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