Juventus are the favourites to win Group H, where Sevilla will be their toughest threat. Though it’s hard to match the European giants from Turin, other teams in the group are all good teams with pretty good players, who have been on an upward trajectory recently.

Juventus surely will dominate the headlines, but Sevilla, who won the Europa League for past three campaigns is gaining ground in Spain. Lyon’s recent run in France and Dinamo’s growing confidence should make Group H one to keep an eye on.

Predicted finish: Juventus (1), Sevilla (2), Lyon (3) and Dinamo Zagreb (4).

Clubs

Juventus

Winning the Champions League is Juve’s main priority this season. The purchase of Gonzalo Higuain, Dani Alves and Miralem Pjanic was aimed at forming a formidable squad to take a shot at the biggest prize, one they haven’t won since 1996.

Two decades is a long time for a club of their size to go without success in Europe. Coach Massimiliano Allegri proved the doubters wrong at home, but the real test for him is now in the Champions League.

Juventus were quarter-finalists four years ago (2013), then missed the knockout stage (2014), then made the final (2015), then last season lost in the round of 16(2016).

Star midfielder Paul Pogba has exited, but Gonzalo Higuaín and Miralem Pjanic have signed up. While Higuaín is grabbing all the headlines, he might not be Juve’s best attacking player. Dybala, just 22, was incredible in his first season for Juve last year. He’s one of the best young players and is already drawing comparisons to his countryman Sergio Agüero. This could be the year Dybala goes from a promising young star to a global megastar. They are much improved and ready to make a deep run this season.

Last season: UEFA Champions League round of 16

Best performance: Winners (1984/85, 1995/96)

Lyon

There are signs of revival in a club that seemed a permanent fixture in the knockout rounds of this competition a decade ago.

Last season, they finished second in Ligue 1, just as they had the previous campaign, and though that was 31 points behind Paris Saint-Germain, coach Bruno Genesio had taken over from Hubert Fournier in December to rescue the campaign.

Striker Alexandre Lacazette will be crucial and expected to lead the line up top. Though Lyon lost Samuel Umtiti to Barcelona this summer and captured Nicolas Nkoulou on a free transfer, their biggest piece of business might be one they didn’t do (Alexandre Lacazette).

They’re also getting Nabil Fekir back from injury after finishing top three in Ligue 1 without him, which might as well be a new signing. Lyon can’t quite match Juve or Sevilla for talent, but they’re a decent side with good players in all position groups, and they won’t be a pushover.

Last season: UEFA Champions League group stage

Best European Cup performance:semi-finals (2009/10)

Sevilla

It has been all change in southern Spain, as the heart of a team that won three Europa League titles in a row was finally ripped out. Crucially, coach Unai Emery has gone to Paris Saint-Germain and the loss of key players like Ever Banega, Coke, Kevin Gameiro and Grzegorz Krychowiak would be felt.

Jorge Sampaoli is in charge now, with Brazilian Ganso perhaps their headline signing. Another drop down to play in the competition they pretty much own may again be in order. Sevilla has endured another wild off-season with major turnover.

Jorge Sampaoli wasted no time implementing his favored attacking back-three system, resulting in a victory in his team’s La Liga opener. Transfer guru Monchi has brought in considerable replacements. Nine senior players have left with nine new ones arriving.

Despite the new faces and new tactics, Sevilla looks the same as they ever did – talented, entertaining and ready to compete with richer clubs. They seem to be one of those clubs that barely needs a head coach because they’re so well organised.

They’re certainly one of the best equipped to deal with upheaval, but Sampaoli is something of a wild card. Whether they progress in this tournament or drop back into the comfort zone of the Europa League may well depend on how their new head coach slots in.

Last season: UEFA Champions League group stage, UEFA Europa League winners

Best European Cup performance: quarter-finals (1957/58)

Dinamo Zagreb

After squeezing through their playoff with an extra-time win over Red Bull Salzburg, Dinamo Zagreb might just be happy to be in the Champions League this season.

Manager Zlatko Kranjcar is back at the club for his third spell as manager after a short spell in Qatar. Had Dinamo Zagreb kept all of their top players this summer and been drawn into an easier group, they might have been a common dark horse pick to scrape second place.

Instead, they’ve lost Marko Pjaca (to Juventus), will almost certainly lose Marko Rog and could lose Ante Ćorić too. The vultures are circling Dinamo and picking off their stars one by one. Whether Dinamo becomes a pushover or try to fight back, their games would be interesting.

Last season: UEFA Champions League group stage

Best European Cup performance: group stage

Key fixtures

Match Day 6 (7th December 2016) : Olympique Lyonnais vs Sevilla FC

The winners of Group H should be relatively obvious, so it will be interesting to see who joins Juventus in the knockout round. Sevilla of course have European pedigree, but Lyon are a little more stable, and the two fixtures between these two clubs could be crucial in determining who qualifies. Crucial match will be when Lyon hosts Sevilla on the final match day, but that game could be irrelevant if the French side doesn’t pick up some points earlier in the group stage.