The expanded and new-look Champions League is just around the corner and Europe’s premier competition promises to feature some more sensational stories in 2024/25.
Real Madrid widened the gap between themselves and their chasers at the end of last season, claiming a remarkable 15th European Cup after beating Borussia Dortmund in the final. You have to look all the way to Milan for the next most successful club in the competition, the Italian giants with seven titles.
However, this season’s Champions League will be bigger than ever. Four more teams will compete in the competition, and the group stage has been scrapped in favor of a simplified league stage process. How this might affect the tournament and its most successful teams remains to be seen.
With that in mind, here are the favorites for the 2024/25 season Champions League – classified
Inter claimed the Serie A title last season after reaching both Champions League glory in 2022/23. Losing the final 1-0 to Manchester City in a game that could have gone either way felt like a real missed opportunity for the Milanese club.
Their European record has been shockingly poor since their last triumph in 2010, and they again crashed out in the last 16 last season. But Simone Inzaghi has turned the Nerazzurri into one of the most devastating teams in Europe and in-form Lautaro Martinez enters the 2024/25 season fresh from firing Argentina to Copa America glory.
It is not out of the realm of possibility that Inter will challenge for the crown in the latter stages of the season, but there are a number of teams who are considered heavy favourites.
Paris Saint-Germain they have found remarkable ways to implode in the latter stages of the Champions League. For the club’s Qatari owners, it is the ultimate prize, and one that is still elusive.
2023/24 was another close call for the Ligue 1 champions, who reached the semi-final under Luis Enrique. After some sensible transfer business last summer and with Kylian Mbappe in form, it was one of their most impressive European campaigns in recent years.
However, he has now lost his talisman to Real Madrid and history suggests it may prove too difficult for PSG to claim a first European Cup.
Still, it would be foolish to discount the French giants.
Barcelona’s disastrous Champions League quarter-final loss to PSG last season was one of the key reasons behind Xavi’s sacking. In new manager Hansi Flick, they have someone with experience of lifting the Champions League trophy.
The German won the competition with Bayern Munich in 2019/20 and will be keen to add a second European Cup to his list of honors in Catalonia. Problems continue on and off the field for the Blaugrana, but they still have a very talented squad.
It will be a challenge for Flick to repeat his Bayern heroics on the continent in 2024/25 and Barça they are still in the shadow of Clasico rivals Real Madrid in terms of European success.
Bayern They were also semi-finalists in 2023/24 under Thomas Tuchel, but fell to a dramatic late defeat to eventual champions Real Madrid to deny the world a Klassiker final at Wembley for the second time in the 21st century. Subsequently, the curse of the Harry Kane trophy continued.
The signing of Vincent Kompany as Tuchel’s replacement certainly raised eyebrows. The Belgian was relegated with Burnley last season and has no experience of managing at such a high level.
However, the former Man City defender has a different philosophy centered around high-risk, high-reward passing football, which can serve Bayern’s exceptional squad well.
Surely things can’t get any worse for the Bavarians in 2024/25 after a trophyless season under Tuchel.
Like Barcelona and Bayern, Liverpool they are under new management for 2024/25. The departure of Jurgen Klopp at the end of last season has left a significant void, one that former Feyenoord boss Arne Slot has taken it upon himself to fill. The first signs are positive.
Liverpool supporters won’t be expecting a Champions League title in what is guaranteed to be a transitional season, but the Reds’ history in Europe’s premier competition means they can never be written off. With the likes of Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Alexis MacAllister in their ranks, they are in with a chance of winning a seventh European Cup.
Of course, it remains to be seen how effectively the tactical changes taking place at Slot will work in the Champions League, but some of Europe’s other big guns also find themselves in uncertain times. Could Liverpool take advantage?
The competition that arsenal I would like to win more than anyone else. The Gunners made a strong return to the competition in 2023/24 after many years away, reaching the quarter-finals with little fanfare. However, on the big stage, they froze.
Arsenal were favorites for the round of 16 with Bayern, but were let down under the weight of expectations. Mikel Arteta hopes that experience will be beneficial for the north London outfit for the upcoming Champions League campaign.
Arsenal have shown little sign of slowing their quest for domestic and European glory and have a squad that is reaching its peak, with plenty of game-changers in their ranks.
There are still question marks about the team’s mentality when the going gets tough.
Man City they were favorites to defend their Champions League crown in 2023/24 and had it not been for a couple of missed penalties in a quarter-final shoot-out with Real Madrid, they might have.
The 2022/23 champions look likely to throw their weight behind the competition this season and there is absolutely nothing stopping them from claiming a second triumph.
They have a world-class goalkeeper, a host of elite defenders, the best defensive midfielder in the world, incredible creative masters and a relentless finisher leading the line. They are unstoppable at their best.
Should Man City reclaim the Champions League in 2024/25, it could be a perfect way for Pep Guardiola to retire.
Current Champions Real Madrid have earned the right to be considered favorites for the 2024/25 season. The inclusion of Mbappe in their star-studded squad only improves their chances of a 16th European Cup.
Carlo Ancelotti’s side already have a European trophy in their pocket after winning the UEFA Super Cup in mid-August and are likely to improve as the season progresses. As their French superstar adjusts to new surroundings, it’s scary to think about the quality he boasts both on the field and in the dugout.
It would be brave to bet against Real Madrid in any Champions League campaign. His affinity with the competition is remarkable and his ability to take hits and still come out on top is second to none.
