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#2 Juventus
Everyone knows how desperate Juventus have become in their bid to climb up to the top of the European football ladder once again. After losing two finals within four years to FC Barcelona and Real Madrid in 2015 and 2017 respectively, the only thing on the minds of the Bianconeri right now is to win the European crown.
They took a huge step towards their European dream by signing Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid in the summer of 2017. The attacker has settled down perfectly in Turin as he continues his record-breaking exploits.
He led Juve to claim both the Scudetto and the Supercoppa Italiano last season. Although he failed to inspire them to Champions League triumph, the Portuguese still showed his class by scoring all of the club's five goals in the knockout phase of the tournament.
With Massimiliano Allegri gone and Maurizio now in charge of affairs at the Allianz Stadium, Ronaldo and Co. have their eyes focused on the European crown once again. They currently sit at the second position on the Group D table with seven points from three games.
#1 Barcelona
It is an open secret that the only trophy that appeals to Barcelona at the moment is the Champions League. The Blaugrana last won the prestigious crown in 2015 when they edged out Juventus at the Olympiastadion in Berlin. Ever since then, they haven't made it past the semifinals.
Barca have been enduring painful eliminations in the tournament for the past few seasons. They collapsed to Roma in the 2017/2018 season and also got humiliated by Liverpool last term.
Domestic success has become a less motivating factor to Ernesto Valverde's men. The manager understands that he has to deliver in Europe in order to have any chance of extending his stay in Catalunya beyond the current campaign.
Despite their recent failings, Lionel Messi hasn't given up on his hopes of adding a fifth Champions League medal to his cabinet. The Argentine reiterated his desire to win the European crown once again ahead of the season. He's helped Barca to the first position in the Group F as things stand right now. The Catalans have earned seven points from three games so far.
