The Champions League is again and, as all the time, we’ll be on the sting of our seats because it all unfolds.
Can anybody cease back-to-back winners PSG from making it three in a row? Would possibly Arsenal be capable to go one higher than final season? And who will likely be this season’s darkish horses?
We love an underdog story and there are a good few groups who may catch us without warning this season.
Listed here are 10 in with an opportunity of getting an honest run within the Champions League this season, past the standard favourites.
10. Stuttgart
It’s been a combined begin to the season for Stuttgart, who bought thrashed by Bayern Munich however then thrashed FC Koln themselves.
You’ll be able to in all probability count on objectives a method or one other of their video games, then. That’s typically been the case underneath the administration of Sebastian Hoeness, who’s been linked with Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United previously.
However simply as they’ve managed to retain Hoeness’ providers, Stuttgart have saved maintain of some coveted gamers this summer time. Angelo Stiller has caught round, as has Jamie Leweling.
Stuttgart had been eradicated within the league section final time they had been within the Champions League, in 2024-25. The final time they reached the knockouts was again in 2009-10.
If Hoeness and his proficient cohort are actually price their salt, they need to be seeking to enhance on that this time round.
9. Como
With all due respect to your LASKs, your Sabahs and your Vikings, of all of the Champions League debutants this season, it’s Como who you’re feeling have the perfect likelihood of inflicting just a few upsets.
Backed by huge wealth – which they’ve invested properly – and with Cesc Fabregas flexing his tactical muscle tissues as their head coach, Como have taken Serie A by storm since their promotion in 2024.
These days, they’re nicely and really mixing it with the large boys in Italy, ending some extent above AC Milan and two above Juventus final season to clinch fourth place.
Don’t be fooled by the very fact you’ve by no means seen them as a membership at this stage. In actual fact, the vast majority of their gamers have graced a Champions League stage earlier than, even when they may not have gotten very far.
Nico Paz is the gem of their group, however preserve a watch out for Martin Baturina, who’s much less well-known however arguably simply as huge a expertise.
They’ve swelled their squad with new faces like Moise Kean, Yan Couto, Trevoh Chalobah and Robert Sanchez this summer time.
8. Lille
If the Champions League winners are to come back from France, it is going to virtually definitely be PSG once more.
Lille aren’t at that stage. However don’t overlook them as a group that might have a run within the competitors.
They’ve had an unbeaten begin in Ligue 1, even drawing with PSG within the course of. And, being brutally trustworthy, the one sides of the same stature they should face within the league section are Arsenal and Bayern Munich.
Davide Ancelotti has taken cost of Lille this season, and he’ll be hoping Champions League know-how runs within the household, given his father’s success at this stage over time.
Lille have misplaced Matias Fernandez-Pardo to Newcastle this summer time, which is a blow. However they nonetheless have firepower up entrance with the veteran Olivier Giroud main the road in all three of their league video games to date.
7. Bodo/Glimt
By no means thoughts if you are able to do it on a chilly, wet evening in Stoke; are you able to do it within the Arctic Circle?
That’s a query a number of golf equipment have needed to wrestle with in recent times. Manchester Metropolis, Inter Milan, Roma, Lazio, Porto and Sporting CP are all among the many groups to have misplaced on their travels to Bodo, even when some ultimately made it by on combination.
After a run to the Europa League semi-finals two seasons in the past, Kjetil Knutsen’s facet made it to the Champions League spherical of 16 final season, knocking Inter out alongside the best way.
Knutsen has been accountable for Bodo/Glimt since 2018 and has labored wonders up there, successful their first 4 Norwegian league titles.
Bodo/Glimt are usually not an unknown entity anymore due to his work and it shouldn’t shock anybody in the event that they trigger an upset or two at any time when they’re taking part in in Europe.
It’ll be a tall order for them to make it out of the league section once more, however rule them out at your peril.
6. Fenerbahce
Had this Fenerbahce squad been assembled 10 years in the past, we would not have been speaking about them as darkish horses, however potential candidates to go all the best way.
Ederson, Nathan Ake, N’Golo Kante and Marco Asensio all have Champions League winner’s medals of their cupboards, in any case.
The caveat is that each one of them are of their thirties now and previous their primes. Nonetheless, they need to have sufficient know-how to win video games at this stage.
They are going to be counting on the likes of Mason Greenwood and Nene Dorgeles to supply some tempo of their assault, in assist of Romelu Lukaku. In concept, there are objectives on this group.
Imagine it or not, that is their first time past the qualifying rounds of the Champions League since 2008. That appears uncommon for a membership of their dimension, so they are going to be hoping to do extra than simply make up the numbers.
They’ve had a combined begin within the Turkish Tremendous Lig, although, so might want to gel quickly.
5. RB Leipzig
RB Leipzig reached the Champions League semi-finals in 2020, though the quarter-final being one-legged might have helped.
Nonetheless, it’s the furthest they’ve ever bought within the competitors, which they missed solely final season.
Now with Martin Demichelis as their new head coach, their ambitions stay excessive. The return of Christopher Nkunku to an surroundings he beforehand thrived in is intriguing, even after his struggles to determine himself at Chelsea or AC Milan.
They are going to be hoping to see an upturn from Johan Bakayoko this season, whereas Marc Guiu is an fascinating signing and conserving maintain of Antonio Nusa was a press release of intent.
Leipzig didn’t qualify from the league section final time they had been within the Champions League, however on paper there’s sufficient expertise of their squad to face an opportunity of reaching the knockouts this time, so long as they will steadiness out any injury carried out by more durable opponents like Actual Madrid and Manchester Metropolis.
4. Galatasaray
We had Galatasaray ninth in our darkish horse rating this time final 12 months, lured in by their possession of one of many world’s greatest strikers, Victor Osimhen.
They in the end made it to the spherical of 16, beating Liverpool within the first leg earlier than falling to an combination defeat.
Not solely have they retained Osimhen, however they will now boast the presence of Rafael Leao of their assault as nicely after signing him from AC Milan this summer time.
That’s some critical star high quality, with each gamers imagined to be of their prime at 27.
Moreover, the expertise of Ilkay Gundogan, a earlier Champions League winner with Manchester Metropolis, offers them substance in addition to fashion.
3. Porto
Porto have been completely flying within the Portuguese high flight this season, with 5 wins from 5 video games and just one objective conceded alongside the best way.
Francesco Farioli’s facet are again within the Champions League after a two-season absence following their Primeira Liga title win final season.
Star striker Samu Aghehowa should be injured, however they’ve introduced in Santiago Gimenez as a brand new striker and nonetheless have skills like Gabri Veiga and Victor Froholdt of their midfield.
Diogo Costa is a goalkeeper who wants no introductions in any case he’s carried out in a Portugal shirt over time, as nicely.
Nonetheless solely 37, Farioli is among the most promising younger coaches in Europe and a great Champions League run would additional improve his credentials.
Their hardest league section fixtures are towards Premier League opponents Manchester Metropolis and Liverpool, however they’ve some winnable ties too.
We’re not saying they’ll go all the best way like they did underneath Jose Mourinho in 2004 – that was an distinctive case – however Porto are definitely ones to look at.
2. Actual Betis
Contemplating they’ve had some type of European soccer on their schedule in every of the previous 5 seasons, it’s outstanding how lengthy it’s been since Actual Betis had been final within the Champions League.
You must go all the best way again to 2005 for his or her final recreation within the competitors, a 1-0 loss to Anderlecht with a objective by a pre-Manchester Metropolis Vincent Kompany.
However Betis snuck again into UEFA’s premier competitors by ending fifth in La Liga final season – one of many two further efficiency spots obtainable, together with fifth place within the Premier League.
Throughout their Thursday-night years, Betis have carried out pretty nicely. They reached the Convention League remaining in 2024, for instance, solely to lose to Chelsea.
Manuel Pellegrini remains to be in cost there, having held the reins since 2020. His pedigree ought to give them an additional serving to hand.
Furthermore, their draw doesn’t look too horrifying. They’ll face Arsenal and Bayern Munich within the league section, certain, however video games towards Lille, Porto, Feyenoord, Borussia Dortmund, Slovan Bratislava and Como are all ones the place they need to see themselves as equals at the very least.
They’ve simply overwhelmed Actual Madrid in La Liga, too.
1. Roma
It could come as a shock when you haven’t been following carefully, however Roma haven’t been within the Champions League because the 2018-19 season.
They’ve received a Convention League and reached a Europa League remaining since, however there’s been a longing within the Everlasting Metropolis for Champions League nights to return. The wait is lastly over.
As for the way they’ll get on after such a protracted absence from Europe’s high desk, Roma can take some confidence from how they’ve began in Serie A.
Final season, they had been nonetheless getting used to Gian Piero Gasperini’s ways, which had earned him loads of admirers at Atalanta and brought about issues for greater groups within the Champions League.
And the early proof this season is that Roma are beginning to develop into his all-action method.
They blitzed Fiorentina and Lecce with back-to-back 4-0 wins earlier than staging a dramatic comeback to beat Atalanta 2-1 on the weekend to retain high spot within the desk.
Donyell Malen seems to have develop into prime R9, whereas Roma have probably the most underrated goalkeeper in Europe: Mile Svilar.
They may want some heroics from him, however belief us – and overlook what he did for Benfica towards Manchester United throughout his solely earlier Champions League marketing campaign – he produces them most weeks.
Roma’s Champions League draw is pretty powerful, with a visit to PSG included and a house tie towards Actual Madrid standing out as a lot for the return of Jose Mourinho to the Stadio Olimpico, the place he’s nonetheless largely revered for these aforementioned European runs, as any likelihood of them getting a outcome.
However who can overlook Roma’s giant-killing exploits in 2017-18 after they surprised Barcelona to succeed in the semi-finals? We surprise if the script-writers have one thing comparable up their sleeves this 12 months.
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