Real Madrid’s Champions League Struggles Against Man City and Liverpool
As Europe’s biggest competition, the UEFA Champions League, gets underway again, all eyes are on the powerhouse teams like Real Madrid, Manchester City, and Liverpool. Former Liverpool and Real Madrid star Michael Owen recently shared his insights on the upcoming tournament and made some bold predictions about who might come out on top.
Real Madrid, the current holders of the Champions League title, are set to kick off their campaign against VfB Stuttgart. However, it’s their match against Liverpool at Anfield on November 28 that has everyone buzzing. Owen believes that Real Madrid may not fancy facing off against Liverpool or Manchester City in the competition. He stated, “Real Madrid won’t relish playing Liverpool, they won’t enjoy going to Anfield and playing Liverpool. Real Madrid won’t enjoy it if they have to play Manchester City either because secretly, they might have got through on a couple of occasions, but secretly, they will know that when they’ve played City they weren’t necessarily the best team.”
With the new Champions League format in play this season, featuring 36 clubs playing eight matches in the league phase against eight different teams, the competition promises to be even more intense. The top eight sides in the table will secure a spot in the round of 16, while teams in ninth to 24th position will compete in knock-out phase play-offs. Owen commented on the format change, saying, “The change in Champions League format could be interesting, but I would still suspect that the big teams will come out on top and to get into the knockout stages.”
Looking ahead, Owen expressed his belief that Manchester City has been the best team in Europe for the past few years. However, he noted that City has not secured as many European Cups as Real Madrid during that time. Despite this, Owen argued that City has been the superior team on certain occasions when facing off against Real Madrid. He also highlighted the impact of Kylian Mbappe joining Real Madrid, making them an even more formidable opponent in the competition.
With the increased number of games in the Champions League this year, Owen emphasized that the better teams are likely to prevail in the end. He stated, “The more games there are in any competition, the more I would expect the better teams to come out on top at the end of it.” This sentiment underscores the importance of consistency and performance over the course of the tournament.
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Overall, the stage is set for an exciting and competitive Champions League tournament, with top teams like Real Madrid, Manchester City, and Liverpool vying for glory. As the matches unfold, fans can expect thrilling encounters and intense battles on the road to the coveted Champions League title.