Who’s going to win the Champions League? FourFourTwo writers make their predictions

So… who’s going to win the Champions League?

In all the excitement of an proper title crawl in England, which that you simply can imagine shock champions in Spain and Germany, and an AFCON for the ages, we return to European soccer this week. Who else nearly forgot?

We asked members of the FourFourTwo team who would win the competition – and the responses that came serve had been attention-grabbing. Normally, we fight to agree on predictions but this time, there’s a overall theme to who’s in the running for continental glory.

Who’s going to win the Champions League?

James Andrew, editor (@JamesAndrew_): Manchester City

No longer the most new prediction but the truth is I cannot uncover about anybody stopping them at the 2d. In the first knockout spherical of the Champions League they contain a favourable draw in opposition to FC Copenhagen which they could perhaps moreover level-headed ranking by unscathed. 

Manchester City are on a crawl of 10 wins in a row in all competitions going serve to mid-December and they level to no indicators of slowing down as they bid to match final season’s trophy haul.

Domestically they contain a battle on their hands to win the Premier League with Liverpool and Arsenal put to fight them all the device in the Premier League – but that will perhaps encourage City if they continue their winning crawl then the momentum will follow it from sport to sport no matter which competition it’s in.

And then there is the cramped matter of Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne getting back from foot and hamstring injuries respectively at apt the apt time for Pep Guardiola and City. 

It is going to rob a extremely noteworthy team to stop them. 

Chris Flanagan, senior crew author (@CFlanaganFFT): Staunch Madrid

It is laborious to uncover about past Manchester City, Bayern Munich or Staunch Madrid this season, even supposing right here’s the first year in what appears fancy forever at the same time as you can make half an argument for Arsenal – in their most most up-to-date seasons in the Champions League, it continuously felt fancy they had no probability of essentially winning the trophy.

I am going to rule out Bayern, purely due to the Harry Kane Curse that decrees he’ll never win a significant trophy till the discontinue of time, and securing serve-to-serve Champions League titles will not be simple, so as that leaves me with one name: Staunch Madrid. 

Appropriate, they got fully walloped by Man City final season, but they’ve signed Jude Bellingham since then and appear greater positioned to order over as soon as more. Plus, they have not obtained the Champions League for bigger than twelve months now, so they’re successfully past due for La Centesima, or no matter quantity they’re on now.

Matthew Ketchell, deputy editor (@ketchell): Manchester City

[Yawns] Bit stupid, but I deem Pep will pip the pack, as soon as more. They eye too powerful fancy Manchester City – i.e. doing that indignant thing the put they launch up to win gears in the 2d half of the season.

Terrifyingly, they contain a goal-starved Haaland rejoining the image, and De Bruyne’s legs will most likely be fresher than other Champions League-chasing midfielders, Rodri is producing Ballon d’Or levels of efficiency whereas young avid gamers fancy Oscar Bobb and Rico Lewis are proving their pedigree. Foden is finding original levels, Doku is a thrilling original dimension, whereas the leisure of the squad appears totally staunch.

The glass ceiling became as soon as broken in Istanbul final season, the hoodoo is long past and City could perhaps moreover very successfully be apt one in the serve of Manchester United in the all-time European Cup winners checklist by this summer season. 

Be aware White, online snort material editor (@markwhlte): Arsenal

Sure, I’m an Arsenal fan (not considered one of those ones, even when – I’m typically the first to pooh-pooh our possibilities in any competition). No, I’ve never seen my club win a European trophy of any fashion (not even my grandad has). 

But I’m strangely hopeful for a couple of causes this time spherical, a couple of of which my colleagues contain highlighted. Arsenal are third or fourth strongest in this competition and apt at dwelling this season. Odds are stacked in opposition to European giants, too, with Madrid down to the naked bones defensively: Dani Carvajal and Aurelien Tchouameni at centre-serve could perhaps beat title competitors in Spain but it’s going to moreover not decrease it in Europe. At the same time, Thomas Tuchel’s Bayern are a bizarre beast and sloppy as hell this season.

That leaves City – and historically, underdogs tend to triumph in all-English ties in Europe, as we undergo in mind all too successfully from the Invincibles getting knocked out by Claudio Ranieri’s Chelsea, earlier than Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea choked in opposition to a bright Liverpool facet a season later. Guardiola has stumbled on this out himself, too in opposition to Liverpool, Tottenham and Chelsea. Arsenal contain the quality to ranking to Wembley… and an astounding Wembley anecdote on top of that. 

Ryan Dabbs, crew author (@ryandabbs_): Staunch Madrid

After beating Girona 4-0 at the weekend, it appears inevitable that Staunch Madrid will romp to the La Liga title standard – offering Carlo Ancelotti rather a lot of alternatives to rotate his squad and protect his avid gamers original for the Champions League. 

Manchester City and Arsenal, the totally other sides succesful of animated this era of time, fashion not contain that same luxurious, with the Premier League title battle having a eye fancy it’s a long way going to scuttle down to the wire. Having Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Jr acting at their easiest will not be a execrable bid of affairs for Staunch Madrid to be in, either. 

Adam Monk, presenter (@_adammonk): Manchester City

Now the monkey’s off their serve and it’s been obtained as soon as I deem the floodgates are likely to initiating a microscopic bit – fancy they did domestically after winning their first title.

They’ve got the easiest supervisor who at this 2d in time appears to be a step sooner than the leisure by the utilize of innovating his collect techniques and the squad itself is de facto starting to hit its plod as soon as more now all and sundry’s fit. 

I deem totally Madrid can realistically stop City, but I am going to level-headed disclose City.

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Be aware White has been at on FourFourTwo since joining in January 2020, first as a crew author earlier than becoming snort material editor in 2023. An encyclopedia of soccer shirts and boots facts – each past and recent – Be aware has moreover represented FFT at each FA Cup and League Cup finals (even when didn’t receive a winners’ medal on either event) and has written pieces for the mag ranging on topics from Bobby Robson’s season at Barcelona to Robinho’s occupation. He has written quilt functions for the mag on Mikel Arteta and Martin Odegaard, and is assisted by his cat, Rosie, who has interned for the label since lockdown.