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The new season of the UEFA Champions League has already started, in which teams, somewhat unusually, are playing matches without spectators, at least for now. In this article, we will talk about the main favorites to lift the winner's trophy as spring approaches. Defending champions Bayern have not lost their ambitions The standout favorite this year is considered to be the team from Munich, Bayern, which lifted the winner's trophy in August after a seven-year break. The Bavarians further strengthened their squad in the summer and retained the entire core of the club.
One of the biggest achievements for Bayern in the summer was the acquisition of forward Leroy Sane from Manchester City. The main leader of the team, Polish striker Robert Lewandowski, continues to shine. The team's oldest strategist, Hansi Flick, also deserves many accolades. Taking over the reins of Bayern from the long-time assistant coach of the German national team, he helped the team regain its status as one of the strongest clubs in Europe. Bayern is currently the favorite according to online betting sites. Another possible contender is Manchester City Pep Guardiola has been coaching Manchester City for the fifth season. Despite the fantastic results in the local championship in England, the team has not reached the Champions League semi-finals during this time.
Club owners and managers also want trophies in Europe, which could be Guardiola's last chance. There are increasing rumors that after this year, the coach will spread his wings and maybe move to Italy. Perhaps luck will smile on Cristiano Ronaldo Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo is starting his third season wearing the colors of Juventus in Turin. It is quite possible that after this year the forward will move to play in the United States, making it his last chance to win another Champions League trophy.
So far, Juventus' game has been very inconsistent and far from resembling a team striving for top goals, but we must not forget that the season has only just begun. Juventus plays in a relatively weaker national championship, which could be an important factor when competing for the title in Europe.
The Parisians are one step away from their dream If Juventus is not too difficult to play in Italy, Paris Saint-Germain has no problems in France. The team constantly becomes the country's champion and often wins the French Cup. Last year, in the Champions League, the Parisian club reached the final, but their dream was shattered by Bayern. Now this may be their last chance to fulfill the dream of the club's owners and leaders. Both Neymar and Kylian Mbappe are preparing to leave France, so this year is a unique opportunity to compete for the title.
Among the favorites are also the giants from Spain Of course, we must mention the two most powerful teams in Spain - Barcelona and Real Madrid. The latter does not appear as strong as in previous years, but they can always surprise. If either of them were to win the title, we should not be too surprised.
