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The UEFA Champions League is Europe's elite football competition. Only the very best teams from the various European leagues get to take part in the tournament. As such, it's high-octane, high-quality action from the get-go and even the group stages are packed with exhilarating contests between well-matched sides.
Real Madrid picked up their 14th European title last season, beating Liverpool 1-0 in the final. Los Blancos have been the most dominant side in the competition in recent times, winning the Champions League title five times in the last 10 years.
Heading into the new season, it's hard to predict whether or not they'll be able to retain the title. Several top European sides have bolstered their squads and are expected to go all guns blazing in Europe.
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Without further ado, let's take a look at the five early favorites for the UEFA Champions League title this season.
#5 Chelsea
Chelsea have had to let Romelu Lukaku return to his former club Inter Milan on loan in order to cut their losses. But that won't be a big blow to them since the big Belgian striker had proved to be a liability since his arrival on a club record deal (€113 million) last summer.
While Antonio Rudiger's departure on a free transfer must have broken a lot of Chelsea hearts, they've replaced him with Kalidou Koulibaly. The Senegalese centre-back is one of the best in the world and he'll definitely improve the Blues' defense.
Alongside Thiago Silva, Koulibaly could make Chelsea one of the strongest defensive units in Europe. Andreas Christensen is another player they'll miss, but he was not a first-team regular, having started just 17 Premier League matches last term.
The addition of Raheem Sterling will improve Chelsea's attack considerably. His directness and ability to beat defenders and also score goals will boost the Blues' attacking credentials.
Thomas Tuchel's men did well in the Champions League last term and were unfortunate to have been knocked out by an unstoppable Real Madrid side. They have the ability to raise their game to fit the occasion and will once again fancy their chances in the Champions League.
#4 Liverpool
Liverpool stopped just short of having a historic season last time out. They won the FA Cup and the League Cup and made it to the final of the Champions League, which they eventually lost to Real Madrid. Manchester City pipped Jurgen Klopp's men to the Premier League title on the very last day of the season.
Key forward Sadio Mane has left them to join Bayern Munich this summer. But they've broken the bank to sign 23-year-old striker Darwin Nunez from Benfica for €75 million. They've also added Fabio Carvalho and Calvin Ramsey to their squad.
We expect more of the same from Liverpool's well-balanced side that just oozes quality. But they will need their new striker to come through and for Salah to keep performing at the level that he did last term if they are to go all the way in the Champions League.
#3 Paris Saint-Germain
A well-settled Lionel Messi will be a wholly different player than the one we saw in the 2021-22 season at Paris Saint-Germain. Kylian Mbappe choosing to kick on at PSG is a massive decision as far as PSG's Champions League hopes are concerned.
Neymar Jr. will be raring to silence his critics once again. They've also bolstered their midfield by signing Vitinha from FC Porto on a deal worth €41.5 million. Nuno Mendes' loan deal has been made permanent as well for €38 million.
If Marquinhos can return to his best and the PSG defense and midfield do a much better job than they did in the 2021-22 season, they'll be one of the favorites to win the Champions League this time.
#2 Real Madrid
Karim Benzema's freakish form went a long way towards propelling Real Madrid to their 14th Champions League title last season. Can he do it again this term? Perhaps. Can Vinicius Jr. replicate his heroics from last term? If the answer to both these questions is positive, then Real Madrid might just be able to do it again this season.
They've added Antonio Rudiger to their backline and the German centre-back is one of the best in the business. The arrival of Aurelien Tchouameni at the base of midfield will add depth, but as things stand, he's not exactly an improvement on the world-class Casemiro.
The aging Real Madrid midfield will also need to perform to the best of their abilities once again. Do they have one more season left in the tank? We'll need to wait and see. But things do look good for Real Madrid ahead of the 2021-22 season.
#1 Manchester City
Manchester City were one of the most dominant teams in the 2021-22 season all across Europe and they were so without an out-and-out striker. They've only gone ahead and added Erling Haaland, one of the most prolific goalscorers on the planet, to their squad this summer for €60 million.
They've also roped in Julian Alvarez, yet another promising young striker. Kalvin Phillips has signed from Leeds United on a deal worth €48.75 million and he will further bolster their squad. City have bulked up massively this summer and the fact of the matter is that they didn't even need to and would still be a credible threat.
But heading into the new season, they are clear-cut favorites to win the Champions League.
