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Another exciting season of football is here. The 2020-21 season had its share of surprises, moments of joy and heartbreak. We had a great summer in the world of football with Euro 2020 and the 2021 Copa America providing exhilarating action and entertainment.
There were quite a few surprises in Europe's top five leagues in the 2020-21 season. While Bayern Munich and Manchester City won the league titles as expected, there were some major upsets in Serie A, La Liga and Ligue 1.
Atletico Madrid won the La Liga title after a gap of seven years. Inter Milan copped the Scudetto after an 11-year drought. Lille pipped the star-studded Paris Saint-Germain side to the Ligue 1 title.
But so much has happened in this summer's transfer window which could change the dynamics of Europe's top five leagues once again. Here, we make five bold predictions for the 2021-22 season.
#5 Robert Lewandowski to beat Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to European Golden Shoe
The European Golden Shoe is awarded to the individual who scores the most number of goals in the top division of European national leagues.
Robert Lewandowski is currently the most prolific goalscorer on the planet and won the European Golden Shoe after scoring 41 goals in the 2020-21 season. He also beat Gerd Muller's record of most goals scored in a 38-game Bundesliga season.
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have more or less dominated the award in the recent past. The former has won the European Golden Shoe six times while the latter has won it four times. Both Messi and Ronaldo finished the 2020-21 season as the leading goalscorers in their respective leagues.
Messi also won the Golden Boot at the 2021 Copa America while Ronaldo won the Euro 2020 Golden Boot. Both legends of the game are still in prime goalscoring form. But we fully expect Lewandowski to retain the European Golden Shoe.
In the 2020-21 season, Lewandowski scored at a rate of almost 1.5 goals per game. No other player in Europe's top five leagues averaged more than a goal per game.
#4 Manchester City won't win the Premier League
Manchester City cruised their way to the Premier League title in the 2020-21 season. Second-placed Manchester United finished 12 points behind City. Even though Pep Guardiola's side have added Grealish to the mix, it's important to note how much their title-rivals have strengthened.
Manchester United have added Raphael Varane to their backline and Jadon Sancho to their attack. Both are world-class players who will make Manchester United a better team than they were in the 2020-21 season.
Chelsea have added Romelu Lukaku to their attack. Despite winning the Champions League title, the Stamford Bridge outfit struggled to score goals throughout the 2020-21 season. The Belgian international's return to the Premier League will sort that out for Thomas Tuchel's side.
Liverpool couldn't mount a title challenge in the 2020-21 season as they were plagued by injuries. Three of their first-choice centre-backs were sidelined for the majority of the season. Jordan Henderson also missed out on nearly four months of action.
But now Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez, Joel Matip and Jordan Henderson have returned to the fray. The Merseysiders have also added Ibrahima Konate to their backline. This time, all four Premier League giants seem capable of challenging on all fronts.
#3 Jorginho to win the Ballon d'Or
Italian midfielder Jorginho is still in with just an outside chance of winning the Ballon d'Or. But no footballer has had as good a summer as the Chelsea man. He has won the UEFA Champions League, Euro 2020 and the UEFA Super Cup.
He has also played a starring role in all three triumphs. Jorginho has a compelling case which could get even better if Italy go on to win the UEFA Nations League. As things stand, Italy will take on Spain in the semi-final of the Nations League. If they win the semi, they will take on either Belgium or France in the final.
If Italy go on to win the UEFA Nations League with Jorginho playing an important role, it would be criminal to deny him the Ballon d'Or.
#2 Paris Saint-Germain won't win the Champions League
Paris Saint-Germain's attacking line is the stuff of nightmares for defenders. Imagine squaring off against a team that features Lionel Messi, Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Angel Di Maria. PSG look like an all-star side.
Having all these stars in the team is one thing, getting them to play well together is a whole different ordeal. Neymar has played a deeper role in recent times and likes to carry the ball forward from a more central position. Mbappe loves bombing down either flank. Lionel Messi operates in the role of an attacking midfielder or a false nine.
It's difficult to find a system where PSG can use the creativity of Messi, Neymar, Mbappe and Di Maria. They also have Marco Verratti and Wijnaldum behind them. Achraf Hakimi and Sergio Ramos are world-class additions as well.
Despite having some of the best players in the world, it remains to be seen just how much the side has improved over the course of the summer. They have had some brilliant players all across the field for several years. Ability has not been the problem. It's their propensity to bottle it when it matters the most that has held them back.
There are also plenty of European teams that are strong enough to be challenging for the Champions League title this time around.
#1 Barcelona to win La Liga
It's easy to dismiss this opinion as an edgy, attention-seeking argument proferred by Twitter football scientists. But hear us out. Barcelona have a great squad even after Messi's departure. Memphis Depay is a great addition to the frontline. Eric Garcia's return will strengthen Barcelona's defence as well.
Sergio Busquets, Frenkie De Jong and Pedri make for a great midfield. With Griezmann, Depay, Sergio Aguero and Ousmane Dembele vying for a starting berth uptop, they have no shortage of world-class talent.
Neither Real Madrid nor Atletico Madrid have a squad that's considerably better than Barcelona's. Without Messi, the Catalans can finally focus more on playing more as a team and this might bring out the best in several of their players.
Ronald Koeman has a strong side with an array of promising young individuals waiting to break onto the first-team setup. We wouldn't put winning the La Liga title past them.
