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As the 2018-19 edition of the UEFA Champions League kicks off on the 18th of September, the biggest football clubs across Europe will certainly be gearing up for what promises to be yet another grueling installation of the competition.
Winning it is, undoubtedly, the single greatest priority for most of the big clubs from the continent and there are, in fact, several contenders for the coveted trophy this year, as defending champions Real Madrid will look to defend their title for the 3rd consecutive time.
With the best players from across the world going to be action, we take a look at the top 10 players you should keep an eye out for - ones who could have a significant impact on their club's chances of winning the UEFA Champions League.
Keeping in mind current form, and general reputation, these 10 players could make the tournament their own, and in the process, help their respective sides delve deep into the competition, and maybe even win it:
Honourable mentions: Luka Modric (Real Madrid), Luis Suarez (Barcelona), Sadio Mane (Liverpool), Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid), David de Gea (Manchester United), Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid)
#10 Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur)
Tottenham Hotspur and England superstar, Harry Kane, has been one of the most dangerous strikers in recent years. With 41 goals from 48 appearances in all competitions last season, the 2017-18 season was Kane's best season ever.
Further, his 6 goals from 6 games at the 2018 FIFA World Cup proved that he has what it takes to perform on the biggest stage. In the 2017-18 UEFA Champions League, Kane scored 7 goals from 7 games as he helped Spurs reach the round-of-16 after finishing atop Group H, which also contained heavyweights Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund.
This season, in 5 Premier League appearances, the Englishman has already scored 2 goals and assisted another. Pitted in a tough group yet again, with Barcelona, Inter Milan and PSV, there is little doubt that Spurs' progress and performance in the tournament will hinge on Kane's form. Expect him to step up when it matters most.
#9 Paul Pobga (Manchester United)
A lot has been said about Manchester United's Paul Pobga ever since his return to Manchester United. However, the fact remains that the Frenchman is one of the best midfielders in the world at the moment.
As seen at the World Cup, where he played a crucial role in France's victory, Pogba thrives when he's put under pressure. He also proved to be an extremely motivating entity throughout the tournament.
Brimming with confidence after world football's greatest spectacle, Pogba has started the ongoing Premier League season positively, with 2 goals to his name from 5 appearances. His overwhelming presence in midfield will definitely have a tremendous influence on Manchester United's odds of doing well in the Champions League.
#8 Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
Currently one of the most lethal finishers in the sport, Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski has scored 40+ goals in each of his last 3 seasons at the Bavarian club.
Last season, his tally of 5 goals in the Champions League helped Bayern make it to the semi-finals of the competition before subsequently bowing out to the eventual champions, Real Madrid.
The Polish striker has begun this season in prime form as well, netting 6 goals in just 5 appearances so far, including a sizzling hat-trick in the German Super Cup. Bayern and their fans will undoubtedly pray for Lewa's good run to continue and they will be bound to profit from it if it does.
#7 Sergio Aguero (Manchester City)
Manchester City's all-time leading goalscorer, Sergio Aguero, seems to be in sizzling form. The 30-year-old Argentinian will look to put the sorrows of the 2018 FIFA World Cup behind him by helping City excel in the Champions League.
His 4 goals from 7 Champions League games helped the defending Premier League champions Manchester City reach the quarter-finals of the tournament last season, and both, Aguero, and City will hope to go even further this season.
Moreover, in Kevin De Bruyne's absence, a lot will depend on Aguero. The diminutive striker has already scored 5 goals and assisted 2 more in 6 appearances for City this season and he looks like he's raring to have a go in Europe's grandest club competition.
#6 Gareth Bale (Real Madrid)
Ever since Cristiano Ronaldo called time on his Real Madrid career and moved to Juventus earlier this summer, much of the onus seems to have fallen on Gareth Bale, with plenty of talk about him being the new spearhead for Los Blancos.
In the final of the 2017-18 Champions League, the Welsh star came off the bench in the second half to score an all-important brace (that included an acrobatic bicycle kick) to help Madrid make history by winning their third consecutive Champions League trophy.
In 4 LaLiga games this season, Bale has already scored 3 goals and assisted 2 more, proving that he is, in fact, relishing the spotlight at the front of Madrid's attack. While Madrid's attack has certainly been robbed of venom since Ronaldo's departure, this is the perfect time for Bale to shine and succeed Ronaldo as the main goalscorer in the side. Bale's performances are bound to have a telling effect on Madrid's campaign.
#5 Neymar (Paris Saint-Germain)
Neymar, football's most expensive player, surprised the world when he completed a move from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain ahead of last season. However, the Brazilian hit the ground running almost immediately, linking up excellently with Kylian Mbappe and Edinson Cavani to wreak havoc on every team that stood in their path.
The 26-year-old was almost scoring and assisting for fun (28 goals and 16 assists from 30 matches) before a tragic injury saw his season cut short. Subsequently, Paris Saint-Germain were knocked out of the Champions League in the round-of-16 by Real Madrid in Neymar's absence.
Now fully recovered, Neymar will look to make up for lost time as well as make amends after PSG's poor performance in the Champions League. He already has 6 goals and 1 assist from 5 games in all competitions for PSG this season, and he will invariably decide PSG's fate in this season's competition.
#4 Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
In the greatest fairytale story in recent times, last season's breakout star, Mohamed Salah stunningly stole pretty much everyone's thunder with a whirlwind of a season that saw him score 44 goals and assist 14 more from 52 games for Liverpool across all competitions.
A controversial challenge from Sergio Ramos and a subsequent injury, however, put a tearful Salah out of action in the final of last season's Champions League, before Madrid went on to lift the trophy.
Salah is back now, though, and will hope to continue from where he left off last season. He has already scored 2 goals and assisted another in 5 Premier League games for Liverpool so far. As we saw last season, he has undeniably become Liverpool's talisman, and if he can replicate last season's form, Liverpool could go a long way.
#3 Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus)
After historically winning 3 consecutive UEFA Champions League trophies, Cristiano Ronaldo decided to trade in the Madrid Whites for Juventus' stripes in the hunt for a new challenge.
If the start to his Serie A career is something to go by, he certainly has been challenged, scoring just two goals - both of which came yesterday against Sassuolo - in 4 appearances for Juventus.
However, his reputation of coming alive in the UEFA Champions League simply disallows you from leaving him off this list regardless of form. Ronaldo is, quite simply put, a different animal altogether when it comes to Europe's biggest stage.
He has scored 10+ goals in each of the last 7 editions of the tournament, with a total of 105 goals and 27 assists from just 101 appearances with Madrid, helping Los Blancos win the title 4 times along the way.
There would be no better time and place for his Juventus career to take off than in the Champions League and he definitely will be expected to bring his A game in the tournament.
#2 Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain)
Ever since he shot to fame as a result of his performances with AS Monaco, helping them win the Ligue 1 title in the 2016-17 season, there has been no stopping Kylian Mbappe. Last season, his first for PSG, Mbappe scored 21 goals and assisted 11 more in 44 appearances across all competitions. This season, he has already scored 4 and assisted 2 more in 3 appearances.
He went on to make history at the World Cup, scoring 4 important goals in France's title-winning run. He also became the youngest player since Pele to score in a World Cup final. Going from strength to strength, the 19-year-old is easily one of the hottest prospects in world football at the moment and seems capable of producing something out of nothing every time he has the ball at his feet.
Judging by both, form and growing reputation, Mbappe will relish the chance to dazzle at the highest level and will give it his all to push PSG as far into the tournament as he can.
#1 Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
Talk about consistency, and one has to look no further than Barcelona's Lionel Messi. Alongside Ronaldo, Messi is the only other player in the world to have scored 100+ goals in the UEFA Champions League and he will have an opportunity to add to that tally this season. Further, he has helped Barcelona lift 4 Champions League titles.
The 31-year-old was recently handed the captain's armband on a permanent basis, after Andres Iniesta's departure. Usually, the pressure of wearing the band and designation can pile up a lot of pressure on a player and affect their game.
Messi, though, looks to be unperturbed by it, and seems to be relishing it if nothing else. He has started this season from right where he left off last time around and has already scored 4 goals and assisted 2 more.
There is little doubt that Messi will continue to be Barcelona's talisman and that their chances in the competition depend heavily on how he plays. On the other hand, now that he's captain, Messi is bound to put in everything he's got to try and lead Barcelona toin a 5th Champions League trophy in his presence.
