6 favourites for the Champions League: Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and the chances of an English success

Conclusion

Barcelona, Bayern and Juventus have all weakened since last season, but they still represent significant hurdles for any English team. The other three clubs are much stronger propositions than last year, and will all require Herculean efforts to beat over two legs. PSG still have to prove that they have the right mentality for this level, but Neymar is likely to provide this with Mbappé also looking likely to join.

City and United both have coaches who know what is needed to win at this level. This means they are likely to get the best out of the resources at their disposal. Guardiola favours a possession-based style which prioritises creativity while Jose Mourinho favours defensive rigidity with a counter-attacking threat. These styles both have merit based on the success of both managers, but it will still be a tough task for them to beat any of the six teams mentioned.

Tottenham and Liverpool both have managers who get the best out of their squads. However, this is a different level entirely from the Premier League. Antonio Conte has fashioned Chelsea into a solid side by using three at the back. They relied heavily on Eden Hazard and Diego Costa for their mix of being creative and clinical last season. It remains to be seen whether Morata can be an adequate replacement for Costa, and if Hazard can get straight back to his best after his injury.

Next: Coutinho makes strange request of Liverpool

It’s unlikely that any English team will be strong enough to win it this season. Although, there should be better representation in the latter stages of the competition based on the squads at their disposal. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see an English team in the semi-finals.