The upcoming 19-20 UCL season beckons and it promises to be yet another exciting Champions league in the midst of gruelling league campaigns across the top 5 leagues in Europe.
The respective Champions of top 5 leagues last season are yet again the overwhelming favourites but others are more often than not capable enough to pull off an upset or two…
Here are the hot favourite teams who will ensure Liverpool have their task cut out to defend their title in the upcoming UCL season :
1. Manchester City
Although they seem to lose their mettle at key moments which cost them heavily last season as well , Manchester City is yet again gonna be a tough nut to crack for most teams, owing to their deep bench strength and the authoritative leadership of Pep Guardiola. Winning an intense league battle vs Liverpool, they are riding high on confidence as well.
2. FC Bayern Munich
They are not a team full of superstars but like every season , they have their all bases covered and look good to go deep in the tournament. Pulling off great signings in defence with Lucas Hernandez switching over from Atletico Madrid and Benjamin Pavard from VFB Stuttgart has not left many major chinks in their armour.
3. Juventus FC
It has been ” So Close Yet So Far ” for the ‘Old Lady’ on multiple occasions for the past few seasons, missing out to heavyweights Real Madrid & FC Barcelona in the finals as well. The loss to Ajax in the CL quarters last season propelled the Juventus Board to reinforce their midfield & central defence and they are just about doing it the perfect way. Adrien Rabiot, Aaron Ramsey & the 19 year old prodigy Matthijs De Ligt, alongwith the evergreen Cristiano Ronaldo , who has a knack of scoring in big matches , ensure this time Juventus might well go all the way.
4. FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona have been miserable in the away CL games, of late. It has made light work of all their league & domestic cup glory, where they have been consistently performing at their very best, outplaying the opponents in such a way that La Liga seems to be a fodder although it surely isn’t the case. FC Barcelona have one of the best players in the world but individual brilliance cannot be always sufficient enough to win a competition like the UCL (UEFA Champions League) – a fact which FC Barcelona have learnt the hard way. Frenkie De Jong is a much needed boost for the ageing midfield & Antoine Griezmann adds variety to the attack. If they are able to combine & glide well alongwith Messi, FC Barcelona might be the team to beat this season.
Also read about the top 5 summer signings this summer.
5. Real Madrid CF
With Zinedine Zidane back at the helm, Real Madrid had begun to compensate for their last season’s misery well before the new season started, sacking 2 managers in a forgettable season for the Los Blancos. Cometh the transfer window, Real Madrid came out all guns blazing & finally managed to lure Hazard away from Chelsea, much to the relief of madridistas who had to wait for an eternity for a Galactico signing. Alongwith hazard, Ferland Mendy, Rodrygo, Eder Militao & Luka Jovic too arrived at Madrid , who are bound to play a massive role in their campaign if they are to win a record extending 14th Champions League crown.
The experience & the firepower to seize the most crucial moments of the matches, provides Real Madrid the cutting edge over their rivals, who tend to succumb under pressure more often than not, and that’s when the Los Blancos will look to strike – yet again.
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