The start of the Champions League is always an exciting moment in the season. For the Premier League clubs, I don’t feel they have anything to fear in the group stage. I think all four — Man City, Chelsea, Arsenal and Man Utd — will cruise into the knockout stage.
The form of Man City domestically bodes well. When the draw took place, people said they had a tough group but I’m not so sure. Borussia Mönchengladbach are bottom of the Bundesliga, Juventus look nothing like the team that made the final last year and Sevilla are a significant notch below the best in Spain.
So I think Man City can feel more confident than they have in the past.
Chelsea need to sort out their defensive issues and midfield balance but they are in a group that shouldn’t really test them. By the time the knockout stages come round, I expect them to be firing on all cylinders.
Arsenal may have to settle for second place because of the dominance of Bayern Munich. Progress in the competition could depend on teams winning their group and avoiding those powerhouse teams — that may be a fate that befalls the Gunners.
It will be interesting to see how effective Louis van Gaal’s possession football approach at Man Utd proves to be in the Champions League. I’ve said before I think it’s better suited to European football than the Premier League because ball retention is so important.
If Man Utd can do that well, they could progress deep in the competition.
Spanish dominance
Can anyone realistically break the dominance of Barcelona and Real Madrid?
I think Paris Saint-Germain can; they are strong at the back, have industry and inventiveness in midfield and so many attacking options with the likes of Ibrahimovic, Cavani, Lavezzi and Di Maria. That makes them dangerous in a knockout tie.
Who will triumph? No team has ever retained their Champions League crown so I’m reluctant to go against history. That rules Barcelona out for me.
I think this might be Bayern Munich’s year — their new signings have brought fresh energy to the team. So my prediction is a Bayern Munich v PSG final — let’s see if I’m right!
Do you agree with Fletch? Tweet your predictions to @morningad @btsportbars