Champions League group stage predictions: Oustanding Inter could impress again

Jack Ogalbe

Spotlight

Simone Inzaghi will be confident about Inter Milan's chances of making it to the knockout stages

Manchester City finally got their hands on the Champions League trophy in June and they are just 2/1 with LiveScoreBet to make it back-to-back successes in Europe's elite competition.

City edged past Inter Milan 1-0 at the Ataturk Stadium in Istanbul and they look like the team to beat once more after landing a plumb draw in last week's group-stage draw.

Five British teams will take part in this season's competition, with Arsenal, Newcastle and Manchester United joining City at European football's top table, while Celtic will fly the flag for Scotland after Rangers were knocked out by PSV Eindhoven in the play-off round last week.

Newcastle have been handed a stinker of a draw, with Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan and Borussia Dortmund for company, while Celtic will also have their work cut out in a section also featuring Atletico Madrid, Lazio and Feyenoord.

Red Devils must topple German giants

Manchester United's come-from-behind Champions League win in 1999 over Bayern Munich remains one of the most iconic finals, and the pair will meet again in this season's competition.

Bayern are red-hot 4/9 favourites to win the section, with United 9/4 to come out on top and both sides should have little trouble progressing from a group with Galatasaray and FC Copenhagen for company.

Things should be even easier for Arsenal who are 8/15 to get out of Group B ahead of Sevilla, PSV Eindhoven and Lens.

The Gunners have made a patchy start to the Premier League campaign, but they should have little to fear from Sevilla, who are struggling in La Liga, while PSV needed two legs to see off Rangers in last week's play-off round and Lens could end up making up the numbers.

Hoops' hopes could quickly be dashed

Brendan Rodgers has been handed a tough Champions League group draw for his first season back at Celtic

Celtic have also struggled to hit top gear in the early weeks of the new campaign and they will need to quickly get into shape if they are to extend their stay in Europe's elite club competition.

The Scottish champions have been housed alongside rejuvenated Atletico Madrid, Italian giants Lazio and Dutch maestros Feyenoord.

Atletico at 4/7 are expected to control proceedings in Group E with Lazio fancied to follow the Spaniards out of the section at 3/1.

Feyenoord are 7/1 to come out on top, but Celtic are offered little hope at 9/1.

Toon Army face a fight in 'Group of Death'

Much was made of Newcastle's return to the Champions League after a 20-year wait, but their attendance in the competition may be short lived after they were drawn alongside Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan and Borussia Dortmund in Group F.

Newcastle are 6/5 second favourites to win the section behind 11/10 favourites PSG, but they could also face stern resistance from 5/1 Milan and 11/2 shots Dortmund.

It looks a mouthwatering group with any of the four realistically having a chance of qualification, but Newcastle's poor start to the Premier League campaign suggests Group F could be the place for excitement.

Predictions

Inter Milan were edged out 1-0 in last season's final and they should win Group D at 5/6.

The Italian giants spurned several good chances to upset City in Istanbul in June and they have made a strong start to the new Serie A campaign.

Benfica look a tempting price to trouble the Italians at 9/4, but Real Sociedad and Salzburg are likely to be also-rans.

Group F looks like this season's group of death, with all four sides capable of coming out on top.

Newcastle's poor start to the season makes them hard to fancy, so Borussia Dortmund are the pick having gone so close to winning the 2022-23 Bundesliga title.

Dortmund lost out to rivals Bayern Munich only on the final day, and they look far too big at 11/2 to win a section where PSG are not quite the force they were, with question marks also surrounding the strength of AC Milan, who are priced up at 5/1.

Porto found eventual runners-up Inter too strong in the round of 16 last season but they will fancy their chances of at least making the same stage this time around, and they look a decent shout at 3/1 to win Group H where Barcelona are 10/27 favourites.

The Portuguese giants won their opening three league matches and will relish the chance to topple a Barcelona side who crashed out in the group stage last season and who remain a work in progress.

Porto will be no pushovers and they look the value pick to top a group also containing Shakhtar Donetsk and Belgian minnows Antwerp.