Champions League Group Stage Picks

It isn't the most difficult thing in the world to pick who will make it through the Group Stage of the Champions League. This season the pools were especially deep with a few good clubs being in the fourth pool of picks. I'm going to quickly gloss over the best of every group. For those of you who don't know how it works, the top two teams go on, the third place team drops to the UEFA Cup, and the fourth place team returns home to be beaten like cattle.

Group A
Chelsea, Roma, CFR Cluj, Bordeaux

Chelsea and Roma should have no problems getting through the Romanian champions and French runners-up. Bordeaux are relative unknowns to this level of football, and as far as I am aware CFR Cluj have never been in the Champions League. I look forward to seeing how Chelsea and Roma match up against each other, but again, shouldn't be a problem for either side to go through.
1. Chelsea 2. Roma 3. Bordeaux 4. CFR Cluj

Group B
Inter Milan, Anorthosis Famagusta, Werder Bremen, Panathinaikos
This is my favorite name to say of all the teams in Europe...FAMAGUSTA! The Cypriot Champions will be a tough out, they created headaches during qualifying, and during the UEFA Cup last season. I wouldn't be shocked if they pulled off an upset, and the game against Panathinaikos should be as close to war as you can get. Jose Mourinho was brought into Inter to win the Champions League, let's see if the three times Italian Champions can finally break into the final four at least.
1. Inter 2. Werder Bremen 3. FAMAGUUUUUSTAAAA 4. Panathinaikos

Group C
Barcelona, Shakhtar Donetsk, FC Basel, Sporting Lisbon
There could be an upset lying in here. Don't be so quick to count Sporting over Shakhtar Donetsk. Donetsk come from the Ukranian league I believe, and if I remember correctly they are the furthest place a team can play and still be in UEFA. I could be wrong, and geographically in my head it doesn't make sense because there are Russian teams, but I remember hearing that along the way. Anyways, any time a team has to travel 3500 miles to an away game, it's tough. Barcelona will dominate all of this competition.
1. Barcelona 2. Sporting Lisbon 3. Shakhtar Donetsk 4. FC Basel

Group D
Atletico Madrid, Liverpool, PSV Eindhoven, Marseille
In my years of watching Champions League football, I never remember seeing anything like this. This is your ultimate group of death. I don't think PSV or Marseille are good enough to make it through, but they're good enough to nick points off the other two, and that could push someone else in. For example, if Liverpool decide to focus a little more on the Premier League, and start rotating guys around for the Champions League, any one of these three teams could steal points. Atletico Madrid have been waiting for some time to get back into the Champions League, and I think they will put on a fine show.
1. Liverpool 2. Atletico Madrid 3. Marseille 4. PSV Eindhoven

Group E
AaB, Celtic, Manchester United, Villareal
I don't even know who AaB is. They play in Denmark, that's all I know, that's all I need to know. The story in this group will be the glitz that is United versus Celtic, and the importance of Celtic versus Villareal. Celtic are getting up there in the years, and their best years are probably past them. Still, their experience in the Champions League will put them past the surprise minnows from Spain.
1. Manchester United 2. Celtic 3. Villareal 4. Those Danish guys

Group F
Bayern Munich, Lyon, Fiorentina, Steaua Bucarest
That's another doozy of a group. Lyon have won the French title for the last 450 years running, but can't seem to get past the Quarterfinals in the Champions League. Bayern Munich make their big return to the European Cup after last season's disappointing final in the UEFA Cup. Fiorentina are the team that took AC Milan's place from the Italian league this season. It will be really interesting to see who goes on between Lyon and Fiorentina.
1. Bayern Munich 2. Lyon 3. Fiorentina 4. Steaua Bucarest

Group G
Arsenal, Dynamo Kiev, FC Porto, Fenerbahce
Exotic little group here, there is a lot of travel in between these clubs. Arsenal play in London, Dynamo Kiev in Kiev, Ukraine, FC Porto are based in Lisbon, and Fenerbahce come from Istanbul. It's the four corners of UEFA. We know Arsenal will win this group but after that it is a complete tossup. I like Fenerbahce to come in second because of their Brazilian style of play and coaching, but you can never count out Porto because of their experience. Kiev have also been known to put up a fight as well. I think this group will come down to who can win those games against Kiev, as I think the games between Porto and Fenerbahce will just be a point swap. While there are other groups that may be a little more deadly, this is the most interesting.
1. Arsenal 2. Fenerbahce 3. FC Porto 4. Dynamo Kiev

Group H
Real Madrid, Juventus, BATE Borislov, Zenit St. Petersburg
Did you ever think in your lifetime you would see Real Madrid and Juventus in the same group? How weird is that? BATE are the Belarussian champions and first team from Belarus to ever be in the Champions League. I have a hunch that their celebration period is over. Zenit are the defending UEFA Cup champions, and their team makes up the bulk of the Russian national squad that looked so good in the European Championships this summer. Look for them to pull an upset or two.
1. Real Madrid 2. Juventus 3. Zenit 4. BATE

So for those keeping track that means I have the following teams going on to the Knockout Stage Draw in Decemeber:
Chelsea, Roma, Inter, Werder Bremen, Barca, Sporting, Liverpool, Atletico, United, Celtic, Munich, Lyon, Arsenal, Fenerbahce, Real Madrid, and Juventus.

And these teams in the UEFA Cup:
Bordeaux, Famagusta, Shakhtar Donetsk, Marseille, Villareal, Fiorentina, Porto, Zenit St. Petersburg.

The teams that make it into the knockout stage of the Champions League are drawn from a pool again. The only restriction is that you cannot play a team from the same country. The draw takes place just before Christmas, and play resumes in February.