The Champions League, the world’s biggest club football tournament, is back and promises to be even more significant than ever. This year’s competition features Manchester City attempting to achieve back-to-back victories after their first triumph in the tournament last season.
However, the English champions will not have things all their way. After all, this is arguably the most coveted domestic club trophy on the planet. Let’s take a closer look at the teams that expect to have a reasonable chance of going all the way.
Manchester City
Guardiola’s team is the favorite to finish the season with the Champions League trophy in their cabinet, and it’s not difficult to see why. They have started this season with as much confidence and dominance as they did last season when they won Europe’s premier tournament, along with the Premier League and the FA Cup.
They are currently the best team on the planet and do not appear to have any significant weaknesses. Having finally secured their first Champions League victory last year, they are confident they can do the same this year. Other teams should indeed be very concerned.
Bayern Munich
Bayern Munich were looking good in the Champions League last season until they came up against eventual winners Manchester City in the quarter-finals, winning all six of their games in the Group Stage before defeating PSG 3-0 in the Round of 16. So, could they go all the way this time around? Fans that keep up with online sports betting platforms in Nigeria will know that the German team are second-favourites for the title behind Manchester City, ahead of even Real Madrid. And that mostly comes down to the acquisition of England’s captain, Harry Kane, who looks like he may have what it takes to become the team’s new Robert Lewandowski.
Real Madrid
For the longest time, it felt like the Champions League belonged to Real Madrid. Between 2016 and 2022, they won the competition an astonishing four times. What was remarkable about their run was that it often seemed as if the team was destined to win.
Real Madrid is currently the third favorite to lift the trophy this year. They will need to go above and beyond, especially now that they’ve lost Benzema, and some of their key players are in their mid-thirties. Nevertheless, they have the energy of young Jude Bellingham and the growing talent of Vinicius Jr., so it’s premature to write them off.
Barcelona
It has been quite a while, perhaps too long, since Barcelona last graced a Champions League final. Their last appearance was in 2015 when they triumphed over Atletico Madrid in a penalty shootout. Since then, the Catalan team has experienced a decline. However, there are encouraging signs that club legend Xavi, now the manager, is starting to instill a winning mentality in the squad. Their odds of making a deep run in the competition have been boosted by a favorable group stage that they should navigate smoothly. If they manage to avoid facing the big teams in the later rounds, the possibilities are intriguing.
PSG
With Messi and Neymar no longer part of the Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) squad, this year’s PSG lineup has a fresh look. However, their determination to win the Champions League remains as strong as ever. Moreover, the team appears to have achieved a better balance now that the two superstars have departed. Securing the coveted trophy they desire above all will be a formidable challenge for PSG. Yet, if they can harness Mbappe’s strengths and play to his advantage, they might just possess the necessary ingredients to go all the way in what could potentially be Mbappe’s final season.
Leave a Reply