Will Luis Enrique lead Paris Saint-Germain to a different UEFA Champions League remaining?
(Nicolò Campo by way of Getty Pictures)
The returns Tuesday, and with it comes the bragging rights, daring predictions and inevitable letdowns. Some golf equipment already seems to be like they have the firepower to go all the way in which, whereas others are hanging on by status greater than type. So, which squad is basically constructed to win all of it? Luis Miguel Echegaray shares his reply together with his early high six favorites to go all the way in which.
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1. Liverpool
The highest choose should not be a shock as a result of at this very second, Arne Slot’s squad is finest geared up to turn out to be champion and win its seventh Champions League/European Cup and the primary since 2018-19.
Now we have to additionally keep in mind how the Premier League champion kicked off the event final time round, which was additionally Slot’s managerial debut with the membership. In 2024-25, the Reds ended on the high of the league section desk by incomes probably the most factors (21) and wins (7) out of any membership and gained each recreation at Anfield, scoring 10 targets and conceding just one. Their solely loss got here within the remaining matchday towards PSV Eindhoven and this was primarily as a result of the facet was closely rotated after guaranteeing a top-spot end. Ultimately, PSG — the eventual champion — knocked Liverpool out within the Spherical of 16 in a penalty shootout after an incredible battle at Anfield.
However this season, Liverpool is way, far deeper and its massively aggressive summer time within the switch market (£446 million) was for this precise cause. Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike convey a lot high quality, Slot will be capable to give extra relaxation to 33-year-old Mohamed Salah every time wanted. These new signings additionally push different members to compete for his or her locations and create wholesome competitors, that’s why somebody like Cody Gakpo, for instance, continues to keep up his place.
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Now, the primary eight matches do supply some robust exams so Anfield’s residence assist will as soon as once more be wanted. And the true challenges will come within the knockout levels, when the marathon season asks a variety of your squad. However once more, that’s why the cash was spent. All in all, once you’re the defending champion of the richest league within the recreation and observe it with a record-breaking summer time of spending and kick issues off with 4 straight wins, that claims so much in regards to the aims of a champion.
Liverpool needs all of it and subsequently leads my rankings.
2. Paris Saint-Germain
The defending champion made historical past final season with its first ever Champions League trophy and to be trustworthy, I noticed it coming from January. Due to the departure of Kylian Mbappé, Luis Enrique was in a position to absolutely deal with his do-or-die philosophy the place the collective will of the staff was extra necessary than any particular person.
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A number of gamers did remarkably nicely and really outperformed expectations, starting with Ousmane Dembélé, whose 33 targets and 13 assists throughout all competitions catapulted him into the Ballon d’Or dialog. But it surely wasn’t nearly him. From the great 20-year-old Désiré Doué to January’s arrival Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, PSG’s weapons had been too overwhelming for anybody final season. The French giants additionally achieved a historic treble, putting them as the one French staff to win Ligue 1, Coupe de France and the Champions League in a single season.
After dropping to Chelsea within the Membership World Cup remaining this summer time, PSG clearly wanted a relaxation and the Spanish supervisor modified pre-season in August with the intention to make certain his squad averted main bodily and psychological issues. The primary 4 league video games of the season have subsequently felt just about like preseason fixtures as Luis Enrique has utilized a variety of his younger gamers to return off the bench. PSG is so wealthy in expertise that it doesn’t even matter because it has gained each match.
There are some worries, nonetheless, as Dembélé and Doué suffered accidents in the course of the worldwide break, forcing the membership to complain to the French FA for inflicting “vital sporting penalties” and appeared for “swift and quick corrective motion.”
However when it comes to the Champions League, I see PSG’s league section journey much like final season, which was gradual. It’s a troublesome set of matches that features Atalanta, Barcelona, Bayer Leverkusen, Bayern Munich, Tottenham and Athletic Membership, Sporting and Newcastle United.
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That’s not simple.
However I believe, as soon as the knockout stage arrives, Luis Enrique and PSG will as soon as once more take a look at its may and look to hitch Actual Madrid as the one membership to win back-to-back Champions League titles. It’s a tough problem however PSG can lastly say it has been right here earlier than.
Hansi Flick head coach of Barcelona celebrates the victory after successful the Copa del Rey Ultimate match between FC Barcelona and Actual Madrid at Estadio de La Cartuja on April 26, 2025 in Seville, Spain. (Photograph by Jose Breton/Pics Motion/NurPhoto by way of Getty Pictures)
(NurPhoto by way of Getty Pictures)3. Barcelona
Final season, Barcelona was a objective machine within the competitors, scoring 43 targets in 14 matches, which in accordance with Opta Analyst, is a mean of three.1 targets a match. As well as, Hansi Flick has a implausible successful and scoring document within the Champions League. Once you mix Bayern Munich and Barcelona, the German supervisor has led his groups to attain a mixed 100 targets in 32 matches.
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This can be a younger staff that retains rising and, on this specific event, will preserve growing right into a squad that may go far. And right here’s the factor, the Catalan membership is not only about Lamine Yamal, removed from it. On Sunday, Barcelona destroyed Valencia 6-0 with a treble of braces from Fermín López, Raphinha and the veteran Robert Lewandowski. Yamal’s present state of affairs has him sidelined with a groin damage attributable to his time with the Spanish nationwide staff within the worldwide break and Flick is livid with the Spanish FA, so his availability for the primary recreation towards Newcastle United is up within the air. However, Barcelona don’t simply rely upon him.
I’ll say, nonetheless, that Barcelona’s possibilities of successful its first Champions League title in additional than a decade is all the way down to dealing with their preliminary schedule (hardest matches embody away at Newcastle United, PSG and Chelsea) and with the ability to get a top-eight spot with the intention to relaxation as a lot as attainable in 2026. Additionally, we’ve to see how Flick manages the roster as a result of he is aware of that success is essentially depending on protecting them wholesome in a marathon season. Marcus Rashford’s arrival helps and there are different additions equivalent to goalkeeper Joan García (to start out as Marc-André ter Stegen recovers from again surgical procedure) however the query shall be, is it sufficient? Can the Blaugrana defend a league title while additionally reaching a Champions League remaining? Will they lastly be capable to play at their revamped Camp Nou?
Time will inform.
4. Bayern Munich
Beneath Vincent Kompany, Bayern Munich is a really spectacular machine and never sufficient is being mentioned about their possibilities from of us who don’t watch the Bundesliga.
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Similar to Liverpool, the Bavarians are additionally trying to find their seventh Champions League/European Cup title and their first since 2019-20, after they defeated PSG due to a Kingsley Coman objective. Final season, they had been knocked out by Inter Milan within the quarterfinal levels, however this was extra about Inter’s resiliency profiting from a Bayern staff that couldn’t end. They took 40 pictures in two matches and scored solely 3 times. The primary leg was a 2-2 attract Milan while the second leg in Munich noticed Inter come out on high with a 2-1 end result, regardless of the German squad trying to discover a solution. The squad was additionally coping with absences together with Alphonso Davies, Jamal Musiala, Manuel Neuer and Dayot Upamecano.
However this summer time, they strengthened with the additions of Luis Díaz, who has began extraordinarily nicely together with his new membership. The Colombian already has three targets and two assists, making him the fourth new signing in Bayern Munich historical past to attain three targets in his first three league matches. Nicolas Jackson, on mortgage from Chelsea, can also be an excellent addition and, at 24 years outdated, his ceiling stays very excessive. The German recreation shall be nice for him and most significantly, he’ll assist alleviate the strain on Harry Kane (extra on the prolific English striker in a second). Jonathan Tah’s arrival from Bayer Leverkusen additionally offers depth and there’s additionally excellent news concerning Musiala’s horrific ankle and leg damage, which he suffered in the course of the Membership World Cup, because the younger German star is progressing properly and goals for a return later within the yr.
All in all, once you add Michael Olise (4 targets, an help in 4 matches in all competitions to this point) and Serge Gnabry (two targets, two assists) there’s a variety of inventive energy right here.
And all of it begins and ends with the aforementioned Kane, who, alongside Erling Haaland, is at present the most effective middle ahead within the recreation. Kane doesn’t cease. This season, he has continued on his superb scoring document from final marketing campaign (Bundesliga’s high scorer with 26 targets) because the Englishman already has 5 league targets (eight in all competitions) and three assists.
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On Saturday, Bayern thrashed Hamburg 5-0, making it three league wins from three. We’re solely in mid-September(!) and the defending league champion already has 14 targets.
A few of the membership’s league section matches are tough as they embody the opener towards Chelsea with a visit to PSG and Arsenal, however so long as it retains a top-eight end and a bye into the Spherical of 16, I don’t see why Bayern Munich couldn’t do all the pieces attainable to succeed in the ultimate in Budapest on Could 30 subsequent yr.
5. Actual Madrid
One thing is brewing in Madrid underneath new supervisor Xabi Alonso.
The start of the marketing campaign has been spectacular for Los Blancos as they at present lead La Liga with 4 victories from 4. It’s early however the transition from Carlo Ancelotti’s philosophy is shortly being picked up by the squad. There have been no questions on Mbappé, who’s the bona fide star because the Frenchman is already on a mission to ship after final season the place he broke Ivan Zamorano’s 32-year-old document and ended his first Actual Madrid marketing campaign with 44 targets in all competitions. A really unbelievable achievement. Presently, his 4 league targets lead the scoring charts in Spain, while 20-year-old Turkish star Arda Güler is just not solely delivering, however he’s turning into a trusted weapon for Alonso. Each scored Saturday towards Actual Sociedad.
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However Mbappé continues to be trying to find that first Champions League title so he’ll want his Actual Madrid teammates to additionally paved the way, together with Vinicius Jr, who’s coping with new tasks and preventing to maintain his beginning function underneath the Basque supervisor. The identical goes for Trent Alexander-Arnold, whose begin within the Spanish capital has additionally not been constant. Alonso is rotating the English fullback with veteran Dani Carvajal, however the supervisor stresses the significance of competitors in positions and the way this makes for a greater staff. The return of Jude Bellingham, who’s again within the squad after shoulder surgical procedure, is a welcomed addition however Antonio Rüdiger’s lengthy absence attributable to a muscle damage is a matter.
So there are a variety of modifications at Madrid and that’s why I don’t have the membership as excessive in my energy rankings as a result of I don’t understand how far it may well go within the Champions League, particularly in Alonso’s first marketing campaign with the membership within the competitors. The acquainted voices of knowledge often remind us by saying, “in Europe, by no means ever disregard Actual Madrid,” and it’s true, that is probably the most profitable membership in Champions League historical past and identical to Michael Myers, you’ll be able to by no means kill them off.
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However this season, proper now, can I say with certainty that it’s going to win out over the likes of Liverpool, the defending champion PSG, the German large Bayern Munich and Clásico rival Barcelona (winner of final 4 encounters) and win its sixteenth title? Not proper now I can’t.
6. Arsenal
Sorry, Manchester Metropolis, Chelsea (or Serie A) however my remaining choose goes to Arsenal and actually, I’d put the Gunners greater had been it not for the truth that they’ve by no means gained this competitors and that also haunts my decision-making. However, Arsenal followers, you must also take it as a praise that I’ve you right here within the first place as a result of it speaks to the super job Andrea Berta and Mikel Arteta have accomplished for the 2025/2026 marketing campaign.
Arsenal is the one staff on this checklist that has by no means gained the event however the religion for this membership to interrupt that undesirable statistic has by no means been stronger. primarily stating that that is now a squad of respectable, title-winning pedigree and the one query shall be, can Arteta deal with the strain of attempting to win the membership’s first Premier League title in additional than twenty years in addition to main his staff to its first Champions League trophy? It’s very a lot a attainable situation and when it comes to energy rankings, the argument for him to take action is completely there. But it surely’s a complete different factor once we quick ahead to spring and take care of a strenuous calendar and what it would convey.
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Arsenal can certainly do that. It could actually win the Champions League as a result of it has the instruments to take action, which could not be mentioned final season, even after beating Actual Madrid over the course of two legs in majestic style within the quarterfinal stage. Towards eventual champion PSG within the semifinal, Arsenal as soon as once more fought so laborious, however the reliance on sure people like Bukayo Saka was evident. That’s not the case this time round. Arteta has many weapons at his disposal.
However the actual victory begins with Arsenal’s defensive unit because the Gunners have allowed solely 18 targets in 24 UCL matches underneath Arteta. That’s an amazing stat and once you add the likes of Piero Hincapié and Cristhian Mosquera, then the defensive unit turns into even stronger. Taking part in the likes of Atlético de Madrid, Bayern Munich and Inter shall be a problem however the purpose is for Arsenal to acquire a bye into the Spherical of 16 after which hopefully turn out to be more durable to beat because the knockout stage develops.
You are able to do it, Arsenal. Let’s get you greater in these rankings.