The Champions League draw was very kind to Chelsea, who will be big favorites in Group G.
It's possible that Chelsea could have ended up with an easier Champions League group, but this is about as good of a draw as they could have hoped for. They'll be very comfortable favorites to top Group G, and it wouldn't be surprising to see them manage to pull it off with 16-18 points. They're very clearly the cream of the crop here.
Topping the group - Chelsea
Chelsea were one of the best handful of teams in Europe last season, and they're only getting better. While their big European rivals failed to address their weaknesses and made transfer decisions based more on star power than building a side to win the Champions League, Chelsea got better in every way. They're built for this competition and have a manager, Jose Mourinho, who is possibly the greatest of all time in it. Expect them to have little trouble winning four or five games.
Sitting second - Schalke 04
While Schalke have become a fixture of this competition in recent years, they haven't ever managed to become a real juggernaut or fall too far. They're not any different this year than they've always been -- they're entertaining, their defense isn't very good and they're the second best team in their group. They've managed to hold on to Julian Draxler, but this might be the last year that they have with their young star, so they better make the most of it.
It's possible that Sporting could give them a run for their money, but only if the Portuguese side improves a defense that's somehow even shakier than Schalke's.
Heading for Europa League - Sporting Lisbon
Entering this summer, Sporting had a squad that looked perfect for a dark horse run into the knockout stage, and perhaps past a big club in the Round of 16. However, they've sold both of their best promising young defenders -- Eric Dier and Marcos Rojo. They've brought in a handful of young new defenders who could keep them competitive, but it's unlikely that they match the level of the players who departed during the Champions League group stage. They'll need their forwards to score in serious bunches to get out of this group.
Finishing last - Maribor
Maribor needed a whole lot of time and luck to beat Celtic, who were only in the playoff round because the team that destroyed them made an illegal 87th minute sub. Maribor aren't very good. They should feel accomplished if they get a point out of this group.
from SBNation.com - All Posts http://ift.tt/1tOJfWV
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