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Big debate: Mirror Football writers give their Champions League predictions as Liverpool begin defence


“The chaaaaaampiaaaaaaans!”

Champions League football is almost back as Europe’s premier club competition gets ready to kick into gear once more on Tuesday evening.

Liverpool will defend their title this term and begin their campaign with a tough-looking group game at Napoli.

They are joined at Europe’s top table this year by Premier League counterparts Tottenham , who the Reds beat in last year’s final in Madrid, Chelsea and Manchester City .

But how will the English clubs get on? Who will win the competition? Which group game will catch the eye, and who is the one player to watch?

We asked our team of writers, and here’s what they had to say…

Can Liverpool claim another Champions League crown?

Matt Lawless

Winner: Liverpool. They are the best team in Europe and I can’t see that changing unless they suffer some serious injuries. Barcelona are my other tip – but they haven’t won it in four years.

Liverpool: Winners

Man City: Semi-finals

Chelsea: Quarter-finals

Tottenham: Quarter-finals

Group game you most want to see: Real Madrid vs PSG – Mbappe and Neymar at the Bernabeu. That will be a cracker!

Player to watch: Kylian Mbappe. Pace. Power. Skill. Goals. He is real box office.

Andy Dunn

Winner: Liverpool

Liverpool: Winners

Man City: Semi-final

Chelsea: Round of 16

Tottenham: Round of 16

Group game most want to see: Borussia Dortmund v Barcelona

Player to watch: Joao Felix (Atletico Madrid)

Winners last season, Liverpool look even stronger this time around and the twelfth man of Anfield will play a key role again. No reason why they cannot go all the way again.

Felix is one of the young stars looking to catch the eye this season

Conor Mummery

Winner: Tottenham

Liverpool: Semi-finals

Man City: Quarter-finals

Chelsea: Round of 16

Tottenham: Winners

Group game most want to see: Tottenham vs Bayern Munich

Player to watch: Tanguy Ndombele

John Cross

Winner: Man City – It’s going to be a hard season but I’m convinced Pep has an eye on the Champions League… it’s destiny.

Liverpool: Semi-finals. Why? Because I think they’re going to go all out for the Premier League, will win the title and it’ll be hard to win both.

Man City: See above!

Chelsea: Last 16. They got the hardest group. Ajax and Valencia are tough opponents. But I fancy them to get through. I’d love to see Frank Lampard do well – and I think he will.

Tottenham: Quarter-finals. Big season for Poch this one. I’m not convinced he’s entirely happy. He’s one of the best managers in Europe, must have the players to compete and if he doesn’t then he’ll get tempted soon…

Group game most want to see: Love the idea of Real Madrid and PSG or Atletico and Juve. They are the taster of the Super League which will inevitably happen one day. But at group stage, it’s just a precession… so I think Bayern v Spurs. It’s at the end of the group stage, if, like last year, Spurs have to get a result then it’ll be a cracker.

Player to watch: Neymar. Bear with me on this one… he is so frustrating, so incredibly annoying and so unfulfilled. Will he actually show up in this competition? Doubt it. But would love to see him deliver. Apart from that, Frenkie de Jong.

Will Pep lead City to their first Champions League crown?

James Nursey

Winner: Manchester City

Liverpool: Semi-finals

Man City: Winner

Chelsea: Last 16

Tottenham: Quarter-finals

Group game you most want to see: Atletico Madrid v Juventus. I am looking forward to seeing two of the most exciting young talents in football go head to head when Atletico’s attacking ace Joao Felix, 19, comes up against new Juve stopper Matthijs de Ligt, aged 20. The pair cost around £200million between them when they moved this summer from Benfica and Ajax respectively.

Player to watch: Kylian Mbappe. The flying attacker, 20, has already won the World Cup with France and the French top-flight three times. Now he must have his eyes on the Champions League too.

Tom Hopkinson

Winner: Juventus

Liverpool: Final

Man City: Quarter-finals

Chelsea: Last 16

Tottenham: Quarter-finals

Group game you most want to see: Atletico Madrid v Juventus. Promises to be another humdinger, just like those visceral last-16 matches in last season’s tournament. Cristiano Ronaldo versus the side of Madrid that hates him and he’s sure to rise to their baiting of him.

Player to watch: Raheem Sterling is desperate to win the Ballon d’Or and if he is going to stand any chance of getting his hands on it then this is the competition in which he now really needs to turn it on. It’ll be great to watch him pushing himself and Manchester City.

Lampard has a baptism of fire in his first season as a manager in Europe

Neil Moxley

Winner: Liverpool, really fancy the Reds to retain their title – if their front three, in particular, stay fit. If not, Inter Milan who have added Diego Godin and Romelu Lukaku to their ranks.

Liverpool: Will be full of confidence after last season and will show no fear anywhere they play. This could be their year again with Barcelona and Real Madrid in such disarray.

Man City: Can be there or thereabouts but still have the mental hurdle to overcome of repeatedly falling short over the past decade.

Chelsea: Youth and enthusiasm will take them so far but difficult to see them coping in the latter stages with other big-hitters.

Tottenham: Will have taken a lot from last season – particularly from the early stages as it was a devilish group to escape from. Wild card. Could end up going deep but can’t see them toppling Manchester City or Liverpool. Mind you, said that 12 months ago.

Group game you most want to see: Bayern Munich v Tottenham Hotspur – Bayern are programmed to play on the front foot, Spurs love space to play. Should be a classic.

Player to watch: Ansu Fati (Barcelona). Must be some player to score for Barcelona at the age of 16.

Mark Jones

Winner: Liverpool

Liverpool: Winner

Man City: Final

Chelsea: Group stage

Tottenham: Quarter-finals

Group game you most want to see: Inter Milan vs Barcelona, Matchday 6. There’s every chance that Borussia Dortmund take something off Barca in either or both of their matches against them, and if the slightly off-kilter Catalans end up needing something to progress at the San Siro then it could be fascinating.

Player to watch: Roberto Firmino (Liverpool). The Brazilian has started the season in thrilling form, and we should probably start talking about how Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah bring out the best in him, not the other way around.

Tottenham came within one win of Europan glory last term

James Whaling

Winner: Manchester City – surely it’s time for Pep’s men to finally get on the board in Europe!

Liverpool: Semi-final

Man City: Winners

Chelsea: Last 16

Tottenham: Quarter-final

Group game you most want to see: Tottenham vs Bayern – Spurs have a habit of turning it on against the big boys and this one should be no different in their new ground.

Player to watch: Jadon Sancho – has gone from strength to strength over the last 12 months and has been in imperious form in the early stages of this campaign.

Mike Walters

Winner: Manchester City

Liverpool: Semi-finals

Man City: Winners

Chelsea: Quarter-finals

Tottenham: Quarter-finals

Group game you most want to see: Borussia Dortmund v Barcelona tomorrow night looks tasty

Player to watch: Jadon Sancho (Borussia Dortmund) – Would love to see a 19-year-old English kid light up the Champions League

Last season, Manchester City pipped Liverpool to the title but Jurgen Klopp broke his duck at Anfield by landing his first trophy with the biggest pot of all.

This time, it might be role reversal – Liverpool to deliver their first title in 30 years to the Kop, and City to crack the final frontier in Europe.





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