The Champions League action has returned this midweek and how! The last 16 standing teams in Europe will clash for the title of being crowned continental giants, and that’s no mean task! Real Madrid may have created history by winning two consecutive European titles, but will they be able to add one more? How about the other top contenders?
It is not easy to pick a winner this year, and a look at the latest UEFA Champions League betting tips will tell you that! This, by far, is the most open year of Champions League action as a number of contenders are vying for the title. There is no clear favourite while most teams are favourites. We are bucketing them into two groups – the contenders and the pretenders.
The Contenders!
Say what you want, but Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City is the envy of Europe. They are not just bossing the English Premier League, they are making the Champions League sit up and take notice. With a frightening array of forward line at their disposal and with Kevin de Bruyne in their line-up, the English side is a big contender. As rightly indicated in ESPN, only City can stop City now!
When you have a certain Lionel Messi in your side, you are ought to be considered as top favourites. The Argentinian surprises everyone with his consistency and ability to dish out mind-boggling performances. And, they have added Philippe Coutinho to their ranks recently!
When you speak of Messi, how can you not get Cristiano Ronaldo into the equation! The Portuguese forward doesn’t get tired of scoring goals, not even when he is not doing well. Though they are in the midst of a poor run of form, the Los Blancos are huge favourites to make it three titles in three years.
It is a shame that Real Madrid were drawn against Paris Saint-Germain in one of the most eye-catching round-of-16 ties. The French big-spenders have one of the most threatening forward line in Europe, with Neymar, Kylian Mbappe, and Edinson Cavani! Can they move past Real Madrid and be the dark horses in the title race?
The Pretenders!
Top of this list is Bayern Munich, the German Champions who are the continental big guns. They did have a slow start and finish behind PSG in the group stage, but the return of old favourite Jupp Heynckes has brought the club back on track.
It is easy to see why Juventus are never better than being ‘pretenders’. Their languid style and defensive approach endears them to Italian spectators, although in Gonzalo Higuain and Paolo Dybala they have two of the best strikers. But, can they step up and become a contender?
They are definitely not everyone’s favourites, but Liverpool has to be one of the teams to watch out for this season. Under Jurgen Klopp, the side has shown the virtues of an excellent front three – Mohamed Salah, Firmino, and Sadio Mane – which is sure to keep the top guns looking over their shoulders.
The other teams left at this stage – including the likes of Manchester United and AS Roma – are good enough to score an upset or two, but not go all the way!
So, whom are you backing? Where is your money? Is it on one of the top guns? Where it is, this summer promises to be an exciting journey in the Champions League!