Dark horses for the title: 5 dark horses for this year's Champions League

This season, the Champions League has taken on a new format, replacing the traditional group stages with a league table that sees the teams competing face a wider variety of opponents. The Champions League has long been the pinnacle of European football, both since its rebrand into its current title and before, when it was the European Cup.

The new format is a cause of mixed opinions among fans, but there is a consensus that the league table-style of play gives lesser teams, when compared to the likes of Real Madrid, a better chance of advancing to the knockout stages, rather than having their fate decided within four group games.

In this new format, many teams have taken advantage and made strong starts, leading to some teams putting their names in for being one of the Champions League’s stronger sides this season. With that, just which five sides could be considered potential dark horses for the competition?

5. Lille

Domestically, Lille are well within the fight for European football, aiming to continue their streak in competing on the continent. They are placed fourth in Ligue 1 at the time of writing, eight points adrift of Paris Saint-Germain at the top of the league. In Europe, though, Lille have quietly enjoyed a brilliant start.

They have lost just one game of their opening six matches, which was their first game of the Champions League against Sporting, then managed by Ruben Amorim, the new Manchester United boss. Since then, Lille have beaten Atletico Madrid, Bologna and Sturm Graz and picked up a point when they drew with Juventus.

Best of all, though, was their 1-0 win over Real Madrid, the reigning La Liga and European champions, courtesy of a penalty from their star striker Jonathan David. With two games remaining, Lille are currently placed eighth in the Champions League table, a position that would send them straight through to the knockout stages were they to maintain it.

4. Bayer Leverkusen

Under the management of Xabi Alonso, the former Liverpool, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich midfielder, Bayer Leverkusen were at the front and center of most people’s attention as they captured their first-ever Bundesliga title. Alongside the DFB-Pokal, Leverkusen won both competitions unbeaten and their only defeat of the season came in the Europa League final.

Leverkusen have not matched those incredible standards this season, but that is not to say they are having a poor campaign. Alonso’s side have lost just once in the Bundesliga after 13 games, but are seven points adrift of current leaders Bayern Munich. They have also lost just once in the Champions League.

Having beaten Feyenoord, AC Milan, Red Bull Salzburg and Inter, Leverkusen have lost only to Liverpool and were held to a 1-1 draw against French side Brest. Their form has seen them nestle nicely within the top eight, a position that, if they are able to hold, would see them advance to the knockout stages automatically.

3. Brest

It has been an incredible few years for Stade Brestois. Since earning promotion to Ligue 1 in 2019, the club solidified themselves in the top flight, where they had spent large portions of their storied history. After some mid-table finishes, the club defied the odds last year under manager Eric Roy when, in Roy’s maiden season, they finished third and qualified for the Champions League.

Brest were scarcely expected to do a great deal in the Champions League, given how unlikely their qualification was. Six games in, though, the French side are continuing to match and far surpass expectations. They have lost just once in the Champions League thus far, when Barcelona beat them 3-0 in Spain.

Outside of that encounter, Brest have faced and beaten Sturm Graz, RB Salzburg, Sparta Prague and PSV, also picking up a point when they played and Bayer Leverkusen. The French side’s strong start has given them a perfect chance to ensure that they progress deeper into the competition.

2. Atalanta

A modest club in Bergamo, Atalanta have been taken to entirely new heights throughout the reign of Gian Piero Gasperini. Having been in the job since 2016, Gasperini oversaw Atalanta’s return to European football after a quarter of a century and has steadily, but surely, improved the club as a whole.

Last season, Ademola Lookman’s hat-trick ensured that Gasperini’s Atalanta won the Europa League over Bayer Leverkusen, their first-ever major European honor. As a product of that and their impressive Serie A campaign, Atalanta entered this season’s Champions League, to which they have made a strong start.

Firmly within the play-off places after six matches, it is more than feasible that Atalanta finish in the top eight if results go their way. They have just one game so far, which was against Real Madrid. If last season proved anything, it is that people should not write off Gasperini’s Atalanta in European competition.

1. Aston Villa

Unai Emery has overseen a revolution at Aston Villa since his appointment in 2022. The Spaniard, who first managed in the Premier League with Arsenal as Arsene Wenger’s successor, joined the club after they parted ways with former boss Steven Gerrard, who had not been able to prevent a poor start to the season that saw Villa lingering over the relegation places.

Since Emery’s appointment, he has gone from strength to strength. He guided that relegation-threatened side to the Conference League and the following season, the Villans qualified for Champions League football for the first time in four decades.

Villa’s only loss in their opening six games came against Club Brugge, a 1-0 defeat to a penalty that was given only because of mistakes made by the Villa defence. Elsewhere, they have drawn once and won their other four games, including a famous victory over Bayern Munich, the opponents that Villa beat when they won the 1982 European Cup.

Having shown before that he can guide a team deep into a European competition, just how far can Emery take Villa?