Champions League group stage watchability rankings

MADRID, SPAIN - AUGUST 27: Players of Real Madrid pose for a photo with their 2016/2017 Champions League, La Liga and Bernabeu trophies ahead of La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Valencia at Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid, Spain on August 27, 2017. (Photo by Burak Akbulut/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images) /

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LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 27: Alvaro Morata of Chelsea gestures during the Premier League match between Chelsea and Everton at Stamford Bridge on August 27, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Chris Brunskill Ltd/Getty Images) /

4. Group C: Roma, Chelsea, Atletico Madrid, Qarabag

Shouts to Qarabag for making it to the Champions League group stage. They are from Azerbaijan. They won the Azerbaijan top flight last season. I don’t know what else to say about Qarabag.

Thankfully the other three clubs in Group C are dandies. Defending Premier League champions Chelsea are the favorites. The Blues have overcome a shock opening-game defeat to Burnley by winning their next three league matches. In N’Golo Kante and Eden Hazard, who is still recovering from an injury, they have two of the best midfielders in the world.

Chelsea added Alvaro Morata this summer and he has proceeded to score three goals and supply two assists in their first four league matches. It appears the Blues will keep Diego Costa, who they unsuccessfully tried to offload before the season. That means the already-surly striker will be more pissed off than usual. You never want to face a pissed-off Diego Costa.

Atletico may usually play second fiddle to Real in Madrid, but they really come alive in European play. They made it to the Champions League final in 2014 and 2016, losing each time to arch-nemesis Real Madrid. In fact, Real have dumped Atleti out of the tournament the last four seasons: in addition to the two finals, Real beat them in the semifinals last spring and in the quarterfinals in 2015.

Roma took advantage of a late-season stumble from Juventus to challenge for the Serie A title last season, but had to settle for second place. Eden Dzeko pours in the goals while old-man Daniele De Rossi still pulls the strings from midfield. There will be plenty of qualify matchups to tune in for in Group C.

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