The 2024/25 UEFA Champions League will be the 33rd season in the new era and will bring big changes. The league stage instead of the group stage, as many as 36 teams in the elite – these are just some of the new features. The goal for the teams in the CL remains the same. Lifting the “eared owl” into the mountains during the grand finale.
UEFA Champions League 2024/2025 – who is the favourite?
Who are the main favorites for the UEFA Champions League? Recent years have taught us that The first choice should be Real Madrid. In the Champions League, they turn on “indestructible” mode, even with poor league form.
A lot of injuries at the start of the season and potential discord in the trio of Mbappé-Vinicius-Rodrygo could be a problem for Carlo Ancelotti, although last season he took a risk by betting on Andriy Lunin, who replaced the injured Thibaut Courtois, and it paid off for the Italian. The defending champions have not impressed at the start of the season, but they have not lost yet, and in the first match of the 2024/2025 competition they won the European Super Cup.
Another Video of Rodri’s goal cause why not. pic.twitter.com/7xsgghwABi
— DSK (@0161Darren) August 10, 2023
Like every year One of the main contenders to win the Champions League is also Manchester City. The return of İlkay Gündoğan should help the team, and the departure of Julián Álvarez should not be a big problem, because Erling Haaland plays in attack. The Norwegian is playing like in a trance in the 2024/2025 season (nine goals in four matches). In the Champions League, on the other hand, he has a phenomenal record (41 goals in 39 matches). The 2023 Champions League winner has made a great start to the new Premier League season, notching four wins in four matches.
These two teams are the main favorites for the Champions League according to Opta supercomputer. The third place went to the team that won the season 2022/2023 lost only in the Champions League final. We are talking about Inter Milan. The Italian champions, reinforced by Piotr Zieliński, Davide Frattesi and Mehdi Taremi, look even better on paper than they did last season. Lautaro Martinez is one of the best players in the world, and the Milanese midfield and its depth can be envied by almost all teams in the world. Coach Simone Inzaghi skillfully arranges his team into a whole, using a 3-5-2 formation.
𝐔𝐄𝐅𝐀 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐠𝐮𝐞: 2024-25 Opta Predictions 📈
Who will win the UEFA Champions League title in 2024-25? We look at all the key questions with our Champions League predictions for the upcoming season via our trusty Opta supercomputer.#UCL
— Opta Analyst (@OptaAnalyst) September 16, 2024
We cannot forget the man who created an unbeatable monster from Bayern Munich in 2020. Hansi Flick took over the reins at FC Barcelona ahead of the 2024/2025 season. The effect in Catalonia is immediate for now – five wins in the first five league matches, and a goal difference of 17:4. The last time “Blaugrana” started the Spanish La Liga competition so well was in the 2017/2018 season. Considering the composition and Flick’s experience as a club coach, it can be assumed that for the first time since 2019, “Pride of Catalonia” will play in the semi-finals of the Champions League.
Teams with a chance to win the Champions League
In addition to the aforementioned four, there are also teams that can fight to win the CL until the very end. It is worth mentioning the hegemon of the French Ligue 1, the PSG team, the finalist in 2020. Winning this competition is not as much of an obsession for the club’s owner Nasser Al-Khelaifi as it was a dozen or so months ago. Despite this, the Parisians still have a fairly strong squad, even if Kylian Mbappe no longer plays for them. Luis Enrique won the CL with Barca in the 2014/2015 season. Will it be the same now? They are a really cool team, without the glitz of Neymar or Messi in the squad.
The only blemish on Bayer Leverkusen’s perfect season in the 2023/2024 campaign was their defeat in the Europa League final by Italian side Atalanta BC. Now Bayer face a bigger challenge. Playing in the CL will be the first in Xabi Alonso’s coaching career. However, Florian Wirtz and his teammates are capable of much, they could be the dark horse of this competition.
Bayer Leverkusen are German champions!
“The Gunners under Mikel Arteta have returned to the level when they were led by Arsene Wenger. Today, everyone takes Arsenal seriously, as they have fought for the English league title twice, kept consecutive clean sheets in the league and were able to buy Declan Rice for a huge sum in 2023. This shows their increasing ambitions. A decade ago, someone like Bukayo Saka would have flown by now. And now? No chance. Arteta has quality players, so winning the Champions League would not be a sensation. The “Gunners” have never done it before. They were in the final once – in 2006.
The Champions League – when it comes to the final match – is rarely played at the finalist’s stadium. In 2025, that is not out of the question. The final will be held at the Allianz Arena in Munich. The local Bayern are searching for their identity after a disappointing 2023/2024 season. New coach Vincent Kompany is a big unknown. Who knows, maybe they will play in the Champions League final on May 31, 2025, as they did in 2012?
Fot. PressFocus
