Despite the dazzling Barcelona contingent of the early 2010s, a Manchester United side blessed with talent at the turn of the century and the recent emergence of FC Bayern Munich as one of the most complete outfits in world football, the UEFA Champions League crown is still yet to be defended; no side has won the prestigious competition two years running.
Last season’s champions Real Madrid are well equipped to become the first side to achieve such a feat under the watchful eye of a hungry Zinedine Zidane and they, along with the likes of the Atletico Madrid, PSG and the aforementioned Barcelona and Bayern Munich, are among the favourites to lift the iconic trophy.
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With the handful of obvious choices though, there is a selection of sleek and stable teams more than capable of pushing the big boys far in the contest, even though you expect them to be dumped out in the first knockout round. Here then is a look over five teams which could cause an upset and go the distance on Europe’s big stage this campaign...
#5 S.L Benfica
In Group B, Benfica, winners of the Primeira Liga three years running, are joined by the dangerous Dynamo Kiev, new-look Napoli and Besiktas. The group is tight and the three former sides will all fancy themselves to finish top, but Benfica’s regular experience of the competition coupled with a squad with depth should hand them the edge.
Last season, the Portuguese side pushed German giants Bayern to the very edge, only to lose out to the Bundesliga champions 3-2 on aggregate. On that occasion the Eagles held the Bavarians 2-2 at the Estadio Da Luz and home form will be just as crucial this time around.
Even with the losses of Renato Sanches and Nicolas Gaitan this summer, the side is overloaded with quality in every department and the tip of the iceberg is prolific forward Jonas, who made an impressive return of 32 league goals last season.
If the Brazilian frontman hits the ground running, and provided the team can put together a run of winning results at home in the group stages, the momentum could be with them and we could witness the first Portuguese champions since Mourinho’s triumph with Porto in 2004.
#4 Manchester City
Pep Guardiola. Two words which immediately spell danger for the other three members of Manchester City’s group. The Citizens will face Borussia Mönchengladbach, Celtic and the Spanish manager’s beloved Barcelona in Group C and the optimism at the Etihad is greater than ever.
Even for all his tamperings with the squad, including the ruthless handling of England shot-stopper Joe Hart, Pep was a signature of intent by the City board and was brought in for one vital reason; he knows how to win the greatest club competition in football.
That really is the biggest factor in why I tip City to be a dark horse this campaign; the Spaniard has won 56 of his 89 games in the Champions League and has a vast experience of said competition.
Of course, the Manchester club are also blessed with an array of stars in the final third from Sergio Aguero to Kevin De Bruyne, while the addition of Claudio Bravo this summer should tighten things up at the back too.
After five years of finding their feet in the Champions League, City are now set up better than any of the other English sides to really make their mark in the competition.
#3 Juventus
After being dispatched by Germans Bayern Munich 6-4 on aggregate in the ‘Last 16’ stage of the competition last term, the Old Lady will be keen to heal their wounded reputation in Europe and translate their unprecedented domestic success to continental competition; Juventus topped the Serie A table with 91 points last campaign, conceding just 20 goals in the process.
While an already reliable backline, including the likes of Leonardo Bonucci and Georgio Chiellini, has been bolstered by the additions of Dani Alves and Mehdi Benatia this summer, the frontline is just as eye-watering following the €90 million acquisition of Argentinian forward Gonzalo Higuain from Napoli.
The aforementioned trio were brought in along with Miralem Pjanic and Marko Pjaca for just shy of €150 million and, with dominance in Italy already attained, it’s evident Allegri’s side have brought in reinforcements for the purpose of being more competitive in the Champions League.
In Group H, the Italian giants are joined by Europa League holders Sevilla, Lyon and Dinamo Zagreb and, although the quartet appears one of the most evenly matched on paper, it’ll more than likely be Juve who pave a path to the knockout phase as group winners, with the other three battling it out for the second spot.
From there, edging matches away from the Juventus Stadium and maintaining the unbeaten home record from last season’s European campaign could crown them as unlikely victors.
#2 Borussia Dortmund
It may be a far cry from Jurgen Klopp’s gegenpressing, dynamic Dortmund of 2013, but Thomas Tuchel’s new look group has undergone some severe changes in personnel this summer and looks well set-up to be a force in Europe once again in the 2016/17 season.
Real Madrid are the only danger in Dortmund’s draw, with Legia Warsaw and Sporting Lisbon the other two outfits in a relatively weak Group F.
Absent from the Champions League picture last term, Borussia Dortmund were in a fine position to challenge in the UEFA Europa League before being dislodged from Europe altogether by Liverpool in the competition’s quarter-final stage.
The addition of Marc Bartra came to fruition to plug the gap left by Mats Hummels, while the return of Mario Götze coupled with a €30 million move for Wolfsburg’s Andre Schürrle provides the prolific Aubameyang with excellent service going forwards.
Despite the scattergun approach to this summer’s window, the team is still full of faces who’ve experienced the club’s previous Champions League endeavours and a European night at the Signal Iduna Park can send chills down any opposition’s spines.
#1 Arsenal
A wildcard in a list of wildcards, the Gunners may be a club in the midst of a sticky situation with regard to the angry fans and stubborn manager but such discomfort could be just what is needed to catalyse the desire to prove doubters wrong.
In Group A, the North London club will face up against PSG, FC Basel, Ludogorets Razgrad. Arsene Wenger has conceded that the club may have to settle for second behind the Ligue 1 holders, due to their limitless budget, but second may not be so bad this time around.
There are a lot of tough teams expected to finish runners-up in their respective groups and teams that the Gunners could very well underestimate; a tie with Bayern or Barcelona in the ‘Last 16’ may be an all too familiar sight, but at least Wenger’s side have accumulated experience of these types of games now, meaning potentially easier opposition at latter stages of the competition.
The squad, believe it or not, has matured and, with a fanbase angered the lack of advancing the club has made, Wenger shouldn’t need to motivate the group regarding the importance of a good run in this year’s tournament.
