"I wouldn't talk about them as a big favorite" - Tennis legend Rafael Nadal gives honest opinion on Lamine Yamal's Barcelona UCL claim

Tennis veteran Rafael Nadal has opined that he does not consider Barcelona favorites for the 2024-25 UEFA Champions League title. However, he added that the Catalan giants are crucial contenders for the trophy.

This comes after teenage sensation Lamine Yamal claimed that La Blaugrana are the most likely team to win the UCL this season. Yamal opined that Liverpool's exit from the competition increased Barca's chances of winning.

In a recent interview, Nadal, a die-hard Real Madrid fan shared his thoughts about Barca's chances of winning the title. He said (via Madrid Universal):

"There are teams like Paris Saint Germain, Bayern Munich, Inter, Mikel Arteta's Arsenal and Real Madrid, who have won the tournament fifteen times."

He added:

"So, I wouldn't talk about Barcelona as a big favorite. I would speak of Barcelona as a great candidate."

La Blaugrana have been on top of their game having suffered only one defeat in this season's UCL campaign. Having reached the quarterfinals of this season's edition, Hansi Flick's men have a brilliant shot at the UCL silverware.

When compared to their quarterfinal opponent, Borussia Dortmund, Barca has been more consistent this season. Flick's men would face the winner of the tie between Bayern Munich and Inter Milan in the semi-final if they get past Dortmund.

However, Real Madrid have won the most UCL titles (15), and this arguably makes them favorites for the title.

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"It would be the bomb" - Rafael Nadal on a possible UCL final between Real Madrid and Barcelona

Davis Cup Final - Netherlands v Spain Quarter-Final - Source: Getty

Nadal also revealed that a final involving arguably the two biggest teams in the La Liga would be mind-blowing. Meanwhile, he added that it is quite unnecessary to talk about finals when the UCL is still in the quarterfinals phase.

Speaking in an interview, Nadal who has won the Grand Slam 22 times shared his opinion about a possible El Clásico UCL final.

He said (via Madrid Universal):

"I would suffer it but I would resist it. For Spanish football, it would be the bomb. But as I thought when I played, you can’t think about finals when you’re in the quarterfinals."

Having been separated on distinct UCL paths, Los Blancos and Barca could also meet in the final. In their last five meetings across all competitions, Barcelona have won three, while Madrid have registered two wins.