One of the more intriguing groups in the Champions League this season is the one at the top of the list, Group A. With two major clubs headlining it in Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal, a fun annual dark horse in Swiss side FC Basel, and Bulgaria’s Ludogorets giving them a tough fourth team that can’t be overlooked, this group could end in a lot of different ways -- though in the end, the star power of the two biggest clubs will almost certainly see them through to the knockout stage.
Champions League draw results 2016: Paris Saint-Germain battles Arsenal in Group A
The two big clubs will grab the headlines, but the whole group is definitely interesting to consider.
Group winners: Paris Saint-Germain
This is a tough group to call, but PSG’s athletic talents and their cagey manager Unai Emery -- who is coming off three straight Europa League championships with Sevilla -- should be enough to carry them to the top of the group. They’ll need to overcome some early season shakiness, though, that’s borne out of having a new manager and a summer full of major changes. Their group rivals aren’t without their own weaknesses, however, so this is definitely a group PSG can win.
Runners-up: Arsenal
It's hard to look at Arsenal's summer without coming away disappointed. They had a couple of fairly glaring needs that they failed to address and their squad is getting older and slower, so it's hard to see them really hanging with PSG to mount a real challenge. In fact, if any team in this group is ripe for being on the wrong side of a big upset or two, it's Arsenal.
Europa League: FC Basel
Basel are always a fun team with a lot of intriguing talent and plenty of heart, but it’s hard to see them advancing out of this group. For all their flaws right now, PSG and Arsenal are clearly a step or two better than Basel, and while Basel can overcome a lot, that might be too much to ask for them in this group.
Out of Europe: Ludogorets
Ludogorets are a fine and dandy team with plenty of talent and can cause an upset or two, but man this is just not a group for them to make noise in. Someone has to go out, and this group’s most likely candidate by a fair ways is Ludogorets.
Player to watch: Edinson Cavani
Cavani is now the striker at Paris Saint-Germain in the wake of Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s departure, and what he does with this opportunity will bear close scrutiny. He’s definitely not been at his best since moving to PSG several years ago, but with a new manager who utilizes his players well and has a reputation for inspiration, there’s definitely a chance that Cavani finds his best form again. If he does, watch out -- it will take PSG from an excellent team in this group to one that will be nearly impossible to beat.
Key match: Second PSG vs. Arsenal match
With what will likely be a close duel between these two sides to see who wins the group, their second meeting will almost certainly prove decisive once the final tally is taken. The pressure will be sky high on both teams, and we could see a fantastic match between two teams playing at their best for high stakes -- or one team could crack under the pressure and hand the group to their rivals.
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