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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.
The18’s Champions League Predictions 2022-23
Corey Basciano (Client Experience)
- Group of Death: Group H
- Biggest surprise of the group stage: Marseille
- Top scorer of the group stage: Robert Lewandowski
- How many points will FC Viktoria Plzeň finish with: 1 point :(
- Which Scottish team will do better: Celtic
- Smaller club to make a deep run: Marseille
- Big club to crash out: Inter, does that count as big?
- Top scorer: Erling Haaland
- Winner: PSG
- Goals scored by Americans: 6-9
Colby Conetta (Sales Support)
- Group of Death: Group C
- Biggest surprise of the group stage: Barcelona (actually advancing this year)
- Top scorer of the group stage: Erling Haaland
- How many points will FC Viktoria Plzeň finish with: 0, negative if they could finish with negative points
- Which Scottish team will do better: Celtic
- Smaller club to make a deep run: None
- Big club to crash out: Chelsea
- Top scorer: Erling Haaland
- Winner: PSG
- Goals scored by Americans: 2 (McKennie and Reyna)
Liam Hanley (Intern Writer)
- Group of Death: Group C has the biggest names, but Group A will be the most difficult to progress from
- Biggest surprise of the group stage: PSG only advances thanks to a win on the final matchday
- Top scorer of the group stage: Harry Kane
- How many points will FC Viktoria Plzeň finish with: 1 point
- Which Scottish team will do better: Rangers earns more points, but both finish third in their group
- Smaller club to make a deep run: Porto
- Big club to crash out: Barcelona
- Top scorer: Neymar
- Winner: Bayern Munich
- Goals scored by Americans: 1 goal
Travis Yoesting (Writer)
- Group of Death: Group C
- Biggest surprise of the group stage: Atlético struggling to make it out of a weak group
- Top scorer of the group stage: Harry Kane
- How many points will FC Viktoria Plzeň finish with: 1
- Which Scottish team will do better: Rangers will play better, but Celtic will accrue more points
- Smaller club to make a deep run: Porto, if that counts as a smaller club
- Big club to crash out: Inter or Barcelona
- Top scorer: Cristiano Ronaldo Karim Benzema
- Winner: Man City (I've picked them to win the last few years, eventually I have to be right)
- Goals scored by Americans: 4-6
David Moore (Writer)
- Group of Death: Group C
- Biggest surprise: Celtic plays really well and advances to Round of 16
- Top scorer of the group stage: Karim Benzema
- How many points will FC Viktoria Plzeň finish with: 1 point (a draw at home to Inter Milan)
- Which Scottish team will do better: Celtic
- Smaller club to make a deep run: Celtic to the quarterfinals
- Big club to crash out: Inter Milan
- Top scorer: Erling Haaland
- Winner: PSG
- Goals Scored By Americans: 4 (2 Pulisic, 1 Reyna, 1 Tillman)
Mariel McCown (Video Producer)
- Group of Death: Group C
- Biggest surprise of the group stage: Haaland v. Dortmund — he accidentally scores an own goal
- Top scorer of the group stage: Harry Kane
- How many points will FC Viktoria Plzeň finish with: 1
- Which Scottish team will do better: Rangers
- Smaller club to make a deep run: Shakhtar
- Big club to crash out: Barca
- Top scorer: Haaland
- Winner: City
- Goals scored by Americans: 3
Luis Vidal (Writer)
- Group of Death: Group C. Viktoria Plzeň is very dead.
- Biggest surprise of the group stage: Benfica
- Top scorer of the group stage: Erling Haaland (8)
- How many points will FC Viktoria Plzeň finish with: 0
- Which Scottish team will do better: Celtic FC
- Smaller club to make a deep run: RB Leipzig
- Big club to crash out: Juventus
- Top Scorer: Haaland (13)
- Winner: If they keep Neymar, PSG.
- Goals scored by Americans: Being generous, 1.
Connor Fleming (Writer)
- Group of Death: Group C
- Biggest surprise of the group stage: Celtic reaches the last 16 for the first time since 2012-13
- Top scorer of the group stage: Erling Haaland — you know he's getting a hat-trick in both games against Dortmund
- How many points will FC Viktoria Plzeň finish with: 1 — they'll record a 0-0 home draw with Inter Milan
- Which Scottish team will do better: Celtic
- Smaller club to make a deep run: Once Florian Wirtz is healthy, I like Bayer Leverkusen
- Big club to crash out: Inter Milan and Dortmund are headed to the Europa League
- Top Scorer: Erling Haaland
- Winner: Man City
- Goals scored by Americans: As many as it takes to #FreePulisic
Thiago Najman Nejm (Social Media)
- Group of Death: Group C
- Biggest surprise of the group stage: Benfica
- Top scorer of the group stage: Uncle Ney
- How many points will FC Viktoria Plzeň finish with: 2
- Which Scottish team will do better: No answer
- Smaller club to make a deep run: None
- Big club to crash out: Juventus
- Top scorer: Uncle Ney
- Winner: PSG
- Goals scored by Americans: 5
Giancarlo Cornejo (Intern Writer)
- Group of Death: Group D
- Biggest surprise of the group stage: Marseille
- Top scorer of the group stage: Neymar
- How many points will FC Viktoria Plzeň finish with: 1
- Which Scottish team will do better: Celtic
- Smaller club to make a deep run: Napoli or Marseille
- Big club to crash out: Liverpool or Juventus
- Top scorer: Benzema
- Winner: Real Madrid
- Goals scored by Americans: 3
Joseph Reina (Intern Writer)
- Group of Death: Group C
- Biggest surprise of the group stage: Benfica
- Top scorer of the group stage: Haaland
- How many points will FC Viktoria Plzeň finish with: 1
- Which Scottish team will do better: Rangers
- Smaller club to make a deep run: Benfica
- Big club to crash out: Juventus
- Top scorer: Haaland
- Winner: Man City
- Goals scored by Americans: 4
