The UEFA Champions League has come with a lot of thrills and excitements this season; Europe’s elite club competition has produced 308 whooping goals in the group stage alone this season with major upsets at different clubs.
After 96 fixtures spread across nearly three months, the group stage has come to an end and we’ve seen sixteen teams made it out of the eight groups with two teams coming from each group. In this article, we dissect the chance of five favorites that can emerge as victors come next June.
5. JUVENTUS
Mauricio Sarri’s team were knocked out in the last eight last season by an Athletic looking Ajax Amsterdam side. However, one player that could serve as the catalyst for Juventus winning the Champions League this season is Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Portuguese superstar has made the Champions League his own throughout his career, scoring more goals in the competition than any other player. But things just haven’t clicked since he switched gears from Madrid to Italy last season.
Another opportunity has presented itself to the Italian side as they prepare for a fierce clash with one of the top teams that came second in the group stage this season.
The Bianconerri have been solid so far in the champions league this season having won 5 and drawn 1 in six games with 12 goals scored. With the aforementioned Ronaldo, Dybala and the likes, the old lady is a force to reckon with this season.
4. BAYERN MUNICH
The Bavarians have been largely inconsistent in the Bundesliga this campaign. The defending champions are currently seventh in the league, seven points behind the top position. Meanwhile, TheDie Roten have been ruthless in the Cup competitions.
Their win against Tottenham ensured that they have a flawless record in the group stage of the Champions League. They ended the group stage by clinching a 3-1 win against the North Londoners at Allianz Arena on Wednesday.
Bayern’s performances during group stages were impressive; they went to London in October and annihilated Spurs by a 7-2 Scoreline. Die Roten ended this round with 24 goals, which is all-time second-highest for a team in group stages and highest in the group stage this season.
Hansi Flick’s men are one of the favorites to win the UCL this season; having in their ranks the competition’s highest goal scorer (Robert Lewandowski) with 10 goals. Also, Bayern are the only side in the tournament with a maximum points haul of 18 from their six matches, only the seventh team to achieve the feat.
3. PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN
The French side were winners of Group A after finishing above Spanish Giants, (Real Madrid). Considering their abundance of riches and heavy investment in star players from around the world, Paris Saint-Germain have endured some torrid seasons in the Champions League.
The obvious weapons in PSG’s arsenal are their attacking trio of Edinson Cavani, Neymar, Kylian Mbappe, Sarabia, Di Maria and loan signing Mauro Icardi. Moreso, summer signing Gueye has added a new dimension to the heart of Tuchel’s team – one previously sorely lacking in Paris.
Tuchel’s men scored 17 goals in the group stage this season finishing third behind Bayern Munich and Tottenham Hotspurs as the team with most goals from the group stage.
Although, we’ve learned in recent years from the Champions League that ending the group stage on a high doesn’t translate to winning the trophy or having a great outing in the Knock-out stages.
The Paris based club side’s Topsy-Turvy days in the Champions League seem to be ending this season under Thomas Tuchell, Hence a mention for them in the top favorites this season.
2. BARCELONA
Barcelona won their Champions League group for the 13th season in a row and also extended their competition record for a number of unbeaten group campaigns to 13 despite being drawn alongside Inter Milan and Borussia Dortmund.
A 2-1 over Inter at San Siro on matchday six with a second-fielded team confirmed that latter record, with the Spanish giants cruising through to the last 16 as they try to atone for last season’s incredible semi-final collapse at Anfield.
It will be recalled that the last time the Catalan won the UCL was under Luis Enrique in 2015. They’ve since then failed for two successive seasons to get their hands on the trophy since then despite getting a mention as a major contender every season.
Ernesto Valverde will surely try to redeem his image in the face of the Blaugrana fans as he looks forward to correcting his past mistakes this season after scaling the hurdles of Borussia Dortmund and Inter Milan in the group stage. Lionel Messi also is a factor for Barca going forward.
1. LIVERPOOL
The Merseyside outfit has proved beyond every reasonable doubt that under Jurgen Klopp, they’re a formidable team. The outstanding performance from Liverpool kickstarted a brilliant era for the Reds under the German manager.
Obviously, the success of the 2018/19 season is still fresh in the mind of every Kop as they’re not showing signs of slowing down. Liverpool who currently sits comfortably atop of the EPL table didn’t do much in the group stage of this season’s Champions League but have this remarkable way of displaying brilliant and emphatic showings at the knock-out stages of the Champions League.
Last season’s winners qualified for the round of 16 at the expense of Napoli, Red Bull Salzburg, and Red Star Belgrade after winning 4 games, drawn 1 and lost 1. They, therefore, remain as a major contender for the title.
