They want the title
1. Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid)
All credit where credit is due. Victorious at Wembley two and a half months ago, Thibaut Courtois and the Madrid players will once again be among the big favourites. The league phase will serve above all as a warm-up lap for Kylian Mbappé to get back into top form and be able to harmonise with Vinicius Jr., Rodrygo and Bellingham. The good news is that the latter is already back from injury and could be lined up as early as this Tuesday against Stuttgart.
“The format changes, but the favourites are still the same, including Real Madridadmits Carlo Ancelotti. This Champions League will be a different story and I hope we reach the final like last year. It’s a special competition and we’ll try to compete until the end.”
2. Kevin De Bruyne and Jérémy Doku (Man City)
The only Premier League team with a 100% winning record, City are oozing confidence at the start of the season, thanks in particular to an exceptional Erling Haaland. The good news is that several of his teammates – including Kevin De Bruyne and Jeremy Doku – have not yet reached cruising speed. The aim will be to reach full strength after February to reach the final in Munich.
3. Leandro Trossard (Arsenal)
Having been knocked out in the quarter-finals by Bayern last season, the Gunners seem better equipped this time to shine on the national and European stages. Leandro Trossard’s club, finalists in 2006 but never victorious, are rather second-tier favourites (behind Real, City or Bayern), but secretly dream of upsetting the odds.
4. Axel Witsel (Atletico Madrid)
Like Arsenal (and PSG, Barça, Liverpool or Inter), the Colchoneros are part of the second wave of favourites, even if Diego Simeone generally prefers to keep the outsider label. Except that with their XXL transfer window (Alvarez, Gallagher, Le Normand, Sorloth), it will no longer be possible to hide. Witsel (35 years old), for his part, could well play his very last Champions League.
They will be outsiders
1. Loïs Openda, Arthur Vermeeren and Maarten Vandevoordt (Leipzig)
Very good last season and even close to knocking out Real Madrid in the last 16, Leipzig will want even more this season. It will certainly be very difficult to interfere in the last stages of the final table, but Marco Rose’s team will be ambitious and should prove it this Thursday at Atletico Madrid. The opportunity perhaps for Arthur Vermeeren to take a little revenge on his former club, and for Loïs Openda to redeem himself for his missed penalty on Saturday in the championship.
Lois Openda, three missed penalties in a row and a questioning in Leipzig: “Next time, we could decide differently”
2. Charles De Ketelaere (Atalanta)
After winning the Europa League, Atalanta obviously wants to see even bigger by measuring themselves against the big names. The reception of Arsenal this Thursday will allow us to see more clearly, but Charles De Ketelaere (scorer) and his band proved this Sunday against Fiorentina (3-2) that they were in rhythm.
3. Julien Duranville (Dortmund)
Finalist a few weeks ago after a run as solid as it was unexpected, Borussia Dortmund will once again try to invite itself among the best. Julien Duranville (18 years old), who did not participate in last season’s epic, will bring his speed off the bench to discover the competition. Perhaps as early as this Wednesday… at Club Bruges.
4. Samuel Mbangula (Juventus)
He too will make his C1 debut. Even if the end of the transfer window brought him some big competition (with Nico Gonzalez and Francisco Conceição), the young Belgian winger (20 years old) should still benefit from the confidence of Thiago Motta. Absent from the competition last season, Juve has not reached the quarter-finals for six years, but hopes to start a new virtuous circle.
They are aiming for the top 16
1. Johan Bakayoko (PSV)
Long announced as leaving, Johan Bakayoko is counting on the Champions League to make his suitors regret not having accelerated negotiations enough. He will especially take advantage of his clashes with Juventus (this Tuesday) and PSG (on 22/10) to try to shine.
2. Amadou Onana and Youri Tielemans (Aston Villa)
If Onana agreed to join Tielemans, it is also for this competition that Aston Villa has not played in for over 40 years. The two Devils, for their part, had to wait less: three years for Onana (with Lille), but still six for Tielemans (with Monaco). Even if their coach Unai Emery is used to great European runs, the Villans will have succeeded in their campaign if they reach the round of 16.
3. Zeno Debast (Sporting CP)
Like Aston Villa, Juventus and Dortmund, he will also face Club Bruges at the Jan Breydelstadion. The former Mauve could even discover the Champions League in the shoes of a starter, after his return to the starting eleven this weekend in the championship. As reigning Portuguese champion, Sporting will try to annoy as many big clubs as possible, notably thanks to its serial scorer Viktor Gyökeres.
4. Thomas Meunier and Matias Fernandez-Pardo (Lille)
Joined by the young Ghent player Matias Fernandez-Pardo (19 years old) at the end of the transfer window, Thomas Meunier begins his eighth Champions League campaign this Tuesday against Zeno Debast. However, this will already be his fifth European match, since Lille had to go through two qualifying rounds.
5. Ameen Al-Dakhil (Stuttgart)
Still not recovered from his muscle injury, the 22-year-old defender has not yet been able to make his debut with Stuttgart, the German vice-champion. But he will soon be able to experience the very highest level there, even if he will miss this Tuesday’s trip to Real Madrid.
6. Eliot Matazo (Monaco)
Announced on the departure and not yet appeared on the match sheets this season with AS Monaco, the 22-year-old Devil is nevertheless part of the list of 25 players taken for the competition. It remains to be seen whether Adi Hütter will decide or not to use him during this campaign, which begins with a bang with the reception of Barça this Thursday.
7. Arne Engels (Celtic)
If he chose Celtic on the last day of the transfer window, it was partly to discover the Champions League.It can be really amazing and special for us. And with the new format, we will play more games.”said the 21-year-old midfielder during his presentation at Celtic, who will host Club Bruges, his training club, on November 27, and will begin their campaign this Wednesday against Slovan Bratislava.
They will benefit from the experience
1. Siemen Voet (Slovan Bratislava)
Little known to the general public, the defender trained in Bruges probably did not think that he would face Manchester City, Atletico or Bayern when he joined the capital of Slovakia this summer. His team, coached by Vladimir Weiss, is something of a miracle of the competition since it had to pass the four preliminary rounds to find itself in the final phase. Each match will therefore be a real bonus. As for the 24-year-old Belgian, he will try to take as much playing time as possible.
2. Dimitri Lavalée (Sturm Graz)
The former Rouche will also realize his dream. Austrian champion last season, Dimitri Lavalée (27 years old) has now established himself in the defense of Sturm Graz and he should discover the competition in the shoes of a starter, this Thursday in Brest, one of the other underdogs. Even if his team is already happy to return to the Champions League after 24 years of absence, it hopes to pull out all the stops. Notably against Brest, but also against Bruges (2/10), Girona or Lille.
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