With the Champions League season up for grabs again albeit the Group stages, my title contenders for this season as indicated before Matchday 1 are as follows:
1. Bayern Munich
With their 2019/20 UCL winning coach, Hansi Flick assuming the reigns of the German National team role, Bayern were surely not short of options as they smoothly swooped for attacking minded Julien Nigelsmann of RB Leipzig. And with Nigelsmann having had enough time in preseason to implement his tactics, the Bayern German machine has already sparked and moved into 2nd gear. With Bayern knocked out of last year’s Champions League by PSG in the quarter finals due to the obvious absence of their star striker, Robert Lewandowski, there has been a clear backup plan this season to prevent such from reoccurring. Nigelsmann has clearly started playing deputy striker Chippo-Mouting in the last 30 minutes of games and even starting him in the DFB Pokal cup matches so that the team gets used to playing with him as their striker. Thus the team would be able to thrive in the event of Lewandowski’s absence via injury just like in last year’s UCL.
Now, why is Bayern number 1 on my list? With the away goal removed in this year’s Champions League, the knockout stages will favour the attacking teams and with Bayern’s plethora of attacking options and styles via crosses, passes, counter-attack etc and not shorting personnel in Lewandowski, Gnabry, Sane, Muller, Musiala etc, I expect this Bayern team to able to break down any defence in this world to reclaim their trophy after 2019/20’s triumph 2 seasons ago.
2. Chelsea
Thomas Tuchel! Thomas Tuchel!! Thomas Tuchel!!!
The Chelsea Champions League success of last season cannot be said without the mention of the fine tactical brain of German Manager, Thomas Tuchel. After replacing sacked Lampard (Tuchel, himself sacked by PSG), Tuchel said he’s going to build a team no one wants to face. We all thought that was a joke. But his transformation on the Chelsea team has been so clear that Chelsea is the team to beat in Europe this season. With a solid foundation of defence in a 3-4-2-1 system and effective wingbacks in Alonso/Chilwell and Reece James/ Hudson-Odoi on both flanks assisting a midfield two combination of Kante, Jorginho /Kovacic, the Chelsea team has been so well drilled such that this team has kept more clean sheets than goals conceded since Tuchel’s arrival in England. That’s also due to the wonderful works of Edouard Mendy who has performed superbly anytime that stubborn defensive trio of Rudiger- Azpilicueta- Thiago Silva/ Christensen has been breached with top-notch saves to ensure Chelsea defence is still as solid as a rock.
It’s said strikers win matches and defence wins trophies and with such a solid defence, this Chelsea team is looking to be only team aside Champions League masters, Real Madrid to successfully defend their Champions League crown. That is not to say the Chelsea team is built on a solid defence with a toothless attack. With last year’s problem of lack of goals tackled by the summer purchase of former striker, Romelu Lukaku, the early signs have already showed that Chelsea won’t be wasteful in front of goal especially with the creativity and speed of Mason Mount, Havertz, Ziyech and Werner supporting Lukaku upfront.
3. Paris Saint Germain (PSG).
With the capture of one of the greatest players of all time, Lionel Messi this summer by a PSG team that has been UCL finalist and semifinalist in the past two seasons, this might be the most lethal weapon they need to augment their awesome attacking threat of Mbappe, Neymar, Di Maria, Icardi alongside other great talents in their quest for the long awaited UCL title for their Qatari owners.
I know people are questioning if the PSG team can really gel together in such a galatico team following the purchases/signings of Sergio Ramos, Achraf Hakimi, Georginio Wijnaldum and Euro-winning goalkeeper Donnaruma from AC Milan with direct quotes of how the full galatico team of Real Madrid from 2003-2007 never won a Champions League. That point is very true and signs are even showing with PSG having to grind out wins via last minute winners in Ligue 1 instead of winning convincingly.
But I believe let’s give the new signings time to gel with the team and by February when the knockout stages kick off the team will be ready to battle Europe’s best teams for the Champions League trophy in the Russian city of Saint Petersburg. Also, I believe if it is more of a coaching problem with Mauricio Pochettino, the Qatari owners would learn from the Chelsea experience of last season to be ruthless and sack Poch with coaches like Zidane and Conte lurking in the background.
4. A Dark Horse
It’s been proven that every year, a dark horse emerges to challenge for the UCL trophy aside the main contenders. This year my dark horses aside these main 3 contenders are Man City, Liverpool and Real Madrid.
I know people will be asking how come Man City isn’t in my Top 3. I have said it on several platforms that Man City’s absence of a clear-cut striker will be their undoing in the final stretch of the Champions League. I know people will say without a striker they won last season’s EPL and made it to the UCL final. That’s true but lightning doesn’t strike twice: the top teams in Europe will figure out how to cancel out that attack of theirs without a main striker. Maybe, City might get a striker in January which will propel them to the title finally after last year’s final disappointment against Chelsea.
Klopp’s Liverpool is under the radar for most analysts considering how the then defending EPL champions had to struggle to qualify for Top 4 last season especially in the absence of Van Dijk and the various injuries they had season. But with a fully fit Van Dijk and the team eager to bounce back to Championship competing levels, this Liverpool team might pull a surprise if they make it to the UCL latter stages.
We can’t talk about any Champions League contenders without the mention of the Champions League masters themselves, Real Madrid. It’s noted that 13-time Champions Real Madrid even in the seasons they don’t do well in La Liga just find a way of doing well in their favourite competition. Hope you haven’t forgotten that Los Blancos made it to the UCL semifinals last season? And now with La Decima winning coach, Ancelotti back at the helm of the affairs, Real Madrid will be among the title contenders next season but anything can happen this year if Ancelotti’s works starts bearing fruits earlier than expected.
Sorry Man U fans that I couldn’t include you in my title contenders although you have one of the greatest players of all time, the goal machine, Ronaldo, CR7 added to your team.
Funny how after all these analysis an Athletico Madrid, Juventus or Borussia Dortmund would win the UCL come May??? Hahaha.
So that’s it and I sign out here.
Raymond Nketsiah here.
(FPL Ambassador @RayNkets & Football Columnist at http://www.kwekuwrites.wordpress.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCj1d_KAywuvuO0ppQgLvq2w)
Thanks to my Reviewers:
Rowland Ekuban @romekuban ; Daniel Dadzie @ddartie12 ; Precious Arku
Image Credit: Salomey Nketsiah
KWEKU Writes Sports 