Anderlecht
Prediction: Group stage
We just want to avoid embarrassment in a tough group. Our team seem to have one eye on this competition already, considering the dross we’ve been served up so far in our domestic title defence. We’re not exactly new to the Champions League, but we rarely manage to push on and trouble the better sides. It’s very frustrating. At least we’ve kept injuries to a minimum for now.
Goalkeeper Matz Sels will be earning his wages this autumn. Alexandru Chipciu and Lukasz Teodorczyk will provide the attacking threat if we ever get into the final third of the pitch. We have failed to score an away goal in the Belgian Pro League so far this season, so the chances of knocking them in away to Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain and Celtic seems unlikely at the moment. Lola
Apoel Nicosia
Prediction: Group stage
I’m hoping for respectable results and to avoid maulings from bigger, faster and better teams. Our central defenders Carlão, Jesús Rueda and Giorgos Merkis will have a lot to do. I fear they will come up against players who will beat them for pace. We need to avoid being overrun. Having conceded just once in six qualifying games to get here, our Dutch goalkeeper Boy Waterman’s shot-stopping abilities will be put to the test. His excellent reflexes should serve him well.
We should try to enjoy the experience though. I definitely look forward to the games against Spurs. I think the only away game we have a realistic chance of getting something from is from our trip to Wembley considering their struggles there so far. Michalis Papachristodoulou
Atlético Madrid
Prediction: Final
Could this be the year Atleti finally break their Champions League duck? The Vicente Calderon held, and always will hold, a special place in the heart of every Colchonero. But if we can settle into the Wanda Metropolitano quickly, it will do wonders for the team and we’ll have a chance of going all the way. It’s been 51 years since the team was uprooted so there is bound to be an effect but this is a proud bunch of battle-hardened players who are ready to walk through fire for manager Diego Simone.
The transfer ban was a blessing in disguise. We kept Antoine Griezmann and we managed to hold on to Simeone. We even managed to get our hands on the mercurial Vitolo from Sevilla despite the ban and may still pick up Diego Costa. Griezmann will once again be the shining light in a team full of a brilliant supporting cast. As good as homegrown talents such as Gabi, Koke and Saul are, the French striker gets us out of trouble more often than most. Fiachra McKermott
Barcelona
Prediction: Semi-finals
I hope we can perform better than last year. However, selling Neymar is a massive blow for us, especially as he joined a Champions League rival. Ousmane Dembélé has potential and new right-back Nélson Semedo may give our ageing defense some life. The key will be our style of play. The class of midfielders Andres Iniesta and Sergio Busquets should keep us going in the middle for now and Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez can always be relied upon to find the back of the net. Rafael
Basel
Prediction: Group stage
The whole club has changed since last season. The board has been reshuffled, the manager replaced and our only legendary player and true leader Matías Delgado has retired. We have started this season slowly. If new head coach Raphael Wicky can discover the right mentality for the team, our Champions League hopes can live on a little bit longer than the group stages. As we have seen in the last few years, Basel are capable of scaring the greatest clubs in Europe. On a good day they can beat anyone. Striker Ricky van Wolfswinkel will need to be at his very best though. Marc
Benfica
Prediction: Quarter-finals
We reached the round of 16 last season and our team is consistent, experienced and can really put up a fight. I think we can progress from our group and then we rely on a kind draw in the first knock-out round. The quarter-finals seem doable. Central midfielder Pizzi is one of our best players going forward. He gets the game rolling. Last year he played virtually every match; let’s see if he can continue that rhythm this season, particularly with a World Cup in the summer. Jonas gives us magic and Haris Seferović gets us the goals, while Ljubomir Fejsa and Luisão still hold the defence together. Martinho Pires
Besiktas
Prediction: Round of 16
Progressing to the round of 16 should be the minimum expectation. Failing to get out of the group again would be a big disappointment. The squad is stronger this year and should have learned from their mistakes last season, when they finished third in their group. Reaching the quarter-finals would be a great achievement.
Team work and a fantastic spirit has helped us win the past two Turkish Super Lig titles. Manager Senol Gunes has instilled a winning mentality into this squad, so believing they can beat anyone could make a big difference. Anderson Talisca’s performances will be important; his skill and movement off the ball give defenders all sorts of problems. Hopefully he can replicate or even better his form from last season. Jens Raitanen
Bayern Munich
Prediction: Final
Bayern should be aspiring to win the Champions League every year but Real Madrid are significantly ahead of the pack – even though Bayern pushed close in last year’s epic quarter-final. Reaching the semi-finals is a must but a lot will depend on the draw. I think Bayern can beat anyone except for Real.
Carlo Ancelotti did a great job getting Bayern to peak in March and April last season, but once again injuries beset key players with even Manuel Neuer getting hurt in the return leg against Real last year. This year he has to do a far better job of rotating players instead of constantly relying on his favourite XI. He must do a better job of coaxing the best out of players such as David Alaba and Jérôme Boateng, and for Bayern to go far, he must resolve the issues he has with Thomas Muller, whose relegation to the bench has harmed the team. He doesn’t have to play every game, but he must feature more than he did last year.
Neuer and Robert Lewandowski are the best players in the world in their positions. They will dominate again. Thiago Alcântara is already one of the world’s best midfielders, but needs to do better in the big games. I think Mats Hummels will perform at the highest level when needed. Riebl
Borussia Dortmund
Prediciton: Winners
We’re top of the Bundesliga at the moment, so are feeling optimistic. The competition starts at a good time for us and it will take something special to stop us this year. Dutch manager Peter Bosz has really made a difference, while Christian Pulisic will be the name on everyone’s lips during the competition. Shayan
Celtic
Prediciton: Group stage
Beating Anderlecht to third place and a Europa League spot seems like the realistic objective for us. We have two of Europe’s best clubs coming to Celtic Park, but we have a record of giving the top teams a real good game at home. Let’s hope we can do that again and have another special night like those against Barcelona, Juventus and Manchester United, all of whom have lost to us in the Champions League.
We need to be playing with the same energy and high-tempo at home like we did against Manchester City last season to have any chance of knocking Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern out of their stride. Moussa Dembélé recovering from his injury to play a part in the campagin will be important. Picking up at least a point away in Belgium against Anderlecht looks important if we want third place. It’s also very promising to see a genuinely talented Scottish youngester in Kieran Tierney coming through the Celtic ranks. I’m excited for him. Mikey H
Chelsea
Prediction: Quarter-finals
It’s fantastic to be back after a year away and I’m relishing midweek encounters under the floodlights at Stamford Bridge. We have been given some glamour ties, with trips to Rome and Madrid to look forward to. It’s perhaps a tougher group than we would have liked, with Atlético Madrid and Roma sure to prove tough opposition. All three sides will fancy their chances of getting out the group, but I feel that Chelsea will have just enough quality and know-how to qualify along with Atlético. If we can avoid some of the real big-hitters, a semi-final spot won’t be beyond us, but a place in the quarter-finals is probably more realistic.
Much has been made of our travails in the transfer market this summer and our squad does look a little light. Keeping our key players fully fit will be vital to our chances. Eden Hazard is already established as a star in England, but this could be the season he propels himself to the next level. Only then can he be talked about in the same vein as Messi, Ronaldo and Neymar. Tom Slater
CSKA Moscow
Prediciton: Group Stages
We’re back in the Champions League on merit, having knocked out decent sides such as Young Boys and AEK Athens out in the qualifying rounds, having kept clean sheets in those four games. Our run of 12 losses in our last 14 away games in the Champions League tells its own story though. The defence needs to stay disciplined, while Alan Dzagoev needs to keep us ticking in the final third. And even then that probably won’t be enough in a tough group. Anna
Feyenoord
Prediction: Group stage
My hopes are not high. The Dutch clubs are struggling in Europe as they don’t earn as much as money in our domestic league. We can’t compete with clubs such as Manchester City, Real Madrid or Paris Saint-Germain anymore. And even trying to keep up with Napoli and Shakhtar is proving difficult. But, if we stay united as a team and keep the fighting spirit and focus, we might have a chance. After all that is what gave us our first title in 18 years last season. That is how we beat Manchester United at home last season. Our stadium is a big plus for us but we’ll struggle on the road. If we can stay above Shakhtar, the Europa League would be a nice reward.
Nicolai Jorgensen scored 21 goals and provided 11 assists for us last season. He has a massive part to play this year and I’m so glad we managed to keep him during the transfer window madness. Fabian Feelders
Porto
Prediction: Quarter Finals
Porto have started the season on fire with five straight wins, but now the serious business starts. They should get through the group without too many alarms and have enough quality to get through at least one knock-out round. The midfield duo of Óliver Torres and Yacine Brahimi are key. It’s also fantastic to see Iker Casillas set for another Champions League campaign in the twilight of his career. Hector
Qarabag
Prediciton: Group stage
It’s been a long time coming but Qarabag have finally achieved their long-term goal of reaching the Champions League group stage. Many expected Copenhagen to go through instead but the Azerbaijani champions made history. Looking at the group, we’ll need our opponents to have plenty of off-days. A knee injury to midfielder Wilde Donald Guerrier means a lot rests on midfielder Míchel. Elvin
Juventus
Prediction: Final
We need to avenge last season’s final and finally win this thing. I spent a small fortune on getting to Cardiff and I have vowed not to go to another game until we win it. If the players we have signed can adapt quickly, we have a much better squad depth than we did last season. The strength of our bench in last season’s final shows how we made it to the final: by using a small group of players rather than the whole squad. We need Medhi Benatia and Daniele Rugani to step up this season at the back with Leonardo Bonucci no longer there to orchestrate the defence. Miralem Pjanic and Paulo Dybala will be as impressive as they were last season. Class is permanent. Giuseppe
Liverpool
Prediction: Semi-finals
Sevilla will prove a hard opponent, as we have seen in the past, but we should finish just behind them in second place in the group. I see us pulling off a surprise in the knock-out rounds and making it through to the quarters or semis. We need to get Philippe Coutinho’s mind back in the game and get his fitness levels back up. When we lost Sadio Mané last year, we looked powerless. However, with Mohamed Salah and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain joining the team, we have great strength in depth, which should prove pivotal in the latter stages. Tom Bourlet
Manchester City
Prediction: Semi-finals
After the disappointment of last year, most City fans expect us to reach the semi-finals at least. We reached that stage two years ago with an inferior squad to the one we have now. With Pep Guardiola at the helm, we really should be reaching the latter stages. Hopefully we can collect a big scalp along the way too. Last season’s home wins against Monaco and Barcelona were fantastic occasions with genuinely incredible atmospheres.
Recruitment looks to have been excellent so far. New signings Benjamin Mendy and Bernardo Silva were part of the fantastic Monaco side that made it to the semi-finals last season. Ederson is already looking like a serious upgrade on our previous goalkeepers and Kyle Walker will hopefully be part of a back-line that doesn’t concede six goals over two legs. And Kevin De Bruyne has started this season with a hunger we haven’t really seen from him before. If he plays well, the team plays well; he could be the difference in the big games. Jacob Stear
Manchester United
Prediction: Quarter-finals
A quarter-final appearance after a year out in the cold would be a great baseline for future seasons. After finishing a rather ignominious sixth last season and only qualifying through the Europa League, it would be great to perform well in a relatively easy group and reach the quarters. I don’t think our squad is good enough yet to go beyond the last eight.
We were blessed with a relatively easy Europa League run last time, so it’s important we don’t let our concentration slip in the Champions League. Another vital concern is the finishing. An inability to finish off sides was our undoing last season and in the one European fixture we have had so far – the Super Cup defeat to Real Madrid – we did not finish many presentable chances. We lacked creativity under previous regimes but now the trouble is finishing the chances we create. If we become more clinical, I can see us triumphing against even the stronger sides.
Paul Pogba was voted player of the tournament in the Europa League last season and he is vital to the team. His goals were crucial in our success and he has found his goalscoring touch again in the Premier League this season. He has great strength and dribbling ability, and his wonderful long balls are reminiscent of Wayne Rooney and Paul Scholes. One glaring weakness is his inconsistent decision-making. He often chooses the most contrived option instead of the simplest one and he sometimes tries to do everything himself. If he gets back to basics, he can boss almost any opponent in the Champions League. Akshay Kulkarni
Monaco
Prediction: Quarter-finals
We’ve been handed a relatively safe group. Porto are a team we’re effectively trying to emulate by buying young talent and selling them on for huge profits, so it’ll be nice to play against them. I can’t see Monaco getting a better chance to win the Champions League than last year. We’ve lost a lot of big elements in Kylian Mbappé, Benjamin Mendy, Bernardo Silva and Tiémoué Bakayoko, but we’ve made a decent start in Ligue 1 and still have a strong squad. We should win the group, but after that it all depends on the luck of the draw. I think the best we can hope for would be a quarter-final spot.
We’ve been busy trying to fill the holes left by a whirlwind summer transfer window. Stevan Jovetic is a great addition to the squad and Keita Baldé Diao can help to fill the gap left by Mbappé. Youri Tielemans is an excellent young prospect and we’ve still got plenty of talent in Fabinho, Falcao, João Moutinho, Thomas Lemar and Djibril Sidibé. Falcao is our star man and always performs in Europe. With Mbappé gone, there’s more pressure on him to score our goals but I’m confident he’ll step up. Frédéric
Napoli
Prediction: Semi-finals
We’re already looking good in the league with three straight wins. It’s just a shame Juventus have started just as strongly again! With Pepe Reina in goal, Elseid Hysaj solid in defence, Piotr Zieliński and Jorginho coherent in midfield, and the attacking trident of Lorenzo Insigne, Dries Mertens and José Callejón, we might be an unstoppable force in this year’s competition. Andrea
Maribor
Prediction: Round of 16
Discipline is the key for us. That’s what saw us through the qualifying rounds. Our organisation and endeavour over two legs against Hapoel Be’er Sheva was excellent and the away-goals victory was richly deserved. Head coach Darko Milanic might be best known for his ill-fated spell at Leeds a few years back, but his success in Slovenian football will take some beating. I think we can keep Spartak Moscow behind us and pip Liverpool to second. Our Brazilian striker Marcos Tavares could do some damage if he is given the service he needs. Nicolaj
Olympiakos
Prediction: Round of 16
To get through the group we’ll need to dislodge either Barcelona or Juventus. That won’t be an easy task but we need to believe. Midfielder Kostas Fortounis will have a big part to play, if we are to achieve our knock-out stage dream. Niko
Paris Saint-Germain
Prediction: Semi-finals
Being allowed to compete is the first hurdle. My hope is Uefa do not kick us out of the competition for circumventing Financial Fair Play rules. It is strange when the football team you support becomes an integral part of the massive soft power project of an oil-rich state. Beyond that the team is good enough to win the whole thing. Edinson Cavani is bound to profit from playing with Neymar and, if Kylian Mbappé retains his sensational form from last season’s run-in, he will excel too. The team is well staffed in every position. A team that can start a league game with Thiago Silva, Julian Draxler and Dani Alves on the bench – as they did last weekend – will not be short on star players. Kári Tulinius
RB Leipzig
Prediction: Round of 16
We’ve made a decent start to our Bundesliga campaign. The squad still looks a bit too thin but hopefully we’ll be able to compete both domestically and in Europe. we Might struggle against quality opposition and look like the newcomers we are. If creative players such as Emil Forsberg stay fit, we might turn a few heads. Robin
Real Madrid
Prediction: Final
It’s a tough ask for Real Madrid to win a third Champions league in a row after becoming the first team to defend the title in its modern format. The team was also the first to do it in its original format. However, over and above the excellently gelled squad complemented with some exciting young additions in the transfer window, they have in Zinadine Zidane a manager who is becoming a master.
With James Rodríguez, Álvaro Morata and Danilo leaving and being replaced with mainly youth team members, the strength in depth has decreased somewhat. If injuries hit, these exciting prospects are going to have to deliver early. Considering Cristiano Ronaldo has to manage his time on the field, it should be Gareth Bale’s year but I think they will both be overshadowed by the electricity of Marco Asensio and Isco’s magic. Pablo Rodera
Roma
Prediction: Round of 16
I don’t have hopes beyong getting out of a tricky looking group at the moment. Atlético Madrid and Chelsea are both difficult opponens, but we need to get the better of one one of them to progress. It’s all about our mentality; we need to believe we can do it and not already look at what Europa League opponents we could be coming up against. With trusted warrior Daniele De Rossi still playing an integral role in midfield, I’m confident we can have a good campaign. Genevieve
Sevilla
Prediction: Round of 16
We were very lucky not to be knocked out in the qualifying round against Istanbul Basaksehir, who came within a last-gasp shot off the woodwork from beating us. We need to make that fortune count now and take the group by the scruff of the neck. Sevilla’s midfield conductor, Ever Banega, will be key to our hopes. He needs to keep his cool with the officials though. No more silly bans for insulting referees. Cira Lopez
Shakhtar Donetsk
Prediction: Round of 16
We’re not here just to make up the numbers. Our domestic form is solid – we are top of the table after seven wins in eight games. We need to make home form count though, as we have never been very convincing on our travels. Our bad habit of conceding the opening goal needs to stop. Our manager Paulo Fonseca needs to get his tactics and motivation spot on, and Brazilian attacking midfielder Marlos needs to prove himself on the biggest stage. Kaspar
Spartak Moscow
Prediction: Round of 16
We are excited to be back in the Champions League after four years of absence. Spartak’s last appearance was back in the 2012-13 campaign, when we finished bottom of the group and didn’t look competitive at all. Let’s hope Dutch winger Quincy Promes fulfills his err... promise! Anton M
Sporting Lisbon
Prediction: Group stage
You would have to be insane to expect the team to rise from the European obscurity of recent years to snatch a qualification place ahead of either Barcelona or Juventus. Beating Olympiakos to third place is the realistic goal. And achieving it would be a good sign of progress after last season’s dismal performance. If we get points in Greece, we will be more than halfway through in meeting our realistic goals for the competition this season. Squad depth is difficult to achieve when you are outside the major European leagues. Our first team has enough talent to acquit themselves well at this level, but a couple of injuries to key players could lead to a severe dip in quality. There is no decent cover for the centre-backs Sebastián Coates and Jeremy Mathieu or injury-prone left-back Fábio Coentrão.
I’m excited to see how Bruno Fernandes does. For once the presence of a hugely talented Portuguese young player in the first team is not down to the work of Sporting’s legendary youth academy, but the result of shrewd transfer business – he was snatched from Sampdoria in the summer for €8.5m, the third most expensive player in Sporting’s history. The 22-year-old midfielder has immediately established himself in the team with his vision, passing ability and deadly long-range shooting. Definitely one to watch. Pedro Estêvão
Tottenham Hotspur
Prediction: Quarter-finals
We need to transfer the confident, exciting displays from the league last season into the Champions League. We played some beautiful football last season, good enough to be a tough challenge for any team in the Champions League. Six points against Real Madrid would be a nice cherry on top of seeing some good performances. I think making the quarter-finals, or being one of the last English teams standing, is needed to stop teams poaching our players next summer.
Dele Alli, Christian Eriksen and Mousa Dembélé can turn a game in a instant, but the beauty of the current Spurs side is that it’s a team. When the team is on the same page, they can thrash anyone. We just need to believe that we belong here. If the quality of the teams in our group is not enough to inspire the players then nothing will. Suzie Wong
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