Mid-September is here, and we all know what that means: it’s time for European football, with the new Champions League campaign kicking off on Tuesday, 16 September. It’s the same situation we had last season, with the Champions League kicking off before the other two major European club competitions.
We’ve had one campaign to get used to the new format, so it was easier for everyone to follow the draw now that we know what to expect this season.
Who Are This Season’s Favourites?
We can’t help it but look at the outright odds the bookmakers have set for this season’s favourites to win the Champions League. As you could have expected, the top three really come as no surprise, especially when we look at last season.
Liverpool, Barcelona and last season’s champions, PSG, are given almost equal chances at winning the title this time around. The only other clubs that come anywhere near the favourites are Arsenal and Real Madrid, the first because of last season’s success, the latter probably because of its Champions League tradition
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What Can We Expect to See in the Group Stage?
Although we were a bit sceptical about the new format, especially the one large group and more games at that stage, last season’s final group stage round brought so much of the desired excitement that the chief people at UEFA were promising with the new format.
We expect this campaign to bring something similar. The first round itself brings some interesting matches, such as Juventus hosting Borussia Dortmund, or Atletico Madrid travelling to Liverpool, or Chelsea playing against Bayern Munich.
This is only the first round, and there will be plenty more top football action this season. Happy Champions League start, everyone!
