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FRIDAY, SEPT. 1 (all times ET) Cádiz vs. Villarreal (1:30 p.m.) Dortmund vs. Heindenheim (2:30 p.m.) Almería vs. Celta Vigo (4 p.m.)
SATURDAY, SEPT. 2 (all times ET) Stuttgart vs. Freiburg (9:30 a.m.) Real Madrid vs. Getafe (10:15 a.m.) Gladbach vs. Bayern (12:30 p.m.) Alavés vs. Valencia (12:30 p.m.)
Salzburg are likely to be the team to watch due to their ability to constantly unearth young talent to replace the players they have moved on. Sadio Mané , Erling Haaland and Benjamin Sesko have all come through the Salzburg system before leaving for bigger clubs, so it will be intriguing to see who emerges this time around.
MUST-SEE MATCH: Benfica vs. Inter The Italian team eliminated Benfica on the way to the final last season, but summer departures have weakened Simone Inzaghi’s squad; this clash will shed light on whether Inter can be competitive again this year.
Inter’s history as three-time winners and their proud history will ensure they are under intense pressure to emerge from the group, but they will need to get at least one positive result against Benfica to avoid being dragged into a scrap for second place.
PREDICTION: Benfica, Salzburg, Inter, Real Sociedad Benfica’s recent pedigree and the intimidating Estadio da Luz make them favourites to top the group, but it could be close all the way until matchday six due to all teams being of a similar level.
Salzburg have proven to be a competent outfit against wealthier clubs from stronger leagues in recent seasons while Real Sociedad’s success in finishing fourth in La Liga highlights their quality. If Inter are strong, they will make the top two, but they look to have lost too many key players in the summer.
GROUP E This is one of the most interesting groups in this draw. Atletico Madrid must be the favourites, though their form in recent European campaigns has not been great. They have started really well their season domestically and if Diego Simeone can make this team play a more attacking style in Europe, they will be hard to beat.
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Beyond them, things are wide-open. Celtic Park will have to be a fortress for Brendan Rodgers’ team to progress, but they can do it. Lazio have been poor in Serie A so far this season, losing their first two games, and said goodbye to their best player, midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic , in the summer. However, Feyenoord also lost their playmaker, Orkun Kökcü , and their lack of experience in this competition could be an issue.
MUST-SEE MATCH: Feyenoord vs. Celtic Take this game the way you want, either in Glasgow or in Rotterdam, it doesn’t matter as you are in for a treat as two of the best atmospheres and sets of fans in Europe try to “out-chant” each other. It will be a special ambiance whether it’s at Celtic Park or at De Kuip.
PREDICTION: Atletico Madrid, Celtic, Feyenoord, Lazio I believe this is a group that the Spanish team should win. There will be tricky away ties, but they are the strongest side. Behind them, I fancy Celtic to grab second place with a great home run and a solid performance away from home.
GROUP F Paris Saint-Germain, Borussia Dortmund, AC Milan, Newcastle United This is undoubtedly the hardest of this season’s Champions League group stages. It’s a superb draw if you are a neutral fan; a nightmare if you’re a fan of any of these four teams. With Milan in Pot 3, there was always a risk of a stacked group, and this is it!
PSG should be slight favourites because they have Kylian Mbappé , the best player in the world, back in their ranks after another summer of wondering whether he’d be leaving. Luis Enrique is trying to make his PSG squad play like a proper team and after a summer of transfers, they will be tested to the limit by this group!
Manchester City, RB Leipzig, Red Star Belgrade, Young BoysIf there was a potential dream draw for Manchester City, it would probably be very close to the one they actually received in Monaco on Thursday night.
The holders will face RB Leipzig, whom they destroyed last season in their last-16 home tie, with Erling Haaland scoring five goals. Leipzig are still a good team, but after losing their two best players (defender Josko Gvardiol to Man City, playmaker Christopher Nkunku to Chelsea ), they’re not the force they used to be. Then you have Red Star Belgrade and Young Boys, two of the weakest sides in this draw.
