Champions League Preview: Groups E-H

By Brian Lofrumento | 29th August 2008

Champions League Preview: Groups E-H | read this item

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Part two of Premiership Talk’s Champions League Preview takes a look at groups E through H. The defending European champions Manchester United can be found within this second bunch of groups, as well as the fourth English club Arsenal.

Group E

With the defending champions in Group E, many people will be curious to see if they can defend their crown. Manchester United will once again pit their wits against Celtic, with Spanish side Villareal and Danish side Aalborg joining in the fun. Villareal’s Giuseppe Rossi will be eager to prove to Sir Alex Ferguson that he could’ve been a success at Old Trafford, and two matches against his former club should allow him to do that. United, Celtic, and Villareal all have a chance at winning this group, so second place is even more of a battle. With that said, I don’t expect anything but a first place finish for Manchester United – the side who didn’t lose a single match in all of last season’s Champions League run. Prediction: 1. Manchester United 2. Villareal 3. Celtic 4. Aalborg

Group F

Besides Group D, Group F appears to be the most competitive group in the competition. French champions Lyon are up against German champions Bayern Munich, Italian surprise package Fiorentina, and Romanian runners-up Steaua Bucharest. Like Group E, there are three teams who all have a great chance at winning this group. The race for the top two spots in this group might be the most entertaining race in world football this year, and there really is no telling who will win it. If I was a betting man, my money would be on Lyon, with Fiorentina upsetting Bayern Munich to take the second spot. Lyon are no strangers to the knockout stages of the Champions League, while Fiorentina have a squad full of extremely talented players in their mid-20s. Prediction: 1. Lyon 2. Fiorentina 3. Bayern Munich 4. Steaua Bucharest

Group G

Group G contains the final English club in this draw. Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal side will be hosting Porto, Fenerbahce, and Dynamo Kiev in this year’s group stage. Porto are a vastly different side now from the one that won the Champions League a few years ago under Jose Mourinho, but they still boast a lot of Portuguese talent. They should finish comfortably behind Arsenal, but Fenerbahce and Champions League perennials Dynamo will have something to say about that. In the end, though, the clubs from Turkey and Russia should fall short. Prediction: 1. Arsenal 2. Porto 3. Dynamo Kiev 4. Fenerbahce

Group H

Real Madrid and Juventus will duke it out in Group H this year, with Andrei Arshavin’s Zenit St Petersburg and BATE Borisov also in the group. It doesn’t take a footballing genius to predict this group, but if Zenit can repeat the form seen in their UEFA Cup run last year, then they’ll do enough to make things interesting. If either Real or Juventus slip up, I’m sure Zenit will be there to pounce on their mistakes. It would take a lot for Real and Juventus to not move on, so I wouldn’t be too worried about this group if I was a fan of either side. BATE will just enjoy their opportunity to play against some of Europe’s elite clubs. Prediction: 1. Real Madrid 2. Juventus 3. Zenit St Petersburg 4. BATE

Leave your predictions and discuss the groups at the Premiership Talk Forum!