How will the English teams fare in Europe?
By Ryan Conway
The groups have been drawn for the group stages of the UEFA Champions League. Several mouth-watering clashes pepper what is a strong set of groups. Holders Real Madrid occupy Group G along with Roma, CSKA Moscow and Viktoria Plzen.
Meanwhile, Group A features three former finalists in Atletico Madrid, Borussia Dortmund and Monaco. Belgian outfit Club Brugge also join them.
But what of the English representatives? Who do Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool and Tottenham have to battle with to punch their ticket to the knockout phase of the competition?
Liverpool: Group C (PSG, Napoli & Red Star Belgrade)
Mo Salah went off injured after just half an hour of last year’s Champions League final (photo credit: Joe Misseri)
Well, Jurgen Klopp would have been wishing for a kinder group but games against Napoli and Neymar’s Paris Saint-Germain will test the refurbished midfield and defensive areas.
Last year’s losing finalists still possess the firepower to stand toe-to-toe with the teams they were drawn against. However, when their backs are against the wall for periods, will they be able to resist and grind out a victory? That strategy has been the backbone of Real Madrid’s recent European triumphs and Klopp has spoken recently about his side’s need to ‘win ugly’.
While the fixtures have been slightly cruel, the travel has at least been kind. The Reds’ escapades around Europe should be comfortable with Serbia being the furthest they’ll travel, a distance of1945.7km to Belgrade.
Last season Liverpool qualified top of Group E with 12 points (three wins, three draws) but their Jekyll and Hyde showings were on display, none more noticeable than the 3-3 away draw against Sevilla. Roberto Firmino and Saido Mane had The Reds 3-0 up at half-time only to squander their healthy lead. They’ll be required to be more solid if they are to climb out of Group C.
Chucky Lozano will be able to test himself against the best
Photo: Debby von Winckelmann/Prost Amerika
Tottenham Hotspur: Group B (Barcelona, PSV & Inter Milan)
Last season Spurs were undefeated in a group which featured Real Madrid and Dortmund. The North London squad took four points from Madrid while beating Dortmund home and away.
This year their task is equally difficult as they are drawn with a different Spanish powerhouse in the ominous shape of Barcelona, who are itching to end the Madrid dominance in Europe.
Inter Milan and Spurs played out two classics the last time they met in the 2010-11 campaign. Gareth Bale introduced himself to the world with a hat-trick in a 4-3 defeat in Milan, however Rafael van der Vaart, Peter Crouch and Roman Pavlyuchenko were on the scoresheet in a 3-1 win in the return group match.
PSV may not be a name which strikes fear into the giants of Europe, yet they still offer enough quality to trouble any opposition. The Champions League also offers an opportunity for Mexican forward Hirving Lozano to further enhance his reputation as one of the most exciting prospects in world football.
Manchester City: Group F (Shakhtar Donetsk, Lyon & Hoffenheim)
Manchester City are targeting their first ever Champions League triumph (photo credit: Man City).
Manchester City are the English side with the most straight forward group on paper. City and Shakhtar shared Group F last season also, both qualified and the Ukrainian outfit were the only side to take any points off Pep Guardiola’s side when they inflicted a 2-1 defeat on the Premier League champions in December.
French outfit Lyon have been also-rans in their domestic league since lifting their last Ligue 1 title a decade ago. A sea of change has slowly engulfed the French unit, perhaps they are able to upset this particular apple cart. Nabil Fekir opted to stay with Lyon rather than move to the England with Liverpool almost securing his signature. Former Man United winger Memphis Depay has reignited his career in France after failing to live up to expectations in the Premier League.
Guardiola will match wits with one of the bright young coaches in football when his City team take on Julian Nagelsmann’s Hoffenheim. The 31-year-old German has caught the eye of several big clubs in Europe but will be managing RB Leipzig once the current season is over.
City are the heavyweights in Group F, but second spot is wide open with three similarly matched teams vying for a spot in the last-16.
Romelu Lukaku will be key if United are to go deep into the Champions League (photo credit: Debby von Winckelmann).
Manchester United: Group H (Juventus, Valencia & BSC Young Boys)
There is already tension inside Old Trafford, now to compound that United have been dealt a very tricky group to navigate. Cristiano Ronaldo will also return to Manchester with new team Juventus. It would be ironic if the man who loves the club so much were to inflict further misery upon them.
United lost only once in the group stages last season, topping their group before being dumped out by Sevilla in the last-16 in a pair of performances which disjointed at best and depressing at worst.
Valencia are slowly climbing back up the La Liga ladder and have been rewarded with a return to Europe’s top club competition. The 2001 finalists are capable of scoring goals, they found the net 65 times during their domestic league season last term, good enough for fourth highest in the league. They represent the typical banana skin for the Red Devils.
BSC Young Boys will grace the Champions League group phase for the first time having fallen during the preliminary rounds or final play-off games every year previously. The Swiss outfit will be considered minnows in the group, but maybe they will be able to capitalise on some Man United instability.
