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The UEFA Champions League group stage is set after today’s draw took place in Istanbul, Turkey. Group C is made up of Napoli, Real Madrid, SC Braga and Union Berlin. Real Madrid and Napoli look to be the clear favorites, but Union Berlin have been a rising club and can make things interesting in this pod. Here’s a look at how Group C was drawn.
Teams with odds to win group
Real Madrid: -175
Napoli: +220
SC Braga: +1200
Union Berlin: +1200
Picks to advance from group: Napoli, Real Madrid
This draw is a family affair for manager Carlo Ancelotti, as he managed at Napoli before returning to Real Madrid. Napoli won the Serie A title to advance to their second straight Champions League after losing in the round of 16 last season, and should advance out of their group this year. While they lost Kim Min-jae, Victor Osimhen and Matteo Politano have gotten off to a strong start this Serie A season and should be primed for a strong group stage.
Ancelotti’s current club should have no problem making it out of the group, especially since they didn’t get placed with Bayern Munich, Manchester City or PSG. That said, star Vinicius Jr. will likely miss the group stage with a hamstring injury, so it will be interesting to see how different the team looks without him. Still, I expect Los Blancos to cruise out of the group.