Who Will Win 2019 Champions League

1. 2018-2019 Champions League
2. Who Will Win 2019 Champions League Groups
3. Who Will Win 2019 Champions League Final Full Video
4. Who Will Win Champions League 2019
5. 2019 Champions League Bracket

Photo by Vienna Reyes, License

The 2019 Champions League final is finally upon us with Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool FC set to battle it out for the right to be called European. We predict who will win the Champions League. Games of chance and skill together.

• Three teams who look like winning Liverpool I feel this Liverpool team is the toughest to beat in knockout stages. The team cannot be beaten in 4 halves anytime. The only realistic chance of them losing will be in the finals. They bottled up again.
• Barcelona can be backed at 8/1 to win their first Champions League since 2015 after becoming one of the most consistent performers in the tournament over the last 12 years.
• In 2019, the Wanda Metropolitano will be host to a display of force from the team who will win the 2018–19 UEFA Champions League. Here are the teams who I consider favourites to win the UCL in no particular order: 1. Juventus: Signing Cristiano Ro.
• The UEFA Champions League concludes on June 1st 2019. We're into the quarterfinals and one thing's for sure, Real Madrid won't win the Champions League again. Real Madrid won the event the last three years, but they've already been eliminated. Why is Soccer Popular – Is it Worth Betting? Cristiano Ronaldo was a huge part.

The Champions League is one of the biggest trophies for football teams right across Europe. It has the prestige in line with many of the domestic leagues right across the continent, with many supporters celebrating a Champions League win just as much. A prime example of this is the Liverpool victory of the title in the 2018-19 season, which saw a huge open top bus parade around the city, with fans lining the streets to see the reds show off their latest silverware.

At these early stages of the 2019-20 Champions League competition, it is too early to tell who will win. However, here is a look at the teams that are the main contenders for the title which will be decided in early June at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium in historic Turkish city of Istanbul.

Liverpool

Photo by Ambitious Creative Co. – Rick Barrett, License

Off the back of their record 6th Champions League victory in 2019, Liverpool are certainly one of the favourites to win again in 2020. Whilst few teams have won back to back victories, Liverpool are strong contenders to pull this off, particularly since the team's line up is mostly unchanged and is looking just as strong as it was last season. The victory last year was the first major trophy for Jurgen Klopp as Liverpool Manager, which was shortly followed by their win of the Super Cup. Liverpool may be looking to end their Premier League drought, which spans 30 years so may prioritise that over the Champions League if a choice is necessary.

Manchester City

Manchester City are yet to ever win the Champions League, and have struggled to get to grips with the latter stages of the competition in recent years. The blues have dominated Enligsh football for the last few years, and stopped Liverpool winning the Premier League last year, despite scoring more points than most winning teams have ever scored. Their winning streak has been record breaking, with them being the only team to ever win the English football treble (the Premier League, FA Cup, and Carabao Cup) in the 2017/18 season.

In the reverse of Liverpool, Manchester City are craving victory in Europe and they certainly have the players to be able to do it. The key will be whether they can finally break past the quarter finals, something that the team has never done in its history.

Barcelona

The Catalan team have not won the Champions League since 2015, and have suffered some heavy defeats in recent years, including a 3-0 away defeat to Liverpool in last year's semi-finals. They continue to have a strong lineup, with a number of major signings adding to the existing team. Proof of this is demonstrated by Messi scoring more goals than any other player in last year's Champions League, with a total of 12 balls netted.

Real Madrid

Real Madrid are the most successful team to play in the Champions League, with 13 trophies to their name. However, their three year run of victories was brutally brought to an end last year when they were beaten by Ajax in the last 16. Zinedine Zidane has returned as manager after leading the team to its 2016, 2017, and 2018 victories, and has made a number of expensive purchases, including Luka Jovic who moved from Eintracht Frankfurt for £62m.

Bayern Munich

Bayern Munich were knocked out in the final 16 last year by Liverpool, making 2018-19 the first time in the last seven seasons where the team has no made it to at least the semi final. The team has seen a number of changes to its lineup over the summer, so will be more of an unknown quantity heading in the 2019-20. Despite this, they remain a strong contender for the Champions League this season.

Overall, the strongest contenders for the Champions League title in 2019-20 will be the English sides. Liverpool and Manchester City are performing exceptionally and will likely be rivals at home and on the continent. Whilst the big hitters of Europe will also be in contention, the best odds continue to be on the English sides. That said, the performance in the game is all that matters and a last minute upset is a regular occurence in the Champions League.

It's a very different kind of Champions League now. Straight knockout ties from the quarter-finals, held in neutral venues in Portugal.

There has been, you may have noticed, a six-month gap between the beginning of the round of 16 and the beginning of the quarter-finals.

Back then, we made our predictions. And not only did none of us predict a global pandemic halting all football, but we also largely failed to predict the Champions League winners – only two of us named a side that managed to get through the next round, and one was the writer doing work experience with us (well done, Harry, and well done, PSG).

That's right. Last year's winners Liverpool are out. Real Madrid are out. Juventus are out.

There's a couple of big names still in (Barcelona, Bayern Munich), a couple of pretenders to Europe's crown (Manchester City, PSG), and a couple of surprise inclusions (Atalanta, Lyon). And with only a few games left, it really could be any of them. Lucky club slots.

So we thought we'd put it to the trusty FFT team. Who do our writers predict will lift the European Cup this season?

DON'T MISS A THING How to get BT Sport on Now TV – and watch every Champions League and Europa League game on your TV this month with no contract

Joe Brewin (deputy editor, @JoeBrewinFFT): Bayern Munich

February prediction: Liverpool

Those wondering whether Bayern would still remember how to play football by the time they faced Chelsea in their last-16 second leg were answered fairly emphatically. Despite their last competitive match coming a month previously, the German giants wiped the floor with Frank Lampard's side for just their 18th consecutive win of 2019/20, trouncing the Blues 4-1 in a ruthless display.

Since winning the competition six years ago, Bayern have been semi-finalists four times and will be more desperate than any other side to go at least one better this time. Their team is balanced, settled, and in Robert Lewandowski, Die Roten boast a striker with a scarcely believable 53 goals from 43 matches this term – 13 of which have come in Europe's premier competition. They will have to win the hard way, with Barcelona and then a likely semi-final against Manchester City standing in their way, but Hansi Flick's side have the experience, quality and cunning to beat the best.

Conor Pope (online editor, @ConorPope): PSG

ALSO READ

LONGREAD Ready to take over from Messi and Ronaldo? Why Kylian Mbappe could define the next era of football

February prediction: Real Madrid

Unlike many European leagues, Ligue 1 decided to call the rest of the season off during the height of coronavirus. The result is that Paris Saint-Germain have only played two competitive games since they dumped Borussia Dortmund out of the Champions League in March.

However, both of those games have been finals – the French Cup and the French League Cup – and they've won them both.

And, as we saw when Lyon held out against Juventus last week, teams who have resumed their season do not necessarily hold the upper hand over those who haven't.

Then, we have the draw to factor in. PSG take on surprise package Atalanta first, then will face either an Timo Werner-less RB Leipzig or an Atletico Madrid side drafting in academy prospects to make up for losing Angel Correa and Sime Vrsaljko to positive coronavirus tests. The path to the final will never be more favourable.

Kylian Mbappe is back in training after injury, though might not be ready for the first game. Even without him, though, they still boast a team of Neymar, Mauro Icardi, Keylor Navas, Thiago Silva, Ander Herrera, Marquinhos, Angel Di Maria..

There's a good opportunity for them to hit their stride as they go into the final.

Chris Flanagan, (senior staff writer, @CFlanaganFFT): Manchester City

February prediction: Manchester City

I backed City to win the Champions League in mid-February, and see no reason to change my mind.

True, the narrative of a ban from next year's competition – and any motivation that might have brought with it - has now been removed. But on their day, City are the most talented team in the last eight.

You'd fancy them to beat Lyon – even if they found it surprisingly tricky against them in the group stage in 2018/19. Then it would be a battle with one of Pep Guardiola's old clubs, Bayern or Barcelona. Bayern in particular would be tough, arguably tougher than the final.

2018-2019 Champions League

But with Liverpool out, City may never get a better chance than this season. In November, Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp joked that they wouldn't mind swapping trophies this season. Liverpool have done their bit, exchanging the Champions League for the Premier League. Now it's City's turn to show they can conquer Europe.

Ed McCambridge (staff writer, @EdMcCambridge): Barcelona

February prediction: Juventus

Had the past two Champions League seasons had only one-legged ties from the quarterfinal stage onwards, Barcelona would have defeated Roma 4-1 in the 2018 quarters and Liverpool 3-0 in the semis last year. Now, that's some cracking form.

As FFT's resident optimist, I'm choosing to judge Barcelona solely on those first-leg performances, as that's all we'll be getting this time around. No quickly-taken corners by English tyros can stop them this year!

🎥| Messi's goal with Peter Drury's commentary makes it look even better. pic.twitter.com/N3lwMjOOUCAugust 10, 2020

Who Will Win 2019 Champions League Groups

Barcelona still boast the world's best player, with Messi's goal against Napoli in the last round the kind only he could dream of scoring. An early exit in the Copa Del Ray, followed by their failure to overhaul Real Madrid in La Liga leaves the Champions League as their last shot at glory. It's not often Barca end a season empty-handed and this one will be no different.

Mark White (staff writer, @markwhlte): Atalanta

Who Will Win 2019 Champions League Final Full Video

IN THE MAG

ATALANTA ‘The Goddess' have reached the quarter-finals in their debut Champions League campaign, but revelry has been muted in Bergamo: the epicentre of Italy's coronavirus outbreak.

Who Will Win Champions League 2019

February prediction: Liverpool

Every season throws up a curveball. The Champions League is a cheeky scamp who lives for drama and in the most chaotic, unpredictable season in memory, why couldn't the most chaotic, unpredictable team in the competition lift the trophy?

The easy money may be on Atletico, Bayern or any other team who can actually defend - but with the ties only 90 minutes long and home advantage wiped, more can go wrong for the big guns. Atalanta, meanwhile, are extremely complex to defend against, produce heavy overloads and switch play quickly: on hot nights in Portugal – weeks or months since your last competitive football – that could be a nightmare to defend against. They've only lost twice since Christmas, too.

The odds are stacked against them even going through against Paris Saint-Germain, let alone winning. But wouldn't it be peak 2020 for La Dea to become European champions?

1. 2018-2019 Champions League
2. Who Will Win 2019 Champions League Groups
3. Who Will Win 2019 Champions League Final Full Video
4. Who Will Win Champions League 2019
5. 2019 Champions League Bracket

Photo by Vienna Reyes, License

The 2019 Champions League final is finally upon us with Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool FC set to battle it out for the right to be called European. We predict who will win the Champions League. Games of chance and skill together.

• Three teams who look like winning Liverpool I feel this Liverpool team is the toughest to beat in knockout stages. The team cannot be beaten in 4 halves anytime. The only realistic chance of them losing will be in the finals. They bottled up again.
• Barcelona can be backed at 8/1 to win their first Champions League since 2015 after becoming one of the most consistent performers in the tournament over the last 12 years.
• In 2019, the Wanda Metropolitano will be host to a display of force from the team who will win the 2018–19 UEFA Champions League. Here are the teams who I consider favourites to win the UCL in no particular order: 1. Juventus: Signing Cristiano Ro.
• The UEFA Champions League concludes on June 1st 2019. We're into the quarterfinals and one thing's for sure, Real Madrid won't win the Champions League again. Real Madrid won the event the last three years, but they've already been eliminated. Why is Soccer Popular – Is it Worth Betting? Cristiano Ronaldo was a huge part.

The Champions League is one of the biggest trophies for football teams right across Europe. It has the prestige in line with many of the domestic leagues right across the continent, with many supporters celebrating a Champions League win just as much. A prime example of this is the Liverpool victory of the title in the 2018-19 season, which saw a huge open top bus parade around the city, with fans lining the streets to see the reds show off their latest silverware.

At these early stages of the 2019-20 Champions League competition, it is too early to tell who will win. However, here is a look at the teams that are the main contenders for the title which will be decided in early June at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium in historic Turkish city of Istanbul.

Liverpool

Photo by Ambitious Creative Co. – Rick Barrett, License

Off the back of their record 6th Champions League victory in 2019, Liverpool are certainly one of the favourites to win again in 2020. Whilst few teams have won back to back victories, Liverpool are strong contenders to pull this off, particularly since the team's line up is mostly unchanged and is looking just as strong as it was last season. The victory last year was the first major trophy for Jurgen Klopp as Liverpool Manager, which was shortly followed by their win of the Super Cup. Liverpool may be looking to end their Premier League drought, which spans 30 years so may prioritise that over the Champions League if a choice is necessary.

Manchester City

Manchester City are yet to ever win the Champions League, and have struggled to get to grips with the latter stages of the competition in recent years. The blues have dominated Enligsh football for the last few years, and stopped Liverpool winning the Premier League last year, despite scoring more points than most winning teams have ever scored. Their winning streak has been record breaking, with them being the only team to ever win the English football treble (the Premier League, FA Cup, and Carabao Cup) in the 2017/18 season.

In the reverse of Liverpool, Manchester City are craving victory in Europe and they certainly have the players to be able to do it. The key will be whether they can finally break past the quarter finals, something that the team has never done in its history.

Barcelona

The Catalan team have not won the Champions League since 2015, and have suffered some heavy defeats in recent years, including a 3-0 away defeat to Liverpool in last year's semi-finals. They continue to have a strong lineup, with a number of major signings adding to the existing team. Proof of this is demonstrated by Messi scoring more goals than any other player in last year's Champions League, with a total of 12 balls netted.

Real Madrid

Real Madrid are the most successful team to play in the Champions League, with 13 trophies to their name. However, their three year run of victories was brutally brought to an end last year when they were beaten by Ajax in the last 16. Zinedine Zidane has returned as manager after leading the team to its 2016, 2017, and 2018 victories, and has made a number of expensive purchases, including Luka Jovic who moved from Eintracht Frankfurt for £62m.

Bayern Munich

Bayern Munich were knocked out in the final 16 last year by Liverpool, making 2018-19 the first time in the last seven seasons where the team has no made it to at least the semi final. The team has seen a number of changes to its lineup over the summer, so will be more of an unknown quantity heading in the 2019-20. Despite this, they remain a strong contender for the Champions League this season.

Overall, the strongest contenders for the Champions League title in 2019-20 will be the English sides. Liverpool and Manchester City are performing exceptionally and will likely be rivals at home and on the continent. Whilst the big hitters of Europe will also be in contention, the best odds continue to be on the English sides. That said, the performance in the game is all that matters and a last minute upset is a regular occurence in the Champions League.

It's a very different kind of Champions League now. Straight knockout ties from the quarter-finals, held in neutral venues in Portugal.

There has been, you may have noticed, a six-month gap between the beginning of the round of 16 and the beginning of the quarter-finals.

Back then, we made our predictions. And not only did none of us predict a global pandemic halting all football, but we also largely failed to predict the Champions League winners – only two of us named a side that managed to get through the next round, and one was the writer doing work experience with us (well done, Harry, and well done, PSG).

That's right. Last year's winners Liverpool are out. Real Madrid are out. Juventus are out.

There's a couple of big names still in (Barcelona, Bayern Munich), a couple of pretenders to Europe's crown (Manchester City, PSG), and a couple of surprise inclusions (Atalanta, Lyon). And with only a few games left, it really could be any of them. Lucky club slots.

So we thought we'd put it to the trusty FFT team. Who do our writers predict will lift the European Cup this season?

DON'T MISS A THING How to get BT Sport on Now TV – and watch every Champions League and Europa League game on your TV this month with no contract

Joe Brewin (deputy editor, @JoeBrewinFFT): Bayern Munich

February prediction: Liverpool

Those wondering whether Bayern would still remember how to play football by the time they faced Chelsea in their last-16 second leg were answered fairly emphatically. Despite their last competitive match coming a month previously, the German giants wiped the floor with Frank Lampard's side for just their 18th consecutive win of 2019/20, trouncing the Blues 4-1 in a ruthless display.

Since winning the competition six years ago, Bayern have been semi-finalists four times and will be more desperate than any other side to go at least one better this time. Their team is balanced, settled, and in Robert Lewandowski, Die Roten boast a striker with a scarcely believable 53 goals from 43 matches this term – 13 of which have come in Europe's premier competition. They will have to win the hard way, with Barcelona and then a likely semi-final against Manchester City standing in their way, but Hansi Flick's side have the experience, quality and cunning to beat the best.

Conor Pope (online editor, @ConorPope): PSG

ALSO READ

LONGREAD Ready to take over from Messi and Ronaldo? Why Kylian Mbappe could define the next era of football

February prediction: Real Madrid

Unlike many European leagues, Ligue 1 decided to call the rest of the season off during the height of coronavirus. The result is that Paris Saint-Germain have only played two competitive games since they dumped Borussia Dortmund out of the Champions League in March.

However, both of those games have been finals – the French Cup and the French League Cup – and they've won them both.

And, as we saw when Lyon held out against Juventus last week, teams who have resumed their season do not necessarily hold the upper hand over those who haven't.

Then, we have the draw to factor in. PSG take on surprise package Atalanta first, then will face either an Timo Werner-less RB Leipzig or an Atletico Madrid side drafting in academy prospects to make up for losing Angel Correa and Sime Vrsaljko to positive coronavirus tests. The path to the final will never be more favourable.

Kylian Mbappe is back in training after injury, though might not be ready for the first game. Even without him, though, they still boast a team of Neymar, Mauro Icardi, Keylor Navas, Thiago Silva, Ander Herrera, Marquinhos, Angel Di Maria..

There's a good opportunity for them to hit their stride as they go into the final.

Chris Flanagan, (senior staff writer, @CFlanaganFFT): Manchester City

February prediction: Manchester City

I backed City to win the Champions League in mid-February, and see no reason to change my mind.

True, the narrative of a ban from next year's competition – and any motivation that might have brought with it - has now been removed. But on their day, City are the most talented team in the last eight.

You'd fancy them to beat Lyon – even if they found it surprisingly tricky against them in the group stage in 2018/19. Then it would be a battle with one of Pep Guardiola's old clubs, Bayern or Barcelona. Bayern in particular would be tough, arguably tougher than the final.

2018-2019 Champions League

But with Liverpool out, City may never get a better chance than this season. In November, Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp joked that they wouldn't mind swapping trophies this season. Liverpool have done their bit, exchanging the Champions League for the Premier League. Now it's City's turn to show they can conquer Europe.

Ed McCambridge (staff writer, @EdMcCambridge): Barcelona

February prediction: Juventus

Had the past two Champions League seasons had only one-legged ties from the quarterfinal stage onwards, Barcelona would have defeated Roma 4-1 in the 2018 quarters and Liverpool 3-0 in the semis last year. Now, that's some cracking form.

As FFT's resident optimist, I'm choosing to judge Barcelona solely on those first-leg performances, as that's all we'll be getting this time around. No quickly-taken corners by English tyros can stop them this year!

🎥| Messi's goal with Peter Drury's commentary makes it look even better. pic.twitter.com/N3lwMjOOUCAugust 10, 2020

Who Will Win 2019 Champions League Groups

Barcelona still boast the world's best player, with Messi's goal against Napoli in the last round the kind only he could dream of scoring. An early exit in the Copa Del Ray, followed by their failure to overhaul Real Madrid in La Liga leaves the Champions League as their last shot at glory. It's not often Barca end a season empty-handed and this one will be no different.

Mark White (staff writer, @markwhlte): Atalanta

Who Will Win 2019 Champions League Final Full Video

IN THE MAG

ATALANTA ‘The Goddess' have reached the quarter-finals in their debut Champions League campaign, but revelry has been muted in Bergamo: the epicentre of Italy's coronavirus outbreak.

Who Will Win Champions League 2019

February prediction: Liverpool

Every season throws up a curveball. The Champions League is a cheeky scamp who lives for drama and in the most chaotic, unpredictable season in memory, why couldn't the most chaotic, unpredictable team in the competition lift the trophy?

The easy money may be on Atletico, Bayern or any other team who can actually defend - but with the ties only 90 minutes long and home advantage wiped, more can go wrong for the big guns. Atalanta, meanwhile, are extremely complex to defend against, produce heavy overloads and switch play quickly: on hot nights in Portugal – weeks or months since your last competitive football – that could be a nightmare to defend against. They've only lost twice since Christmas, too.

The odds are stacked against them even going through against Paris Saint-Germain, let alone winning. But wouldn't it be peak 2020 for La Dea to become European champions?

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2019 Champions League Bracket

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