This year’s Champions League season has already begun, and as a sports fan, you may be asking yourself: who should I keep an eye on? 36 teams are competing for the trophy, each with its own skill set and real potential to go all the way. Still, some have better odds than others, making them worth watching from the start.
Watching these teams from the start of the Champions League makes it easy for you to place a bet on GG BET. You can watch their team dynamics, strategy, and performance, gathering the data you need to place a moneyline or outright bet. Based on their performance on Matchday 1, below are some of the teams to keep under the radar.
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG)
PSG kicked off the Champions League with perhaps one of the most impressive results out there, a 6-1 win against Slovan Bratislava. This came after a successful run, during which they won two UEFA Champions League titles.
This made them the first club since Real Madrid to win two seasons of the competition in a row.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is one of the strongest assets that PSG possesses, bringing ten goals and six assists during the football club’s campaign. There’s also significant attacking talent on the team, particularly with Ferran Torres joining the fray from Barcelona. After winning the 2026 World Cup with Spain, his progression is certainly worth watching.
Bayern Munich
Bayern Munich certainly did not let PSG show them up, defeating Bodø/Glimt in a similar fashion by 5-1. The team is led by Vincent Kompany, whose trained players made it into the finals during the previous seasons.
Plenty of players add to the potential of the team, with Harry Kane bringing top-scoring skills into the mix.
Kompany’s style also makes Bayern quite dangerous, as they’re built to attack aggressively. The following months will show how the team balances their attack with the defense, particularly in their matches against Manchester United and Arsenal.
Real Madrid
Real Madrid is already a team with deep roots in the UEFA Champions League, and that alone makes them worth watching. They currently hold 15 Champions League titles, after participating 29 times. This season will mark the 30th time they enter the competition, and they already started on the right foot: defeating Inter Milan by 2-1.
This season is special because, after 13 years, José Mourinho has returned to Real Madrid as the team manager.
Mourinho has two Champions League titles under his belt from his previous management jobs with Inter and Porto, showing great promise for Real Madrid. Kylian Mbappé adds to that potential, especially after finishing as La Liga’s top scorer with 25 goals.
Barcelona
Barcelona’s strong start in this year’s Champions League brought the team to the top of the rankings. Under Hansi Flick’s management, they emerged victorious against Feyenoord with a 5-1 score and moved into a top place in the league rankings.
The team may have been eliminated during last year’s quarterfinals by PSG, but considering their success in the previous La Liga, they’re worth keeping an eye on.
Barcelona has multiple reputable players, including Lamine Yamal (i.e., the “wonderkid”). The winger already brought great results to his team during the last European tour, scoring a total of six Championship goals. Rodrigo Hernandez (i.e., “Rodri”) also joined Barcelona from Manchester City, adding even more experience to the team.
Arsenal
Arsenal is one of those teams that very few realized are on their solid way to reach the top, and now determination is added to the mix. After reaching last year’s final, only to lose during the penalties to PSG, they now have a real chance for a rematch. Given their 1-0 win against Napoli, there’s a good chance they might just make it.
Football fans should watch Arsenal because of their strong defensive foundation, with players such as David Raya and William Saliba protecting the midfield.
The team’s potential has also risen since striker Viktor Gyökeres joined the team. This way, Arsenal got a major attacking and direct threat asset, in a context where they previously relied on midfielders and wide players to score goals.
Liverpool
After winning 2-1 against Atletico Madrid at the start of the season, Liverpool is already at an advantage compared to other teams. The team has lately undergone a series of changes, and not all of them were necessarily bad.
They may have lost head coach Arne Slot, but they gained Andoni Iraola, who’s known for his intense and aggressive approach.
Liverpool also lost Mohamed Salah, but they now have Bradley Barcola, a very good player who came from PSG. Rio Ngumoha is also an important asset, as his winger and goal-scoring skills are already becoming noticeable within the Liverpool lineup. They may yet surprise the viewers as they advance through the tournament.
Manchester City
Manchester City had a good start in the Champions League, with Erling Haaland scoring twice in their match against Porto and ending the match at 2-0. Given that this is an away victory, the win shows great potential for the team’s progress in the Champions League.
Haaland also reached 100 goals for Manchester in only 105 appearances, making him the team’s strongest asset.
Manager Pep Guardiola has been replaced by Enzo Maresca as head coach, as Guardiola decided to retire from the team. Maresca is known for implementing a possession-heavy system, and seeing that he worked with Guardiola before, the team’s potential remains notable. Their match against PSG on Matchday 2 (October 14) may decide if they go forward, but for now, they are certainly worth watching.
This year’s Champions League is shaping up to be quite intense, with many notable teams showing immense potential. PSG continues to hold a top spot in most of the rankings, but the other teams are not to be ignored.