With a new season on the horizon, The18 felt it was appropriate to create Champions League group stage predictions for the 2022-23 season. We’ve already submitted our Champions League predictions for the rest of our league picks such as winner and top scorer. Now it’s time for each group.
Vinícius Jr. had a wonderful breakthrough 2021-22 season with Real Madrid, and he’s bringing that form right into the start of the 2022-23 campaign – scoring one of the best goals in this LaLiga season so far during Real Madrid's 2-1 victory vs. Real Betis on Saturday.
It was barely the eighth minute in the game when Vinicius opened the scoring of Real Madrid’s Saturday league clash against Real Betis.
The largest club competition in the world returns on Tuesday. Following the draw on Aug. 25, the Champions League groups have been made and play will begin on Sept. 6 when both games in Group G kick off.
The18 staff broke out our crystal balls to make some bold predictions for the 2022-23 Champions League season. Let us know how you feel about our Champions League predictions for 2022-23.
Corey Basciano (Client Experience)
Real Madrid shared a reel on its social platforms where you can see several players training free kicks over a very fancy electronic wall.
I mean, it is pretty cool.
¡Qué manera de clavarlas! pic.twitter.com/rn0jcVfHQf
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) August 30, 2022
Real Madrid and European soccer are an ever-lasting story of dominance in the last decade.
Apart from winning five out of the last eight UEFA Champions Leagues and asserting their royalty with a 14th title last season, los Blancos have now become the only club to have three different players win UEFA Men’s Player of The Year.
Real Madrid is the 1st & only club to have three different UEFA Player of the Year winners;
Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema was named UEFA Player of the Year and Carlo Ancelotti took the coaching honors after they led the club to a record-extending 14th Champions League title last season.
Benzema was in red-hot form, scoring 15 times in the competition and lifting the trophy for a fifth time in his career after the Spanish side beat Liverpool in the final.
Ancelotti became the first coach to win Europe's most prestigious club trophy four times. He first won the title with AC Milan in 2003 and 2007 before claiming it with Real in 2014.
After watching its midfield get played off the park against Brighton and Brentford in successive weeks, Manchester United acted decisively by luring five-time Champions League winner Casemiro from Real Madrid for a transfer fee that could potentially rise to $82.4 million.
Luka Modrić played a massive role in Real Madrid’s 4-1 victory vs. Celta Vigo in LaLiga scoring a rocket of a goal from distance and picking up an assist. The Croatian maestro was at his very best on Saturday even without his usual midfield companions Toni Kroos and Casemiro.
With Toni Kroos missing the game due to illness and Casemiro on his way to join Manchester United the Real Madrid midfield consisted of Modrić, Eduardo Camavinga and Aurélien Tchouaméni.
Casemiro loves challenges. He really, really, R-E-A-L-L-Y loves them. That's the only reason — and a little bit of extra cash in his pockets — to understand why the Brazilian is leaving his key and successful role in Real Madrid to be part of that clusterfuck called Manchester United.
Yeah! It's not a joke. The player said goodbye to his now old teammates and is preparing his visa documents to travel to England, while Fabrizio Romano stamped the transfer with his famous "here we go!"