Ranking the top 5 teams most likely to win the UEFA Champions League in 2021-22
2. Manchester City
Manchester City should’ve won the competition last season. They had the best chances while facing Chelsea in the finals. But a game terribly managed by Pep Guardiola meant that the Sky Blues would continue lacking the coveted trophy in their cabinet. This season, things are going in their favor, they have had the experience of playing in the finals of the Champions League and a tactically adept coach like Pep Guardiola will have his own notes on how not to set up his players in a final.
The Citizens have an amazing midfield, an extensive squad list, amazing young players, and a great coach in Pep Guardiola. So why aren’t they number 1 on this list? The reason is simple, City had an easy group and only PSG stood out as worthy competitors and they were massively outplayed by the Parisians at Paris. They won the home game 2-1 and lost the away game 2-0. City in fact had to struggle to finish in the top spot in the group with PSG finishing just one point short of the Sky Blues.
They have a relatively easier job against Sporting Club in the Round of 16. This means a quarterfinal ticket is almost confirmed for City.
They have made the world’s most competitive league, the Premier League as it was once called look like a league with underperforming sides filled to the brim. They enjoy a nine-point lead on the top of the table having played an extra game over the second-placed Liverpool. They have scored a jaw-dropping 55 goals in 23 league games while conceding only 14. That shows how well they are defending and irrespective of the clubs they are playing against, good defending develops into a habit and that could be of great use in the knockout stages of the Champions League.
The defense, especially the center-back pairing of Ruben Dias and Aymeric Laporte and the big man in goal, Ederson have all elevated their games leading to such a clinical defensive record. Ederson also made it to our list of best goalkeepers in Europe based on current form. The time is certainly right for the sun to rise on the Sky Blues of Manchester.