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UEFA Champions League has been the apple of a club football fan's eye every season. This is the competition where the best teams from the best leagues compete against each other to crown themselves as the champions of Europe. League football might be boring sometimes, especially in La Liga, Ligue 1 and Serie A which are very predictable in most matches. In the UCL, however, each match is contested fiercely by two strong teams, and thus results can go either way. Defeating all the top teams of the continent to win the trophy is an achievement in it's own. It also paves the way to add more silverware in the club's trophy cabinet as the winner of UCL gets to compete for FIFA Club World Cup and UEFA Supercup.
Here, we take a look at 5 teams who are favourites to win the trophy this time around:
5. Paris Saint-Germain
Paris Saint-Germain brought in Neymar and Mbappe with a hope to fulfill their long time dream of lifting the Champions League. But an injury forced their star left winger out of the second leg clash against Real Madrid and they had to face elimination.
They are a star studded team in every department with Cavani, Mbappe and Neymar forming the attacking trio, with Angel Di Maria as the head of the creative department in midfield and a dependable player like Marco Verratti in their ranks. They have an ever-charismatic defender in Thiago Silva and with the signing of Gigi Buffon, they have an experienced goalkeeper between the sticks. They have all the ingredients in the recipe to win the Champions League and with a little bit of luck on their side, they can come out as champions this season.
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4. Manchester City
Manchester City were the most feared team in the last editon of Champions league but they faced an unexpected drubbing at the hands of Liverpool and bowed out of the competition in the quarters.
The citizens are brimming with talent in their squad and an extraordinary league campaign under Pep Guardiola has converted them into a long-term serious threat. If all goes well, this might be the season they lift their maiden UCL trophy.
3. Real Madrid
This club's name is almost synonymous with Champions League. They are a record 13-time winner of the competition and are in a league of their own, much ahead of everyone else.
They are also on a winning streak in this competition, but the departure of UCL top-scorer Ronaldo and their charismatic coach Zidane has decreased their chances considerably. But it's the Los Blancos we are talking about, so we can never write them off. To back up this thought, they have considerable quality at their disposal and can give any team a run for their money on any given day.
2. FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona have been over reliant on Lionel Messi for past few seasons. It seems that if Messi has a good day, the team plays well, but otherwise, they look pretty mediocre. Barcelona have had more domestic success in recent years than their arch rivals Real Madrid but the latter has dominated Europe like nobody else. With the latest additions in their squad, and a settled coach, FC Barcelona may rekindle their European domination once again. This season is also crucial for them as Real Madrid are undergoing a tough period of transition.
1.Juventus
Juventus may have put together the last piece of puzzle to their European conquest dream. The signing of Cristiano Ronaldo was a definite masterstroke. Let's be true to ourselves, nobody comes close to Cristiano Ronaldo when it comes to scoring in the Champions League. Juventus already have a sturdy backline, with their defense being arguably the best in Europe. They have a strong midfield and their attack has become terrifyingly lethal.
They look the most balanced team in this year's competition, and look to be the favorites.
This might be the year Spanish domination finally sees it's end in Europe. We will have to wait till May to see who wins this year!
