Why Real Madrid is the favorite to win the Champions League and how much City depends on Haaland | DT SURVEY

On one side is the most difficult and powerful key. Real Madrid will face Chelsea – a rival who has seen their faces in a knockout round in the last two editions – with the difference that the first game will be played at the Santiago Bernabéu. The winner will collide with the Manchester City or Bayern Munich. Pep Guardiola’s men will face off against the Germans with the seasoning that the coach will face -once again- a former team that now has Joao Cancelo, a winger they let go on loan.

The other key marks a resurgence of Italian football, so diminished at the selected level with the absence in the last two World Cups. Since 2006 that calcium did not have three representatives among the eight best. Milan will face the surprising napoli who dominates Serie A with an iron fist, while the Inter will face off with the other unexpected protagonist of the Champions League, the Benfica Portuguese.

Everything is already programmed.

There is still a long way to go, but it will be little. Only eight teams remain in search of European glory. that’s why in Full Sport We conducted a survey with international journalists, who responded to the following questions:

“The top favorite is Manchester City, slightly ahead of Madrid”

Fernando Sanchez, Newspaper AS – Spain

1. In my opinion, the top favorite is Manchester City, slightly ahead of Madrid. Despite not enjoying his best season, the factor that failed him so much in the past, 9, is now his greatest weapon. Haaland is the best center forward in the world and in such even matches I think he will be the differential factor. The ‘citizen’ problem is the mental factor, both Bayern and Madrid are much better competitors. There will be the keys.

2. I don’t think so. At least you won’t lose emotion. Although there is a difference between the three favorites and the rest, I don’t think that Real Madrid, Manchester City or Bayern Munich are so reliable as to think that they can crush, for example, an extra motivated Napoli.

3. That’s where the City title goes. If it appears, they will be champions. Haaland is the executor of a football that lacked a fang at important moments. Haaland is voracious and has gone to Manchester City to win the Champions League. I think he will be the reason for City’s qualification for the final.

4. For me, Madrid is the second favorite after City, but at a minimum distance. They should beat Chelsea because they have shown they know how to do it. This Chelsea, moreover, is not the one from last year. And in the final no one handles the mental factor like Real Madrid.

“It seems to me that the Italian teams can resurface and show their true ability”

Paul Romero, Weather – Colombia

1. The favorite to win the Champions League is Real Madrid. Although he has to face the most fearsome team, he has enough category and experience in final instances to crown the Champions League again.

2. It seems to me that the Italian teams can come back and show their true ability. I’m excited about what they’ve been doing so I think they could be flashy braces.

3. From Haaland we can always be surprised. It is a machine that does not shrink before the big ones. It is the main threat for Bayern.

4. Yes. Actually for Madrid it is not a dream but a certainty. He knows how to play the Champions League, enjoys that mystique and will go for another conquest. The box that touched him burns, but Madrid can be victorious.

“I very much doubt that (against Bayern Munich) Erling Haaland will repeat what he did against Leipzig”

Sergio Musella, Primera Radio Soccer – United States

1) Talking about a favorite in this edition is difficult. There is a Real Madrid that shows inspiration in this competition. However, there are two teams that could complicate their favoritism and they are Manchester City or Bayern Munich, depending on which advances. Seeing what they’ve done so far, I think Real Madrid has a better chance of winning a consecutive Champions League than a team to snatch the title from them.

2) This makes for a great debate. Many times it happens to us that we see some not very attractive keys and they become great matches. It may be the case of Benfica – Inter. A team that enjoys good football, a great offensive proposal, against a team that knows how to close and take advantage of the few spaces that their rivals allow them. I think that in these cases, it will depend on the proposal made by each team.

3) I highly doubt that Erling Haaland will repeat what he did against Leipzig. What’s more, Bayern Munich has a totally different way of working. I even think that other names will appear on that key. Julián Álvarez, can be one. Surely Nagelsmann will have a plan to override Haaland.

4) Madrid, for me, was very lucky in this draw. Regardless of the fact that Chelsea is with a great improvement and it is already noticeable that there is a better functioning, they will have a scenario similar to that of Liverpool. He will face an irregular team, which, if he scores first, will surely collapse. And if City or Bayern pass, they will have to appeal to many things. The key will not be who they are going to face, but how they will do to stay fresh and prolong the good moment. If Modric, Kroos, or Valverde get injured, there will be a problem. If Benzema is not there, too. I think it depends more on how Real Madrid is who they can face in the semifinals. I would love to see a Real Madrid – Bayern Munich. It is always a great game worth seeing.

“When Real Madrid take out that plate in the Champions League, they take everyone ahead”

Maxi Mirror, Ole Newspaper – Argentina

1) Yes, the paintings were somewhat unbalanced a priori. On one side are the strongest teams and on the other, the teams that are one step below, taking Napoli out I think. Regarding the top favourite, I think it’s Real Madrid because of the cup lineage they have. Although there are two powerful players like Bayern Munich or Manchester City on the same side, I think that when Real takes out that plate in the Champions League, they take everyone ahead. And it is the one with the least load or pressure.

2) The Champions League final is a massive event that is followed by the whole world. It is unmissable, a unique show. Perhaps for soccer fans it would have been better if the keys had been more balanced with the strongest teams separated a priori. But hey, the Champions League final is always a single match. However, on the other side you have two teams with tradition like Milan and Inter, maybe they are not the teams of a few years ago, but they are still teams with a lot of history.

3) Erling Haaland is the great strong card that City has today. He is a scoring animal. It is expected that against Bayern he can show off his entire repertoire and help his team continue in the Champions League, which is the club’s great desire and great desire. In addition, he is the pending account for what the club has invested over the years.

4) Real Madrid does have something to dream about because of its cup lineage and its sheet metal. In the Champions League, it asserts its entire hierarchy, its history, its immediate present, beyond the fact that Chelsea does not shine in its game but has a budget of important figures that will make it a super competitive team. But Madrid has something to dream about.

“Haaland will be able to appear against Bayern. For me Manchester City is a light favourite”

Adrià Regás Quirós, The 10 of Barça – Spain

1) The favorite to win the Champions League is Real Madrid for what they have shown in recent years, because being in a better or worse moment of form, they are capable of overcoming and competing against anyone and taking the games forward. That is what Real Madrid has, they know how to suffer and that is important in the knockout rounds. That’s why I think he’s the favourite, although the road ahead is not easy.

2) I don’t think that a final without a priori strong teams will take away the excitement. Sometimes when two rivals of the hierarchy meet in a definition, the expectations are very high and in the end they are not met, then Inter, Milan, Napoli or Benfica do not have the added pressure to win the Champions League and I think that one of those four teams He will play without fear or complexes, which can make a much more open and entertaining final.

3) I think Haaland will be able to show up against Bayern. For me, Manchester City is a slight favorite for one main reason: Bayern’s number 9 is Choupo-Moting from Cameroon, while they have Erling. That difference will mark the tie. I feel that City will prevail and pass. Haaland has also marked Bayern with Dortmund.

4) I think that Real Madrid can perfectly dream of the title. He already showed it last year facing PSG, Chelsea, City and Liverpool. Few thought that he was going to win at four and he ended up doing it. Now they will face a Chelsea that is not going through its best moment despite the investment made.