FRISCO, Texas — Due to the flooding from Hurricane Harvey, Thursday’s preseason game between the Houston Texans and Dallas Cowboys, originally scheduled to be played at NRG Stadium, has been moved to AT&T Stadium.
Manchester United, Liverpool, and Manchester City will be quite pleased with the results of the 2017-18 UEFA Champions League group stage draw.
The three English clubs fared well in Groups A, E, and F, respectively, while Chelsea and Tottenham were drawn beside Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid, respectively.
Juventus and Barcelona were paired up in Group D while Paris Saint-Germain will hope its €222-million investment in Neymar will pay off against Bayern Munich in Group B.
Here’s how we predict the Champions League group stage will pan out:
Group A
Devoid of any meaningful challenger, the Red Devils are all smiles in Group A.
United should cruise to the top of the pile over six matchdays while FC Basel, SL Benfica, and CSKA Moscow battle it out for the second spot. The edge goes to the Portuguese outfit, of course, but CSKA can prove a tricky opponent.
But in the end, Jose Mourinho’s side won’t find too much trouble here.
Predicted finish:
Manchester United
SL Benfica
CSKA Moscow
FC Basel
Group B
It’s time for PSG – and Neymar – to shine.
After spending an ungodly amount of money on the Brazilian star (and with reports suggesting a similar investment in Kylian Mbappe is imminent), the Parisian outfit will look to prove any doubters wrong with an early statement against the Bavarian club over two matches.
Celtic comes into the competition on the back of an incredible undefeated domestic campaign and will likely beat Anderlecht to the Europa League spot.
Predicted finish:
Paris Saint-Germain
Bayern Munich
Celtic
Anderlecht
Group C
Diego Costa won’t admit it, but he’s likely not rooting for his current employer in Group C, as Chelsea and Atletico Madrid present two different periods of his career. Now stuck in limbo, the Spanish striker has made no secret of his desire to return to Atletico. That said, he’s unlikely to be much of a factor here.
While his fiery nature won’t be on display, there will be plenty of ferocity from managers Antonio Conte and Diego Simeone to make up for it.
AS Roma is one of the big losers of the draw, while Qarabag is just happy to be invited.
Predicted finish:
Atletico Madrid
Chelsea
AS Roma
Qarabag
Group D
One of Barcelona or Juventus will top Group D, and for good reason; neither Sporting CP or Olympiacos present much of a threat. Neymar’s absence at Barcelona stunts the team’s triumvirate, but Juventus has a cavity of their own as Leonardo Bonucci now calls AC Milan home.
How the two teams handle their unexpected losses will set the tone for Group D.
Predicted finish:
Juventus
Barcelona
Sporting CP
Olympiacos
Group E
Spartak Moscow avoided a lot of the troublesome teams in Pots 2 and 3, though Liverpool and Sevilla aren’t exactly cakewalks. Still, it’s the Russian champion that’s most likely to surprise in Group E.
Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool will have a chance at redemption after its Europa League final loss to Sevilla in 2016, but Monchi’s former side might stumble in its trip to Moscow, and that might prove the difference here.
Maribor? Thanks for coming out.
Predicted finish:
Liverpool
Spartak Moscow
Sevilla
Maribor
Group F
Shakhtar Donetsk edges Feyenoord for the Europa League spot, but the real battle will be at the top of the group, where it’s all breezy in Manchester. Pep Guardiola’s side faces competition from free-flowing Napoli.
The Italian club has the attacking firepower to push City all the way in the race for top spot in the section.
Predicted finish:
Manchester City
Napoli
Shakhtar Donetsk
Feyenoord
Group G
There’s a lot of young talent in Group G. AS Monaco, FC Porto, and RB Leipzig have each found success by identifying and developing young talent, before selling them for a major profit.
But those talented youngsters still produce exciting football before being sold, giving us an intriguing group that could go a number of ways. Monaco is the favourite – despite losing a collection of stars this summer – but RB Leipzig is more than capable of an upset, while FC Porto and Besiktas always prove tough opposition
Predicted finish:
AS Monaco
FC Porto
RB Leipzig
Besiktas
Group H
Rounding out the group stage is Real Madrid, the reigning champion who will be heavily favoured to top the quartet. Poor Tottenham has quite a job on hand as Mauricio Pochettino’s side tries to take points off Borussia Dortmund – Spurs will pray Barcelona signs Ousmane Dembele quickly.
A Real Madrid-Spurs clash offers a reunion for Luka Modric and Gareth Bale but that sentimentality will only extend as far as the opening whistle. As for APOEL? Stunningly, we predict a last-placed finish here.
