football
SAFF Championship: Bangladesh kick off against Sri Lanka in opener Friday
Bangladesh booters start their campaign in the five-nation SAFF Championship 2021 when they face Sri Lanka in the tournament opener on Friday (Oct 1) at the National Football Stadium in Male, capital of the Maldives.
The match will kick-off at 5pm Bangladesh time. T-Sports will telecast the match live.
Bangaladesh’s following fixtures in the group phase would be against India (Oct 4 at 5pm), hosts Maldives (Oct 7 at 10pm) and finally Nepal (Oct 13 at 5pm). All games of this year’s championship will be held at the same venue in Male.
Earlier on Tuesday, a 34-member Bangladesh football team, comprising 23 booters and 11 officials, reached the Maldives airing high hopes of success in the quest for regional bragging rights.
It will be Bangladesh’s first assignment under Spaniard Oscar Bruzon, who made the switch from managing BPL champions Bashundhara Kings to take over as interim head coach of the national team
Meanwhile, Bangladesh team had their 2nd Covid -19 tests in the Maldives and all the players tested negative.
Midfielder Sohel Rana and defender Rezaul Karim however will not feature in Friday’s matchday squad, both down with fever.
The team made practiced at the Henveiru training pitch on Thursday for 90 minuites. Later they visited the National Football Stadium.
READ: Bangladesh team to leave for Maldives Tuesday in hunt for SAFF title
In a pre-match press conference, Bangladesh captain Jamal Bhuiyan spoke with purpose and positive intent. “We want to start the tournament getting the full 3 points by playing a good match against Sri Lanka,” said the midfield general.
Since replacing Englishman Jamie Day, Bruzon has certainly talked a good game and exuded a confidence rarely seen around the green-and-reds. One clear plus he enjoys over previous foreigners in the job is that after three years in charge of the Kings, he already has extensive knowledge of football in Bangladesh.
Add to that the success he has enjoyed, taking Bashundhara to the pinnacle of Bangladesh football with not just the silverware to prove it, but also an attractive, modern brand of football that puts the onus on technique – as you’d expect from Spaniards of his generation.
”We want to show our ability tomorrow with the available players in our squad,” the 44-year-old said in the pre-match presser.
In early September, Bangladesh toured Kyrgyzstan and played three matches-- two as part of a tri-nation tournament with the hosts and Palestine, and a friendly against the Kyrgyz U-23 team.
Over the course of those three games, all ending in hopeless defeats, it became clear that the national team was going nowhere under Englishman Day, with his gimmicky selections of diaspora Bangladeshis plying their trade in semi-professional leagues as far away as Canada proving a damp squib.
While diaspora picks such as captain and talisman Jamal Bhuiyan are of course welcome, playing in any foreign league and almost any division should be no ticket to the national team.
Bruzon’s more comprehensive football philosophy is what BFF needs to develop the game nationally. But his assignment for now remains temporary, covering the short term.
Members of Bangladesh squad (footballers) are:
Shahidul Alam Sohel, Anisur Rahman and Ashraful Islam Rana (Custodians), Rahmat Miah, Bishwanath Ghosh, Topu Barman, Tariq Raihan Kazi , Riyadul Hasan, Yeasin Arafat, Tutul Hossain Badsha, Rezaul Karim and Mohammad Hridoy (Defenders); Jamal Bhuiyan, Atiqur Rahman Fahad , Sohel Rana, M Saaduddin and Rakib Hossain (Midfielders), Mahbubur Rahman Sufil, Mohammad Ibrahim, Matin Miah ,Jewel Rana, Biplo Ahmed and Sumon Reza (Forwards).
Man Utd vs. Villarreal: Cristiano Ronaldo’s late goal gives Manchester United a dramatic win
Cristiano Ronaldo’s last-minute winning goal aided Manchester United to seal the first win of this season's Champions League at Old Trafford. Manchester United enjoyed the most ball possession, but Villarreal produced greater opportunities during the contest. After two games, Atalanta rose to the top of Group F's points table with four points. Young Boys are now in second place with three points, ahead of Manchester United (3) and Villarreal (2). The match report of Man Utd vs. Villarreal is discussed in this article.
Match Report: Man Utd vs. Villarreal
Cristiano Ronaldo scored his second Champions League goal of the season against Villarreal, and this time it wasn't in vain. Manchester United triumphed against their most difficult opponent in the group. After playing this match, Cristiano Ronaldo now has the most appearances (178) and goals (136) in UEFA Champions League history.
Manchester United's defense struggled to deal with Villarreal's well-organized counter-attack in the first half. Paco Alcacer, Pino, and Groeneveld had distressed the United defense throughout the match. They had several chances to equalize and should have scored two goals before halftime.
Read PSG vs. Man City 2021: Messi Scores as Paris Saint-Germain Beat Manchester City
Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea had a busy time with the gloves. He made some routine saves, but they were fortunate not to concede any goals in the first half.
As the game progressed, Villarreal gained confidence and scored within the opening 10 minutes of the second half. Villarreal took the lead in the 53rd minute. Paco Alcacer guided the ball into the net upon receiving the ball from Danjuma's low cross inside the penalty area.
Manchester United players had shown desperation to equalize after conceding the goal and discarded the lead within 7 minutes. Full back Telles netted the crucial goal from outside the D-Box with a beautiful volley. United's Portuguese star Bruno Fernandes deserves applause for his brilliant cross ball to Telles, which made the task easy for the Brazilian left-back.
Read Salah, Firmino both score twice as Liverpool routs Porto 5-1
Independence Cup Football kicks off Nov 27
The Independence Cup Football, the season's curtain-raiser, will begin on November 27.
Sixteen teams – twelve from the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) and four others – will lock horns in the competition.
The inter-club player transfer will begin on October 1 and will continue till November 25. During this time, participating clubs will be able to recruit and register local and foreign booters.
The upcoming BPL football matches will take place at six venues across the country, and one venue will be the home venue of a maximum of two clubs.
The decision was taken at a sub-committee meeting of the Bangladesh Football Federation's professional league management committee Wednesday with committee chairman Abdus Salam Murshedy in the chair.
Bangladesh football team reaches Maldives; to play Sri Lanka in opening match
A 34-member Bangladesh national football team reached the Maldives Tuesday evening at 7:50 pm (Bangladesh time) to participate in the five-nation SAFF Championship' 2021 beginning on Friday (October 1) at the national football stadium in Male.
The Bangladesh team comprises 23 booters and 11 officials.
In the five-nation South Asian regional football, Bangladesh will play Sri Lanka in the opening match on Friday (October 1) at 5 pm (Bangladesh Time) at the national football stadium in Male.
In the remaining matches, Bangladesh will play India on Oct 4 at 5 pm , hosts Maldives on Oct 7 at 10 pm and Nepal on Oct 13 at 5pm , all at the National Stadium in Male.
The difference of the Maldives and Bangladesh time is one hour where Maldives is one hour ahead of the Bangladesh.
Read: SAFF football: Bangladesh leave for Maldives fancying their chances under Bruzon
Soon after reaching the Maldives Tuesday evening, all the players of Bangladesh team had their Covid-19 Test and all were found negative.
All the members of Bangladesh team are in sound health and staying at Hotel Jen in Male. Local weather is also comfortable between 28 to 30 degree celsius.
The Bangladesh team is scheduled to make their first practice session at the Henveiru Training pitch in Male today (Wednesday) afternoon, said a BFF media release on Wednesday.
It will be the first assignment for the newly appointed Spanish interim Head Coach of national football team Oscar Bruzon, a head coach of BPL champions Bashundhara Kings.
Earlier this month, Bangladesh football team, toured Kyrgyzstan to play three matches-- two in the Three Nations Cup and one friendly against Kyrgyz U-23 team as part of their preparation for the SAFF Championship, but lost all the three matches.
Visiting Bangladesh conceded 0-2 goals defeat against Palestine in their first match of the Three Nations Cup.
Hosts Kyrgyzstan clinched three nations cup title with all-win record outplaying Bangladesh by 4-1 goals in their 2nd and match after beating Palestine by 1-0 goal in tournament opener.
Relieved coach Jamie Day's Bangladesh team completed their Kyrgyzstan tour with frustrating note losing all the three matches, after conceding a 2-3 goals defeat against Kyrgyzstan U-23 team, all at the Dolen Omurzakov Stadium in Bishkek.
Members of the Bangladesh football team are:
Shahidul Alam Sohel, Anisur Rahman and Ashraful Islam Rana (Custodian);
Rahmat Miah, Bishwanath Ghosh, Topu Barman, Tariq Raihan Kazi , Riyadul Hasan, Yeasin Arafat, Tutul Hossain Badsha, Rezaul Karim and Mohammad Hridoy (Defender);
Jamal Bhuiyan, Atiqur Rahman Fahad , Sohel Rana, M Saaduddin and Rakib Hossain (Midfield),
Mahbubur Rahman Sufil, Mohammad Ibrahim, Matin Miah ,Jewel Rana, Biplo Ahmed and Sumon Reza (Forward)
PSG vs. Man City 2021: Messi Scores as Paris Saint-Germain Beat Manchester City
Manchester City dominated the ball possession, but host Paris Saint-Germain won the important UEFA Champions League group stage match 2-0 against the English premier league Champion yesterday (Tuesday, 28 September 2021)) at Parc des Princes. With four points after two games, PSG climbed to the top of Group A's standings. PSG's superstar footballer Lionel Messi scored his first goal for the new club after arriving in the summer transfer window 2021. The match report of PSG vs. Man City 2021 is discussed in this article.
Match Report: PSG vs. Man City 2021
Paris Saint-Germain have secured the top spot in Group A with a 2-0 victory against Manchester City at the end of the second match of this round. Club Brugge are in the second position in this group followed by Manchester City and RB Leipzig.
Lionel Messi scored his first PSG goal in this match after three appearances, making it a memorable night for the football sensation. Messi has been under pressure to put up his usual master class performance since joining the French club this summer. He is surely now relieved after scoring this goal.
Read: Newcomer Sheriff stuns Real Madrid 2-1 in Champions League
Lionel Messi’s Stunner
Messi remained relatively quiet in the contest until the 74th minute. He ran down the opposition half with his customary dazzling pace and delivered a quick pass to Kylian Mbappe from just outside the D-box. Mbappe didn't make a blunder as he delivered Messi a superb pass. Lionel Messi then did what he does best, smashing the ball into the top right corner of the net with his left foot, netting his first goal for Paris Saint-Germain. Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson had no choice but to watch the ball go into the net.
Lionel Messi has a knack for playing well against Pep Guardiola's team, as he displayed with a thunderous goal yesterday. Messi now has scored 27 goals in 35 outings against English clubs.
Read: Messi scores superb 1st goal for PSG in 2-0 win against City
Idrissa Gueye Strikes Early for PSG
PSG had a dream start to the game, scoring in the eighth minute thanks to a stunner from midfielder Idrissa Gueye. Neymar's unsuccessful attempt landed the ball to Gueye just inside the penalty area. Idrissa Gueye found the ball and did the rest.
PSG looked confident after equalizing early in the game, and Verrati tried to reinforce the midfield. On the other hand, Man City had a chance to discard the lead in the 26th minute but they utterly wasted it.
Raheem Sterling's header from Kevin De Bruyne's cross struck the crossbar. Then Bernardo Silva's shot again hit the bar. It was a big miss for the Citizen.
Read: PSG vs. Man City: Preview and Prediction
After that, both teams generated chances but were unable to convert on them. PSG's Italian goalkeeper Donnarumma had a fantastic game as well. He made a few saves during the game to keep PSG in the lead. Idrissa Gueye was named player of the match for his first goal of the game.
PSG will play RB Leipzig in their third match of Group A on Thursday (October 19) at Parc des Princes. Manchester City will meet Club Brugge at Jan Breydel Stadium on the same day.
Read: Arsenal vs. Tottenham 2021: Match Preview and Prediction
Bottom Line
Mauricio Pochettino's team has struggled to gel as a team since the beginning of the season. Players from Paris Saint-Germain struggled to cope with Manchester City's fluid attack at times during the PSG vs. Man City 2021 match. PSG had excelled in counter-attacking strategy. They had the luxury of adjusting their formation because they have the finest front three in the world. PSG must put forth more effort to develop a solid team. On the other hand, it was a wake-up call for Manchester City. They must identify their weaknesses and come up with the right tactics on the return legs against PSG.
Read:Salah, Firmino both score twice as Liverpool routs Porto 5-1
Salah, Firmino both score twice as Liverpool routs Porto 5-1
Two goals from Mohamed Salah. A double as well from Roberto Firmino. All with 20-year-old midfielder Curtis Jones playing a part for Liverpool.
The only Liverpool goal without a direct role for Jones came from Sadio Mane in a 5-1 victory at Porto in the Champions League on Tuesday.
The six-time European champions benefited from poor goalkeeping from Diogo Costa to make it two wins out of two in Group B, which they lead by two points from Atlético Madrid after the Spanish champions won 2-1 at AC Milan.
Read:Newcomer Sheriff stuns Real Madrid 2-1 in Champions League
The goals started flowing in Porto in the 18th minute after Jones cut in on his right foot to fire in a low shot which Costa weakly parried into Zaidu Sanusi and Salah pounced from close range.
The goalkeeping was even more questionable just before halftime.
A sweeping move from left wing to right allowed James Milner to whip a low cross into the penalty area where Costa inexplicably put his arms behind his back to allow the ball to run to Mane, who gratefully accepted a fifth goal in five matches against the Portuguese side.
Costa denied Diogo Jota’s fierce drive early in the second half before Salah showed him how it should be done as Jones’ driving run from deep teed up the Egypt striker, who took one touch before firing past Costa on the hour.
Jota hit the side netting before Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp afforded himself the luxury of resting Salah, Mane and Milner for Sunday’s game against Manchester City in the Premier League.
Read:Messi scores superb 1st goal for PSG in 2-0 win against City
Mehdi Taremi pulled one back in the 74th minute with a diving header but there was still time for more Costa eccentrics as he raced out of his goal for a ball he was never going to get.
Receiving a high ball from Jones, Firmino rolled a shot past Costa from 30 yards (meters) and, despite the goalkeeper’s despairing run and dive, it crept over the line.
Firmino benefited from a deflected shot from Jones to slot home a second in the 81st.
Newcomer Sheriff stuns Real Madrid 2-1 in Champions League
The start to life in the Champions League couldn't be going much better for Moldovan club Sheriff.
Sébastien Thill scored a 90th-minute winner as the newcomers stunned Real Madrid 2-1 at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium on Tuesday.
Thill netted with a powerful shot into the top corner from the edge of the area to give Sheriff its second consecutive victory. It leads Group D with six points, three more than Madrid and five more than both Shakhtar Donetsk and Inter Milan, which drew 0-0 in Ukraine in the other group match.
Sheriff beat Shakhtar Donetsk 2-0 in its opener at home, while Madrid won 1-0 at Inter.
Read:Messi scores superb 1st goal for PSG in 2-0 win against City
“For us this is a dream come true to have won here," Sheriff captain Frank Castañeda said. "We’re so happy, and just enjoying it. We have full faith in what we’ve been doing and things are going well for us. We didn’t just come here to sit around, we know how good our players are and luckily for us Madrid weren’t able to take their chances and we took ours.”
Sheriff is the first club from the Moldovan league to qualify for the group stage of the Champions League, although it is based in the breakaway region of Transnistria, a self-proclaimed independent nation which isn’t recognized by any United Nations member state.
The club founded just over two decades ago is funded by the Sheriff company, which runs large parts of the economy in Transnistria and has strong political ties.
“We were unlucky,” Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said. “Everything went their way and nothing went our way. More than concerned, we are sad. We lost because of details."
The visitors had rarely threatened until opening the scoring after a breakaway in the 25th, with Jasurbek Yakhshiboev finding the far corner with a firm header past Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
A mistake by Courtois a few minutes later while trying to move the ball up the field nearly gave Sheriff another goal, with Yakhshiboev’s shot missing just wide of the post.
Read:PSG vs. Man City: Preview and Prediction
Benzema, Vinícius Júnior, and Eden Hazard all had scoring chances as Madrid kept pressuring, but failed to capitalize on them while Sheriff threatened on counterattacks.
Sheriff goalkeeper Giorgos Athanasiadis was named the player of the match for helping stop a Madrid attack that had more than 30 attempts.
"This is soccer,” Madrid midfielder Casemiro said. “We were in control during the entire match and had many scoring chances. They had only two and scored twice.”
Benzema equalized from the penalty spot in the 65th after a controversial foul on Vinícius Júnior as he tried to get past a defender inside the area. The referee initially let play continue but awarded the penalty after checking the video review.
Less than 10 minutes later, Sheriff had a potential winner by substitute Bruno called back for offside, but Thill still secured the victory near the end with a booming first-timer that hit the upper corner of the net.
“We played a really good game,” said Thill, who became the first player from Luxembourg to score a goal in the Champions League. "The side were so brave with how we played and luckily enough I was able to score a bit of a stunner.”
Sheriff players celebrated loudly after the final whistle as many Madrid fans jeered their team after its second consecutive setback at the Bernabéu.
Read:Arsenal vs. Tottenham 2021: Match Preview and Prediction
Madrid had won five in a row in all competitions before being held by Villarreal to a scoreless home draw in the Spanish league last weekend. The Spanish powerhouse has won only five of its last 13 European games at home.
Madrid is back at the Bernabéu this season after playing at the smaller Alfredo Di Stéfano Stadium in its training center during the pandemic.
Ancelotti made four changes at once after the equalizer, with Luka Modric and Toni Kroos among those coming off the bench.
Madrid next visits Shakhtar Donetsk, while Sheriff plays at Inter Milan.
Messi scores superb 1st goal for PSG in 2-0 win against City
Lionel Messi's superb first goal for Paris Saint-Germain was well worth the wait and delivered a timely reminder of the electric skill that has helped him win a record six Ballon d'Or trophies.
It also punished his former coach Pep Guardiola's team as PSG beat Manchester City 2-0 in the Champions League group stage on Tuesday.
Messi charged from midfield toward the penalty area in the 74th minute, opening up more space as Achraf Hakimi made a dummy run to his right, and received a clever flick from Kylian Mbappe before curling a fine strike into the top right corner with the most famed left foot in world soccer. The ecstatic crowd rose to their feet.
Read: PSG vs. Man City: Preview and Prediction
"I’m very happy to have scored. I’ve not been playing much recently and I’m adapting to my teammates little by little," Messi said through a translator. “The more we play together the better it will become. We need to grow together and increase our level."
Messi netted an astounding 672 goals for Barcelona but it was his first for PSG in three starts and four games overall since a shock summer move from the Spanish club.
“The goal was fantastic," Guardiola said.
It was the kind he scored for fun playing under Guardiola at Barcelona. The pair won the Champions League in 2009 and 2011, with Messi scoring in both finals.
City had not lost its five previous meetings with PSG, winning 2-1 in Paris and 2-0 at home in last season’s semifinals before losing to Chelsea in the final.
PSG started its dream attack of Messi, Neymar and Mbappe, but it was unheralded midfielder Idrissa Gueye who opened the scoring in the eighth minute.
The Senegal international thumped the ball into the top corner after Neymar’s scuffed shot fell to him just inside the penalty area following Mbappe’s cross from the right.
Read: Metz vs. PSG Match Preview: Will Lionel Messi Start?
“I get a lot of scoring chances in this team, the forwards make a lot of runs so the second ball often drops to me inside and outside the penalty area,” Gueye said. “As midfielders, we are there to try and finish (chances).”
City should have equalized in the 26th, but instead produced a contender for miss of the season.
Raheem Sterling’s header from Kevin De Bruyne's cross hit the crossbar and the ball fell to winger Bernardo Silva less than two meters out. But Silva somehow scooped the ball onto the bar with goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma beaten.
Donnarumma and opposite number Ederson then made a smart save each in an even first half that De Bruyne was perhaps lucky to finish, receiving only a yellow card for a dangerous tackle on Gueye's shin.
Sterling dragged a shot wide early in the second half as City caught PSG's defense asleep down the left.
Donnarumma then kicked away De Bruyne's shot in the 54th as City exposed poor defending on the other flank as the Premier League champion took control.
“It was a good performance. We did everything but score," Guardiola said. “We defended well, they defended deep and a counterattack from them is always dangerous.”
PSG's glittering attack looked flat, as it did in a 1-1 draw against Club Brugge. Neymar shot into the side netting midway through the second half, with Mbappe in a better position.
Read:Messi era begins as PSG beats Reims; Mbappe scores 2
Then Messi lit up Parc des Princes with a glimpse of things to come, at the stadium where he scored his last Champions League goal for Barcelona last season.
PSG tops Group A on goal difference and is level with Club Brugge with four points, while City is third with three points. Club Brugge won 2-1 at last-place Leipzig.
City is at Brugge, and 2020 Champions League runner-up PSG hosts Leipzig on Oct. 19.
SAFF football: Bangladesh leave for Maldives fancying their chances under Bruzon
A 34-member delegation including the playing squad of the Bangladesh national football team left the capital for the Maldives Tuesday (Sept 28)at 3: 50 pm with high hopes of clinching the title in the five-nation SAFF Championship beginning on Friday (October 1) in Male.
Bangladesh team comprises 23 booters and 11 officials.
It will be the first assignment for the newly appointed Spanish interim Head Coach of national football team Oscar Bruzon, a head coach of BPL champions Bashundhara Kings.
In the five-nation South Asian regional football, Bangladesh will play Sri Lanka in the opening match on Friday (October 1) at 5 pm (Bangladesh Time) at the national stadium in the Maldives capital Male.
In the remaining matches, Bangladesh will play India on Sept 4 at 5: pm , hosts Maldives on Sept 7 at 10 pm and Nepal on Sept 13 at 5:pm , all at the National Stadium in Male
Earlier on Monday (Sept 27) night, the interim head coach of Bangladesh national team Oscar Bruzon announced a 23-member final Bangladesh squad for the SAFF Championship to be held in Maldives from October 1-16 .
READ: Bangladesh team to leave for Maldives Tuesday in hunt for SAFF title
Four players of the preliminary squad,-- Nigerian born fresh Bangladesh citizen Eleta Kingsley, medio Manik Hossain Mollah, defenders Mohammad Atikuzzaman and Mehedi Hasan-- were dropped from the final squad.
In a pre tour press conference at BFF office on Monday, both the Bangladesh interim head coach Oscar Bruzon and team captain Jamal Bhuiyan expressed their high hope of clinching the SAFF title this time, despite the Bangladesh failed to overcome the group stages in the last four meets.
Addressing the pressmen Bangladesh captain said, "we are playing together for long, we have a good understanding, we worked hard in last few days, now we are confident and our players are committed do something giving our best to achieve the target"
Replying to a question, Jamal Bhuiyan said, as per current FIFA ranking , India is the favourite, but we treat all the opponents equally , now our first target is to beat Sri Lanka.
Bangladesh coach Oscar Bruzon is also optimistic to make his first assignment memorable by clinching the title.
Earlier this month, Bangladesh football team, toured Kyrgyzstan to play three matches-- two in the Three Nations Cup and one friendly against Kyrgyz U-23 team as part of their preparation for the SAFF Championship, but lost all the three matches.
READ: Women's Football: Sabina scores hat-trick as Bangladesh crush Hong Kong 5-0
Visiting Bangladesh conceded 0-2 goals defeat against Palestine in their first match of the Three Nations Cup.
Hosts Kyrgyzstan clinched three nations cup title with all-win record outplaying Bangladesh by 4-1 goals in their 2nd and match after beating Palestine by 1-0 goal in tournament opener.
Jamie Day's Bangladesh team completed their Kyrgyzstan tour with frustrating note losing all the three matches, after conceding a 2-3 goals defeat against Kyrgyzstan U-23 team, all at the Dolen Omurzakov Stadium in Bishkek.
Members of Bangladesh squad (footballers) are:
Shahidul Alam Sohel, Anisur Rahman and Ashraful Islam Rana (Custodians);
Rahmat Miah, Bishwanath Ghosh, Topu Barman, Tariq Raihan Kazi , Riyadul Hasan, Yeasin Arafat, Tutul Hossain Badsha, Rezaul Karim and Mohammad Hridoy (Defenders);
Jamal Bhuiyan, Atiqur Rahman Fahad , Sohel Rana, M Saaduddin and Rakib Hossain (Midfield),
Mahbubur Rahman Sufil, Mohammad Ibrahim, Matin Miah ,Jewel Rana, Biplo Ahmed and Sumon Reza (Forwards).
UEFA Champions League 2021-2022 Season: Group Stage Predictions
The UEFA Champions League 2021-2022 group stage began on September 14. Football fans were treated to some fantastic encounters in the first leg. Manchester City, PSG, Bayern Munich, and Chelsea are among the Champions League favorites this year. If Europe's established giant football clubs do flourish this season, fans may expect to see some spectacular matches in the knock-out stages. Which clubs are favorites in the race to make it to the round of 16 are discussed in this article.
Group Stage Predictions for Champions League 2021-2022
The top two teams from each of the eight groups will advance to the Round of 16 in the UEFA Champions League 2021-2022 season. Let's see who are the favorites in each group to advance to the first knockout round.
Group A
Four teams including, the English Premier League champion Manchester City, Ligue 1 runner-up Paris Saint-Germain, Belgium's first division champion Club Brugge and Germany’s RB Leipzig are drafted in group A. As per squad depths, Man City and PSG are the two favorites to advance to the Round of 16 from this group. Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City are probably playing the best brand of football right now, while PSG boast a star-studded squad.
Read SAFF football: Bangladesh leave for Maldives fancying their chances under Bruzon
Group B
This is considered the group of death, with Liverpool, Atletico Madrid, AC Milan, and FC Porto all vying for a place in the top two. Liverpool and Atletico Madrid have better squads than the other two teams. As a result, they have a better shot to advance to the first knockout round.
Group C
Four-time European champion Ajax, Sporting CP, Borussia Dortmund, and Turkish club Besiktas are competing in group C. Borussia Dortmund are the favorite to finish top in the points table. Sporting CP and Ajax will battle it out for the second place.
Read PSG vs. Man City: Preview and Prediction
Group D
The most successful club in the history of the UEFA Champions League Real Madrid do not have the best squad for the 2021-2022 season. However, they have had a strong start of the season and will be a solid contender for their 14th championship triumph. Italian Serie A Champion Inter Milan should finish top two in this group given their current squad depth. While Sheriff Tiraspol and Shakhtar Donetsk will have to put in extraordinary efforts to finish in the top two.
Group E
Bayern Munich are the obvious favorites in this group. Bayern's main rival in this group is FC Barcelona. Barcelona's recent performances have been below par, and they have a slim chance of finishing first in the point standings. Portuguese side Benfica have a chance to finish second and they can advance to the Round of 16 by tipping Barcelona. Dynamo Kiev is the other team in this group, and their main goal is to finish top three to qualify for the Europa League.
Read Ctg Premier League Football: Customs SC thrash Ctg Police 4-0
Group F
Manchester United should progress to the next round from this group since they will be up against Atalanta, Villareal, and Young Boys, all of whom are comparatively weaker opponents. Italy’s Atalanta and the defending Europa League champions Villareal will compete for second place in this group.