Champions League top 5 Contenders + 1 Outside

Derbies, debutants, and new challenges in the second edition of the reformed competition. 

36 clubs are fighting for the European title, and the competition format leaves little room for error as every point can decide fate.

The Champions League season will run until 30 May 2026, and this is the second season in a row to be played under the new format. 

It is the 71st edition of Europe’s most prestigious club competition, with the final to be played at the Puskas Arena in Budapest. 

The defending champions are Paris Saint-Germain, who last season lifted the European Cup for the first time in their history.

The Champions League promises excitement, uncertainty, and top-notch football from the first to the last round. 

This will be a new test for all participants, but also for the format that has entered its second year of existence.

According to estimates by analysts and football statistical systems, the biggest favorites for the trophy come from the Premier League. 

England has the most of all leagues in the new season, with as many as six representatives – Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham, Manchester City, and Newcastle.

Liverpool stands out as the first candidate to win the title, with as much as a 20 percent chance according to the bookmakers. 

Right behind is Arsenal with 16 percent, who have raised the level of their game in recent seasons and enter the Champions League with great ambition. The defending champion, Paris Saint-Germain, is also among the favorites, but will have to cope with increasingly strong competition and high expectations.

Traditional giants such as Manchester City, Barcelona, and Real Madrid, who always have the capacity for high placement, should not be ignored.

On the other hand, the new season has already been marked by several debutants who will play in the Champions League for the first time. One of the greatest successes was achieved by the Norwegian Bode Glimt, who secured a historic place in the elite in the play-offs. 

Their offensive style of play and enthusiasm could be a surprise for more experienced rivals. Paphos from Cyprus also achieved a great feat, eliminating Red Star in the play-offs. For a club that was only founded in 2014, qualifying for the Champions League is the biggest result in history. 

They are also joined by Kairat from Kazakhstan, as well as Royal Union from Belgium.

For the debutants, the challenge will be great, because they will face the strongest teams in Europe, they will play under the spotlights of the biggest stadiums, with the desire to leave the best impression. 

However, it is precisely such teams that often bring freshness to the competition and are often the teams that disrupt the plans of the favorites.

The new competition structure allows for more matches between the better clubs already in the first phase, but also new opportunities for smaller clubs to fight for a place among the best.

Read more at EPL and Champion’s League.