Skip to content

Season in a Sentence: Each team's Champions League outlook

Reuters

How will each team fare in the Champions League this season? We attempt to figure it out in one sentence, because that's all you have time to read.

Group A

Real Madrid

Los Blancos will run roughshod over their group stage opponents, scoring a boatload of goals along the way, but is Rafa Benitez the man to deliver an 11th Champions League title?

Paris Saint-Germain

Will another summer of lavish expenditure - totaling over €100 million - be enough to get the French club into the semifinals of Europe's showpiece club competition?

Shakhtar Donetsk

Always a thorn in the side of the perennial European powers, the loss of Douglas Costa, along with the ongoing conflict in Ukraine that has pushed the club out of its home stadium, will make it difficult for Mircea Lucescu's men to reach the knockout stages this time around.

Malmo FF

The return of Zlatan Ibrahimovic will be a wonderful moment, but the rest of the group stage could get ugly.

Group B

Manchester United

The attacking talent is there in abundance, but it remains to be seen if it will be able (read: allowed) to flourish under Louis van Gaal.

VfL Wolfsburg

Losing Kevin De Bruyne would be a fatal blow for almost any side, but in Julian Draxler, the Wolves found a quality replacement who should be able to spearhead a run to the knockout stages.

CSKA Moscow

Seeing the Arena Khimki in their travel plans will leave the three other clubs in Group B groaning with discontent, but CSKA Moscow will need to secure some points away from home in order to make another appearance in the knockout stages of the tournament.

PSV Eindhoven

An early reunion with Memphis Depay will be a highlight for the Dutch side, but its progression in the competition will likely be determined by results procured against the other two clubs in the section.

Group C

Atletico Madrid

The Rojiblancos seem to be flying somewhat under the radar this season, which will change in a big way once the 2014 Champions League finalists make mincemeat of Group C.

Benfica

It will take some time adjusting to the sight of someone other than Jorge Jesus on the touchline after the bench boss made the stunning defection to bitter rival Sporting Lisbon - infuriating Benfica supporters in the process - but the Portuguese club has enough quality to advance without its recognizable tactician.

Galatasaray

Welcome to hell, where Lukas Podolski now resides, playing alongside the corpse of Wesley Sneijder.

Astana

The first team from Kazakhstan to ever reach the group stage of the tournament will have to be content with that accomplishment, because it's not going to get any better than that.

Group D

Manchester City

After flexing its bulging financial muscle (once again) this summer, only a deep run in the competition will be satisfactory for one of the most talented teams in Europe.

Juventus

Bereft of veterans Andrea Pirlo, Carlos Tevez and Arturo Vidal, the Old Lady, though still supremely talented, is in an undeniable transition - one that will make another run to the final exceedingly difficult.

Sevilla

Two-time defending champions in the lesser of Europe's club competitions, Sevilla will look to parlay its Europa League dominance into an upset of one of Group D's two marquee clubs.

Borussia Monchengladbach

After a summer that saw two of its best players depart for pastures anew, the German club is not expected to make much of a dent in the Group of Death, which may be exactly how Thorgan Hazard and company like it.

Group E

Barcelona

If Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar can't power Barcelona to a historic retention of its Champions League crown, than the feat will never be accomplished by anybody.

AS Roma

Hopes were high last season before Bayern Munich rolled into the Italian capital and curb-stomped Roma, and Rudi Garcia has once again been handed a tricky group - thankfully, the club is far more talented than it was a year ago.

Bayer Leverkusen

After brushing Lazio aside to get into the group stage of the tournament, Bayer Leverkusen will look to break the heart of the other club that hails from the capital of Italy in order to reach the knockout stages alongside Barcelona.

BATE Borisov

Thanks for coming out.

Group F

Bayern Munich

It's now or never for Pep Guardiola, who likely can't afford to see what is the most talented squad on the planet falter on the big stage, against the other big boys, once again.

Arsenal

There may be a stumble in the group stage, but the Gunners will, as usual, get through - it's what they do (based largely upon who they draw) from there that will determine how this year's Champions League campaign is perceived.

Olympiacos

The Greek club will be difficult to beat at home - just ask Juventus and Atletico Madrid - but will ultimately fall short thanks to the presence of the aforementioned clubs in the group.

Dinamo Zagreb

In another group, perhaps the Croatian side would have some semblance of chance to reach the knockout stages, but much like Olympiacos, the only battle in which Dinamo Zagreb will partake is to avoid last place in the group.

Group G

Chelsea

Chelsea's hope of retaining its Premier League crown look all but dead after a mere five weeks, but none of that will matter if Jose Mourinho can lead the Blues to Champions League glory - and in the process become the first manager to win the title with three different clubs.

FC Porto

The 2004 Champions League title-winner saw prolific striker Jackson Martinez move to Spain in the summer, but some intriguing signings - along with the continued emergence of Vincent Aboubakar should be more than enough to see the Portuguese side join former manager Mourinho in the knockout stages.

Dynamo Kiev

Dynamo Kiev made an impressive run to the quarterfinals of the Europa League last season, and could do so again after what looks destined to be a third-place finish in Group G.

Maccabi Tel-Aviv

See BATE Borisov's section above for reference.

Group H

Valencia

The draw was kind to Nuno and company, who should be able to mark their return to the Champions League with an appearance in the knockout stages.

Lyon

Alexandre Lacazette is still at the Stade de Gerland, but without the help of fellow attacker Nabil Fekir - who will miss roughly six months after undergoing knee surgery - Lyon's chances of making any noise this season have taken a monstrous hit.

Zenit St. Petersburg

The talent on offer cannot be questioned, but can outgoing manager Andre Villas-Boas put it together to make a noteworthy impression on the competition before leaving the club at the end of the season?

K.A.A. Gent

The Ghelamco Arena will be rocking for the Belgian side's first-ever Champions League adventure ... which will last all of six matches.

Daily Newsletter

Get the latest trending sports news daily in your inbox