6 favourites for the Champions League: Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and the chances of an English success
The Spanish Teams
Atlético Madrid
Diego Simeone’s men have started the season poorly with a 2-2 draw away to newly promoted Girona. They also have a transfer ban imposed on them until the January window. Antoine Griezmann boosted their chances by committing for another season even though he was heavily linked with Manchester United. However, they have an ageing squad, which has been pushed to its limits as a team by Simeone’s smart tactics.
Vitolo is definitely going to join them in January, and Diego Costa looks like he is going to do the same. This will strengthen them at a key period because this is before the knockout ties. These acquisitions have the potential to make them a potent force because of the added attacking threat they bring. Combine this with their defensive solidity and it could be the extra dimension they need to finally win the Champions League.
Even without the signings, Los Rojiblancos are a team nobody wants to play because of how hard they are to beat and how much they make the opposition work. Real Madrid are the only side to beat them in knockout ties over the past four seasons, which shows how much of a difficult proposition they are. These are a side that any English side will struggle to beat even if the attacking reinforcements don’t settle in well for Atleti.
Barcelona
The Catalans are currently in a transitional period due to mismanagement from the board and the transfer of Neymar. This means they are much weaker compared to previous years, which is important because they have won three of the last ten titles. Positive steps are being taken, though, because Ousmane Dembélé, Philippe Coutinho and Jean Seri have all been heavily linked with the club.
They heavily rely on Lionel Messi for creativity and goals, so stopping him limits the team significantly. However, that is much easier said than done due to the Argentinian being the best player in the world. Juventus showed last season that a compact side, which is clinical on the break, can beat them.
The Spanish Super Cup against Real Madrid clearly showed their flaws with lack of control in midfield being key. Normality was restored, though, as they comfortably beat Real Betis 2-0 in their first league match of the season. Anything is possible with the talented Argentinian in the team, but this is the best chance in recent history for an English team to overcome them in a knockout tie.
Next: Barcelona to make final bid for Philippe Coutinho
Real Madrid
The main worry for English team will be Los Blancos. No team in Europe wants to play these because of their winning mentality and ridiculous depth of talent. They have won three of the last four titles, and are favourites for this one with good reason.
This transfer window has seen them boost their depth with young talent. Dani Ceballos is a talented ball-carrying midfielder, and Theo Hernández is a promising athletic left-back. They also have Marcos Llorente, Jesús Vallejo and Borja Mayoral all back from loan spells. Although, they did get rid of the experienced Pepe as well as James Rodríguez and Álvaro Morata who were mainly used as potent substitutes.
They have an excellent first XI with quality in every position as well as plenty of depth to cover injuries. The only potential major issue is if Dani Carvajal picks up an injury because they don’t have a backup in that position. Regardless, these will be the team to beat, and none of the English teams look good enough to stop them currently.