UEFA Champions League 2017-18: Top 5 favourite title-contenders 

#2 Barcelona

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Seeing Barcelona so high may surprise some especially considering the apocalyptic predictions that followed the humiliating defeat to Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup. However, Ernesto Valverde's men have impressed since then with a 22 game unbeaten run. They have turned into an efficient unit who may not be as exciting as they used to be but they know how to grind out a win.

Valverde has proven that he understands not only the key men but also the players on the fringe of the squad. This has allowed him to effectively rotate the squad with Lionel Messi even being rested for a total of 117 minutes over two games in the Champions League group stage.

This keeps the players fresh while also boosting the morale of the squad because they are in genuine contention for first-team places. His understanding of the various players allows him to fit them into roles that get the best out of them such as Paulinho and Paco Alcácer.

Valverde's tactical style also suits players such as Andrés Iniesta and Sergio Busquets because they have a greater control of games, than they did under Luis Enrique, through counter-pressing and intelligent positioning, which means they have less ground to cover. Across the three major competitions, they have only conceded eight goals in 22 games, so they now have a formidable defence that teams have to break through.

These results have been achieved without Ousmane Dembélé who was brought in to replace Neymar. His return should give them a creative boost that will aid them in the knockout stages. They also have the best player in the world, Lionel Messi, who has the creative tools and goalscoring threat to breach any defence. It will be a hard task for any team to beat them, but there is one team who look slightly stronger.

Barcelona didn't get the nicest of draws because they were paired with Chelsea. The English side have been hit and miss this season, but they were impressive when they beat Atlético Madrid away from home. They will be tough to break down with Eden Hazard being the major threat. The Catalans should have enough to overcome them, though.