The most interesting club tournament 2018-19 UEFA Champions League is upon us.
Cristiano Ronaldo is hoping to take Juventus to new heights this season. Will Manchester United, Young Boys, or Valencia be able to stand in their way?
Juventus made the Cristiano Ronaldo move solely for the Champions League. With Ronaldo, Mario Mandžukić, Paula Dybala, Douglas Costa, and Federico Bernardeschi among others powering the offense and the likes of Emre Can and Miralem Pjanic patrolling the midfield in front of Giorgio Chiellini, Alex Sandro, Leonardo Bonucci, and the rest of the defensive corps, the Old Lady should be among the favorites in the competition. The team has scary potential in this format. The biggest question about The Old Lady is if goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny can withstand the pressure and hype of a UCL run.
How did they qualify: Juventus qualified directly into the Group Stage by winning the 2017-18 Italian Serie A.
The purchase of both Goncalo Guedes and Geoffrey Kondogbia who were key figures in on loan last season, as well as the addition of Kevin Gameiro and former Borussia Dortmund loanee Michy Batshuayi on loan, put the cherry on top of a talented and relatively deep squad.
How did they qualify: Valencia qualified directly into the Group Stage by finishing in fourth place in the 2017-18 Spanish La Liga.
Manchester United is going through some inner-turmoil under Jose Mourinho, but the Red Devils are undeniably talented. Paul Pogba, Marcus Rashford, Alexis Sanchez, and Romelu Lukaku are just a few of the marquee names who will be looking to make a UCL impact. The bigger question is whether the defensive group can be sturdy enough to push the Red Devils past Valencia in hopes of securing second place in the group.
How did they qualify: Manchester United qualified directly into the Group Stage by finishing in second place in the 2017-18 English Premier League.
Switzerland’s Young Boys have one of the toughest draws in the entire field as it is a group with three top-notch clubs. Young Boys have a mix of veterans and youth within their defensive corps that will surely be put to the test. Steve von Bergen, Gregory Wüthrich, Kevin Mbabu, and Loris Benito will be among the defenders tasked with attempting to slow down the squads in the group.
How did they qualify: Young Boys qualified directly into the Playoff Round by winning the 2017-18 Swiss Super League, and they beat Dinamo Zagreb 3-2 on aggregate to advance to the Group Stage.
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