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Michael Ballack has backed Liverpool to win the Champions League this season over Real Madrid. He has also named Atalanta as his dark horse for the elusive trophy this season as the Serie A side have impressed him.
Speaking to Sport Bild, Ballack admitted that he was surprised by how well Liverpool are playing under Arne Slot. He added that the transition from the Jurgen Klopp era has been smooth.
The German legend said via Metro:
"Judging by their performances so far, Real Madrid are not my top favourite. That would be Liverpool, who are currently dominating the Champions League. I was positively surprised by how Arne Slot managed the transition after the Jurgen Klopp era came to an end. It is always twice as difficult when you follow greats like Klopp or somebody like Jose Mourinho at my former club Chelsea, who achieved something unique."
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"I see Atalanta as the secret favourite. They have a clear plan offensively and defensively and dominated Bayer Leverkusen in last year’s Europa League final," Ballack added.
Liverpool have won all their UEFA Champions League matches this season so far and are currently on top of the table. They are the only side yet to drop points, with Barcelona sitting second with 18 points – after picking up six wins and a loss in seven matches.
Why Michael Ballack has backed Liverpool over Real Madrid and Bayern Munich
Michael Ballack has claimed that Kylian Mbappe is set to find his feet at Real Madrid this season and that will be a key reason for them not winning the UEFA Champions League this year.
He added that the Frenchman is an outstanding player, but is yet to make the impact like Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo did at their LaLiga clubs.
He said on Sport Bild via Metro:
"Because he does not yet have the stability that he had during his time in Paris, he does not yet have the influence on the team that Lionel Messi once had at Barcelona or Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid. This example shows that going to Real is a different matter altogether. Nevertheless, Kylian Mbappe is an outstanding player and will of course be a sensation."
When quizzed about Bayern Munich, he added:
"It depends on two factors: our own performance and how strong the competition is. I can see that the team have improved under Vincent Kompany compared to the previous season. He’s got them going with his style of play, with aggressive and offensive football after a few adjustments in defense."
Real Madrid are 22nd in the Champions League table and will face RB Salzburg on Wednesday. They desperately need a win to have any chance of making the top 8 while a loss could see them struggling to qualify for the next round.
