By Yathin Karthikeyan On Sept. 19, 2023

SAN JOSE, CALIF- The long-awaited Champions League season is kicking off to a start this week with intense matchups showcasing the biggest teams across Europe.

The biggest competition in club soccer has started this week with some spicy fixtures. Fans of all ages are hopeful for the return of this amazing competition. Some of the starting fixtures include Newcastle facing AC Milan in the hardest group in the competition and Borussia Dortmund against Paris Saint Germain. Another game people are waiting for is Manchester United against Bayern Munich, two of the biggest clubs of all time face up against each other for an intense opening game. With new shining stars like Xavi Simons, Haaland, and even some big names like Luka Modric, Lewandoski and newly transferred Harry Kane, who are bound to have great campaigns.

Fans make their predictions for the campaign every year and are already met with tough competition with Group F, one of the groups where clubs play against three other teams to gain points to make it out into the knockout rounds, whereas the two bottom teams of the four in each group are sent home. The teams in this controversial group include Paris Saint Germain, the current reigning champions of France have shown their dominance in recent years, just not in the Champions League. AC Milan is another team in good form, placing in the top four in the Serie A, as well as some of the best players currently like Theo Hernandez and Rafael Leao. Borussia Dortmund barely missed out on the title in the Bundesliga losing to rivals Bayern Munich and the fourth team in the group is Newcastle United, an underdog team who had an incredible season last year taking down the biggest teams in England and managing to place fourth in the Premier League. 

When asked the question of their prediction of the winner, soccer fans of Silver Creek High School answered in favor of Barcelona and Bayern Munich and a few supporting Newcastle, the underdogs of this story. “I would want Barcelona to win but realistically Bayern,” says a ninth-grade student at SCHS. Although UEFA’s (Union of European Football Association) official power rankings are in favor of current champions, Manchester City.

A new season starts, but this will be the last season where the Champions League will be showcased like this. UEFA is making a huge change for next season, now showcasing 36 teams split into four pots of nine. Why? “More games equals more money. The top teams also want to play more meaningful games against their main rivals, which this should create at an earlier stage of the Champions League,” said Dale Johnson in an ESPN article about the changes. This will create more important games against big teams earlier on rather than after the group stages as the big teams are usually separated. The top eight teams on the table will go to the knockout stage while places nine to 24 will be placed in playoffs to make it into the round of 16. The rest are knocked out. Some don’t like this change but the majority of fans feel it will give more entertainment for all.

The Champions League is a pure joy to watch for all football (soccer) fans around the world. The biggest names in football as well as the best players in the world. Of the total 32 teams competing, who will come out on top?