Manchester City started the Champions League with a 4–0 away win over Sevilla.
Erling Haaland scored the second of the evening and City’s third in Sevilla. PDO
Familiar favorites appear in the Champions League winner bet.
The Champions League, which started on Tuesday, will be played on an exceptionally tight schedule this autumn.
The entire six-round group stage has been reduced to less than two months. Otherwise, the biggest change seems to be Cristiano Ronaldo intervention. The last time the Portuguese was not seen at Europe’s elite level was in the fall of 2002.
The significance of 20 years can be seen in the fact that, for example, Barcelona Ansu Fati, Peter and Gaviof Real Madrid Edouardo Camavingaof Bayern Munich Jamal Musialaof Liverpool Harvey Elliott and Borussia Dortmund Jude Bellingham weren’t born yet when Ronaldo kicked the already dented Uefa Cup in Sporting’s shirt.
No surprises
Uefa is naturally proud of its own crown jewel, even though the group stage has unfortunately become a by-word for practically all super clubs.
In this season’s pre-favorites, the same names are buzzing as always before.
The biggest champion candidate is With Erling Haaland strengthened Manchester City.
– I hope he can help us, but he alone will not win the Champions League. In important games, he can solve some of our problems, manager Pep Guardiola downplayed the Norwegian’s importance.
On Tuesday, the Norwegian scored two goals as City humiliated Sevilla in Andalusia. The final numbers were recorded as 0–4, which may already mean the end of the head coach Julen Lopetegui for the reign.
Haaland has had an explosive start to his career in England, but the same can be said for Real Madrid’s number one acquisition Aurélien from Tchouaménwho has taken command in the midfield of the white shirts.
Five-time Champions League winner Casemiro found the competitive situation so hopeless that he decided to cool off at Manchester United.
Real Madrid shirt Carlo Ancelotti laughed at the talk that the club giant would not be among the favorites.
– That’s just a good sign. Last year we were given even fewer chances, the Italian smiled.
Young eagles Federico Valverde, Vinicius and Rodrygo are all a year older and more experienced, so at least on paper Madrid is clearly stronger than last season.
The position is enviable for the reigning European champion.
On Tuesday, Madrid ran under Celtic’s legs. Vinícius completed the visitors’ opening goal in Glasgow.
The story continues after the picture
Vinícius started Real Madrid’s goal celebrations in Glasgow. PDO
Clearance sale
The best “capture” of PSG’s transfer window was definitely Kylian Mbappé staying in Paris.
Otherwise, the sports director Luis Campos is focused on streamlining the team. A total of 23 first team players were allowed to pack their bags, but the Parisian press only focused on the contentious relationship between Neymar and Mbappé.
In addition to City, Real Madrid and PSG, all the old familiars are counted as favourites: Liverpool, Bayern Munich and maybe even Barcelona, which had the biggest buying and selling movement of the summer.
The Catalan club has completely reinvented itself, and now it can credibly say that it has one of the most credible player rosters in the entire futsal world. In the very last minutes of the transfer window, the team acquired two new full-backs (Héctor Bellerín and Marcos Alonso) as if only to underline the completeness of the metamorphosis.