Champions League leaves for Istanbul: can PSG and City fight Real Madrid favoritism?

The anthem that Tony Britten composed is already starting to resonate in the heads of football lovers. “There are the best teams. The big event. Teachers. The best. The great teams. The Champions”. In English, German and French, the official languages ​​of UEFA. The lyrics of the British, a talent of the Royal College of Music and accompanied by the classic chords of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, contain a great truth.

After all, the Champions League is the most important club tournament in the world. Capture why the best game, as the unmistakable song says. And the audience levels confirm this. Real Madrid-Liverpool had a peak of 7.7 million viewers. And across all platforms, the final was seen by 12,391,000 spectators. The prize for this edition will amount to 3,500 million euros, no more, no less.

And in this sense, once again the white giant and reigning champion appears as the main candidate. He will go for his fifteenth hour in a group that will see him protagonist with Leipzig, Celtic and Shahktar again. The question everyone is asking, therefore, has to do with two other serious contenders to conquer Europe: will he give Manchester City and PSG the skin to dethrone Real Madrid? Can Juventus get closer? Sure, there will be a great absence: Cristiano Ronaldothat he could not leave Manchester United to play the tournament that most seduces him.

It will be a great opportunity for Leone Messi, who has 125 goals in the competition, to bridge the gap with the Portuguese star, who has 140 conquests. Further back the Polish Robert Lewandowski, great reinforcement of Barcelona, ​​and the captain of Real Madrid, Karim Benzema, who accumulate 86.

The novelty of this edition that will start on Tuesday is linked to a compressed and energetic appointment due to the World Championship in Qatar, a dangerous calendar that invites us not to make false steps.

This time the great Europeans will have no moment of respite: the prospect of the World Cup, which will take place from 20 November to 18 December, will split the season in two and condense the first phase of the Champions League in just two months.

To begin with, the PSG of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé and Neymar will meet this Tuesday with the Juventus of Angel Di María (who was excluded) and Leandro Paredes, former players of the Parisian team, in the first big match of the season, at 16 Argentine time. In the same group H, Benfica will host Maccabi Haifa.

With a match every three days, the teams will have to use all their teams to reach the round of 16 and dream of the final in Istanbul on 10 June 2023). Without going further, this is how Christophe Galtier understood, who left Neymar on the bench on Saturday at the start of the match against Nantes (3-0 victory).

“I have a quality group and in some areas there is the possibility of replacing a player without weakening the team. It seems important to me, at the beginning of this series of matches, to inject fresh blood,” said the coach who replaced. Mauricio Pochettino.

“We will not kill Karim. I told him we play every three days. It may be that he rests a game, but so far, with one a week, I see him physically well. Against Betis it did not go so well in the final, but not for a physical aspect, “said Carlo Ancelotti. The Italian coach is betting on his scorer and captain. The defense of the title will begin this afternoon, the Scottish night, against Celtic in Glasgow.

Group C is competitive and balanced, with Barcelona, ​​Inter, Bayern Munich and modest Viktoria Plzen. Wednesday’s duel between Italians and Germans will be the starting point. The protagonist will be Lautaro Martínez, scorer of the neroazzurra team and the Argentine national team.

In this context, the size of the squad promises to be crucial to negotiate the obstacle course, with well-supplied Liverpool (finalist 2022) or Chelsea (winner in 2021).

In this sense, Manchester City it can also boast a wide range of human resources. Pep Guardiola’s team, finalist in 2021 and semi-finalist in 2022, has strengthened with the arrival of the Norwegian Erling Haaland (23 goals in 19 Champions League games).

The Norwegian is already paying for his pass to the Premier League (9 goals in five games) and is eagerly approaching his European debut with the Citizens, this Tuesday in Seville.

“That’s why I came here. You can see it. We played well, we feel good and we will be even better. Everything will be fine,” smiled Haaland. There is an expectation from Argentina, the latest jewel of Argentine football. Julián Alvarez speaks of.

Coincidentally, Haaland will then face his former team, Borussia Dortmundwho will make his debut against Copenhagen, who overtook the previous phase at the last minute.

In addition, AC Milan, Serie A champions, will begin their continental adventure in Salzburg, in group E, which also includes Chelsea, one of the teams that most moved the market. The English will make their debut in Croatia against Dinamo Zagreb.

Cholo Simeone’s Atlético Madrid, with Rodrigo De Paul and Angel Correa among its ranks, face a new continental attempt with potential similar to last year. He starts as a favorite over Bruges, Bayer Leverkusen and Porto, with which he will start the competition at the Wanda Metropolitano. Meanwhile, the Belgian team will play locally against the Germans.

Liverpool make their debut at the Diego Armando Maradona stadium in Napoli’s return to the Champions League. Gio Simeone will have the opportunity to feed the dream he coined in River, to play the greatest European tournament. The match corresponds to Group A which is completed with Ajax and Rangers, whose first duel will be played in Amsterdam.

The first round ends with Group D. The Europa League champion, Lucas Alario’s Eintracht Frankfurt, will receive Sporting Lisbon while Antonio Conte’s Tottenham will play in London against Olympique de Marseille.

The table is served. With the Champions League, the most delicious delicacy in football.