Alan Shearer has chosen the team he feels will win the Champions League this season, ahead of the round of 16 ties. It was confirmed on Friday what each team will have to accomplish to go to the final, with Liverpool and Aston Villa potentially facing off in the quarter-finals if they defeat Paris Saint-Germain and Club Brugge, respectively.
Manchester City’s chances of recovering the title were crushed, however, as Pep Guardiola’s side was sent home after Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe scored a hat-trick. With the final 16 teams identified, Shearer has spoken out on who he believes will reign supreme.
Shearer Names Real Madrid as Favourites for 2024/25 Champions League
The former Newcastle frontman believes Carlo Ancelotti’s side look like a threat
On the latest edition of the Rest is Football podcast, Shearer revealed that the team that knocked out the Premier League champions is his new favourites, explaining why he believes Los Blancos are the frontrunners despite a slow start to the tournament. “They’re looking very dangerous. Two performances against City, both home and away, which will send a huge warning out to the rest of Europe in terms of teams that are l
Despite being crowned European champions last season after defeating Borussia Dortmund 2-0, Madrid had a dismal start to their championship defence, losing to LOSC Lille, AC Milan, and Liverpool in the league phase. However, a two-legged victory over City could help them reclaim their credentials.
Shearer Names the One Dark Horse That Could Stop Madrid
Paris Saint-Germain given outside chance by the BBC pundit
In terms of who could pose a threat to Madrid, Shearer says that French powerhouse Paris Saint-Germain could be a dark horse to hoist their first-ever Champions League. The Parisians lost Mbappe to Madrid in the summer, which followed the departures of other superstars such as Lionel Messi and Neymar, which has greatly hurt the club off the field.
On it, however, they continue to appear strong, as proven by their 7-0 victory over rival Ligue 1 club Stade Brestois in the second leg of their match, and Shearer is impressed with what he has seen.
“Over two legs, I think they will give anyone a good game,” the former Blackburn player predicted. “They’re closer together today than they’ve ever been. I’m not sure if they’ll be good enough to win it this season, but they’ll be a tremendous challenge for anyone still in the tournament.”
