Every year the magic of the Champions League awakens some of the true footballing greats of the modern era. All eyes are on the pitch as hundreds of millions of viewers worldwide tune in to witness the very best European clubs battling it out for the championship.
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Champions League outlook
Last year’s final, played in the Olympiastadion in the heart of Berlin, saw the ‘Old Lady’ Juventus lose 1-3 to the ever-dominating Barcelona. Juventus, who dominated Europe in the mid 80s, have struggled over the last decade with an ageing squad bundled with financial and corruption issues. They haven't reached the final of the tournament since the 2002/3 season.
Barca, at the other end of the scale, have seen immense success worldwide in the past decade, with an incredible host of stars such as Lionel Messi, Neymar, Luis Suarez at the spearhead of their attack. Barca have won Champions League finals since 2000 and have been the #1 club in Europe since. It was no shock to see Barcelona crowned champions once again last year.
Who do we think are top contenders for the Champions League 2015/6?
Bayern Munich
Revived in recent years due to a surge of talented world class players as well as a world-class ex-Barcelona manager in Pep Guardiola, Bayern Munich have gone from strength to strength. Finishing in the semi-finals of last year's tournament after losing to eventual winners Barcelona, Bayern definitely have the skills to go all the way. With dominant scorers such as Robert Lewandowski and powerful midfielders Ribery and Gotze, Bayern Munich have the talent to finish at the top. But there are rumors of top scorer Thomas Muller joining an English club, which could have a big impact on how well Bayern Munich perform in Europe this season.
Manchester City
The English club has spent scores over the last few years, and this has clearly paid dividends, placing City within Europe’s elite. However, manager Manuel Pellegrini and their Anglo-Arab owners City Football Group have yet to taste the glory that is the Champions League final. Failing to ever get past the quarter-finals, earning a spot in the championship game will be the club’s top priority this year. No doubt, with English clubs benefiting from a new TV cash windfall, City will be preparing to pay over the odds for players who can help bolster their squad with the experience of playing in the Champions League.
Real Madrid
Home of stars such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, and James Rodriguez, Real Madrid are looking to build on what was a disappointing end of last season. After starting the season strongly, the Madrid team stuttered at the end of last year to lose to eventual runners up Juventus. Of course, for Madrid, the target every year is to win the Champions League, and they most definitely have the resources and talent to pull it off. Much of their success stems upon new manager Rafael Benitez, who was successful with winning the Champions League with Liverpool in 2004/5. He certainly brings a host of experience to Real Madrid, and he will need to — because managing a team of Galacticos is no easy feat.
Juventus
Runners up in last year’s competition, Juventus clearly are a formidable side. But there was a certain degree of luck which played into their journey to the final. One issue this year is finances —with other European clubs benefiting from huge TV payments, Juventus is left reeling with less finances to transfer world-class stars. How will The Old Lady cope against other clubs looking to sign their talented stars? Their talented young French midfielder Paul Pogba was instrumental in their quest for Champions League glory last year, but has recently attracted interest from PSG, Barcelona, and Manchester City.
Manchester United
Manchester United did not compete in last season's Champions League because of a previously poor season under ex-manager David Moyes, who has since departed the club. Under new experienced manager Louis Van Gaal, Manchester United are constantly improving, making many world-class signings, and getting the team playing more fluid football. For the Red Devils, this season may be a season too early, and they still require time for their new signings to adjust before we can call them real title contenders. With Wayne Rooney at the spearhead of their attack, they have talented individuals — but not at the same level as their Spanish counterparts.
Barcelona
What list would be complete without Barcelona? The Catalonia team won last season’s Champions League with a 3-1 demolition of Juventus, and have been sweeping away teams with ease over the last couple of years. Critics raised questions over whether they could carry on their brand of ‘tiki-taka’ football after manager Pep Guardiola left for Bayern Munich, but it seems that with the signings of Neymar and Luis Suarez, they’ve gone from strength to strength. With key player Lionel Messi scoring 10 goals in 13 appearances, he does not let playing on Europe's top stage frighten him.
Paris Saint-Germain
A club thrust into the limelight within the last five years, PSG have benefitted from huge backings from Qatar Sports Investments. They’ve managed to capture such stars such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Edinson Cavani, and ex-Chelsea man David Luiz. PSG are ExpressVPN’s dark horse for this year's tournament.
Are you excited for the start of the Champions League yet?
Kicking off very shortly, the biggest and best teams in Europe will again battle it out to be crowned kings of Europe. Let us know, are there any other underdogs heavily tipped to perform well? Have we missed your club out? Let us know in the comments!
Featured photo: Vitaly Krivosheev / Dollar Photo Club
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