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Samuel Chukwueze’s AC Milan navigating the much-advertised ‘Group of Death’ and Victor Osimhen’s unwillingness to miss out on some fun at Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu lead the African narratives after this year’s Champions League group stage draw.
The UEFA Champions League group stage draw always throws together a quartet of clubs that excites observers; the prayer is to avoid falling into the dreaded ‘Group of Death’.
Well, Paris Saint-Germain, Borussia Dortmund, AC Milan and Newcastle United were not so fortunate, with Group F placing all four sides together for what is expected to be a mouth-watering series of fixtures.
Champions League group stage draw
In a sense, the Magpies may feel differently. This should get their tails up after an absence since the 2002-03 group stage. While people on the outside may have preferred opponents perceived as softer, fans at St James’ Park should relish welcoming clubs that have made it to the competition's decider in the last 16 years.
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Chukwueze’s Milan ambition vs Hakimi’s fear vs Haller’s compensation
AC Milan’s response to last season’s meek Serie A title defence and underwhelming quarter-final surrender to Inter Milan in Europe was to bolster a squad that was awfully reliant on Rafael Leao. Out went Sandro Tonali — who is set for a Milan reunion with Newcastle — and in came a surfeit of additions, including Samuel Chukwueze.
The Nigerian is catching-up at San Siro but has match-winning continental experience with Villarreal, notably striking at the Allianz Arena to eliminate Bayern Munich in the 2022 quarter-final clash.
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As it is, Chukwueze is behind Christian Pulisic in the pecking order, with Pioli’s tactical alteration to utilise a 4-3-3- instead of his usual 4-2-3-1 to the Super Eagle’s detriment. A lot can change in a few weeks, and last year’s semi-finalists appear in better shape to thrive in the competition this year than the previous.
Should Pioli's tactical alteration worry Chukwueze?
Standing in Milan’s way are PSG, whose Champions League ambition remains unfulfilled. Achraf Hakimi and Lionel Messi arrived in the summer of 2021, with a few observers tipping an attacking trio of Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar to crush European opponents.
Instead, Hakimi has been involved with the PSG side that have exited the competition in the first knockout round in successive seasons. The former Real Madrid full-back even endured a forgettable return to the Spanish capital when he took on old friends at the Santiago Bernabeu.
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PSG have undergone a summer of change under new boss Luis Enrique, with the switch towards focusing on the collective rather than the strength of its individuals driving the club’s altered course.
Whether it delivers the club’s first-ever Champions League crown remains to be seen. But Hakimi will look forward to battling Milan, having represented Inter in their Scudetto-winning campaign, and facing off with old side Borussia Dortmund.
Speaking of Dortmund, remember Sebastien Haller? The Ivory Coast striker matched and broke scoring records with Ajax in the 2021-22 season before moving to BVB. However, no sooner had the erstwhile West Ham player’s move to North Rhine-Westphalia been confirmed than he was sidelined due to undergoing chemotherapy for testicular cancer.
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Haller missed all the group-stage fun but returned in time for the knockout rounds. However, that was short-lived, as Chelsea eliminated Edin Terzic’s troops. This time, the centre-forward is in from the off as BVB seek to outdo three other sides that can lay claim to finishing in the qualification spots.
Speaking of centre-forwards, we should check on the masked menace that is Victor Osimhen.
Osimhen’s ambition to make a Santiago Bernabeu statement
The Osimhen stats from last season’s Capocannoniere made for good reading. 26 Serie A goals made the Napoli frontman Italian football’s top marksman, becoming the first African to claim the honour as the Partenopei ended their 33-year wait for a league title.
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Victor Osimhen's unprecedented Capocannoniere
However, he has some ground to make up in Europe. The Osimhen injury that forced off the striker in the 4-1 dismantling of Liverpool in matchday one last term kept the Nigerian out of action for the second and third games before his return in a rip-roaring 4-2 triumph over Ajax.
The Super Eagles star scored in the victory, celebrating wildly as if to assert that he would not be usurped in the lineup despite Giacomo Raspadori making giant strides in his absence.
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Osimhen netted three of Napoli’s five goals in the last 16 tie against Eintracht Frankfurt tie but suffered a damaging injury that kept him out of the club's quarter-final first-leg meeting with Milan.
With the Partenopei trailing 1-0 from the San Siro meeting, down 1-0 at the Maradona, and their star striker kept quiet in the reverse fixture, the Azzurri feared the worst. Osimhen did score a leveller, but it was too little too late.
The eventual Italian champions had made history reaching the competition's last eight for the first time in the club's history, but it still felt like an opportunity missed.
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Fast forward months later, and Napoli have bid farewell to Luciano Spalletti, Cristiano Giuntoli and Kim Min-jae. No Osimhen transfer has materialised despite intermittent rumours throughout the summer.
The Nigerian is expected to stay, and the Champions League draw means mouth-watering encounters with Real Madrid are guaranteed.
Picture this: Osimhen rising higher than the Los Blancos defence to crash a header into the net to silence the Santiago Bernabeu crowd. That has a nice ring to it.
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Enough with the forwards. We should talk goalkeepers, no?
Are we getting some Onana-Neuer fun?
It remains to be seen if Manuel Neuer returns to match action this year, but a recent rumour predicts a September comeback for the Bayern Munich captain, who has resumed training.
If that happens, all eyes will be on the goalkeepers Andre Onana and Neuer. Manchester United and Bayern’s history in the competition culminated in that 1999 final at Camp Nou, where the Red Devils turned a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 lead at the death. Sammy Kuffour was distraught.
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We are unlikely to witness drama on that scale in both meetings this time, but the profile of the risk-taking goalkeepers will get people talking.
Onana is still getting used to the place after replacing the departed David De Gea over the summer, and the Cameroonian must prove his mettle in Group A’s top clash with Bayern and Neuer. His European experience with Ajax and Inter put him in good stead for what comes.
It would be remiss to ignore Galatasaray, who have Hakim Ziyech, Wilfried Zaha and Cedric Bakambu in their ranks.
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The Turkish side have a history in the competition against the Red Devils, and even though the atmosphere is not expected to be as hostile, that 1993 encounter still resonates.
Best of the rest
Elsewhere, Youssef En-Nesyri’s Sevilla take on Group B favourites Arsenal, with Thomas Partey expected to play a pivotal role for the returning Gunners, who have not featured at this level since 2016-17.
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Ibrahim Sangare and Ismael Saibari — scorer of a brace in PSV’s playoff round win over Rangers — should be involved in the Dutch side’s aim to outdo the Europa League specialists or Arsenal, while Lens’ African contingent seek to stun a group that knows little about the Ligue 1 side that have not played at this stage since 2002-03.
In Group D, Umar Sadiq should make his Champions League debut for the returning Real Sociedad, who face Benfica, last year’s beaten finalists Inter and Salzburg, whose African contingent are pushing to play a significant role in what could turn into an open group.
Another potentially unpredictable section is Group E, where Dutch champions Feyenoord (Yankuba Minteh and Ramiz Zerrouki) hope to outperform Atletico Madrid, Lazio and Celtic.
Zaidu Sanusi is no longer new to this stage, having featured in the last three years with Porto, who battle LaLiga champions Barcelona, Shakhtar Donetsk and Antwerp in Group H.
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At the time of writing, the detailed group phase schedule is yet to be released, even though the dates for the Champions League matches to be held are already known. This year’s competition format will be used for the final time before next year’s revamp, and the narratives are already simmering.
The trepidation before a ball has been kicked in Group F is untold, while Osimhen could make a Bernabeu statement with Napoli.
The Champions League group stage will be fun. Watch this space.
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