Will the Madridistas defend their titles? Will Liverpool complete their fairytale season with the Champions League? Will the Catalans rise back to glory with their teenage star? Is the new table format better or worse for the tournament? There are many questions coming into this 2024/2025 Champions League Knockout Stage. Without Messi, Ronaldo, or Neymar, it’s time for the next generation to show us what they can do.
Let’s take a look at the favorites coming into the Round of 16. Last year, Real Madrid showed us their dominance once again. Led by the likes of Vinicius Jr., Jude Bellingham, Rodrygo, and Toni Kroos, they easily had the best team in the world. If that wasn’t convincing enough, they went on to sign Kylian Mbappé, with a staggering wage of $630,000 a week. Last season, they were easily the kings of Spain, as Barcelona seemed in ruins. This isn’t the case anymore. Barcelona are having their best season since Messi left the club. The combination of their 16-year-old Lamine Yamal, an experienced Robert Lewandowski, and an extremely skilled Raphina, makes it very hard to bet against them. Both Raphina and the Polish striker have 9 goals this campaign. Liverpool, who seem to already be the champions of England, are also looking to add another UCL title. Mohamed Salah is having a Ballon D’or worthy season, leading Liverpool with 27 goals in the Premier League this season. Their strong defensive core, led by Virgil van Dijk and Alisson, puts them ahead of many other teams in the tournament. Bayern Munich is another team to look out for. The Bavarian Giants started their UCL campaign with an unbelievable 9-2 win against Croatian side Dinamo Zagreb. Harry Kane leads the front with 9 goals, backed by their new signing Michael Olise, who is having a great debut season. Joshua Kimmich is also having an underrated season. With an average of 88.5 accurate passes per 90, 34 chances created, and 11 big chances created, he makes Bayern Munich a force to be reckoned with. Some other teams worth mentioning are PSG, who despite losing their star man, Mbappé, are doing very well with Kvaratskhelia and Ousmane Dembele. Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan are also having a strong season.
Now it’s time for some Round of 16 predictions. Arsenal demolished PSV in the 1st leg 7-1, so they are my only option to go through to the next round. The way Real Madrid played against Atletico Madrid, despite only winning 2-1, shows how strong of a team they have, so I choose them to go on. Arguably the most exciting match of this round is PSG vs Liverpool. Two teams who have looked great this whole season go head to head. Although PSG are more exciting to watch, with their flashy wingers, it’s hard to bet against a team led by Salah, van Dijk, Trent, and many more. With their new signings of Marcus Rashford and Ascensio, I think Aston Villa will have a relatively easy time beating Club Brugge. Next, Barcelona plays Benfica, with a 1 goal advantage on aggregate. While their group stage match was one of the best matches this season, and Benfica looked like they had a shot, I still think Barcelona will end up on top. Lille vs Dortmund was an even 1-1 draw in the first leg, and I think Dortmund will close it out in the 2nd leg, as they have the top scorer in the tournament, Serhou Guirassy with 10 goals and 3 assists. Bayern took a convincing 3-0 lead against their German rivals, Leverkusen, so they shouldn’t have a problem keeping their lead in the 2nd leg. Inter will go on to defeat Feyenoord in the 2nd leg.
The QF stage will likely be this: Arsenal vs. Real Madrid, Liverpool vs. Aston Villa, Barcelona vs. Dortmund, and Bayern Munich vs. Inter Milan. If I had to choose a team to go all the way, it would have to be Real Madrid. Their defense is very strong with Courtois in net, Rudiger and Militao in the middle, and Caravajal on the right. Their midfield has flourished this season, as the veteran Modric comes off the bench. His experience and skill largely impact the game when he comes on, since most other players are tired at this stage of the match. Bellingham and Valverde are also having stellar seasons. Imagine you are a defender for a team playing against Real Madrid, and they have a counter-attack. Now imagine the likes of Modric, Bellingham, and Valverde bringing up the ball, and Mbappé, Vini Jr., and Rodrygo are all sprinting towards you. It’s almost a guaranteed goal every time! With Carlo Ancellotti behind the scenes as the coach, this Madrid team is destined for success!
Last year, I predicted Real Madrid to win their 15th title, and they did. Here I am, almost 12 months later, choosing them to win it once again. Will I be wrong? Will Liverpool, Bayern, or Barcelona take down the reigning champions? Maybe. But until then, we get to sit back, relax, and watch some beautiful futbol.
