By Henry Hansen
The UEFA Champions League is the pinnacle of the year, bringing together teams from across Europe to compete for the coveted UEFA Champions League trophy.
We will be going over the contenders, dark horses, and much more in this article.
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Arsenal
The Gunners finished as semi-finalists last year, and look to go even further this time around. With the additions of Gyökeres, Eze, and Zubimendi, Arsenal look to win the cup this season. However, due to a poor start in the Premier League, Arsenal will have to fight an uphill battle for the UCL title.
Barcelona
Barcelona are heavy hitters in this competition due to their dominance until the semi-finals last year. With players like Raphinha, Lewandowski, and Yamal leading the front line, Barcelona will be heavy favorites to win the cup.
Bayern Munich
Perennial German giants Bayern Munich look to win the UCL this year. With the additions of Luiz Diaz and Jonathan Tah, Bayern have made their intentions to win very clear. With Harry Kane leading the front line, Bayern look dangerous in the UCL campaign.
Liverpool
Liverpool Football Club is one of the strongest teams in Europe. As the Premier League champions, The Reds strengthened their squad with the signings of Alexander Isak, Hugo Ekitike, Florian Wirtz, Milos Kerkez, and Jeremie Frimpong, along with Giorgi Mamardashvili returning from loan. Liverpool appears dangerous in both the Premier League and the Champions League. They aim to compete for the coveted UCL trophy.
Manchester city
Manchester City were nothing short of disappointing last season. But with their Ballon d’Or winner Rodri back, City look to aim for the title. Unfortunately for City fans, the team looks shambolic and shaky. They have earned 7 points out of 15 in the Premier League. They are not yet showing the necessary strength to win the UCL, but are slowly creeping towards that level.
Paris Saint-Germain
Last year’s champions will aim to repeat their triumph this campaign. With a front line headed by Dembele, Doue, and Kvaratskhelia, PSG looks dominant in attack. However, with the sale of Donnarumma, the defense is put into question. With the departure of the Yashin Trophy winner, PSG will put a lot of pressure on their new goalkeeper, Lucas Chevalier. If he can cope with the pressure, PSG has a great chance of winning the UCL again.
Real Madrid
When the Champions League is mentioned, one team comes to mind. 15-time champions Real Madrid. After a disappointing season last year, they look to bounce back under new manager Xabi Alonso. Madrid is at the top of La Liga and hopes to go far in the Champions League.
Tottenham
If you mentioned Tottenham and a trophy in the same sentence a year ago, you would get laughed at. But after winning the Europa League, the Spurs miraculously clinched a spot in the Champions League after finishing 17th in the Premier League. This season under Thomas Frank, Tottenham looks dangerous. Backed by the additions of João Palhinha, Xavi Simons, and Mathys Tel, Tottenham is one of the more dangerous teams in the UCL.
Playoff Bound
Ajax
Ajax is one of three teams to 3-peat the Champions League. This year, they are third in the Eredivisie and are hoping to secure a spot in the Champions League playoffs. They are a well-rounded team, and with the addition of Vítězslav Jaroš in goal, they have a good shot at the playoffs.
Atalanta
Having won the Europa League in 2024, Atalana looks as strong as ever. The departure of Mateo Retegui has forced Atalanta to switch to a one-striker formation. The success of the formation change will decide their season.
Atletico Madrid
With Diego Simeone as their manager, Atletico Madrid are playing as well as ever. Led by Julian Alvarez, Atletico have recently thrashed Real Madrid 5-2. This is just one of their many fluctuating results. They lost 2-1 to Espanyol, but have triumphed against the likes of Real Madrid. Atletico is a wild card, and you can never count them out.
Athletic Bilbao
With the Williams brothers spearheading their attack, Athletic Club aims to secure a spot in the playoff round. Their rapid attack, combined with a solid defensive unit, will work well in the Champions League. It will be a pure test of quality for Athletic to see how far they can go.
Borussia Dortmund
After making the Champions League final in 2024, Borussia Dortmund looks to return to UCL greatness. Their attack is led by Serhou Guirassy, Karim Adeyemi, and Julian Brandt. This team looks to blow out teams with rapid scoring.
Chelsea
Club World Cup Champions Chelsea Football Club have been disappointing this season. Having lost to Brighton and MANCHESTER UNITED in the Premier League, Chelsea look a shadow of their former glory. Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro look to lead this team to glory once again.
Club Brugge
With a stone wall between the sticks in Simon Mignolet, Club Brugge looks to secure a spot in the last 16. With their confident win against Monaco, Club Brugge has a large chance. They will be playing Barcelona, Arsenal, and Bayern Munich in their 7-game stretch, so that may be their only challenge.
Frankfurt
With the departure of Hugo Ekitike, Frankfurt is lacking a main striker up front. However, they do have experience in the form of Mario Gotze. Frankfurt are currently in the top 4 of the Bundesliga and hope to reach the last 16 in the Champions League.
Inter
Inter Milan were finalists last year, but due to their catastrophe in the final, I cannot put them in the top 8. They have retained the same core, but have lost their manager, Simone Inzaghi. Without his tactics, I do not believe that Inter will be able to go very far.
Juventus
Juventus are far from their former glory, but they look to advance to the round of 16 in the Champions League. Led by Kenan Yildiz and Jonathan David, Juventus will stun the opposition with their rapid attack. This, combined with their solid midfield and defense, will catapult them into the round of 16.
Marseille
Led by Mason Greenwood and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Marseille will score many goals in the UCL. However, with the departure of Adrian Rabiot, Marseille will have some questions to answer in the midfield.
Napoli
Napoli have added Kevin De Bruyne to a midfield with a rejuvenated Scott McTominay and Stainslav Lobotka. With the rebirth of Rasmus Hojlund under Antonio Conte, Napoli looks more dangerous than most clubs in Europe.
Newcastle
With the Departure of Isak, Newcastle didn’t think that their front line could be as dangerous as before. With the addition of Nick Woltemade, their problems seem to have been solved. With 3 goals in his first 5 matches, Woltemade seems perfect for this Newcastle system.
Sporting Lisbon
With the departure of Viktor Gyökeres, Sporting are a shell of their former selves. Without him, they have little chance of getting past the round of 16. However, despite this setback, Sporting still has other players who can carry the load that he once bore.
USG
Union Saint-Gilloise are the current Belgian Pro League leaders. They have good players such as Kevin Mac Allister (No, not that one) and Rob Schoofs. They are poised to secure a spot in the round of 16.
Villarreal
Villarreal are currently 3rd in La Liga, and have a solid team. With Experienced players such as Gerard Moreno and Nicolas Pepe, along with new talent like Georges Mikautadze, Villarreal looks to go on a run in the UCL knockouts.
Underdogs
Bodø/Glimt
Norwegian Champions Bodø/Glimt lack the quality needed to compete with teams around Europe. Despite their two draws, they do not have the squad depth to compete in both the Eliteserien and the Champions League.
Benfica
Benfica has added Jose Mourinho as their manager, but despite his reputation, his current run of managerial appointments has been poor. I believe that he will run this team into the ground. His style of football is outdated, and he is not fit for the new era of football.
København (Copenhagen)
Copenhagen has not shown the necessary qualities to succeed in the Champions League. With a draw to Leverkusen and a loss against Quarabag, Copenhagen simply cannot cut it in the Champions League.
Leverkusen
Invincibles just two years ago, Leverkusen have been stripped of all their players, their manager, and their team. Their star boy, Florian Wirtz, left. Their manager, Xabi Alonso, left. These two departures, along with the departure of many key players, have led to the complete collapse of Leverkusen.
Galatasary
Despite their 1-0 win against Liverpool, Galatasaray is not consistent enough to make it through the league phase. Without the stability of a high-level team, it is a toss-up to say if Galatasaray will make it through or not.
Kairat
Kairat are the champions of Kazakhstan, and they simply are not good enough to advance in the Champions League. Without any star players, Kairat are just not good enough to advance.
Monaco
Monaco has fallen so far from their former self. With the addition of Paul Pogba, this team is a wild card. They could either crash and burn or they could soar. However, their 4-1 loss against Club Brugge foreshadows their future.
Olympiacos
Greek champions Olympiacos are not very strong. Without a true star player, the team lacks the creativity and defense of a high-level team. They are on the level of teams from the Conference League.
Pafos
Pafos is a team from Cyprus. The Cypriot League is nowhere near the level of even the Norwegian League. This team will not advance into the round of 16. They lack the quality that most teams in the UCL have.
PSV
PSV Eindhoven have looked unconvincing in the league phase so far. After the loss of their manager, Arne Slot, two years back, PSV has never been the same. They do not look dangerous to any team in the Champions League.
Qarabag Fk
Qarabag is a team from Azerbaijan. Qarabag is a team that will win little games, but when it comes down to it, they cannot win games consistently. This is why they will not make the round of 16.
Slavia Praha
Slavia Praha is a club based in the Czech Republic. They do not have the squad depth required for the Champions League. Without this, they will not be able to go far.
This Champions League campaign will be one to remember. With teams making moves and devising new strategies, it is sure to pique your interest.