Group B Champions League 2015 Draw - PSV, Man United, CSKA Moscow, Wolfsburg

Man United got off VERY easy. This is probably, the best group they could have hoped for, when you think about the other possibilities. There I was, lamenting about them not being able to make it out of the groups, but with what will be an inexperienced PSV, and a beatable CSKA Moscow as well as Wolfsburg who are likely to not have De Bruyne, things are set up well for United to actually finish top of the group.


Dutch teams are always good. I have seen Dutch football as this conveyor belt that keeps on churning out technically gifted players. Holland will always have one of the best youth systems in the world, so whenever they are in these competitions, they won't embarrass themselves like Elche and Granada would do. The problem is, like Memphis Tennessee, they can never hold onto these talents they produce. Perhaps it's a tale for another day, but imagine a world where Ajax and PSV were able to hold onto all the great players that they have produced? Barcelona, Bayern and Madrid would have won a lot less Champions Leagues....FACT.








CSKA Moscow are a team that are always going to be in the mix without doing anything. Their strength, just like Shakhtar is when they play in Russia. So there is a good chance of them advancing from the group, but not going further than the second round. CSKA can beat any of the three teams, because the funny thing is they actually have more recent experience of the Champions League than all of them. So them just being in there with their trump card of the games in Russia which are a damn DRAG to play, makes this group more than meets the eye.

Wolfsburg. My lovely and dear Wolfsburg. This was a team who I thought could be very dark horses in the Champions League...WITH De Bruyne. So for me to now try and speculate as to how well I think they can do all comes down to whether or not our Beligan friend will stay or go sit on a bench in Manchester. With De Bruyne, Wolfsburg are making out of the group, and perhaps they can hope for a Quarter Final stage, depending on if they get lucky in the Second round draw. Without De Bruyne, they CAN make it out of the group, but I can't guarantee it. Once they do, they are not getting past the Second Round. It's that simple, and it does piss me off though that there is a chance De Bruyne could leave, because Wolfsburg would have expanded the dark horse talent in the Champions League and just made things more fun to watch and less predictable.


Man United would have really dropped the ball if they don't make it out of the group. All things considered, I would put them as the strongest team, but I can't completely say they will finish top. They could easily beat PSV, then lose to Wolfsburg. I see some schizophrenic patterns in this team, and Juju and Witchcraft may work in the Premier League, but it doesn't hold that much sway when you are playing ELITE Champions League football.



HH