A few rounds into the UEFA Champions League, we already have a clear perspective on several matters. First and most important, we can say which teams present the most serious contenders for winning the continental trophy.
According to the latest Champions League picks and predictions made by the most respected analysts in Europe, a few teams stand above all the others, and we will mention them in the following few lines.
Manchester City, Bayern Munich, and Real Madrid look like the most serious units in this year’s edition. There are other teams who are in the mix, like PSG, Liverpool, and Napoli, but the previously mentioned look the best
Manchester City landed Erling Haaland this summer, and that happened to be the best shopping deal during this offseason and probably in the past few transfer windows. The Norwegian phenomenon is absolutely fantastic and is on pace to score 50 goals in all the competitions, and while doing that, break numerous records.
Pep Guardiola decided to change his offense and the system of the same, eliminating Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus, who are excellent strikers, but none of them were as dominant and physical as Haaland, who not only knows how to score from a counter-attack but often breaks the defenses with his power.
As for Bayern, many believe that after Lewandowski’s departure, this team is going to fall apart and lose quality. Though, Sadio Mane replaced the Polish striker, despite the fact that he isn’t the same type of a player as the new Barca forward. Mane clicked perfectly with Muller, Kimich, Koman, Gnabry, and especially young Musiala, who is becoming one of the best players in the world.
Bayern is currently very confident, and wins over Inter and Barca showed that. The German unit has a fantastic transition, and on top of that, the chemistry of the forwards allows them to break even the toughest defenses in Europe.
The third team on the list is the reigning UCL champion, Real Madrid. During the previous year, they were nowhere near the top echelon of the favorites according to any Champions League predictions, yet Los Blancos won this competition for the 14th time.
In our humble opinion, the biggest reason for that is their head coach, Carlo Ancelotti, who put together a perfectly balanced team with a superb touch for the game and his tactical thoughts.
Currently, these units have the brightest prospects of lifting the trophy. There are a few more who are in talks but to be honest with you; they haven’t been as confident as the above-mentioned.
PSG and Liverpool are in this company. The Saints showed oscillations, and the most recent saga with Mbappe, which is active again, will ruin the chemistry in the locker room. The ego is the biggest problem in Paris for the moment, and we’ll see if anything changes in the future.
Liverpool’s issue is defense. The Reds can’t put together a decent performance in the backline, and it’s no wonder many don’t believe in their power anymore.
The one possibly sensational contender is Napoli, whose performances are incredible. They are smashing and bashing everyone that stands in their way, with the note that Gil Azzuri didn’t have Victor Osimhen for several games. The Nigerian is one of the best strikers in Europe, and Napoli didn’t feel his absence. Now that tells a lot about their power.
Teams like Chelsea, AC Milan, Juventus, and Barcelona aren’t confident enough, and despite their history, roster, and reputation, we can’t put them in the conversation. According to the bookmakers and Champions League predictions today, none of them are in the top five favorites.
We need to add that the World Cup in Qatar could change everything. A lot depends on the global football championship, and it could determine the course of the latter part of the year greatly. So there is time for massive changes, but we’ll see if that changes.
