The showpiece event for European soccer kicks off on Tuesday as the Champions League's 28th edition starts. Having won the tournament for the first time since last season in 2005, after Real Madrid to defend the title, Liverpool is looking to become only the second team.
The Spanish giants are the only outfit to win the tournament in consecutive seasons since it has been rebranded from the European Cup to the League of Champions and Liverpool has everything it takes to follow suit.
The Reds evolved into an almost flawless attacking machine under Jurgen Klopp, scoring with almost relentless pressing goals for fun and tearing opponents apart.
The biggest challenge facing Liverpool will probably come from an opponent that the Reds know all too well, as Manchester City is looking to translate its domestic domination onto the continental stage.
Barcelona and Real Madrid will be in the mix apart from the Premier League duo, although both started the season relatively slowly.
In the meantime, Juventus hopes that Cristiano Ronaldo will be able to help him with his first Champions League title since 1996, and Bayern Munich will be looking for the first time in six seasons to return to the European Soccer Summit.
Here's what some experts expect from the Champions League this season.
 |
| Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson lifts the UEFA Champions League trophy after the final against Tottenham Hotspur FC at Estadio Metropolitano on June 1 in Madrid, Spain. VI IMAGES/GETTY |
James Pearce—The Athletic
The triumph of Liverpool in Madrid would never have happened unless the Reds scrambled out of the group last season at the final game. Their group features this year, as well as Napoli, Salzburg and Genk, and Pearce expect comfortable progress from the defending champions.
"They [ Liverpool ] could have had for the company Real Madrid, Inter Milan and Leipzig. Grueling trips to Donetsk or Moscow could have been made," he explained.
"It's certainly a much easier prospect than a year ago when Liverpool were pitted against Napoli, Paris Saint-Germain and Red Star Belgrade. This is no Group of Death. This time around it shouldn't come down to a nervy final matchday scramble for qualification."
Nick Ames—The Guardian
Ames believes that if Juventus is to end a 23-year wait for a Champions League triumph, merging new arrivals with the existing core will be crucial.
"Ronaldo will be as important as ever to Juve, for whom a slightly curious summer's business has seen Aaron Ramsey and Adrien Rabiot arrive on free transfers and Matthijs de Ligt make his high-profile move from Ajax. Gianluigi Buffon is also back for one last crack but they may still have to rely on Gonzalo HiguaÃn."
Julien Laurens—ESPN
For all its sustained dominance in France, Paris Saint-Germain has experienced nothing but disappointment in Europe recently—and Laurens doesn't expect the trend to change.
"The Parisians can dream about lifting the trophy. Yet that's all it will be in the end. Realistically, glory in Europe will once more elude Paris this year."
 |
| Neymar during the French Ligue 1 match between Paris Saint-Germain and RC Strasbourg at Parc des Princes stadium on September 14 in Paris, France. JEAN CATUFFE/GETTY |
Jonathan Wilson—The Guardian
The Champions League might feature the elite of European soccer, but Wilson argues the group stages are now largely meaningless due to the disparity between teams.
"Last season only one side managed to eliminate a club with a higher annual revenue in the group stage. The year before there were four sides eliminated by teams with lower annual revenues and before that just one again. Of the last 48 teams to reach the knockout stages, only six did not follow a remorseless financial logic."
Miguel Delaney—The Independent
For all their qualities, Delaney suggests expecting one of Liverpool and Manchester City to lift the trophy is far from a foregone conclusion.
"Although Liverpool and City are currently so much better than the rest of the super-clubs, it may not mean that much. A single bounce of a ball can render it all irrelevant," he wrote.
"It is this uncontrollable chaos, especially when sparked by collisions of the biggest clubs, that has made the Champions League the most spectacular of sports competitions over the last few years."
Avi Creditor—Sports Illustrated
Aside from the usual suspects, Creditor suggests there's plenty of reasons for Americans to be interested in the Champions League this season.
"There's a group full of up-and-coming USMNT talents, with Christian Pulisic's Chelsea set to face off against Tim Weah's Lille and Sergiño Dest's Ajax," he wrote.
"Tyler Adams's RB Leipzig may well be the favorite in a balanced group featuring Benfica, Lyon and Zenit-Saint Petersburg. Then, there's the new frontier: an American manager [Red Bull Salzburg's Jesse Marsch] on the sidelines in the group stage."
 |
| Jesse Marsch, head coach of RB Salzburg during the Bundesliga match between FC Red Bull Salzburg and FC Flyeralarm Admira, at Red Bull Arena on August 25 in Salzburg, Austria. JOSEF BOLLWEIN/SEPA.MEDIA/GETTY |
Tuesday, September 17
Olympique Lyon vs Zenit St. Petersburg—12.55 p.m., B/R Live, Galavision
Inter Milan vs Slavia Prague—12.55 p.m., B/R Live, TNT, UniMas, TUDN
Napoli vs Liverpool—3 p.m., B/R Live, TNT, Galavision
Borussia Dortmund vs Barcelona—3 p.m., B/R Live, UniMas, TUDN
Chelsea vs Valencia—3 p.m., B/R Live, TUDNxtra
Ajax vs Lille—3 p.m., B/R Live, TUDNxtra
Benfica vs RB Leipzig—3 p.m., B/R Live, TUDNxtra
Salzburg vs Genk—3 p.m., B/R Live, TUDNxtra
Wednesday, September 18
Olympiacos vs Tottenham Hotspur—12:55 p.m., B/R Live, TNT, UniMas, TUDN
Club Brugge vs Galatasary—12:55 p.m., B/R Live, Galavision
PSG vs Real Madrid—3 p.m., B/R Live, TNT, UniMas, TUDN
Bayern vs Red Star Belgrade—3 p.m., B/R Live, TUDNxtra
Shakhtar Donetsk vs Manchester City—3 p.m., B/R Live, TUDNxtra
Dinamo Zagreb vs Atalanta—3 p.m., B/R Live, TUDNxtra
Atletico Madrid vs Juventus—3 p.m., B/R Live, Galavision
Bayer Leverkusen vs Lokomotiv Moscow—3 p.m., B/R Live, TUDNxtra
0 Comments