An early Champions League prediction

With it still being the off-season and pre-season in full flow we edge closer to the beginning of the season like a snail carrying shopping on its back.

Unfortunately, all there is to talk about is Luis Suarez and Wayne Rooney's respective transfer sagas so I thought I would fill this blog post with my early prediction for next season's Champions League. 

After being humbled to the tune of a 7-0 aggregate victory by Bayern Munich in the semi-finals, Barcelona's blockbuster signing of Neymar was a statement of intent that they were not going to allow a capitulation quite like that to occur again.

With a front line of Lionel Messi and Neymar (and of course the brilliant midfield) you would have to say that Bayern and Barcelona are the joint favourites ahead of next season's competition. 

Having won last year Munich have augmented their already outstanding squad and bring in Pep Guardiola as manager which could prove to be a very intriguing sub plot were Barcelona and the Germans to meet each other late in the competition.

Chelsea's exit at the group stages last year will not have gone unnoticed by new manager Jose Mourinho who wll want to avoid that happening again and it will be interesting to see how far David Moyes can take Manchester United with only minimal experience on Europe's grandest stage.

PSG and Real Madrid have spent big on their squads this summer and Madrid, having faltered yet again at the semi-final stage, will look to new coach Carlo Ancelotti to harness a tremendously talented squad, something Mourinho couldn't do, and achieve European success which they have been without for over ten years now.

Last year's runners up Borussia Dortmund have managed to keep all their main pieces in place despite heavy speculation and Jurgen Klopp will try to replicate the magical run his team went on last season.

Who of the outsiders has a good chance? I believe Bayer Leverkusen will surprise a few people next season following a very impressive Bundesliga campaign last year.

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