After the 2014/15 UEFA Champions League draw, Chelsea, Schalke 04, Sporting CP and NK Maribor have all been drawn in Group G. Chelsea appear to face the easiest road to qualification of the four English teams in the competition. Last season's third place finishers in the English Premier League will have to navigate their way past last year's third place finishers in the Bundesliga, second place finishers in the Portugese Primeira Liga, and champions in the Slovenian PrvaLiga.

This is a group in which all four teams will harbor hopes of advancement. Chelsea, based on prestige and quality of players in their squad, will expect to qualify easily and certainly look the class team in this group. The 2012 UEFA Champions League and 2013 UEFA Europa League champions also won European honors in both 1971 and 1998, when they won the European Cup Winners' Cup, beating Real Madrid in 1971 and Stuttgart in 1998. In addition to their continental honors, they have also won a plethora of domestic honors. Chelsea are four times champions of England, seven times winners of the FA Cup, and four times winners of the League Cup. Any team which boasts the likes of Courtois, Terry, Fabregas, Oscar, Hazard, Costa and especially Mourinho will not just be expected to get out of the group but will be expected to go far in the competition. Chelsea look one of the top favorites to be lifting the cup in May in Berlin.

However, the other three teams all seem to have a legitimate chance at advancing.

Schalke are a side that know how to navigate European competitions, and have advanced to the knockout stages in three of the last four years, including the semifinals in 2011 when they went out to Manchester United. Schalke have been champions of Germany seven times, four times winners in the DFB-Pokal, one time the winners of the DFL-Supercup, and their lone European honors came in 1997 when they won the UEFA Cup. Schalke boast a squad of unquestioned talent containing such players as Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, Benedict Höwedes, Christian Fuchs, Kevin Prince-Boateng and Julian Draxler. 

Sporting too have a bit of a pedigree in Europe, and are considered one of the "Três grandes", or three big clubs, in Portugal. In terms of domestic honors, only Benfica and Porto can match them. Sporting have won 18 Primeira Liga titles, 15 Taça de Portugal, 4 Campeonato de Portugal titles (the earlier name for the Taça de Portugal), and seven Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira titles. Their lone European title came back in 1964 when they won the European Cup Winners' Cup. However, in recent times they have also experienced European success, notably in 2005 and 2012. In 2005, they hosted and lost the UEFA Cup final to CSKA Moscow, and in 2012, they reached the semifinal of the UEFA Europa League and won the first leg 2-1 before going out to Athletic Bilboa on aggregate. Sporting boast one of the most renowned youth set-ups in the world, and it has produced such global superstars as Luis Figo and Cristiano Ronaldo. They currently boast a very strong team which includes the likes of World Cup veterans Rui Patricio, William Carvalho and Luis Nani. Especially when playing at home, they will provide very difficult opposition for anyone.

NK Maribor are the surprise package of the group. No one is quite certain what they will bring to the table, but they certainly look a side who can get a result anywhere. To qualify for only their second foray into the group stages of this competition, they had to beat Celtic over two legs. The Scottish side got a very good 1-1 result in the first leg in Slovenia, before Maribor stunned The Hoops at Celtic Park. One imagines that if a team can get a result at Celtic Park, where it has been described "the home crowd can will the ball into the net", it is possible for them to win anywhere. Maribor will be led into only their second Champions League Group Stage by club legend Ante Šimundža at manager. While playing for Maribor, Šimundža scored the winner against Dynamo Kiev in the Group Stage of the 2000 UEFA Champions League. 

Key Matches:

Schalke 04 at Chelsea, September 17th Stamford Bridge: If Schalke have any hopes of finishing top of the group, points at Stamford Bridge will be a must. Meanwhile, for Chelsea facing off at home against likely the next best team in their group offers a great chance to lay down a marker and set themselves up to finish top of the group.

Sporting CP at NK Maribor, September 17th Ljudski Vrt Maribor: Maribor will open their campaign at home against Sporting, in a game both teams will feel they can get points from. Maribor recently renovated their stadium, and the 12,000+ seater now has a flowing, futuristic design and the home fans should make themselves heard in what could prove to be a shock result.

Chelsea at Sporting CP, September 30th Jose Alvalade: Sporting will prove a very hostile environment for the visiting teams. Chelsea will come into this game off their encounter with Schalke.  If Chelsea come in having dropped points to the German outfit, the difficult tie in Portugal could put their qualification hopes in a bit of trouble early on.

Sporting CP at Schalke 04, October 21st Veltins Arena: Schalke and Sporting will likely be the two teams vying for second place, so every time the two sides meet will prove to be crucial.

Schalke 04 at Sporting CP, November 5th Jose Alvalade: Schalke and Sporting will square off again. If one team is able to take either four or six points from these two games, they will likely be the team to finish second.

Schalke 04 at NK Maribor, December 10th Ljudski Vrt Maribor: If Maribor proves to be the hostile environment it looks like it could be, this could be a very ticklish tie for a Schalke side who will likely need points on the final matchday to ensure qualification for the knockout stages.

Predictions:

1st Place: Chelsea. They have far too much quality in this side not to advance to the knockout stages, and none of the other teams in this group look their match. Expect Chelsea to finish first.

2nd Place: Schalke 04. Top to bottom, the German side edge Sporting. Sporting have a bit of steel in their midfield, and some flair up top but they don't have the top to bottom quality of Schalke, which should see the Germans into the knockout stages.

3rd Place: Sporting CP. Sporting are traditionally one of the top clubs in Portugal, but they look a slightly unbalanced side and one who will struggle to accrue points away from home which should see them into the Europa League, but not the Champions League round of 16.

4th Place: NK Maribor. It will take an infinite amount of heart and fight for the Slovenians to finish anything but fourth. Expect them to win a lot of friends but not enough points, earning a shock result or two, but not enough to finish out of the basement.

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About the author
Liam McMahon
16 year old journalist at Wauwatosa East High School in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. Writer at both VAVEL USA and VAVEL UK.