2023 UCL Group A Predictions

There will be six match weeks or days of the Champions League group stage and the competition is already underway. The games for Group A began on 7 September, with Ajax facing Rangers, and Napoli going up against Liverpool. In this article, we’ll get ahead of ourselves a bit and give you some predictions for Group A of the 2023 UCL.

The teams in Group A have won the European Cup/Champions League a combined amount of 10 times. Liverpool have six titles, while Ajax hold four. Napoli and Rangers are still trying to get through their past mistakes. A lot of things have changed since last season and we reflect on these in our 2023 UCL Group A predictions. We’ll also be including odds for each club’s chances to win the trophy, while mainly discussing the current group stages. If you want to see solely the favourites for the title, check out our 2023 UCL betting predictions.

Early predictions for final Group A standings

In this subsection, we’ll briefly give you our predictions on what Group A will look like after Matchday 6. We think Napoli are capable of winning their group but they won’t go undefeated. Our best bet is that they will finish 1st with around 12 points. The second place will be Liverpool with 10 points as we think they can recover but not so much to win the group.

Ajax will fight a tough battle for the 2nd place but we think they’ll fall into 3rd with about 9 points, extremely close to Liverpool. Lastly, we have Rangers who we think will finish below 6 points. These are our quick 2023 UCL Group A predictions. You can read further on to see a slightly more in-depth explanation behind our reasoning. Each club takes up a different subsection.

Liverpool’s chances are still promising after a slow start – 2023 UCL Group A predictions

Liverpool were among the favourites to win this year’s UCL when the first predictions and odds were published in the preseason. These odds have changed a bit since then but the Reds still have the best chances from their group, according to online sportsbook sites in the UK. Many believe that Klopp’s side has gotten worse over the summer and their recent performances are turning this statement true. Their defence is noticeably worse and they fail to convert many of their chances on the attack.

As of 8 September, Liverpool’s odds of winning the UCL are 13/2 on 888sport which is a slight decrease from 9/2 during the preseason. They’re now the fourth favourites to win the title instead of second. The obvious decrease in these numbers comes from poor performances on both domestic and international stages. During the first matchday of the group stage, Napoli demolished Liverpool 4-1. Something hasn’t been right in Liverpool for these past few weeks and the issues need to be addressed as soon as possible.

Ajax will not be able to replicate last season’s group stage successes

Ajax put up an impressive group stage performance last season. They won all six of their games, beating Sporting, Dortmund, and Besiktas. The Sons of Gods are also performing great in the Eredivisie and are the clear favourites to win the league again. Despite their impressive group stage record last season, the Dutch team didn’t get past the Round of 16 as they were eliminated by Benfica. On 7 September, Ajax beat Rangers 4-0, showcasing a glimpse of what could be another great UCL group stage performance. However, their odds of winning the competition altogether are at an abysmal rate of 80/1.

The Dutch club sold, released, or loaned out a total of 17 players this summer. A number of these players were important pieces of previous years’ squads. On the bright side, the club profited 216.22 million from these departures which could come in handy once we get to the January transfer window. The team also has new management, including head coach Schreuder, ex-assistant of Ten Hag. We believe that Ajax will advance to the Round of 16 this season as well.

Napoli as the 2023 Group A dark horses

Napoli are performing exceptionally well so far this season. This goes for both the Serie A and the Champions League. After five weeks, they’re second in Italy and recently beat Liverpool in a shocking 4-1 win. When it comes to Napoli’s UCL history, some of the expectations might seem a bit high. They never went past the Round of 16 and missed the previous two tournaments. But yet, there’s a flickering feeling in many people that says Napoli can emerge from the group stage of the 2023 UCL.

When it comes to going all the way and winning the trophy, Napoli’s odds are significantly better than that of Ajax. On 888sport, their odds to be champions of Europe are 50/1. Group A is no doubt one of the more entertaining ensembles of teams this season. And while group favourites Liverpool try to recover from their losses, Ajax and Napoli show promises of domination. If you want to see Napoli’s chances of winning the Scudetto this year, check out our 2023 Serie A predictions.

Rangers’ horrible start to influence 2023 UCL Group A predictions

Rangers are the most successful football club in Scotland, having amassed a pile of trophies throughout history. Last season they were the runners-up in the Europa League. One might say that the Scottish club have a better European Cup history than Napoli, for example, since they went further in the competition. Rangers’ best performance was reaching the semi-finals; the problem is that that was over 60 years ago. And while they perform well each year domestically or in the Europa League, they’re the obvious underdogs of Group A in the 2023 UCL.

After their 4-0 loss against Ajax, not many people believe that Rangers will advance from the group. On 888sport, their odds of winning the competition are 500/1 and 40/1 to make it past this stage. Bronckhorst shows promise, and so does the young Alex Lowry. But the competition in Group A is just too tough. We don’t think that Rangers can advance to the next stage. Everything is possible in the world but the chances are too low here. They might finish 3rd but not 2nd.

Click here to visit the 888sport Sportsbook for Further odds on the 2023 UCL