Football is all about sparking debates, arguing with your friends and most importantly, having passion for both the game, and for your club. I regularly debate with my good friend Matt Knouff and just last week we were locked in a heated battle to decide who would win this year’s Champions League. The European Cup has always been one of the world’s best club tournaments and since it was christened the Champions League, it has only got better.
Opinions are everything in football, and here is who I think has the best chance of winning this year’s competition.
Paris St Germain
PSG are the bookies favorite to win the years’ competition, and it is easy to see why. The Paris outfit have made a mockery of Financial Fair Play and last summer they bought both Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, for an accumulative total of around 500 million Euros. Now, whilst leagues can be bought, Champions League’s are a little harder to come by, thankfully for PSG fans, they have been blowing the competition away. PSG won’t have it easy though, with a tough last 16 tie against current champions Real Madrid. Madrid are struggling in the league this year, and failed to top their CL group, with that being said, they are a team of winners who boast the likes of Bale and Ronaldo in their team. Should PSG beat Real, the trophy could well be theirs.
Man City
Despite becoming a real force in the English Premier League over the last 8 years, Man City simply have not been able to do the same in the Champions League. This year however, under the tutelage of Pep Guardiola, Man City have completely eviscerated the Premier League, and their Champions League form is just the same. Guardiola is a manager who knows just what it takes to win things and he has been fully backed by the owners in the transfer market. With his new players adding to the team, plus the rest of the team believing in the Guardiola philosophy, it will be no surprise at all if the Blues went on to win the whole competition.
Manchester United
With Real Madrid struggling, Bayern Munich looking a shadow of their former selves, and Juventus lacking real conviction, this could be the year that the Red Devils reclaim their position as kings of Europe. After some tough years following Alex Ferguson’s departure, United look to be on firm ground again, with Jose Mourinho doing what he does best. Mourinho has been allowed to invest in some top quality players such as Romelu Lukaku, Paul Pogba, and the recently signed Alexis Sanchez, all of whom could be enough to take Manchester United to the final this year. Mourinho has won the Champions League twice before, with Porto and Inter, with teams which really had no right to win anything. Mourinho also took United to success in last year’s Europa League, so his winning credentials are more than in tact. A kind draw, and Manchester United could well be crowned European Champions.