Germany legend Michael Ballack names his favorites for UCL, rules out Real Madrid and Manchester City for one key reason

Chelsea legend Michael Ballack has named Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain as the favorites for the UEFA Champions League title, while ruling out Real Madrid and Manchester City. He believes that Bayern Munich are also challengers, but not the favorites.

Speaking to Sport Bild, Ballack said Barcelona have a strong team and have difference makers like Lamine Yamal to help them in the tournament. He also believes PSG will be red-hot favorites as they are the defending champions and have Luis Enrique as their coach. He said (via GOAL):

"Of course FC Barcelona. The team is strong, and especially in Lamine Yamal, they have an outstanding difference-maker in their ranks – and in Hansi Flick, a coach who's a perfect fit. Of course, you have to count Paris Saint-Germain, as defending champions, among the top favorites. The team has become a top team under coach Luis Enrique."

Ballak also believes his former side Bayern Munich have a chance, however, he does not see Manchester City and Los Blancos as top contenders. He claimed that their performances have not been good enough and said:

"Bayern can beat any opponent. But we have to talk about momentum: Last season, they were eliminated in the quarterfinals by Inter. That's why Bayern are not among the absolute top favourites for me, but rather a challenger. I also don't count Manchester City among the top favourites based on their past performances and the upheaval. [Madrid], not either. The situation there is somewhat comparable to that at Manchester City."

The UEFA Champions League group stages begin on September 16, with Real Madrid and Arsenal set to play on the opening night. Manchester City, Chelsea, and Bayern Munich play on Wednesday, September 17.

Real Madrid star snubs Manchester City while picking UEFA Champions League winners

Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappe spoke to BILD earlier this month and backed his side as the favorites for the UEFA Champions League. He did not see Manchester City and other clubs as contenders and said:

“I always say Real Madrid. But there are a lot of good teams in Europe, really a lot. We saw last year was fantastic with the new Champions League format. This year it will be even better. It’ll be interesting to see who comes out on top in the end.”

OPTA have given Liverpool and Arsenal the best chance of winning the UEFA Champions League this season. Real Madrid have been given a 5.8% chance, while Manchester City have an 8.4% chance, the same as Barcelona.