Champions League power rankings: PSG and Man City favorites to win it

The start of the Champions League ushers the official start of big-time soccer across Europe. Here’s how the best teams rank going into Tuesday’s start of the group stage. 

The UEFA Champions League officially kicks off Tuesday with the group stage with a series of big games that includes Barcelona hosting Bayern Munich.

In a season that will feature both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo on new teams, expect plenty of drama during the mid-week competition. Messi at Paris Saint-Germain and Ronaldo’s return to Manchester United makes those clubs among the favorites to win the trophy.

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Here’s a look at the first Champions League power rankings of the 2021-22 Champions League season.

10. AC Milan

Making their return to the Champions League for the first time since the 2013-14 season, the Rossoneri (currently in first place in Serie A) feature Zlatan Ibrahimovic and a tradition of success in this competition that could make them the biggest surprise side this season.

9. Borussia Dortmund

Any team that has a scoring machine like Erling Haaland in their squad is one that can do well. The Norway striker will be looking to have an MVP season as the Germans compete for a deep run.

8. Atletico Madrid

The Spanish team that many are high on this season are Atleti. Under manager Diego Simeone, Atletico Madrid has the attacking duo of Luis Suarez and Antoine Griezmann who have shown in the past that they can win at this level.

7. Real Madrid

This is a team that is always among the favorites going into the Champions League. Enthusiasm among Spanish clubs is low this season (Barcelona, for example, isn’t among the favorites), but Real Madrid features players like Karim Benzema and Vinicius Junior who have the skills to lift the trophy.

6. Liverpool

The Reds also have what it takes to go deep in this competition and Liverpool has over the years found a way to go far in European competition even when things go awry in the Premier League.

5. Manchester United

The English club, runners up in last season’s Europa League, are transformed now that Cristiano Ronaldo is in the lineup. Man United could very well recapture those glory days of the late 1990s and early 2000s with a strong showing over the coming months.

4. Bayern Munich

The German giants were the best club team in the world just two years ago, but a lot of that seems to have evaporated in the minds of many. It actually hasn’t given that striker Robert Lewandowski still has what it takes to bag goals and win the big games.

3. Chelsea

More difficult than winning the Champions League is repeating as champions. The London club have the players, including the addition of striker Romelu Lukaku) needed to compete on several fronts so expect another impressive showing this season.

2. Manchester City

The Premier League champions have the talent to go very deep and will have to duplicate their run of form that got them to the final last season. Pep Guardiola really wants to win this thing this season.

1. Paris Saint-Germain

The team features an all-star lineup and the addition of Lionel Messi this past summer makes them the odds-on favorites to win it all. Anything short of the title will be seen as a major disappointment.