It's time for the group stage of the European soccer competition. The field of 78 teams has been reduced to 32 and the groups have been drawn. Now we know where the narratives are, and there are many, including Robert Lewandowski's new club, Barcelona, and Erling Haaland's new club, Manchester City, among others.
Defending champion Real Madrid gets a relatively easy landing spot in Group F with Celtic and Shakhtar Donetsk, as well as Group A where they face Ajax and Napoli.
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What will happen when it all plays out? The teams that will advance to the last 16 have been predicted by the four groups.
This group is not as difficult as Group C is thought to be. When the draw was made, there was a vice president of the club. The team to avoid from Pot 2 was the one to avoid from Pot 3. Good luck to Alfred Schreuder. They are talented but lack experience. They started their season with a heavy defeat against PSV in the Dutch Super Cup but have found their form in the Eredivisie so far.
Two draws and a loss at Manchester United have been the worst start to a season for the team since the arrival of J.K. He dislikes his seventh season at a club, but this could be different. Once their defenders are willing to defend again, you can expect to see a return to their best by the team.
The best team right now is Napoli. Luciano Spalletti and his team are playing well. They will need to face tougher opponents than Hellas Verona and Monza in order to prove they are the real deal this season.
The Rangers made it to the group stage for the first time in a long time. They don't have anything to lose and will be rocking. The achievement of reaching this stage is a bonus. The goal is to disrupt this group as much as possible, even though finishing in the top two might be too difficult.
It's a must-see match.
The Reds have lost at the Stadio San Paolo two times. The atmosphere is going to be great, and there is a lot of quality to trouble a side that is still searching for form.
Predicted finish: Lazio.
Three clubs are vying for the top spots. I think that Ajax are too young to compete with the other teams in the group and will fall short. Rangers will get points on the board but not enough to make it to the Europa League, so I think they will go through with third place.
It's not the best or most difficult group in this draw, but it's still a very interesting one because it's eclectic and has some really good stories.
The two teams met in the group stage last season. The team has lost to Villarreal this season. Their progress game is still a work in progress because they are still searching for their identity. They have a lot of talent but aren't using it well. The discussion will be different if the Joao Felix/Alvaro Morata partnership is a success.
Porto can cause a lot of issues. In the summer, the Conceiao lost some big players, but they also made some interesting signings. Porto will play with an intensity and confidence that will make it difficult to play against.
Is there anything going on with the Germans? They have lost their first three games of the season, including a loss in the German Cup against a third-tier side. The team has gone from being fantastic to being average this year due to the huge pressure on them. By the time the group stage is over, they might have changed managers, but unless their star players get back to their best, they won't go far.
Club Brugge lost their best player this summer in Charles De Ketelaere, while Hans Vanaken could be on his way to West ham before the end of the transfer window. The loss of Philippe Clément, the manager who made them so good before he left for Monaco, will make it difficult for them to compete with the other teams.
It's a must- see match.
The game last season was full of intensity, fighting, aggression and drama, and I expect it to be the same this season. The way these two teams play is very exciting. The outcome of the group could be affected by the result.
Predicted finish is Porto.
I have a good feeling about this Porto side despite the loss of some key players. When they finished third in the group stage, I think they learned a lot. They will top the group this time, and will be too strong for the Germans if they don't get their act together quickly.
This is the worst group of them all. Three teams are the best in one group this season, and that's right. It will be amazing.
The arrival of Sadio Mané and the manager's new 4-2-2-2 formation make them the overwhelming favorite. They will want to redeem themselves after last season's disappointing and unexpected exit, and they have looked great so far this season. Under Xavi, Barcelona are reconstructing. The financial situation of them has been a topic of discussion. Ousmane Dembélé signed a contract extension after they made a number of great signings. They need to play well together.
The return of Romelu Lukaku will make Inter stronger and more physical. Even though they narrowly missed out on the title, this team keeps growing, even if they don't win it. It is a matter of time before they are at their best.
It's a must-see match.
It's called the Lewandowski derby. It's going to be huge. How will he be received? He will be in a mindset. Everyone knew before the draw started that they'd be drawn by Barcelona. Two teams that have put on some epic, humiliating games over the past few years are going to meet up. In the past, it used to be the Spanish giants that dominated, but in the past few years, it has been the Germans. It will still be a great one despite the fact that Lionel Messi is no longer there.
Predicted finish: FC Barcelona.
It feels like a pretty easy pick, that's for sure. They are better already in their second season than they were in their first one. I think they'll go through easily. The battle for second place is real. Do you think Inter or Barcelona is the right choice? Which one is it, Barcelona or Inter? I liked what Simone Inzaghi did last season, taking his team to the last 16 for the first time in 10 years, and Inter have added Romelu Lukaku back to their squad. You can say the same thing for him. Is it possible that they both go through as well? Is that not true? My money is on Inter.
It looks like the return of Spurs to the European competition looks inviting. They have avoided Europe's powerhouses such as Real Madrid and Barcelona, but there are questions about their manager, who has never translated his domestic success onto the European stage.
The Italian has only won 12 of his 54 matches in the group stage of the competition, with the exception of Inter Milan, who made it to the group stage.
The team that won last season's Europa League will be tested, as will the team that made their 10th group stage appearance. Matteo Guendouzi and Sead Kolasinac are two of the four players with ties to the north London club. While on loan at the French club, he has the chance to endeared himself to the fans of his parent club if he can upset the progress of Spurs.
It's a must-see match.
The toughest test for Spurs will be at theDeutsche Bank Park. Spurs only won one of four away games in the last season of the European competition, while they were beaten in one of the first games of the new season. Both Spurs and Frankfurt finished in the top 10 in the German league last season.
Predicted finish: Spurs.
Spurs should have the quality to prevail despite the fact that there aren't many top teams. Harry Kane and Son Heung-min are two players who know what it takes to excel in this competition. They seem to raise their game in Europe, and the support they get could help them move up in the rankings. All four sides will think they have a good chance of making it.
For the first time in over a decade, AC Milan and CHELSEA are competing in the same competition. Milan, seven-time winners and current Serie A champion, will harbour high hopes of going better than last season's group stage exit, and at 40 years of age, this could be Zlatan Ibrahimsson's final European campaign.
The two-time winners were knocked out in the quarterfinals by Real Madrid last time out and have since signed a new player. Benjamin Sesko is the leader of the forward line for FC Salzburg. Sesko will have a chance to show the Blues what they missed out on when his deal with RB Leipzig kicks in in three years' time.
Dinamo Zagreb made it to the group stage for the first time in three years after defeating Bodo/Glimt in the playoffs.
It's a must-see match.
One of the crucial matches in the group will see a few former Blues return to the club for the first time. There are points to be proved. The Frenchman moved on last summer after failing to get a lot of playing time. At the end of last season, Tomori made a permanent move to Milan after spending a loan spell at the club. Bakayoko is on a loan from the parent club and can play against them.
Predicted finish is AC Milan.
With the group stage starting in early September, Tuchel will have little time to work in any more new players. Milan have a chance to steal an early advantage, which could make it hard for them to catch. Salzburg only got out of a weaker group last season after beating Sevilla on matchday 6 to secure second place, but they were humiliated in the round of 16 byBayern.
Real Madrid have won the European Championship five times in the past nine years, so there should be no doubts about their chances. Casemiro joined Manchester United but they are still a formidable team that knows how to win the competition. On top of that, they have one of the best players in the world in Benzema. Carlo Ancelotti wants to win a medal in June.
Shakhtar will have to play their games in Warsaw because the country is at war with Russia. Celtic is returning to the group stages for the first time in five years and will be looking to shock Real Madrid at Celtic Park after beating Lionel Messi.
It's a must-see match.
Real Madrid will be welcomed by Shakhtar in Poland because of the war with Russia, but it will still be a big deal. Shakhtar is not here to make up the numbers and will give Carlo Ancelotti's team a hard time.
Predicted finish is Real Madrid.
You should never bet against Real Madrid, even if they don't always play well in the group stages. The other three teams in the group have an opportunity to qualify. Celtic haven't been in the group stages since last year and haven't progressed to the knockout rounds since 2012 but the atmosphere their fans can generate under the lights at Celtic Park could give them an edge. Real Madrid could be turned over in Glasgow.
In the past two seasons, Manchester City have made it to the semifinals and the final and have been installed as one of the favorites for this year's competition. The group stage draw isn't going to change that, but there is enough danger in the games against Sevilla and the other teams. Neither team made it out of their groups last season, but if you catch them on the wrong day, they can beat anyone, and that's a good thing.
FC Copenhagen haven't made it to the group stage in the last two years, and will need a miracle to repeat their performance in the 2010-11 campaign, when they made it to the last 16 before being knocked out by Chelsea. After their last-16 tie in 2021 ended with the German side edging the Sevilla side, the two teams will play each other in the next two years. Haaland scored four goals in the two games, but this year he will be playing against Manchester City.
There is a must- see match.
Haaland will return to his former club in his first season at the city's stadium. The Norwegian said in the summer that he would have to get the better of the Germans if he wanted to progress to the next level. Roberto Mancini's team finished last in the group stage as they lost four points to the Germans.
The predicted finish is Manchester City.
It would be a big surprise if Manchester City didn't finish top of Group G, since they have become specialists in the group stage. Although Sevilla were knocked out in the group stage last season, they have the advantage against a team that is still learning to cope without Haaland. The German side failed to make it out of a group that included Besiktas.
Will Paris Saint-Germain be able to win the trophy this year? They have a squad to rival any in the world, but they have failed to win the trophy in the past. They haven't been knocked out at the group stage since 2004, so they should be able to get through Group H. They had a chance to knock out Real Madrid in the last 16 last season.
The Italians are looking for redemption after losing in the second round in each of the last three seasons. It's too long for a club of their size and resources to be without a trophy. Last season, Benfica made it to the group stage for the first time, while Maccabi Haifa only made it twice before, in 2002 and 2009.
It's a must-see match.
It's impossible to ask for more from a group stage game than two of the best teams in the world playing each other. Two teams that have never played a competitive game will be looking to finish top of the group and win the competition. They are an early test of their credentials, and will be one of the favorites to win the title.
The predicted finish is Paris Saint-Germain.
The two games with Paris Saint-Germain will give the Italians the top spot in the group. The two top seeds should be too strong because of the departure of Darwin Nunez and the fact that they were the only team to win the title.
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