So… who's going to win the Champions League?
In all the excitement of a genuine title race in England, possible shock champions in Spain and Germany, and an AFCON for the ages, we return to European football this week. Who else almost forgot?
We asked members of the FourFourTwo team who would win the competition – and the responses that came back were interesting. Usually, we struggle to agree on predictions but this time, there's a common theme to who's in the running for continental glory.
Who's going to win the Champions League?
James Andrew, editor (@JamesAndrew_): Manchester City
Not the most original prediction but the truth is I cannot see anyone stopping them at the moment. In the first knockout round of the Champions League they have a favourable draw against FC Copenhagen which they should get through unscathed.
Manchester City are on a run of 10 wins in a row in all competitions going back to mid-December and they show no signs of slowing down as they bid to match last season’s trophy haul.
Domestically they have a battle on their hands to win the Premier League with Liverpool and Arsenal set to fight them all the way in the Premier League – but that could help City if they continue their winning run then the momentum will carry on from game to game regardless of which competition it is in.
And then there is the small matter of Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne returning from foot and hamstring injuries respectively at just the right time for Pep Guardiola and City.
It is going to take a very strong team to stop them.
Chris Flanagan, senior staff writer (@CFlanaganFFT): Real Madrid
It's hard to see past Manchester City, Bayern Munich or Real Madrid this season, although this is the first year in what seems like forever when you could make half an argument for Arsenal – in their most recent seasons in the Champions League, it always felt like they had no chance of actually winning the trophy.
I'll rule out Bayern, purely because of the Harry Kane Curse that decrees he'll never win a major trophy until the end of time, and securing back-to-back Champions League titles isn't easy, so that leaves me with one name: Real Madrid.
True, they got absolutely walloped by Man City last season, but they've signed Jude Bellingham since then and seem better placed to challenge once more. Plus, they haven't won the Champions League for more than 12 months now, so they're well overdue for La Centesima, or whatever number they're on now.
Matthew Ketchell, deputy editor (@ketchell): Manchester City
[Yawns] Bit boring, but I think Pep will pip the pack, again. They look too much like Manchester City – i.e. doing that mad thing where they start to find gears in the second half of the season.
Terrifyingly, they have a goal-starved Haaland rejoining the picture, and De Bruyne's legs will be fresher than other Champions League-chasing midfielders, Rodri is producing Ballon d'Or levels of performance while young players like Oscar Bobb and Rico Lewis are proving their pedigree. Foden is finding new levels, Doku is an exciting new dimension, while the rest of the squad looks utterly dependable.
The glass ceiling was broken in Istanbul last season, the hoodoo is gone and City could be just one behind Manchester United in the all-time European Cup winners list by this summer.
Mark White, online content editor (@markwhlte): Arsenal
Yes, I'm an Arsenal fan (not one of those ones, though – I'm often the first to pooh-pooh our chances in any competition). No, I've never seen my club win a European trophy of any kind (not even my grandad has).
But I'm unusually hopeful for a few reasons this time around, some of which my colleagues have highlighted. Arsenal are third or fourth strongest in this competition and good at home this season. Odds are stacked against European giants, too, with Madrid down to the bare bones defensively: Dani Carvajal and Aurelien Tchouameni at centre-back might beat title rivals in Spain but it won't cut it in Europe. At the same time, Thomas Tuchel's Bayern are a weird beast and sloppy as hell this season.
That leaves City – and historically, underdogs tend to triumph in all-English ties in Europe, as we remember all too well from the Invincibles getting knocked out by Claudio Ranieri's Chelsea, before Jose Mourinho's Chelsea choked against a spirited Liverpool side a season later. Guardiola has found this out himself, too against Liverpool, Tottenham and Chelsea. Arsenal have the quality to get to Wembley… and an unbelievable Wembley record on top of that.
Ryan Dabbs, staff writer (@ryandabbs_): Real Madrid
After beating Girona 4-0 at the weekend, it seems inevitable that Real Madrid will romp to the La Liga title in style – offering Carlo Ancelotti plenty of opportunities to rotate his squad and keep his players fresh for the Champions League.
Manchester City and Arsenal, the only other sides capable of challenging this term, don't have that same luxury, with the Premier League title battle looking like it'll go down to the wire. Having Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Jr performing at their best isn't a bad situation for Real Madrid to be in, either.
Adam Monk, presenter (@_adammonk): Manchester City
Now the monkey's off their back and it's been won once I think the floodgates are likely to open somewhat - like they did domestically after winning their first title.
They've got the best manager who at this moment in time seems to be a step ahead of the rest in terms of innovating his own systems and the squad itself is really starting to hit its stride again now everyone's fit.
I think only Madrid can realistically stop City, but I'll still say City.
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