Champions League Group Stage Wrap-Up

The UEFA Champions League group stage is now behind us and there are so many questions that still need answers for the 16 remaining clubs. Also, the group of 8 that are going to the Europa League are no pushovers and are the clear favorites to win that tournament.
Here are the things that we have learned from the group stage.
1. Parody was relevant throughout every group.
In a normal Champions League group stage, teams from Russia, Ukraine, and Romania would be easy wins for European powerhouses like Barcelona, Inter, and Sevilla. This year was not the case, especially in Group F where all four spots in the group were decided on Matchday 6 with Barca and Inter barely sliding through to the knockout round.
2. Spain and England are once again the top nations.
Six of the eight group winners came out of La Liga and the Barclays Premier League in Manchester United, Real Madrid, Chelsea, Barcelona, Sevilla, and Arsenal. It is likely than for the second straight year we will see an England-Spain final.
3. Real Madrid has the capability to play for the title at home.
Madrid's President Florentino Perez's main goal this summer was to acheive another galaticos era at the Bernabeu and it is happening. With the Bernabeu hosting the final in May, Madrid will be more than motivated to play the final at home and have a real home field advantage. Stars like Cristiano Ronaldo are healing from injury right in time for the stretch run in La Liga and the knockout stage in the UCL.
4. France's top 2 clubs will pull a shock upset.
Bordeaux won Group A with 16 points, the most of a group winner, in a group that contained Bayern Munich and Juventus. Lyon was able to top Liverpool in Group E for second place sending the Reds to the Europa League. With the experience of facing quality opponents already in the group stage, both clubs have a good chance at surprising the continent and beating one of the superpowers.
5. The knockout will produce at least superpower tie.
With the likes of Inter, AC Milan, Porto, Lyon, and Bayern Munich in the group of second place teams, all of the eight group winners are hoping for Olympiakos, CSKA Moscow, or Stuttgart. But not all clubs get their wish and there will be at least one maybe even up to 5 major ties in the first knockout stage when the draw is announced on December 18th.
6. With a chance of super ties, an underdog could win this season.
If the chance of all 5 super ties between Europe's biggest clubs comes to fruition, some clubs from smaller leagues could slip through to the final if their luck doesn't run out. Teams that are hoping and praying for this possibility are Stuttgart, Olympiakos, Bordeaux, CSKA Moscow, and Porto.
7. All 8 clubs going to the Europa League have a chance to win that title.
The quality of clubs that finished in third this season surpasses any in recent history. Clubs with storied histories like Juventus, Liverpool, and Marseille, along with disappointing Atletico Madrid go down. Also, newcomers to major European competitions like Rubin Kazan, Unirea Urziceni, Standard Liege, and Wolfsburg could be major threats to the four big clubs going down.

All in all, the UEFA Champions League is shaping up to have the best season in recent memory and could prove brutal to some clubs with the chance of five super ties in the first knockout stage.