The Champions League is on the brink of its return, and while all 32 teams entering the tournament will be feeling incredibly optimistic, for most simply the experience of entering Europe’s elite competition will be giving fans and players a real buzz and excitement. This years’ edition is stacked full of immense talent, with many sides in top form and superstar names ready to lead their club into battle. Meanwhile, there are many sub-plots to be told as we progress through the gameweek’s in what is surely the most memorable and dramatic of competitions.

Because the Champions League, and European competition in general can be so surprising, memorable and dramatic, we decided to try and make some predictions about the unpredictable, as we will make 3 ‘educated’ guesses at what’s in store during the 2021-2022 Champions League, whilst also being bold enough to predict who we think will take home the silverware in Europe from the Champions League, Europa League and debut season of the Conference League.

These predictions are both backed with evidence and a fair bit of belief, so if you agree or disagree, head over to Twitter (@NextGoalWinBlog) and let us know what you think, while we will return to this post in May 2022 and see just how right (or probably wrong) we have been.

Enjoy.

Nagelsmann-Ball Will Dominate…

Bayern Munich have been one of the most electric sides to watch in football over the past 2 years, with the likes of Lewandowski, Muller, Gnabry, Sane, Goretzka, Davies, Kimmich and even Choupo-Moting hitting unbelievable form, resulting in a Champions League trophy in 2019-2020 and a fair showing in 2020-2021 with just away goals against PSG knocking the German champions out of the tournament at the quarter-final stage. Now with one of Europe’s most exciting coaches taking the reigns in Nagelsmann, Bayern will be coming back once again ready to expand their unreal trophy cabinet, and I personally cannot see them slipping up in this seasons tournament.

Bayern possess a great quality of being able to absolutely decimate opponents, with the 8-2 Barcelona win echoing that claim. Meanwhile, they possess a great weapon, in that their league is of such a standard that they face limited competition on a domestic front, leaving them with the opportunity to rest key players on a weekend ahead of midweek matches, whereas other sides must battle every few days in hard fought matches to remain domestically strong. However, despite this, still having opponents such as Leipzig, Dortmund and others, they still keep the competitive edge which perhaps PSG have been guilty of lacking in recent years. Therefore, the most exciting coach in Europe, with the top striker in the whole of football currently is a pairing that cannot, and in my opinion will not be stopped, and Bayern Munich will romp home to their 7th Champions League/European Cup in the clubs wonderful history.

English Sides Dominant (Again)…

Last season saw another incredible showing from English clubs in Europe, with 3 out of 4 European finalists being Premier League sides, including both Champions League finalists. This is not a unique scenario, as only a few years back England saw another all-England Champions League final as Liverpool swept aside Tottenham Hotspur. This season, I am expecting much of the same.

In Europe across the 3 competitions, Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea will all feel incredibly confident as they head into the Champions League, with all 4 teams being more than capable of putting forward a case as to why and how they could win the tournament. Meanwhile, Leicester City and West Ham United enter the Europa League where both sides will feel fairly confident of progressing deep into the tournament following last seasons’ performances in the league. Finally, we have Tottenham Hotspur entering the inaugural Conference League, and although derided by other fans, Spurs will be keen to put on a showing in the debut of the tournament and secure a potential historic trophy for their admittedly bare cabinet.

Although bigging up English sides counters my previous prediction of Bayern winning the big one, I still predict big things from the English sides as I expect them all to make it to at least the quarter-final stages, if not further (draw permitting). Other big sides in Europe such as Barcelona, Real Madrid and Juventus are seriously lacking in fire-power (we will get onto them shortly), and although PSG have strengthened massively and Bayern are a dominant force no matter what, English clubs are a terrifying prospect for every club in Europe this season, and I wouldn’t be too shocked (although not predicting this), to see all 3 big European trophies on English soil by May.

Big Names Crumble…

My third and final prediction is possibly the most obvious of the three, and yet somehow the most disappointing, as I believe big clubs will crumble as they try to find their feet from the recent free-falls. Barcelona and Real Madrid are the most obvious examples of where this could be seen, as both are needing a major overhaul, and although both have faired well in Europe, I think both sides would agree this year will not be their year as they must focus on stability in domestic competition first and foremost.

Along with the Spanish giants, I would possibly add in Juventus into the same conversation as again they are not in the best place domestically or as a European threat, particularly after losing talismanic striker in Ronaldo. Furthermore, although in complete contrast off-field fortunes, I would possibly add PSG into the mix for a potential big name who will struggle, as all these incredible individual talents are yet to be seen gelling and as one cohesive unit, which may just be their downfall (maybe).

Predictions:

Champions League – Bayern Munich

Europa League – Napoli

Conference League – Roma