Sports
Champions League Preview: Kompany's Bayern Munich Tipped as Strong Contenders Alongside Kane for Golden Boot
With attention elsewhere on football politics surrounding Fifa chief Gianni Infantino, the new Champions League season arrives a week earlier than usual, opening with three nights of prominent fixtures. Real Madrid face Inter on the opening night, before Liverpool meet Atletico Madrid and Arsenal travel to Napoli in the following days.
Arsenal came close to their first European title last season, losing the final in Budapest to Paris Saint-Germain on penalties. The Gunners topped last season's League Phase and progressed to the final largely on the strength of a strong defensive record. PSG, by contrast, progressed steadily through an expanded group stage before peaking in the knockout rounds, becoming the first club to retain the title since Real Madrid's run of three consecutive triumphs between 2016 and 2018.
Luis Enrique's PSG side begin their title defence at home to Slovan Bratislava and remain among the favourites, priced around 11/2 in some markets. Arsenal, Barcelona and Bayern Munich are each available at 6/1, with Real Madrid, managed by Jose Mourinho, at 13/2, and Manchester City at 10/1.
Despite their triumph, PSG's League Phase form last season suggested survival rather than dominance, though finishing in the top eight allowed them to bypass the two-legged play-off round. Enrique's squad remains largely intact from their title-winning campaign, though the departures of Bradley Barcola and Goncalo Ramos have reduced attacking depth, raising questions about whether they can repeat their success.
Arsenal are expected to progress far again, though doubts remain over whether they have enough creativity to go all the way, with neither Kai Havertz nor Viktor Gyokeres seen as prolific enough at the highest level. Real Madrid have strengthened defensively over the summer, and with Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Jr and Kylian Mbappe still key figures, they remain a threat despite Mourinho's underwhelming record in two-legged knockout ties in recent seasons — he has lost his last ten, albeit against less prominent opposition than in his peak years with Porto and Inter.
Among the English clubs, Manchester City, Liverpool and Manchester United are led by managers new to Champions League level, while Aston Villa's Unai Emery — despite winning last season's Europa League — now oversees a largely rebuilt squad.
Both Bayern Munich and Barcelona are seen as genuine contenders after keeping squad changes to a minimum following domestic title wins last season. Barcelona, managed by Hansi Flick, have not reached a Champions League final since 2015 but are considered to be closing in on that level again. However, slight preference is given to Bayern Munich under manager Vincent Kompany.
Bayern were eliminated by PSG in a closely fought semi-final last season and return with much of the same squad, featuring an experienced defence and an attacking trio of Harry Kane, Michael Olise and Luis Diaz, supported by Jamal Musiala and Serge Gnabry. With Kompany now entering his third season in charge, the club are considered strong contenders to go all the way.
Inter Milan, beaten finalists twice in the last four seasons under a settled squad now managed by Christian Chivu, are also highlighted as a potential outsider bet at odds of 33/1 each-way with Ladbrokes. The Italian side have added English players John Stones, Djed Spence and Curtis Jones for extra depth, while talisman Lautaro Martinez has stayed despite interest from Barcelona.
English clubs have topped the League Phase in both seasons since its current format was introduced, and Liverpool are seen as a possible repeat contender at 10/1. Manager Arne Iraola lacks top-level experience, but Liverpool have received a favourable fixture list, with Barcola bringing winning experience and Alexander Isak beginning to show the form he displayed at Newcastle. Despite this, Liverpool are considered to lack the overall squad depth needed to go all the way, though their prospects in the League Phase remain strong.
Recommended Champions League bets include Bayern Munich at 6/1 (general), Inter Milan each-way at 33/1 (Ladbrokes), a top-eight League Phase finish at 13/8 (Ladbrokes), and Liverpool to win the League Phase at 10/1 (Bet Victor).
In the race for top scorer, Kylian Mbappe won the Golden Boot last season with 15 goals despite Real Madrid's quarter-final exit. He is priced at 7/2 to repeat the feat, while Harry Kane, available at double those odds, is considered strong value. Kane shared the top scorer accolade with Mbappe in 2023/24 and has scored 11 and 14 goals in the two campaigns since the expanded format began. With early fixtures against Viking and Slovan Bratislava offering good scoring opportunities, Kane is seen as an each-way value bet at 7/1, with the possibility of finishing as the competition's top scorer if Bayern progress deep into the tournament.
Barcelona's Raphinha, now given a central attacking role and the captain's armband under Hansi Flick, has started the domestic season strongly with five goals in LaLiga. Having scored 13 Champions League goals two seasons ago, he is considered each-way value at 20/1. Former Barcelona forward Ferran Torres, now at PSG after scoring 21 goals for the Catalans and netting twice on his debut for his new club, is also seen as a possible outsider at 40/1, particularly following his recent form for Spain, including scoring the winning goal in the World Cup final.
Top scorer selections include Harry Kane at 7/1 (BoyleSports), Raphinha each-way at 20/1 (general), and Ferran Torres each-way at 40/1 (general).