David Beckham, Jamie Carragher, and Micah Richards have shared their predictions for which team will win this season’s Champions League. Last season, Paris Saint-Germain claimed their first-ever Champions League title by defeating Inter Milan in the final at the Allianz Arena.
PSG had a rocky start in the group stage, losing matches against Arsenal, Atletico Madrid, and Manchester City. However, Luis Enrique’s team secured their spot in the knockout rounds after a two-leg playoff against Stade Brestois. As the competition progressed, PSG found their form, edging out Liverpool on penalties in the round of 16 and defeating Aston Villa in the quarters.
They then dominated Arsenal in the semi-finals before delivering a stunning five-goal performance to overwhelm Inter in the final, marking the most decisive Champions League final victory ever. This season, managers Mikel Arteta, Enzo Maresca, and Thomas Frank aim to dethrone Enrique’s PSG.
Arsenal will kick off their Champions League campaign by hosting Atletico Madrid on October 21, with fans able to watch the game for free through an Amazon Prime 30-day trial.
On CBS Sports Monday night, Carragher, Richards, and Beckham shared their thoughts on the tournament. Presenter Kate Scott asked each pundit to predict the winner, top scorer, and dark horse team.
Carragher began by backing Barcelona to win, praising their performance last season and expecting another strong run. For the top scorer, he chose Liverpool’s Alexander Isak and imagined a final between Barcelona and Liverpool. He also noted the remarkable presence of six English teams in the competition, suggesting the Premier League is the strongest league in Europe but predicted only up to three of those teams might reach the knockout stage.
Richards also favored Barcelona to win and tipped Kylian Mbappe as the top scorer, adding that he expects Mbappe to win the Ballon d’Or, which surprised Carragher. Richards explained that Mbappe has often been overlooked in Ballon d’Or discussions despite his Champions League impact, while other young talents like Lamine Yamal, Ousmane Dembele, and Raphinha have gained more attention. Carragher disagreed, calling Richards’ reasoning “absolute nonsense.”
Beckham then gave his prediction, picking Real Madrid to secure their record 16th European title. He also acknowledged the hype around Lamine Yamal but sided with Richards on Mbappe’s chances, praising Mbappe’s goal-scoring feats last season and expressing confidence in his upcoming campaign in La Liga and the Champions League.
Finally, Beckham chose Newcastle as his dark horse, noting that many have underestimated the team. He highlighted Newcastle’s strong squad, unity, and loyal fan base, believing they could surprise opponents this season.
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