FC Bayern Munchen News

Bayern Munich 6-1 Mainz: Report, Ratings & Reaction as Die Roten Lay Down Impressive Marker

?Bayern Munich secured their first home win of the campaign with a comfortable 6-1 victory over Mainz at the Allianz Arena on Saturday as the reigning Bundesliga champions put the pressure on rivals Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig.

Mainz shockingly opened the scoring with a great header from Jean-Paul Boetius, who capitalised on poor defending from Benjamin Pavard.

However, the French defender made up for it with a great half volley to give Die Roten a much-needed equaliser. Bayern then took the lead with a brilliant free-kick from David Alaba in stoppage time of the first half.

The Bavarians continued as they left off as Ivan Perisic, who made his first start for the club, scored a great header to put Bayern comfortably ahead.

Kingsley Coman, Robert Lewandowski and Canadian teenager Alphonso Davies all scored late on to give Bayern a huge victory and put down a marker ahead of their crunch tie against Leipzig.

BAYERN MUNICH

Key Talking Point

The reigning ?Bundesliga champions started this season extremely slowly and were lethargic again on Saturday, with Boetius’ goal a great example. It was looking like it would be a miserable game as ?Bayern were unable to break down a resolute and inspired Mainz defence but, as so often with the German giants, their class prevailed soon after.

Niko Kovac’s side are gifted with supreme individual talent and superbly executed finishes from Pavard and Alaba gave the Bavarians some momentum, crushing Mainz’s spirit in the process. The individual brilliance from the squad was too much for Mainz and they cruised home to another victory.

It seems as though Kovac’s side are finally up to speed and have gained some confidence and momentum. It has come at the right time as they need to be at their best to try and beat their next opponents – in-form title rivals RB Leipzig.

Player Ratings

Starting XI: Neuer (7); Pavard (9), Lucas (7), Süle (7), Alaba (8); Thiago (7), Kimmich (7); Coman (8); Coutinho (7), Perisic (8); Lewandowski (8).

Substitutes: Muller (8), Davies (7), Cuisance (6).?

STAR PLAYER – There were several great performances in the Bayern squad but Benjamin Pavard was the standout player. His goal and assist from right back were more than enough for Bayern to seal their first three points of the season at the Allianz Arena.

Despite falling asleep for the Mainz goal, he made up for it with a great performance in the latter stages of the first half and the whole of the second period. A brilliant half volley, which was similar to his stunning World Cup goal, gave Bayern a much-needed equaliser.

His superb cross for Perisic’s first goal for the club showcased Pavard’s great attacking play despite being a natural centre back. His performance showed that Kovac’s decision to deploy the Frenchman at right back was more than justified.

Man of the match:

Benjamin Pavard:

1 goal
1 assist
86 touches
66 passes
88% pass accuracy
1 key pass
2 aerials won
4 crosses
2/5 long balls
1 tackle
3 interceptions
8.6/10 rating

[WS] pic.twitter.com/KYPvjiSeBX

— Bayern & Germany (@iMiaSanMia) August 31, 2019

What an insane game for Pavard. Hope he picks MOTM over there. Well deserved.

— Elias (@I__Ga) August 31, 2019

Benjamin Pavard looooooves himself a volley

— A West (@ayyy_west) August 31, 2019

MAINZ

Key Talking Point

Despite conceding six, Mainz’s main problem was their attacking threat as they were unable to get the ball out of their half with an outlet. That has been their problem for the last few seasons as they lack a standout player to help push them into the top half of the table.

Die Nullfünfer struggled to really test Manuel Neuer, aside from the well-worked early goal, and they’ll be hoping that they can be much better in front of goal in their upcoming fixtures.

It was really looking like a decent performance in the first half from Mainz but Bayern’s quality was too much for them and in the end they got overrun as their heads started to drop.

Player Ratings

Starting XI: Muller (5); Pierre-Gabriel (6), Niakhate (6), Hack (6), Martin (6); Baku (6), Fernandes (6), Latza (6); Boetius (7); Onisiwo (6), Burkardt (6).

Substitutes: Szalai (6), Kunde (6), Juste (6).

STAR PLAYER – A terrible result for Mainz and they will be hoping to put this behind them. They did have a great start to the game, all thanks to Jean-Paul Boetius.

His brilliant movement in the box fooled Pavard as he got in front of him and nodded home an early lead. He was always the outlet for the side and was often cynically fouled, his pace a threat to Bayern’s defence.

However, it was far from enough as Mainz were trounced despite a decent outing from Boetius.

Lovely to see JP Boetius having scored for Mainz today, even though they got battered.

Another one of those players who I grew up thinking that he’ll be playing for a top club when he was at Feyenoord.

— Kaustubh Pandey (@Kaus_Pandey17) August 31, 2019

Goalll J.P Boetius Opens the score for Mainz at the Alainz Arena. Pavard ?? Lost his man, lack of concentration. A good start for Mainz as they have scored only their second league goal this season and that’s Boetius second goal against Bayern. pic.twitter.com/n65f1YDTUs

— Lavogez (@captainkoke) August 31, 2019

Oh JP Boëtius you are the love of my life

— Conor Garratt (@conorgarratt) August 31, 2019

Looking Ahead

Bayern needed that win to put pressure on rivals ?Borussia Dortmund and Leipzig as the title race starts to heat up, and they got it. They have put down a marker to show they are still the best team in the country.

Die Roten next face fellow title challengers RB Leipzig in what will be a hotly contested affair and the result could have a detrimental effect for either team come to the end of the season.

Mainz welcome Hertha Berlin and will look to bounce back in a match where they can hope to take some points.

Let’

UEFA Champions League 2019/20: Grading the Difficulty of Each Group

?The draw for the 2019/20 Champions League group stages was made on Thursday, with some of Europe’s best sides set to face off in the pools.

Whilst a number of clubs will be rather chuffed with their opponents for round one, others know they have a real fight on their hands if they are to advance to the last 16. Group F looks particularly fearsome, though all of the sides in G will be confident of progressing after avoiding any of the tournament favourites.

As always, it’s a mixed bag and some will be more pleased than others in terms of the pool they’ve been placed in.

Here, 90min assesses the difficulty of each group ahead of the start of the competition on 17 September.

Group A

?Real Madrid versus Paris Saint-Germain is a mouth-watering match-up. Los Blancos may have been woefully out of form last season, but they are always in with a shout when it comes to the European Cup.

Nevertheless, they will have to be pitch-perfect to seal top spot in this one given the glut of talent at PSG’s disposal.

Both sides must be wary of the threats posed by Galatasaray and Club Brugge, the champions of their respective nations. Take either side lightly and one of the big boys could end up looking foolish.

Difficulty Rating: 5/10

Group B

Not since 1983 have ?Tottenham Hotspur locked horns with German powerhouse ?Bayern Munich, but that will soon change.

Spurs were sublime during periods in 2018/19, showing resolve and determination to come back from the dead on numerous occasions in their run to the ?Champions League final.

Die Roten have European pedigree and know how to navigate a way to the latter stages of the tournament, whilst an away trip to Red Star Belgrade is an intimidating prospect – as ?Liverpool found out in November.

And Olympiacos? They rarely push beyond the last 16, but their fans make a deafening noise at Karaiskakis Stadium.

Difficulty Rating: 7/10

Group C

?Manchester City and Shakhtar Donetsk will meet for the third year running in the group stages and the pair can expect a repeat of 2017/18, when they both qualified for the next round.

Pep Guardiola’s recruits are a phenomenal outfit and should take first place at a canter, with the Ukrainians possessing more than enough quality to see off minnows Dinamo Zagreb and new boys Atalanta.

Difficulty Rating: 3/10

Group D

A thrilling contest unfolded at the Allianz Stadium in March as ?Juventus – or Cristiano Ronaldo, to be more precise – beat ?Atletico Madrid 3-0 on the night and 3-2 on aggregate.

No one would write off either club this term. Los Rojiblancos are invariably tough to break down, their bullish brand of football seeing them grind out results.

Juve are equally – if not more – imposing, having won ?Serie A for eight consecutive years. With Ronaldo spearheading their attack, even a well-drilled side like Bayer Leverkusen will struggle to take any points off them and you can pretty much write Lokomotiv Moscow off.

Difficulty Rating: 6/10

Group E

Mohamed Salah’s first-half goal was enough for Liverpool to overcome Carlo Ancelotti’s ?Napoli last winter, a win the Reds needed to book their place in the knockout stages.

The Italians are a tricky side to take on and have several first-rate players in their squad, including Kalidou Koulibaly, Lorenzo Insigne and Kostas Manolas.

Meanwhile, Jurgen Klopp’s men are tearing it up in the ?Premier League and will likely shred the defences of Genk and Red Bull Salzburg. It should be clear which of the four teams are expected to qualify.

Difficulty Rating: 5/10

Group F

There’s always one group of death and this year it’s F. Last campaign, ?Barcelona emerged unscathed from a pool with ?Inter, Spurs and PSV Eindhoven, so they are accustomed to difficult draws.

They will have a rematch with the Nerazzurri this time around, with the San Siro club coming third in their group nine months ago. It’s impossible to say whether the same fate will befall them in 2019/20.

With Romelu Lukaku bolstering their frontline and new coach Antonio Conte getting everyone organised, they will surely be in contention come the final round of fixtures.

As for ?Borussia Dortmund, the Yellow and Blacks have begun this season in imperious fashion, dismissing Bayern 2-0 in the DFL Supercup and racking up eight goals in their first two Bundesliga games.

Lord have mercy on Slavia Prague.

Difficulty Rating: 9/10

Group G

Zenit Saint Petersburg, Benfica, Lyon and RB Leipzig – there have no doubt been more testing groups than this in the past.

The Russians have some sizeable names in their team, such as Branislav Ivanovic and Malcom. Similarly, their French opponents can call upon star performers like Memphis Depay and Moussa Dembele.

Having such players at their disposal will help the duo as they do battle with the champions of Portugal and an ever-improving Leipzig side, but the quarter finals is likely as far as any of these clubs can push.

Difficulty Rating: 2/10

Group H

?Chelsea are far from the peak of their powers after a transfer embargo scuppered their hopes of adding to the squad over the summer.

Still, the current crop at Stamford Bridge have to deliver a top two finish in a pool that also includes Ajax, Valencia and Lille.

The latter are without superstar forward Nicolas Pepe, who switched to ?Arsenal for £72m in August, with de Godenzonen likewise losing key personnel as Matthijs de Ligt and Frenkie de Jong opted to join European superpowers.

Valencia are a frustrating team to come up against due to their rigid defensive setup, but Mason Mount and co. should still find a way past them.

Difficulty Rating: 5/10

Let’

UEFA to Cap Prices of Away Tickets in Champions League & Europa League

?UEFA have confirmed they have implemented a cap on the prices of away tickets in both the Champions League and Europa League, in an attempt to allow fans the best possible chance to follow their teams.

The idea of a ?potential cap on ticket costs emerged back in March after Barcelona opted to raise the cost of a ticket for travelling Manchester United fans in last season’s quarter-final, forcing the Red Devils to raise their own fees for away fans to help subsidise costs.

Tickets for that game rose to £102, but UEFA have now taken to their ?official website to confirm that the cost of tickets to a ?Champions League game will now be capped at €70, whilst Europa League ties will have to deal with a cap of €45.

This new regulation will work alongside UEFA’s previous decision that the price of tickets for supporters of the visiting team must not exceed the price paid for tickets of a comparable category that are sold to supporters of the home team.

On the decision to limit the cost of tickets, UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin insisted that the organisation must do all it can to protect fans, who are vital to the success of the game.

“Fans are the lifeblood of the game and those who follow their teams to away matches must have access to tickets at a reasonable price, bearing in mind the cost they have already had to incur for their trip,” Ceferin added.

“By capping ticket prices, we want to make sure that away fans can still travel to games and play their part in making the atmosphere inside football stadiums so special.”

The cap will now bring an end to some of the chaos which surrounded last season’s Champions League campaign.

On top of ?Barcelona and ?United’s dispute, ?Tottenham Hotspur also chose to charge ?Manchester City fans £60 for tickets to their quarter-final clash, despite tickets for the same fixture in the ?Premier League going for just £30.

Fortunately, all that appears set to come to an end, as teams must now abide by UEFA’s new ruling.

Let’

90min’s Definitive European Power Rankings: Week 3

?Hey baby, I hear the Power Rankings a-callin’,

It’s the best football teams in all of Europe.

Oh My,

And maybe you’ll be annoyed by the rankings,

Yeah maybe, but I don’t even care!

Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha!

But I don’t know what to do with those teams in Europe’s top leagues and 90min’s Definitive European Power Rankings.

They’re callin’ again.

90min’s Definitive European Power Rankings all over my face.

What is a boy to do…

Jack and Wilf have left the building.

Following a week in which:

– Serie A started with a BANG.

– Lucas Digne scored a BANGING free-kick.

– And Pusha T dropped a track with Lauryn Hill that BANGED.

We add the greatest sitcom in the history of the world – Frasier – to the ever-expanding DEPR universe, and rank the best teams in Europe using quotes from season four:

15) Atalanta (New Entry)

“Well I think hugging is very healthy. I read somewhere that if you have physical contact on a regular basis, it can actually extend your life.”

“Well, in that case you should outlive Styrofoam.”

Everybody loves Atalanta.

They’re hipster’s choice, the neutral’s favourite, the underdogs every man, woman, child, cat, dog is rooting for in this season’s UEFA Champions League.

And for good reason.

As their enthralling 3-2 win over SPAL exemplified, the Bergamo side are one of the most exciting teams to watch in Europe. They’re box office, baybee.

14) Porto (New Entry)

“As we speak, hordes of viral Visigoths are hurling themselves over the battlements of my immune system, laying waste to my…oh, dear God, you see how weak I am? I can’t even finish a simple Visigoth metaphor.”

After their opening day defeat to newly promoted Gil Vicente (who are they? Exactly!), not many people backed Porto to genuinely challenge Benfica for the Primeira Liga title.

Then out of absolutely nowhere, Porto beat Benfica 1-0.

Now, Porto are probably the favourites to win the league. Now, Porto have found their way into 90min’s Definitive European Power Rankings. Now, we’d even back Porto to finish a simple Visigoth metaphor:

Hordes of Porto Visigoths are hurling themselves over the battlements of Primeira Liga defences, laying waste to every other team in Portugal.

Easy work.

13) VfL Wolfsburg (-)

“Feel like a new man?”

The lean years are over!

VfL Wolfsburg are great again!

Armed with the best left back in Germany (Jerome Roussillon), a dependable goalscorer (Wout Weghorst) and a quality midfield (which includes Maximilian Arnold and Josuha Guilavogui), oh and THE BEST HOME KIT IN EUROPE, Die Wolfes look set to make a real push for Champions League qualification this season.

12) Atletico Madrid (-)

“I’ve taken Maris to hundreds of these events and she has not once wanted to dance. Of course, Maris hates public displays of rhythm.”

Diego Simeone doesn’t do rhythmic, attacking, or free-flowing football. He wants his teams to fight; not dance.

But in Joao Felix, Simeone has something a bit different; A player willing to publicly display some rhythm.

Last weekend he cha-cha slid Atleti to three points, and he’ll probably do the same this weekend.

11) Wolves (-)

“You don’t care if I ever sleep again, do you?”

There ain’t no rest for Wolves this season.

Wolves’ European adventure looks set to continue into (at least) December this season, after they made it into the Europa League group stages with a rather impressive win over Torino.

It’s all very exciting…but also probably quite tiring.

For playing on Thursday and Sunday will take its toll on this relatively small Wolves squad.

Can they cope?

Who knows…

10) Juventus (New Entry)

“She says I’m too rigid.”

The Sarri-ball era began in earnest at Juventus this past weekend, with La Vecchia Signora running out 1-0 winners in Parma.

And although Juve weren’t as free-flowing as Sarri would’ve liked, the early signs were positive.

– Gonzalo Higuain and Cristiano Ronaldo linked up well.

– Miralem Pjanic had 1,000,000,000,000 touches of the ball.

– Douglas Costa impressed.

A positive start Sarri’s footballing revolution in Turin.

9) Barcelona (Re-Entry)

“Dad, did Grandpa ever tell you the story of how he captured four bank robbers with just a nightstick?”

“No. He did tell me how he captured two bank robbers with just a revolver, his partner and a SWAT team.”

“They got there later!”

The headlines over the weekend read:

“Antoine Griezmann thrashes Real Betis in the absence of Lionel Messi.”

“Antoine Griezmann single-handedly put Real Betis to the sword at Camp Nou.”

“Antoine Griezmann Antoine Griezmann’d Real Betis to give Antoine Griezmann a win at Camp Antoine Griezmann.”

But he didn’t actually do it alllllllll on his own.

Carles Perez, Frenkie de Jong, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets all also played their part in what was a hugely impressive win – in the absence of Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi – over one of the better teams in La Liga.

8) Bayern Munich (New Entry)

“How flattering, they’ve named a bar after her.”

The best number nine in the world.

‘But what about Sergio Aguero?’

What about him? Robert Lewandowski is TWICE the player Sergio Aguero could ever hope to be.

He’s so good that it’s actually pretty surprising that there aren’t at least 350 bars named after him in Munich.

7) Ajax (Re-Entry)

“I don’t even know who you are!”

Ajax may have sold basically every single player they own this summer, but, somehow, they’re still really, really, really good.

UEFA Champions League good.

They won’t go as far this season (bet the house on that), but after being drawn in a group with Chelsea, Valencia, and LOSC Lille, the new Ajax young-guns (whoever they are) will fancy their chances of making the round of 16.

6) SSC Napoli (New Entry)

“We’re sherry drinkers.”

On Saturday night, SSC Napoli started their season with a BANG, beating Fiorentina 4-3 in a surprisingly epic opening day encounter.

Not playing champagne football, but sherry football, I Partenopei were deadly in the offensive third, carving an impressive La Viola open at will.

Game of the season?

Probably.

Title contenders?

Definitely.

5) RB Leipzig (-)

“You hurt yourself adjusting the seat in your Mercedes again, didn’t you?”

Best player signed a new contract? Check.

Best young manager in Europe? Check.

100% record in the Bundesliga? Check.

It’s all gravy at RB Leipzig.

4) Inter (New Entry)

“I hardly need to tell you how the story ends.”

“Just tell me when the story ends.”

Judging by how high Inter have entered 90min’s Definitive European Power Rankings, you can probably guess that Antonio Conte inspired his new team to a pretty impressive start to their 2019/20 Serie A campaign.

And yes, that’s a good guess, because it was pretty impressive.

4-0 in front of a near capacity San Siro crowd.

Pretty impressive, eh?

BUT hold your horses, and maybe quell the “OMG Inter are going to win the league” chatter. Because we’ve seen this story play out so many times over the past few years: hope of a new dawn, painful setbacks, then embarrassing defeats, then the kicker, a fifth place finish.

This season may very well be different…but…you know…it might not be…

3) Manchester City (Up 1)

“He’s spent many happy hours observing their play patterns.”

‘VAR is killing football!’

‘Woe is me!’

‘We feel hard done by!’

It’s a miracle! Manchester City weren’t complaining about VAR this week.

Instead, they wiped away the VAR-fuelled tears last weekend, stopped complaining for 90 minutes, and beat Bournemouth last weekend at the Vitality Stadium. Nice one.

2) Borussia Dortmund (-)

“He’s practically doin’ a polka.”

“Oh, good. That should up his price when I sell him to the carnival.”

?Wilf may disagree, but Jadon Sancho is currently the best player in Europe. He’s so good in fact, that Borussia Dortmund fans are probably counting down the days to when their club sell him for ?100 billion dollars.

1) Liverpool (-)

“I gotta say: I’m impressed.”

I gotta say: Liverpool are the best team in the world.

At Anfield last weekend they proved they were. Qith Mohamed Salah hitting top form and Roberto Firmino showboating, the Reds ripped Arsenal limb from limb. Literally*.

*Maybe not literally.

Let’

10 of the Best Group Stage Games to Look Forward to in This Season’s Champions League

The Champions League group stage draw has been made, leaving clubs and their fans to analyse the difficulty of their group and whether they’re going to stay in Europe’s elite competition beyond Christmas.

Some will be happy with their draw (Manchester City), whilst others will be left cursing their luck and telling everyone within earshot that their team never gets the rub of the green. They may have a point, or they may just love a moan. It’s probably the latter.

Still what cannot be argued is that there are some intriguing matchups to look forward to when the competition gets underway next month. For example…

Paris Saint-Germain v Real Madrid

PSG have dominated domestically for much of the past decade. However, that has not translated on to the European scene. They have rarely looked like going all the way in the Champions League, and have become known as the team that blow golden opportunities in recent years.

There was the remarkable collapse against Barcelona in 2017, and then their dramatic defeat to Manchester United earlier this year. Sandwiched in between was a last 16 loss against Real Madrid in 2018.

Madrid have won four of the last six editions of the competition, but were humiliated on their home turf by Ajax last season as they were dumped out before the quarter-finals. The two sides have plenty to prove, this one cannot be missed.

Bayern Munich v Tottenham

Bayern looked a shadow of their former selves last season as they were brushed aside with ease by Liverpool in the round of 16. They did go on to retain their Bundesliga title, but it was an underwhelming campaign overall.

Yet with the signings of Philippe Coutinho and Ivan Perisic over the summer, they may be revitalised this season, offering Tottenham a stern test. Mauricio Pochettino’s side went on a historic run in 2018/19, making the final against all odds before coming up short.

Still, they have been slowly improving in Europe over the years, and last season showed that they belong with Europe’s elite. Another cup run could be just what the side need to lift spirits after a disappointing start in the league this year.

Juventus v Atletico Madrid

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A rematch of last season’s gripping last 16 encounter. When the two sides were drawn to face each other in the knockout stages in early 2019, many expected a tight, defensive affair with very few goals. Not a bit of it.

Atletico dominated the first leg, eventually getting their reward with two late goals to take a clear advantage to the Allianz Stadium. Many wrote off Juventus, but the Bianconeri – and in particular Cristiano Ronaldo – still believed.

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner scored a hat-trick to turn the tie around, securing a 3-2 aggregate win for his team. Atletico will have wanted revenge from the moment that final whistle blew. They will get their chance to exact it perhaps a little sooner than they expected.

Liverpool v Napoli

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Liverpool may have won last season’s competition, but they did not have things their own way throughout their run to glory and Napoli provided them with one of their biggest tests along the way.

That’s right, the two teams were also placed in the same group last season as well, with both sides claiming one win apiece. Napoli won the first encounter in Italy thanks to a late Lorenzo Insigne goal, but the return game at Anfield last December will be the one that is remembered.

In that match, Liverpool had to win 1-0 or by more than two goals to progress to the knockout stages at Napoli’s expense. Mohamed Salah gave Liverpool the lead, and Jurgen Klopp’s men had plenty of opportunities to put the game to bed, but were unable to. Napoli conjured up one final chance in stoppage time, but Arkadiusz Milik was brilliantly denied by Alisson. Had that gone in, Liverpool were out. On such fine margins do dynasties rise and fall.

Barcelona v Borussia Dortmund

It has been four years since Barcelona last won the Champions League. To some that may not seem a long time, but for a team that includes Lionel Messi in its ranks, it is like a lifetime.

Barcelona’s last two European runs have ended in bitter disappointment, giving up three goal leads on both occasions. In 2018, it was Roma who produced a miraculous comeback, whilst back in May it was Liverpool who dragged the tie back in their favour at Anfield.

Now Barcelona must regroup, but that won’t be easy against a flourishing Dortmund team. Boasting talent such as Jadon Sancho and Marco ?Reus, Dortmund pushed Bayern all the way in Germany last season, and seem intent on doing the same this year. They will fancy their chances of upsetting Barcelona, especially after topping a group that contained Atletico last year.

Chelsea v Ajax

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It is hard to know what to make of Frank Lampard’s Chelsea. In all honesty, it was hard to know what to make of Maurizio Sarri’s Chelsea, but he did manage to lead them to a third place finish in last season’s Premier League to ensure that the club are back in the Champions League.

They have been placed in a group with one of last season’s surprise packages, Ajax. The Dutch club have been a sleeping giant for a number of years, but they put themselves firmly back on the map by making the semi-finals in 2019, beating Real Madrid and Juventus along the way. Indeed, they were a matter of seconds away from seeing off Tottenham and reaching the final.

A tough reintroduction to Europe’s elite club competition for Chelsea, with Ajax ready to prove that last season was far from a fluke (even if they’ve lost their defensive and midfield rocks).

Manchester City v Atalanta

There will be some who will doubt whether Atalanta can realistically challenge Pep Guardiola’s all-conquering side. That remains to be seen, but the Serie A outfit are certainly a team to watch out for.

Atalanta finished third in Italy last season, ahead of the likes of Inter, AC Milan and Roma to show that they are a force to be reckoned with. Their front three of Alejandro ‘Papu’ Gomez, Josip Ilicic and Duvan Zapata were in dazzling form, and they will hope to cause ?problems in the Champions League as well.

Of course, City will start as clear favourites, but despite their domestic dominance, they are yet to stamp their authority on Europe. With Guardiola still searching for his first European Cup since 2011, this contest might not be a foregone conclusion.

Barcelona v Inter

There is clear excitement surrounding Inter at the moment. ?They have arguably the best manager in Italy in Antonio Conte, and following some high-profile summer signings such as Romelu Lukaku and Diego Godin, there is a feeling that they might be able to challenge Juventus in Serie A.

Can they also make their mark in Europe? Conte struggled to make an impact in the Champions League when he coached Juventus, but now he has another chance to succeed. He will want to seize it.

Tottenham v Red Star Belgrade

Not a great deal was known about Red Star ahead of last season’s group stages. Placed in a group with Liverpool, PSG and Napoli, many expected them to be consistently embarrassed.

They did suffer some heavy losses along the way, but they were able to produce one of the biggest shocks of the season when they beat Liverpool 2-0 at home. They also drew 0-0 with Napoli to prove that it was not a one-off.

That is why Tottenham have to be wary. The north London club will be expected to overcome Red Star, but if they get complacent they could come unstuck.

Borussia Dortmund v Inter

As you can see, Group F is the pick of the groups. This clash of styles should make for an intriguing battle.

Dortmund are a team who play with flair, creativity and almost guarantee goals every time they play. Meanwhile, Conte is known as being tactically astute, ensuring that his team is defensively sound, whilst also possessing enough to hurt teams in the final third.

Tottenham were able to remain solid at the back, and exposed Dortmund’s defensive flaws in eliminating the German side last season at the last 16 stage. Will Dortmund have learnt from that tie, or will Inter pounce on their mistakes again?

Let’