USA TODAY International Edition
Barcelona tops stacked Champions League group
The Champions League group stage is ready to return starting Tuesday, and with it comes the highest standard of club soccer to be found anywhere around the world. This is where the big boys play, and while Real Madrid is gunning for a third consecutive title, the race for the trophy feels wide open this time. The group stage draw threw up intriguing possibilities and permutations, all leading toward the final in Madrid on June 1. Here’s a look at the groups and what they mean.
Group stage
A: Atletico Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Monaco, FC Bruges. B: Barcelona, Tottenham, PSV Eindhoven, Inter Milan. C: Paris St. Germain, Napoli, Liverpool, Red Star Belgrade. D: Lokomotiv Moscow, Porto, Schalke, Galatasaray. E: Bayern Munich, Benfica, Ajax, AEK Athens. F: Manchester City, Shakhtar Donetsk, Lyon, Hoffenheim. G: Real Madrid, Roma, CSKA Moscow, Viktoria Plzen. H: Juventus, Manchester United, Valencia, Young Boys.
Hardest group
Barcelona has won its Champions League group for the past 11 seasons, but things might be a little tougher than usual this time. Group B is stacked, with in-form English Premier League member Tottenham, Dutch champion PSV Eindhoven sparked by Mexico World Cup star Hirving Lozano, and Italian giant Inter Milan. No easy outs here, though Barca remains a strong favorite.
Easiest group
Group D wins this accolade by a mile, and the make-up of this quartet was possible by rules giving a top seeded position to the domestic champion of each of the top six ranked leagues. That meant Russian champion Lokomotiv Moscow got top billing in the most even group of the tournament. Each of the four squads will realize it has a tremendous opportunity to reach the knockout stage.
Best matchups
The group make-up produced some mouthwatering clashes. Juventus vs. Manchester United (Oct. 23 and Nov. 7): Old foes with plenty of shared history — will Jose Mourinho still be in charge at United? Real Madrid vs. Roma (Sept. 19 and Nov. 27): High-quality clash with defending champion against last season’s impressive semifinalist. Barcelona vs. Tottenham (Oct. 3 and Dec. 11): Harry Kane seeks to boost his reputation further against some of the world’s best. Paris-St Germain vs. Liverpool (Sept. 18 and Nov. 28): Big-spending French champs up against last season’s finalist, led by Mo Salah. Atletico Madrid vs. Borussia Dortmund (Oct. 24 and Nov. 6): Another big test for Christian Pulisic and Dortmund.
Underdog to watch
FK Crvena Zvezda, commonly known as Red Star Belgrade, will take part in the group stage for the first time. The Serbian club won the trophy in 1991 — the pre-Champions League era — and is capable of pulling off a couple of upsets after qualifying thanks to a thrilling comeback against RB Salzburg.
Predictions
Group A qualifiers: Atletico Madrid and Monaco; Group B: Barcelona and Inter Milan; Group C: Liverpool and PSG; Group D: Schalke and Porto; Group E: Bayern Munich and Benfica; Group F: Manchester City and Lyon; Group G: Real Madrid and Roma; Group H: Manchester United and Juventus