become more and more the norm in the changing European footballing landscape in the coming years. What we can conclude after two games in this competition is that improvement is very much needed!.