Expectations for the new Champions League season: who will win and who to follow

The Champions League 2026/27 promises to be the hunting season for PSG. Parisians have won two draws in a row and can now turn their winning streak into a European dynasty. But the queue of people willing to interrupt her is impressive.: Arsenal reached the final, Barcelona strengthened the middle of the field, and Real Madrid trusted Jose Mourinho again. At the same time, the autumn balance of power leaves room for surprises. All the details are in the Izvestia article.

Analysts do not have a single favorite. In the Opta forecast, Arsenal received 20.9% of the title, Bayern Munich — 19.4%, and the current champion PSG — only 7.1%. Manchester City has the third indicator — 12.3%: a team with Erling Holland is dangerous even against the background of perestroika. In the ESPN poll, Barcelona was chosen most often: five out of fifteen votes. The discrepancy is understandable: past results help to assess the strength of the team, but the effect of summer changes has yet to be tested in big matches.

PSG remains a landmark primarily thanks to Hvich Kvaratskhelia and Vitinya. The Georgian finished the previous Champions League with ten goals, six assists and the award for the best player of the tournament, while the Portuguese was the best in the final. It's interesting to watch them together: Hvicha aggravates and forces defenders to back away, Vitinha controls the pace and helps to get out from under pressure. This is a strong argument in favor of another long campaign by Luis Enrique's team. But after two wins, it's especially difficult to keep fresh and ready to work with the same dedication.

However, Barcelona looks like one of the most tempting contenders to replace the champion. Lamin Yamal is able to solve an episode with a stroke or a pass, but for a long tournament he needs reliable support. Rodri's arrival should help: an experienced defender knows how to choose a position, keep the ball under pressure and insure his partners. For Yamal, this is a chance to get the ball more often where it is especially dangerous. For Hans-Dieter Flick, it is an opportunity to maintain attacking courage by reducing the number of situations when an opponent cuts off half a team with one pass.

Arsenal is interesting because they have almost gone the necessary distance. The last final was lost on penalties, and Mikel Arteta's team finished the overall stage with eight wins. Now a lot depends on how diverse the attack becomes. Bukayo Saca remains the main source of threat on the right, and the arrival of Bruno Guimaraes adds options for moving the ball through the center. If the opponents have to keep a closer eye on the central midfielders, Saka will get more comfortable one-on-one situations. Just such a small improvement may be enough for Londoners to take a decisive step.

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Bayern have the main pair to watch — Harry Kane and Michael Olise, both of whom were part of the symbolic national team of the previous Champions League. The Englishman is dangerous with both finishing and passing from deep; the Frenchman can take advantage of the free space, beat the opponent and finish the attack himself. Lennart Karl, who has already scored goals for Arsenal and Sporting in the tournament, is growing up next to him. We should expect the next step from him: a more noticeable influence on decisive matches. For Vincent Kompany's team, playing without the ball will be a test: with a high position of defenders, unsuccessful pressure is too expensive.

Real Madrid is attracted by the combination of Mourinho and Kylian Mbappe. The Frenchman scored fifteen goals in the last Champions League, but Madrid stopped in the quarterfinals. Therefore, the main question is addressed to the coach: will he be able to make the team organized enough so that the forward's performance determines the outcome of the entire confrontation? Mbappe is especially dangerous when there is room to accelerate. If Real Madrid learns how to defend reliably and deliver the ball to him quickly after selection, he will become an extremely unpleasant opponent in the playoffs. However, the coach's name alone is not enough for such a transformation.

Liverpool should be watched as a team with plenty of room for growth. After the victory over Atletico, we can note the vulnerability of the support zone and how the improvement in pressure helped hide it. Andoni Iraola needs to ensure that defenders and midfielders move synchronously: then it will be more difficult for opponents to find free zones between them. A separate interest is Bradley Barkola. Even with limited participation in the draw, he got dangerous moments; when his ties with his partners grew stronger, his speed could become one of the main attacking arguments.

For those who are looking for an opening beyond the usual circle, there is a "Como". Cesc Fabregas led the club to the Champions League just two seasons after returning to Serie A. His team builds attractive football around technically strong players, among whom Niko Paz stands out. In the last Italian championship, the Argentine scored 12 goals and seven assists. Now he has to prove that his ingenuity also works against the best defensive systems in Europe. It would be excessive to expect an immediate fight for the cup from a debutant, but reaching the playoffs and a few bright evenings are quite capable of making Como one of the teams that will be remembered more than many favorites.