Group B will boast chaotic competition in the UEFA Champions League this season, with Arsenal set to make their return to the tournament after a six-year hiatus. Mikel Arteta’s men will certainly be looking to top this weaker group, having managed to avoid some of the European giants who were lingering in Pot One.
Despite their Europa League success, Sevilla only finished 12th in their division last season – and may struggle to even make it out of the group stage. PSV and Lens came second in their respective leagues last term, but both clubs have lost young talent to RB Leipzig this summer, which may potentially worsen their chances of advancing. Regardless, this has potential to be a close group which is well worth keeping an eye on.
Sevilla
Sevilla are synonymous with European success, and have just won the Europa League once again. However, their domestic campaign last season was disappointing to say the least, as they finished twelfth in the table and – at some points in the season – looking close to ending up in a relegation battle.
With that being said, manager Jose Luis Mendilibar made an immediate impact following his appointment, dragging them up to twelfth and he’ll certainly be expecting to have more success this season. Sevilla’s summer window was uninspiring, and there are no major changes to the squad.
They’ll be relying on the vast experience in their squad – such as that of Navas and Rakitic – and, of course, hoping that Sergio Ramos can make a difference on his return to the club. Sevilla should qualify for the knockout stages, but it’s doubtful that they’ll manage to top the group. Their final position will most likely come down to their fixtures with PSV, who will also be aspiring to reach the second advancing spot.
Arsenal
In the wake of their successful 2022/23 season, Arsenal will be hoping to continue this form into their Champions League campaign, especially with it being their long-awaited return to the competition after failing to qualify in recent seasons.
If last season can tell us anything, it is that Arsenal are a formidable side from front to back, and they have only gone from strength to strength this summer with an impressive transfer window. They’ve signed one of the best central midfielders in the Premier League with Declan Rice, who recently guided West Ham to some of their own European silverware, as well as the acquisition of Kai Havertz from Chelsea. While Havertz is yet to find his form at his new club, he is a phenomenal player at his best; and if he rediscovers his potential soon, he’ll be an instrumental component in the Arsenal side.
There’s no reason that Arsenal can’t top this group, as they’re certainly the strongest side on paper. It’s a near certainty that they’ll make it through the group, however it’s important that they don’t underestimate their opposition as there are some potentially tough games in the schedule.
Last season, they suffered their most disappointing defeats at the hands of weaker opposition such as Nottingham Forest and Everton – and there’s no doubt that the teams in this group are stronger than the aforementioned.
PSV Eindhoven
PSV enter the Champions League on a great run of form, currently sitting at the top of the Eredivisie after winning their first four games. In July, they appointed a new manager in Peter Bosz who has Champions League experience from his time at Dortmund. He’ll be hoping to do better this time around, as Dortmund won none of their group stage games in 2017, which certainly contributed towards Bosz’s sacking in December of that year.
PSV’s main concern coming into this season was how they would deal with the departure of starlet Xavi Simons who has moved to RB Leipzig. However, based on their results this season so far, they don’t seem to be missing him too much.
There’s no reason that PSV can’t qualify for the knockout stages based on their current form, and they’ll certainly be confident that they can beat Pot One side Sevilla to make that happen.
RC Lens
This is Lens’ first Champions League campaign in twenty years, qualifying after finishing second in the Ligue 1 – only a single point behind victors PSG. However, this season may prove difficult for them after the departures of some key players this summer.
Their top goal scorer Lois Openda opted to move to RB Leipzig, while Seko Fofana made the controversial switch to the Saudi League. Lens will certainly be looking to make a statement in their return to the competition, but the odds are sadly against them; they look to be – on paper – the weakest side in the group, and they would be lucky to finish anywhere other than rock bottom.
