The Champions League is back and BBC Sport take a look at who the favourites are to win the title plus predictions from

European club football's most prestigious tournament returns this week as Europe's elite clubs chase continental glory, with reigning champions Real Madrid widely tipped by pundits to defend their crown. Carlo Ancelotti's squad enters the group stage boasting a record fifteen European Cup titles, reinforced further by the high-profile summer arrival of French superstar Kylian Mbappé. As the competition adopts a newly expanded 36-team league phase format replacing the traditional group stage, tactical analysts and former players alike expect an unpredictable campaign packed with heavyweight clashes from the very first matchday onward.

The race for the ultimate prize features several formidable challengers looking to dethrone the Spanish giants, most notably Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City and German powerhouses Bayern Munich. Manchester City captured their maiden Champions League trophy in 2023 and retain a deeply talented core led by prolific Norwegian striker Erling Haaland, who has already broken numerous goalscoring records in the competition. Meanwhile, Bayern Munich have bolstered their attack with Harry Kane, while traditional contenders such as Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona, and Inter Milan round out a fiercely competitive tier of top-tier European title contenders.

The league phase will run through January 2025 under the innovative single-league table system, guaranteeing teams eight matches against varied opponents before the knockout rounds commence in February. This demanding schedule increases fixture congestion significantly, placing immense pressure on squad depth and physical endurance for every participating club competing simultaneously in domestic leagues. Football enthusiasts worldwide eagerly anticipate which manager will ultimately hoist the iconic silver trophy at the Allianz Arena in Munich on May 31, 2025.