The new Champions League season kicks off on Tuesday, with Real Madrid vs Inter Milan and Porto vs Manchester City among the standout matches on the opening night.
Defending back-to-back champions Paris Saint-Germain are aiming for a third consecutive title. The draw pitted them against Barcelona, Manchester City, and Aston Villa in the league phase.
However, several other clubs fancy their chances of dethroning the Parisians, including last year's runners-up Arsenal and Bayern Munich, who pushed PSG hard in the semifinal.
Barcelona are also expected to be among the favorites. Real Madrid, now led for the second time by Jose Mourinho, hope their Galacticos can power them to a final held in their city, albeit at Atletico Madrid's Metropolitano Stadium.
PSG won the last two editions, beating Arsenal in May's final. Luis Enrique now has the chance to become only the second coach to win three straight Champions Leagues with the same club, after Zinedine Zidane's Real Madrid did it from 2016 to 18.
Enrique has opted to refine rather than overhaul his squad, adding Ferran Torres, Lucas Digne, and Mika Godts while moving on Bradley Barcola, Goncalo Ramos, and Lee Kang-in.
Bayern enter the season chasing a third straight Bundesliga title under Vincent Kompany, having won last season by 16 points with a record 122 goals. Harry Kane took the European Golden Shoe with 36 league goals, but at 33, questions remain about his stamina.
Real appointed Mourinho for a second stint to end two trophy-less seasons. The squad was reinforced with Bernardo Silva, Denzel Dumfries, Marc Cucurella, and others. Despite three wins in La Liga, the team looked rusty and lost to Real Betis on Friday.
Como finished fourth in Serie A last season, qualifying for the Champions League for the first time in their history. The club, once in Italy's fourth tier, is now rubbing shoulders with Europe's elite, thanks to the investment of Indonesia's Hartono family.
Villarreal and Real Betis represent the depth of Spanish football. Neither has the financial muscle of the continent's heavyweights, but both arrive with momentum and points to prove.
Source: www.aljazeera.com