Antoine Griezmann picks his favourites to win the Champions League this season

Club Atletico de Madrid v Borussia Dortmund - UEFA Champions League Group A
Club Atletico de Madrid v Borussia Dortmund - UEFA Champions League Group A

What's the story?

France and Atletico Madrid star Antoine Griezmann has named reigning Premier League champions Manchester City as the top favourites to win the UEFA Champions League this season.

In case you didn't know...

Greizmann has been doing well following France's World Cup win, having recently netted a goal in his side's Champions League win over German giants Borossia Dortmund.

Atletico Madrid went head-to-head with the Bundesliga side in a game that saw the French win 2-0.

Saul Niguez opened the bank for the La Liga side in the 33rd minute before Griezmann netted the second goal of the game and his third of the season to seal a much-needed win.

The victory means Atletico stand level with Dortmund on points in the Champions League Group A but still sit at second place on goal difference.

The heart of the matter

Prior to his team's Champions League clash on Tuesday, Griezmann spoke to Kicker (via Marca) about his Ballon d'Or dreams and his favourites to win Europe's top competition.

Speaking about who could win the UCL, the Frenchman said, "For me, Manchester City are the leading favourite because they have Guardiola as the coach. Then come Juventus and Barcelona because they have Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. And then I see us [Atletico Madrid]."

The 27-year-old also spoke about his Ballon d'Or ambitions saying, "I didn't understand it, but we don't decide and other FIFA people do, so it's complicated. It seemed a shame to me. For me, a prize like this would have been an important distinction."

He added, "It would have been compensation for the difficult moments I went through far away from my family when I was 13, 14 or 15. It wouldn't be a prize only for me, but also for my parents and siblings. It would be a reward for all the effort and all the separation."

What's next?

Both the Champions League Group A toppers need a point from their next group game to qualify for the knockout stage. Atletico Madrid will next host Monaco on November 28.

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Edited by Sundaresh Kumar