The UEFA Champions League returns this week with Europe’s biggest clubs beginning another campaign in pursuit of the continent’s most prestigious club trophy.
The final is scheduled to take place in Madrid on June 5 next year, with defending champions Paris Saint-Germain targeting an unprecedented third consecutive title.
PSG will begin their title defence when the league phase gets underway on Tuesday, but the French champions face a strong challenge from several English clubs hoping to end their dominance.
Arsenal Among the Favourites
Five English teams are set to compete in the competition, with Arsenal regarded as the leading candidate among them after finishing as runners-up last season.
The Gunners will be hoping to go one step further this time and claim their first Champions League title.
However, the road to Madrid is expected to be fiercely contested, with a number of Europe’s traditional heavyweights also entering the tournament with realistic ambitions of lifting the trophy.
Football analysts Julien Laurens and Guillem Balague have offered their assessments of the leading contenders, while statistical models have also been used to examine the teams most likely to emerge as champions.
Players to Watch
The new Champions League campaign is also expected to provide a stage for some of the world’s leading footballers to make their mark.
Attention will fall on established stars at the tournament’s biggest clubs, as well as players expected to emerge as decisive figures during the league phase and knockout rounds.
With the competition featuring Europe’s elite sides, individual performances could ultimately determine which clubs survive the demanding route to the final.
BBC to Provide Champions League Highlights
Fans in the UK will once again be able to follow the tournament through BBC Champions League highlights.
From 22:00 BST on Wednesdays during Champions League weeks, highlights of every match will be available on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app.
Key moments will also be made available through the Shorts section of the BBC Sport app, while a special edition of Champions League Match of the Day will air on BBC One at 22:40.
For the opening week, BBC Two will also broadcast a Thursday highlights programme at 22:30, with highlights from Thursday’s matches becoming available online from 22:00.
The battle for European supremacy has now begun, and the question is whether PSG can continue their remarkable run or whether Arsenal, another English contender or one of Europe’s other giants will finally take the crown.
