{"id":1464,"date":"2016-08-30T11:43:13","date_gmt":"2016-08-30T11:43:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blnebeuk.serveur04.com\/blog\/?p=1464"},"modified":"2016-08-30T12:02:38","modified_gmt":"2016-08-30T12:02:38","slug":"champions-league-2016-2017-group-preview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.netbet.co.uk\/blog\/2016\/08\/30\/champions-league-2016-2017-group-preview\/","title":{"rendered":"Champions League 2016-2017 Group Preview"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;\" class=\"sharethis-inline-share-buttons\" ><\/div><p>The Champions League gets underway soon, with Europe\u2019s elite set for another season of intense competition. No side has ever retained the Champions League, but holders Real Madrid will be looking to break that particular duck. Let\u2019s have a look at what the group draw has thrown up for us.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-version=\"7\" style=\" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);\">\n<div style=\"padding:8px;\">\n<div style=\" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50.0% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;\">\n<div style=\" background:url(data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC\/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5\/P8\/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo\/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI\/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf\/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/BJkSGmiDgde\/\" style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;\" target=\"_blank\">A photo posted by @uefachampionsleague<\/a> on <time style=\" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;\" datetime=\"2016-08-26T09:29:38+00:00\">Aug 26, 2016 at 2:29am PDT<\/time><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async defer src=\"\/\/platform.instagram.com\/en_US\/embeds.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-version=\"7\" style=\" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);\">\n<div style=\"padding:8px;\">\n<div style=\" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50.0% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;\">\n<div style=\" background:url(data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC\/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5\/P8\/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo\/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI\/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf\/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/BJig_A-j4Et\/\" style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;\" target=\"_blank\">A photo posted by @uefachampionsleague<\/a> on <time style=\" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;\" datetime=\"2016-08-25T17:01:12+00:00\">Aug 25, 2016 at 10:01am PDT<\/time><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async defer src=\"\/\/platform.instagram.com\/en_US\/embeds.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h3>Group A<\/h3>\n<h4>Teams<\/h4>\n<p>Arsenal, Paris St. Germain, FC Basel, Ludogorets<\/p>\n<p>There are worse draws that Arsenal could have had, but let\u2019s not forget that they\u2019ve had good draws in the past and still struggled through them. PSG are now one of Europe\u2019s major forces, but they look to be a different beast without Ibrahimovic. Basel have a 100% record in the Swiss league this season, in addition to having a good track record against English clubs. Arsenal\u2019s meetings with the Swiss side will likely decide the second placed team in this group, with PSG likely to be group winners. Ludogorets are clear underdogs, but they didn\u2019t roll over when they played Liverpool two years ago at the same stage of the competition.<\/p>\n<h4>Key Games<\/h4>\n<p>PSG vs. Arsenal (13th September)<br \/>\nArsenal vs. Basel (28th September)<br \/>\nArsenal vs Ludogorets (19th October)<br \/>\nLudogorets vs. Arsenal (1st November)<br \/>\nArsenal vs. PSG (23rd November)<br \/>\nBasel vs. Arsenal (6th December)<\/p>\n<h4>Final Group Standings Prediction<\/h4>\n<p>PSG, Arsenal, Basel, Ludogorets<\/p>\n<h3>Group B<\/h3>\n<h4>Teams<\/h4>\n<p>Benfica, Napoli, Dynamo Kiev, Besiktas<\/p>\n<p>Top seeds Benfica played a 4-4-2 system last year on their way to the Portuguese title, but this could be undone when they play Napoli. Maurizio Sarri has built a strong and energetic team in Naples and can rely on strong support at the San Paolo. Gonzalo Higuain will be a miss, but Arkadiusz Milik impressed in the Euros. Besiktas have qualified for the group stage for the first time in seven years and have an impressive home record, whilst Dynamo Kiev reached the last 16 stage last season, before being beaten by Manchester City.<\/p>\n<h4>Key Games<\/h4>\n<p>Napoli vs. Benfica (28th September)<br \/>\nBenfica vs. Napoli (6th December)<\/p>\n<h4>Final Group Standings Prediction<\/h4>\n<p>Napoli, Benfica, Besiktas, Dynamo Kiev<\/p>\n<h3>Group C<\/h3>\n<h4>Teams<\/h4>\n<p>Barcelona, Manchester City, Borussia Monchengladbach, Celtic<\/p>\n<p>Manchester City reached the semi-final stage last year and with Pep Guardiola at the helm, they\u2019ll be feared even more. All eyes will be on their matches with Barcelona however and the two clubs are more than familiar with each other, having met four times in the last three seasons. City have lost on every occasion. City can\u2019t afford to focus solely on Barcelona, as Borussia Monchengladbach are renowned for their ability to change their tactics to adapt to the opposition. Celtic are the weakest side in this group, but sides with nothing to lose can afford to throw everything at it. They\u2019ve historically upped their game against English sides.<\/p>\n<h4>Key Games<\/h4>\n<p>Barcelona vs. Celtic (13th September)<br \/>\nManchester City vs. B. Monchengladbach(13th September)<br \/>\nCeltic vs. Manchester City (28th September)<br \/>\nBarcelona vs. Manchester City (19th October)<br \/>\nCeltic vs. B. Monchengladbach (19th October)<br \/>\nB. Monchengladbach vs. Celtic (1st November)<br \/>\nManchester City vs. Barcelona (1st November)<br \/>\nB. Monchengladbach vs. Manchester City (23rd November)<br \/>\nCeltic vs. Barcelona (23rd November)<br \/>\nManchester City vs. Celtic (6th December)<\/p>\n<h4>Final Group Standings Prediction<\/h4>\n<p>Barcelona, Manchester City, B Monchengladbach, Celtic<\/p>\n<h3>Group D<\/h3>\n<h4>Teams<\/h4>\n<h4>Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid, PSV Eindhoven, Rostov<\/h4>\n<p>This group looks to be a straight shootout between Atletico and Bayern for the top spot. The two sides met at the semi-final stage last season, with Simeone\u2019s Atletico side coming out on top at that stage. Carlo Ancelotti is aiming to win the Champions League with his third different club and his side won\u2019t be as open defensively as Guardiola\u2019s was last season. PSV play exciting football, but that might not be enough for them to triumph against the top sides in this group. Rostov have already changed their manager once this season and they might struggle to make an impact in Group D.<\/p>\n<h4>Key Games<\/h4>\n<p>Atletico Madrid vs. Bayern Munich (28th September)<br \/>\nBayern Munich vs. Atletico Madrid (6th December)<\/p>\n<h4>Final Group Standings Prediction<\/h4>\n<p>Atletico Madrid, Bayern Munich, PSV Eindhoven, Rostov<\/p>\n<h3>Group E<\/h3>\n<h4>Teams<\/h4>\n<p>CSKA Moscow, Bayer Leverkusen, Tottenham, Monaco<\/p>\n<p>Spurs have been handed a fairly nice group as well, barring an away trip to Russia. They\u2019ll be playing their home games at Wembley and will fancy their chances of topping this group. They\u2019ll come up against Bayer Leverkusen who play in an almost identical fashion, whilst 6ft 8in Lacina Traore will be spearheading CSKA\u2019s Champions League ambitions. Monaco are the final side in this group, who eliminated Arsenal two years ago and they cannot be underestimated with Joao Moutinho and Falcao in their ranks.<\/p>\n<h4>Key Games<\/h4>\n<p>Tottenham vs. Monaco (14th September)<br \/>\nCSKA vs. Tottenham (27th September)<br \/>\nBayer Leverkusen vs. Tottenham (18th October)<br \/>\nTottenham vs. Bayer Leverkusen (2nd November)<br \/>\nMonaco vs. Tottenham (22nd November)<br \/>\nTottenham vs. CSKA (7th December)<\/p>\n<h4>Final Group Standings Prediction<\/h4>\n<p>Tottenham, Bayer Leverkusen, Monaco, CSKA Moscow<\/p>\n<h3>Group F<\/h3>\n<h4>Teams<\/h4>\n<p>Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Sporting Lisbon, Legia Warsaw<\/p>\n<p>Real Madrid are relatively unchanged from the side that won last year\u2019s Champions League, but they still look unbalanced, with no real depth in the defensive positions. Dortmund are the second best team in this group, and if they progress, they could go far in the tournament due to their tactical adaptability. Sporting will field a trio of Portugal\u2019s Euro 2016 winning midfield, whilst they\u2019ll also look forward to welcoming former player Cristiano Ronaldo back to Portugal. Legia Warsaw are strong defensively, but they won\u2019t overly concern the two big teams in this group.<\/p>\n<h4>Key Games<\/h4>\n<p>Borussia Dortmund vs. Real Madrid (27th September)<br \/>\nReal Madrid vs. Borussia Dortmund (7th December)<\/p>\n<h4>Final Group Standings Prediction<\/h4>\n<p>Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Sporting Lisbon, Legia Warsaw<\/p>\n<h3>Group G<\/h3>\n<h4>Teams<\/h4>\n<p>Leicester, Porto, Club Brugge, Copenhagen<\/p>\n<p>Leicester will be very optimistic about their chances of progression from Group G, with Porto being their toughest opponents. They should be capable of winning their home games, but they\u2019ll need to pick up points on their travels. Porto highlighted their quality by defeating Roma in the play-off stage of the competition, whilst Brugge look to be a Belgian equivalent of Leicester, relying on a counter-attacking style. Copenhagen look to be the weakest of the sides in this group, but Manchester United found travelling to Denmark difficult last season.<\/p>\n<h4>Key Games<\/h4>\n<p>Brugge vs. Leicester (14th September)<br \/>\nLeicester vs. Porto (27th September)<br \/>\nLeicester vs. Copenhagen (18th October)<br \/>\nCopenhagen vs. Leicester (2nd November)<br \/>\nLeicester vs. Brugge (22nd November)<br \/>\nPorto vs. Leicester (7th December)<\/p>\n<h4>Final Group Standings Prediction<\/h4>\n<p>Porto, Leicester, Brugge, Copenhagen<\/p>\n<h3>Group H<\/h3>\n<h4>Teams<\/h4>\n<p>Juventus, Sevilla, Lyon, Dinamo Zagreb<\/p>\n<p>Juventus will be hoping to make a big impression again on this tournament and the acquisition of Gonzalo Higuain shows that they mean business. Miralem Pjanic has also arrived to replace Paul Pogba and they\u2019re the strongest team in this group. Alexandre Lacazette will be hoping to show Arsenal what they\u2019ve missed out on by not signing him, but Lyon will be competing with the Europa League holders Sevilla for the runners-up spot in this group. Dinamo Zagreb face an uphill task, but they did defeat Arsenal at this stage last season.<\/p>\n<h4>Key Games<\/h4>\n<p>Lyon vs. Juventus (18th October)<br \/>\nJuventus vs. Lyon (2nd November)<\/p>\n<h4>Final Group Standings Prediction<\/h4>\n<p>Juventus, Lyon, Sevilla, Dinamo Zagreb<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\"><strong>Words by <a style=\"color: #3366ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/DominicTrant\">@DominicTrant<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Champions League gets underway soon, with Europe\u2019s elite set for another season of intense competition. No side has ever retained the Champions League, but holders Real Madrid will be looking to break that particular duck. Let\u2019s have a look at what the group draw has thrown up for us. A photo posted by @uefachampionsleague [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1465,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[8,192,14,418],"class_list":["post-1464","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-football","tag-8","tag-192","tag-champions-league","tag-group-stage"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Champions League 2016-2017 Group Stage Preview<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"No side has ever retained the Champions League, but holders Real Madrid will be looking to break that particular duck. 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