5 Dark horses in the UEFA Champions League this season

The UEFA Champions League is easily the most prestigious club competition in the world and therefore it comes as no surprise that clubs try their best to qualify for the tournament at least, even if they don’t win it.The monetary reward for participating in the tournament is very high and of course, there is the matter of winning it. In recent years, the competition has been dominated by clubs such as Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Chelsea as these four clubs are regulars in the semi-final stages on many occasions.For example Barcelona have won four titles in the last 10 years, Bayern Munich have made the final thrice in the space of four years while winning the title once, Real Madrid have made the semi-final stages at least in the last five years and were victors in 2014 and Chelsea have won the title in 2012.Teams like Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Chelsea and maybe even last year’s finalists Juventus are all expected to do well in the tournament considering their track record. However, the Champions League always surprises us with incredible performances from teams who are not favourites.For example, Borussia Dortmund made their way into the final in 2013 before losing out to Bayern Munich. So here are five teams who could win the Champions League against the odds.

#5 Sevilla

Sevilla should be able to make the transition from Europa League to Champions League at ease

Seeing Sevilla in the list might be odd, but the Spanish club are an incredible side and could upset big teams. Sevilla have been given a tough group, but they have the ability to frustrate teams like Manchester City and Juventus.

Football fans worldwide were given a chance to see what Sevilla are capable of doing when they staged an incredible comeback against Barcelona in the UEFA Super Cup.

Unai Emery is a young manager who has already won two Europa League titles with his squad despite losing many key players like Alvaro Negredo, Jesus Navas, Ivan Rakitic, Alberto Moreno, Federico Fazio, Geoffrey Kondogbia and Gary Medel. The fact that Sevilla are still performing admirably after losing so many star players is a testament of their ability.

During their last two Europa League campaigns, Sevilla have beaten teams like Fiorentina, Zenit, Borussia Monchengladbach, Porto, Valencia and Benfica. In addition to this, they are used to playing teams like Real Madrid and Barcelona and therefore, the intensity of the competition won’t come as a surprise to them either.

The odds of Sevilla winning the Champions League might be low, but you can’t rule them out completely.

#4 Wolfsburg

Wolfsburg have now got the better of Bayern Munich twice on the trot

Wolfsburg were one of the surprise packages of the Bundesliga last season and they showed that they can beat the best by defeating Bayern Munich 4-1 in a league game last season and later by beating Borussia Dortmund in the final of the DFB Pokal.

Dieter Heckings side started the current season brightly by defeating Bayern Munich in the German Super Cup and this could be early signs of a strong showing from his side this season.

The German club have also had a very strong transfer window despite losing Kevin De Bruyne to Manchester City. They reacted immediately by signing Julian Draxler from rivals Schalke. In addition to Draxler, Wolfsburg have also signed Max Kruse from Monchengladbach, Koen Casteels from Werder Bremen and Dante from Bayern Munich to strengthen their squad massively.

Wolfsburg did not win the league last season, but their performance against other top sides is an indication of how good the side is. If Wolfsburg can beat teams like Bayern Munich, then Champions League is definitely not out of their reach.

#3 Atletico Madrid

Atletico Madrid have been very busy in the transfer window

Atletico Madrid were the finalists two years ago where they lost to Real Madrid. The side that made the final lost many key players last year, but Atletico have had an amazing transfer window this time around and they could put up a better show than they did back in 2013-14.

Despite losing players like Adra Turan and Miranda, Simeone has drafted in players like Jackson Martinez, Luciano Vietto, Stefan Savic, Yannick Ferreira Carrasco and Filipe Luis to strengthen the squad massively. More importantly the club have managed to keep hold of their key players Antoine Griezmann and Koke.

Simeone is a manager with a great track record in Europe and he will be eager to win the Champions League this time around. His side now has a perfect blend of youth and experienced players as well as good squad depth. The return of Filipe Luis and the great form Jan Oblak showed towards the end of last season means that the team’s defense will be even better this season and the strength in defense was one of Atletico’s key to success back in 2013-14.

This could be the year when Atletico correct the mistake from 2014.

#2 Paris Saint Germain

PSG have been drawn with Real Madrid for the group stages

PSG like Manchester City have been given tough draws after they became regulars in the Champions League. Last year they made an inspiring come back against Chelsea with a man down only to lose out to eventual winners Barcelona in the quarter finals.

Laurent Blanc may have learned from his mistakes from last season and should be better prepared this time around. To aid his quest to become only the second French team to win the Champions League, PSG have made some excellent transfers.

The side from Paris have signed their long term target Angel Di Maria and the Argentine’s arrival could spark some more creativity from his side. In addition to Di Maria, PSG have signed Kevin Trapp from Frankfurt to give competition to Salvatore Sirigu. PSG have also strengthened their defense by securing the transfer of Serge Aurier on a permanent deal and Laywin Kurzawa from Monaco as a long term replacement for Maxwell.

PSG have immense quality and depth in their squad in all positions and they have started the season brightly with four wins in four games including a 3-0 win against Monaco away from home.

This could finally be the season when Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva end their wait for a Champions League medal.

#1 Manchester City

City have got off to a flying start with four wins in four games

Manchester City have been the victims of tough draws in the Champions League ever since they started to feature in the tournament. But it can no longer be an excuse for them as they have played in the competition long enough to understand that you need to beat the best if they want to win the coveted Champions League title.

The Citizens are again drawn in a tough group with last year’s finalists Juventus, defending Europa League champions Sevilla and Borussia Monchengladbach. However considering the money City spent in the transfer window and the squad Pellegrini has at his disposal, anything less than topping the group should be considered unacceptable.

The advantage City have is that Pellegrini has learned from his mistake of sticking with the 4-4-2 formation and has switched to a 4-2-3-1 formation with a lone striker up front. In addition to this, City now have more players who can alter the game on their own after the arrivals of Kevin De Bruyne and Raheem Sterling. These new recruits will reduce the pressure on players like Silva, Aguero and Toure.

One major issue City had to deal with last season was their defensive vulnerability after their captain Vincent Kompany struggled to find his good form. The club will be boosted by the promising performances from Mangala so far and the arrival of Otamendi from Valencia.

Manchester City now have a well-balanced squad with good depth in all positions and therefore, this could finally be the season when they rise to the challenges of Europe.