HOW EASY IS IT TO PREDICT WHO WILL WIN THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE THIS SEASON?


After Real Madrid’s haul of three of back to back Champions League titles, last season reminded us of the unpredictability and thrill that has been the ethos of the competition since its inception.

Liverpool and Tottenham graced the pitch of Wanda Metropolitano on June 1 to play the final match of the UEFA Champions League 2018/19. Unlike the North London outfit, Jurgen Klopp’s men were no strangers to iconic nights like these, having played two European finals under the zealous German.

That said, both teams did share a bracket of similarity going into the biggest game of the season. Both of them could have been eliminated from the group stages as they had to wait till the very last game to meet the permutations that granted them access to the knock-out stages.

The teams found themselves on the brink of elimination once again after the first round of the semi-final games. Liverpool were hammered 3-0 at Camp Nou while Tottenham experienced the bitter taste of defeat at home to a resurgent Ajax Amsterdam.

But the duo upset the odds once again and turned around the game in the reverse fixtures. Liverpool ran riot at Anfield to secure a 4-0 win at home against Barcelona. Spurs, on the other hand, were bailed out by a late Lucas Moura hat-trick at the Johan Cruijff Arena to see out the Dutch champions and set up a Premier League match-off in Madrid.

I had to say all this to come to the fact that, Champions League have never been a predictable competition.  Having a good squad and rich heritage never stood for guaranteed success. Very few people had their money on Porto going all the way in 2004 or Chelsea, who had a mediocre domestic season, smashing the odds to become the European champions in 2012. Also dominating their respective leagues didn’t translate to European triumph for Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City, even though they boast star-studded squads.

So, who’s going to win the Champions League this time around? Sports Betting Canada has no real favorite and it’s easy to namedrop a few European heavyweights, but as I’ve already explained, it’s never that simple. Backing up a specific team for the glory? That’s even more daunting, but we will take a shot at it anyways.

 

WHO’S MY PICK AS THE ULIMATE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FAVORITE FOR 2019/20?

Current Serie A champions Juventus.

WHY DID I PICK THEM?


Massimiliano Allegri never missed out on the Scudetto during his five year stint as the Juve manager but he couldn’t lead the Bianconeri to the trophy that have evaded them since 1996; the Champions League trophy. Allegri, who lost two Champions League finals with Juventus, has been replaced with former Napoli and Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri as the Italian giants prepare to step up their pursuit of European glory.

The cigarette munching 60-year-old splits opinion in England, but in Italy, he is still admired as one of the best tacticians in the world. Sarri never won a trophy in Italy, but he came agonizingly close to dethroning Juventus as the Serie A champions two seasons ago with Napoli.

Sarri’s lack of silverware didn’t undermine the appeal of his football philosophy that made him an instant hit in Naples. Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola branded Sarri’s Napoli as one of the toughest opponents he ever faced after his side suffered a 2-1 defeat to the Neapolitans in the Champions League.

Sarri will get the perfect tools to implement his high-pressing system in Juventus, who currently boast one of the most fearsome attacks in Europe led by none other than the mercurial Cristiano Ronaldo.

Ronaldo’s acquisition is the clearest hint of Juve’s European ambitions. The 34-year-old forward showed no signs of slowing down after making a €100m move to Juventus from Real Madrid as he bagged an impressive tally of 28 goals in his first season with the Old Ladies.

If there’s one player who cracked the secret to winning the Champions League, it’s Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portugal international has won the tournament four times with his previous clubs and also holds the record of scoring the most goals in the competition with 126 goals. Ronaldo couldn’t spearhead the club to success last time, but he did show ample signs of his destructive capability in the tournament wearing a Juventus shirt.

Unsurprisingly, the most memorable performance in Cristiano Ronaldo’s Juventus career came in a Champions League tie. The former Manchester United and Real Madrid man showed why Juventus paid the big money to get him as he fired in a hat-trick to leapfrog Atletico Madrid in the Champions League Round of 16.

Besides Ronaldo, Juventus made some excellent additions to their squad that makes them a strong contender for the European title this season. The most notable of them all is Matthijs de Ligt, who was one of the best players in Ajax’s astonishing Champions League campaign of 2018/19. The 19-year-old defender already has the experience of playing a Champions League semi-final under his belt and has also become a regular in the Netherland national team, which made the UEFA Nation’s Cup semi-final.

The signings of Adrian Rabiot and Aaron Ramsey are also a big highlight of Juventus’ summer business. Rabiot and Ramsey would form a formidable midfield coalition with Miralem Pjanic, with players like Merih Demiral, Emre Can, Juan Cuadrado, Rodrigo Bentancur, and Blaise Matuidi also available to call upon.