5 Pivotal Factors to Decide Champions League Group A
Ten-time European champions Real Madrid will begin their quest for an 11th title in Champions League Group A alongside Paris Saint-Germain, Shakhtar Donetsk and Malmo.
While Real Madrid have the most prestigious pedigree out of the four teams, Group A could offer a challenge. Big-spending PSG have dominated the French league in recent years, winning three consecutive Ligue 1 titles. Shakhtar have reached at least the group stage of the Champions League in each of the last six seasons, advancing to the knockout stages three times.
Swedish Malmo figure to be outsiders in the group but will be hoping to cause an upset against their more illustrious opponents.
Here B/R takes a look at the pivotal factors that will decide Group A.
Full Fixtures
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Here is an overview of the fixtures in Group A. The home team is listed first, and all games will kick off at 7:45 p.m. UK time.
September 15
PSG vs. Malmo
Real Madrid vs. Shakhtar Donetsk
September 30
Shakhtar vs. PSG
Malmo vs. Real Madrid
October 21
Malmo vs. Shakhtar
PSG vs. Real Madrid
November 3
Shakhtar vs. Malmo
Real Madrid vs. PSG
November 25
Malmo vs. PSG
Shakhtar vs. Real Madrid
December 8
PSG vs. Shakhtar Donetsk
Real Madrid vs. Malmo
Sorting out the Heavyweights
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With no disrespect to either Shakhtar or Malmo, the heavyweights of Group A are Real Madrid and PSG. Real Madrid have won more Champions League/European Cup titles (10) than any other club, and PSG have joined Europe's elite in recent years after making extensive investments in the squad.
Both teams are packed with talent.
Any discussion of Real Madrid should probably begin with Cristiano Ronaldo, the reigning Ballon d'Or winner. But Real are far from a one-man team. First-year manager Rafa Benitez has an embarrassment of attacking riches at his disposal, including world-famous players such as James Rodriguez, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema.
PSG boast one of the world's best as well in the form of 33-year-old striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Laurent Blanc's squad is full of quality, including defender Thiago Silva, forward Edinson Cavani and winger Angel Di Maria, a summer signing from Manchester United.
Shakhtar and Malmo earned their spots and deserve to be in the group stage, but neither club can match the other two for talent or depth. So if the other matches play out as expected, the two clashes between Real and PSG should decide who wins the group.
Fortunately for neutrals, those two games fall on back-to-back matchdays. PSG host Real Madrid on Oct. 21 before traveling to the Spanish capital two weeks later.
The side that takes more points from those two games should be the favorite to top the group.
PSG's Dual Reunions
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For PSG winger Angel Di Maria, the trip to the Santiago Bernabeu to face Real Madrid will carry special meaning. The Argentinian played for Real between 2010 and 2014, helping the club win the Champions League and Copa del Rey in his final season.
After just one campaign at Manchester United, Di Maria joined PSG in a big-money transfer. His debut, a second-half cameo against Monaco, was a success, and now the winger will be looking to make his mark in Paris. After having some time to settle in with the French champions, he could be in peak form for PSG's visit to Madrid at the beginning of November.
At the end of the same month, teammate Zlatan Ibrahimovic will take an extra interest in his side's trip to Malmo. Ibrahimovic, a Sweden international, broke into Malmo's first team as a teenager in 1999 before leaving the Swedish side for Ajax three years later.
Admittedly, it's possible neither reunion will have much effect on the group. PSG will be favored to beat Malmo anyway, but Ibrahimovic's return could give the home side extra incentive to play well. Or, on the flip side, Di Maria might have added motivation to play well at Real Madrid, his former club.
Regardless, the reunions make for interesting storylines.
Benitez's Champions League Pedigree
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Rafael Benitez took over as Real Madrid's manager in the summer, replacing the departed Carlo Ancelotti. The latter led Real to the club's 10th Champions League title—known as La Decima—in 2014 but was forced out just a year later, such is the pressure at a club such as Real.
Los Blancos won the Champions League and the Copa del Rey in 2013-14, making Ancelotti a popular man in the Spanish capital. But after failing to win a trophy in 2014-15, the Italian had to go.
In steps Benitez, a man who has a Champions League pedigree of his own. The Spaniard led Liverpool to the title in 2005 and guided the Reds to the final again two years later. Benitez has also won the UEFA Cup/Europa League with Valencia and Chelsea.
Will Benitez's background in cup football prove beneficial to Real Madrid this season? His job might depend on it.
Shakhtar's Experience
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Casual fans might not be acquainted with the name Shakhtar Donetsk, but in recent years, the Ukrainian club has become a fixture in the Champions League group stage.
After finishing second in the Ukrainian Premier League last season, Shakhtar qualified for the group stage for the sixth straight season. During that time, the Miners have advanced to the knockout phase three times, making a run to the quarterfinals in 2010-11.
The summer transfer window saw the club lose some of the its top talent, with Douglas Costa (Bayern Munich), Luiz Adriano (AC Milan) and Fernando (Sampdoria) departing, but coach Mircea Lucescu commands respect across Europe as a top-quality manager.
Writing for Sports Illustrated, Ben Lyttleton predicted that PSG could face a fight from Shakhtar for second place, behind Real Madrid:
"Even though new coach Rafa Benitez has some selection dilemmas to resolve, including how to get the best out of Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo (which will be easier once the still underrated Karim Benzema returns to fitness), Madrid was the team to avoid in Pot 2. It will be the favorite to top the group, while French leader PSG must beware of Shakhtar, whose canny boss Mircea Lucescu was on a shortlist of potential bosses before Laurent Blanc took over.
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The Game-Changer
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Through two league games of the new season, Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo had neither scored nor assisted a goal. But let's not read too much into that—Ronaldo is the reigning Ballon d'Or winner, and he's still one of the two best players in the world.
His five-goal haul against Espanyol upon his return from international duty was just the latest reminder.
Regardless of whether you prefer Ronaldo or his archrival, Lionel Messi, there's no denying Ronaldo's status as the top player in this group. Sure, Zlatan Ibrahimovic has the talent to change a game at any moment, but Ronaldo is even better.
The 30-year-old Portuguese superstar can hurt defenses in a variety of ways and from nearly any place in the attacking third. He's lethal with his right foot, left foot and head, and he can score with a brilliant long-range strike or a point-blank poacher's tap-in.
At his best, Ronaldo is all but unstoppable. If he's on his game, Real Madrid should win the group.
