Manchester United are back in the Champions League, and with Jose Mourinho at the helm leading a club with sky-high expectations for this season, their fans have a lot to be excited about in Europe this year while they look to get back to being the top dogs in English football once more.
Manchester United’s Champions League draw results: Red Devils get soft landing in Group A
Manchester United are back in the Champions League with a clear path to the knockout rounds.
Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images
The shine had worn off the Manchester United name a bit over the last couple of years since the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson, but the appointment of Jose Mourinho as manager has helped them get back to the kind of high-end football they were once known for. They’ve got one of the best squads in England, won the Europa League last season, and now their sights are set on an even higher level of accomplishment for this year.
Manchester United’s Champions League group
Manchester United (England)
SL Benfica (Portugal)
FC Basel (Turkey)
CSKA Moscow (Russia)
Biggest challenger
To be honest, there’s not one of the three teams opposing Manchester United that can be called their “biggest” challenger. Benfica are probably the best of the three teams and are worthy of consideration on that level, but Basel offer a lot of interesting tactical matchups and difficulties, and the sheer distance of the trip to play CSKA will be a problem — not to mention the fact that the Russian side is better than they’re given credit for.
Prediction
As long as they play to their level and don’t get cocky, Manchester United should win this group easily. They’re head and shoulders the most talented team in this group, and their experience winning the Europa League last year and the title-winning know-how of Mourinho will do them a lot of good when it comes to finding their way in their Champions League journey. And there’s little reason to think they won’t take full advantage by dominating a group that they should dominate.
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