The 2024/25 Champions League campaign kicks off this week and European soccer’s premier club competition has a new, controversial format. The old group stage is gone and has been replaced by a new 36-team league phase that will rank everyone in the one table.
It’s not quite clear how the changes to the competition will alter the landscape of European club soccer, but this promises to be another exciting and dramatic season at the top of the sport. Here are five storylines to track.
Will the signing of Kylian Mbappe make Real Madrid untouchable?
Real Madrid enter this season as the defending European champions and it could be argued that they are now even stronger on paper after the addition of Kylian Mbappe. Indeed, no team boasts a forward line as formidable as the one belonging to the Spanish giants.
However, Mbappe is still being integrated into Carlo Ancelotti’s team and has struggled to find a role for himself over the early part of the season. Nonetheless, the French striker opened the scoring for the Madrid outfit as they triumphed over a stingy Stuttgart 3-1. With bigger foe ahead, how will Real Madrid get Mbappe and Vinicius Jr to work cohesively in the same team?
Has Erling Haaland taken a step up to an even higher level for Manchester City?
Erling Haaland has long been established as one of the most potent goalscorers in European soccer, but the Norwegian looks to have reached an even higher level for Manchester City over the early part of the season, scoring a sensational nine goals in just four Premier League appearances.
City didn’t have the most active of summer transfer windows, but the signing of Savinho has added another dimension to their attack. The Brazilian has proven himself as the natural heir to Riyad Mahrez and is stretching opponents with his dribbling and direct running. This is creating more space for Haaland in central areas and he is capitalising on this.
Bayer Leverkusen provided one of the storylines of last season as they won the Bundesliga for the first time in their history, ending Bayern Munich’s 11-year stronghold on the German title. Xabi Alonso’s team were unstoppable and thrilled neutrals with their brand of attack-minded, dynamic soccer that made stars of players like Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong.
Alonso resisted the opportunity to take over at Bayern Munich or Liverpool this summer and views the Champions League as the final frontier for his team. Leverkusen managed to keep their best players, as well as their manager, over the summer and are now intent on making a deep run in the Champions League after reaching the Europa League final last term.
Could Arsenal big breakthrough under Mikel Arteta come in the Champions League?
Nobody can deny the progress Arsenal have made under Mikel Arteta. They have finished second in each of the last two Premier League seasons, but have found their route to glory blocked by Pep Guardiola and Manchester City, who always seem to be a step or two ahead of their rivals from North London.
With this in mind, could Arsenal’s big breakthrough in the Arteta era come in the Champions League rather than the Premier League? The Gunners’ defensive strength could lend itself to knockout soccer while the experience of last season’s quarter-final loss to Bayern Munich should stand them in good stead. Arsenal is surely a force to be reckoned with.
Has Luis Enrique finally reshaped Paris Saint-Germain in his own image?
Many at Paris Saint-Germain still view last season as a missed opportunity. They would have reached the Champions League final had they beaten Borussia Dortmund in the semi-final. Ultimately, though, the French champions faltered as they took onboard the ideas and methods of new manager Luis Enrique.
Now, though, Mbappe is gone and Lucho has added Joao Neves to his midfield unit, giving him the control he always wanted in the centre of the pitch. There are questions over PSG’s top-end talent in the attacking third, but their transition under their Spanish manager might have finally taken place.
