Manchester United could not have got a better Champions League group if Jose Mourinho picked it himself
No team in Group A poses a serious threat to the Red Devils and I would not be surprised to see United facing Real Madrid in the final
JOSE MOURINHO and Manchester United have nothing to fear in the Champions League this season.
And with a little bit of luck, they could surprise one or two of the bigger teams later in the competition.
The Champions League group stage draw couldn’t have gone much better for Mourinho - even if he had lined up the numbers and picked them out himself.
Granted, there’s the 1,555-mile trip to Moscow and back to play CSKA, but the other two opponents in group A - Benfica and Basel - should provide less of a challenge, geographically at least.
Portuguese champions Benfica have had a mixed time during the summer transfer window and manager Rui Vitoria has arguably been left with a weaker squad than 12 months ago.
Swedish central defender Victor Lindelof was one of the first to leave, moving to United, with keeper Ederson making a similar trip, but to City.
There have been other high profile departures too, most notably sought after right-back Nelson Semedo, who has ended up in Spain with Barcelona.
The two clashes against Benfica will evoke fond memories of the 1968 European Cup final between the two sides, when United beat a Eusebio-inspired Benfica 4-1 at Wembley.
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The game was particularly memorable because not only did it take United to the pinnacle of European football for the first time, but because it arrived ten years after the Munich air disaster.
Swiss side Basel, on the other hand, pose a different challenge entirely, and have former Norwich striker Ricky van Wolfswinkel spearheading their attack. Remember him?
Although they’ll be regarded as the group outsiders, it’s the eighth time they have appeared at this stage of the competition.
And let's not forget they famously knocked out Sir Alex Ferguson’s United team in 2011.
What then, can we expect from this United?
Expect Mourinho to place on record how difficult he thinks the group is.
Privately though, he’s bound to have one eye on progressing and progressing as group winners.
If that happens, as is likely, then the knockout rounds are a lottery.
It’s important not to get too ahead of ourselves of course, after all, it is our first season back among Europe’s elite.
And yes, only last month were we out-thought and outclassed by Real Madrid in the Super Cup final.
The question is though, is the chasing pack - and by that I mean Bayern Munich, a Neymar-less Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain - that far ahead of United?
Mourinho is certainly no stranger to defying the odds having done so with Porto against Celtic in the Uefa Cup final in 2003 and then against Monaco in the Champions League the following year.
Since then the landscape has changed and the competition is harder.
Unquestionably, United have already been gifted a very favourable start.
But if injury, loss of form, suspension and old lady luck is on their side, then don’t be surprised to see them meeting Real in another final next May.
It’s a funny old game, you know.
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