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The UEFA Champions League is set to get underway tomorrow following the group stage draw, as Europe's elite prepare to compete for the club's biggest football prize.
Chelsea are the reigning European Champions after defeating Manchester City in last season's final and both Premier League clubs are once again expected to challenge for the trophy. Manchester United will also be in the hunt after a fantastic transfer window in which they re-signed Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo.
Elsewhere, PSG boast arguably the best squad in the world after signing Achraf Hakimi, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Sergio Ramos and Georginio Wijnaldum. But the biggest arrival was that of Lionel Messi, who left Barcelona after 21 years.
Already boasting the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Neymar, PSG are definitely many people's favorites to win the Champions League this season.
Few teams may spring a surprise in the Champions League
While the big guns are expected to challenge for the trophy, there are many other teams who could spring a surprise or two in the tournament. These teams may not be expected to go far in the tournament but they are capable of challenging the bigger clubs and producing a few shock results here and there.
So let's take a look at the five teams that could surprise everyone in the Champions League this season.
#5 Shakhtar Donetsk
After a brave display in the 2020-21 Champions League to finish third in Group B above Inter Milan, Shakhtar Donetsk will be hoping to achieve more this season.
In Champions League qualification this season, Shakhtar comfortably beat Genk 4-2 over two legs in the third round and edged past Monaco in a nail-biting 3-2 playoff win. They have been drawn into the same group as Real Madrid and Inter for a second consecutive season.
The Ukrainian club will definitely look to do one better than their previous year's feat of a third-placed finish. They had managed to beat Real Madrid in both games but lost out on qualification due to goal difference.
Shakhtar prefers to play fast football due to their superb transition and swift counter-attacks, which is their primary weapon. They have also added two exciting players to their already excellent core - Pedrinho and Lassina Traore - both of them very young and showing a lot of potential.
Inter have seen the departure of key players and manager Antonio Conte in the summer while Real Madrid are in a transition under new manager Carlo Ancelotti. As such, Shakhtar definitely stand a chance of upsetting the odds in the Champions League and reaching Round of 16 at the very least.
#4 Wolfsburg
Wolfsburg upset the odds to finish fourth in the Bundesliga last season, enjoying their best campaign since their second-placed finish in 2014-15. Head coach Oliver Glasner received plenty of plaudits and his exploits with Die Wolfe were enough for Eintrach Frankfurt to poach him. He was replaced by Mark van Bommel, who has overseen a near faultless start to his side's 2021-22 campaign.
After achieving automatic Champions League qualification last season by finishing fourth in the league, the German club have won their opening four games in the Bundesliga. With six goals scored and just one conceded, Wolfsburg are at the top of the Bundesliga and are the only side to have maintained their 100 per cent record.
Wolfsburg will be hoping to continue their form in the Champions League this season. They have built a strong defense at the back and have young, exciting players in attack. Their star-striker Wout Weghorst scored 20 goals in the league last season and has started the new season in similar fashion, scoring twice and providing an assist in four outings.
Housed in one of the most open groups in the Champions League alongside Sevilla, RB Salzburg and Lille, Wolfsburg have every chance of progressing to the knockout stages. Considering their form, you wouldn't put it past them to even surprise the bigger teams in the latter stages of the Champions League.
#3 AC Milan
The Italian giants have endured a seven-year absence from the Champions League. But the Rossoneri ended their wait after finishing second in Serie A last season, ensuring qualification to the Champions League group stage for the first time since 2013-14.
AC Milan have been pitted in a really difficult group alongside Liverpool, Atletico Madrid and Porto. However, the Italian giants will not be afraid to take on the odds.
Milan have started the new season in fine fashion, winning their opening three games and have conceded just one goal so far, possessing the best defense in Serie A.
Fikayo Tomori and Simon Kjaer have formed a solid partnership at the back while veterans Olivier Giroud and Zlatan Ibrahimovic are more than capable of leading the line. They however did lose two of their key players in the form of Gianluigi Donnarumma and Hakan Calhanoglu this summer.
Nevertheless, Milan have a good mix of youthfulness and experience in the squad. They will definitely fancy their chances of upsetting the likes of Liverpool and Atletico Madrid in the Champions League this season.
#2 Sevilla
Sevilla have been completely transformed since the arrival of manager Julen Lopetegui. The Spaniard managed to win the Europa League in his debut season at the club while also helping them achieve back-to-back fourth-placed finishes in La Liga.
Sevilla have started the campaign in brilliant fashion this season, quickly posting six points on the board from their first two matches in La Liga. But they were held to a somewhat disappointing draw against Elche in game week three.
The club managed to progress to the last-16 of the Champions League last year before being sent packing by Borussia Dortmund. However, they have been handed a favorable draw in the Champions League this season, facing the likes of Lille, Salzburg and Wolfsburg in Group G.
Los Nervionenses have never been beyond the quarter-finals of the Champions League in its current format. But they could prove obdurate opponents should they progress from an easy group.
Some smart recruitment has provided them with a functional rather than flashy squad that possesses enough final-third ingenuity and defensive grit. It could prove to be a rough ride for any visitor to the raucous Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan stadium.
#1 Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund failed to provide stiff competition to eventual Bundesliga winners Bayern Munich last season. But they did enough to earn a third-place finish and a place in this season's Champions League.
Last season, Dortmund had a good Champions League campaign, reaching the quarter-finals of the tournament before succumbing to a defeat against Manchester City. Their talisman Erling Haaland was the top scorer of the tournament with 10 goals.
Now under new manager Marco Rose, Dortmund will be looking to build on their previous campaign. They have been drawn in a favorable group against Ajax, Sporting CP and Besiktas. But their inconsistency and leaky defense is what's holding them back.
Dortmund started the new Bundesliga season in brilliant fashion by annhilating Eintrach Frankfurt 5-2 at Signal Iduna Park. But then, just like the highly inconsistent Dortmund side of the past, they succumbed to a 2-1 defeat against Freiburg. They followed it up by winning 3-2 and 4-3 in thrilling encounters against Hoffenheim and Bayer Leverkusen respectively.
Rose has tried a couple of different formations in his first few games at the club. If he can find some consistency with Dortmund and fix their leaky defense, then there's no limit to how far Haaland and Co. can go in the Champions League this season.
