With Kenya’s World Cup qualifying campaign over, many Harambee Stars fans will switch their attention to one of the other major global football tournaments. The UEFA Champions League has already begun its league phase this year and, as ever, there are a number of teams in with a chance of lifting one of the sport’s most iconic trophies.
Just the Beginning of the Champions League
There is still a long way to go before the knockout rounds come around, and the final is played in Budapest, Hungary, next May.
But all the best UEFA Champions League betting sites are doing brisk business with fans making their predictions of how they think this season of the continent’s most prestigious competition will go.
After two match days, there were six teams with a 100% record.
Most of them will be favorites to do well this season, but that number also includes Qarabag, champions of Azerbaijan, who is proving that there can still be some upsets with the new format of the Champions League.
Qarabag probably won’t end up winning the competition this season, but here are some of the clubs that might, as well as a couple of dark horses.
Bayern Munich
Bayern has won Europe’s most important competition on six occasions, but the most recent was six years ago and the relative financial might it holds compared to clubs in England and Spain leaves it at a disadvantage.
That being said, it has already beaten Chelsea this year and has Harry Kane breaking all kinds of records as a focal point.
A straightforward – but still impressive – thrashing of Cypriot side Pafos came after that win against the EPL side, but there are tougher tests ahead.
Away games against PSG and Arsenal come in November, and we will have a much clearer idea of whether Bayern will truly be able to challenge for the title after those fixtures.
Arsenal
Liverpool won the EPL fairly easily last season, but even before Arne Slot’s side started to struggle in its defense of that title, it was Arsenal that was fancied to be the most realistic English champion.
The Gunners almost seem designed for European competition, and Mikel Arteta would dearly love to win a first-ever title with the club.
Arsenal has not looked overwhelmingly convincing in the first two games, but has not conceded a goal either, and should not have any trouble at all automatically qualifying for the knockout rounds.
Injuries are a concern, but as long as the Gunners can concentrate on the Champions League while navigating a potential domestic league title push, they should be in with a shout.
Paris Saint-Germain
PSG finally answered the critics – and gave their wealthy owners the one trophy they truly coveted – last season, demolishing Inter 5-0 in the final.
It seemed like the culmination of a project and a statement of intent, after the club dispensed with its failed Galactico experiment and went for more home-grown talent instead.
Following all of that up again this season was always going to be the next challenge and, so far, everything has gone to plan.
Beating a much-depleted Atalanta side 4-0 on match day one was impressive, but it was not really proof that PSG was still as good as last year.
The 2-1 win in Barcelona dispelled any doubts, however, and it already feels like the perennial French champions will be the ones to beat once again.
Real Madrid
PSG might be the reigning champions, but it is Real Madrid that considers this competition its personal property.
Los Blancos has won it more than any other club and treats it as a priority, even more so than beating Barcelona to the La Liga title each year.
So, two wins from two suggest all is well in Madrid.
Kylian Mbappé already has five goals in the competition after just two games and the entire squad is so full of talent that the final tally is guaranteed to be much higher.
Games against both Liverpool and Manchester City will stretch Xabi Alonso’s side, but another deep run into the later rounds, at the very least, seems achievable.
Napoli
Now for a couple of teams who could be considered dark horses for this season’s Champions League.
There were concerns that Antonio Conte might leave Napoli after disagreements with temperamental club owner Aurelio De Laurentiis in the summer.
But they seemed to have made up after claiming a third scudetto last year and now European glory will be in their sights.
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Napoli has not really got going in the Champions League as yet, with one win from its two opening games, but it has a relatively favorable schedule, so it should be good for the knockout rounds.
An intriguingly wide-open Serie A title race looks to be in place this season, however, so balancing both competitions might ultimately play against Napoli.
Manchester City
It is debatable whether Manchester City can be considered a “dark horse” in any competition it is playing in.
This, after all, is one of the wealthiest clubs on the planet with the financial muscle of an entire oil-rich nation behind it.
But the poor performance, across the board, last season made many people question whether Pep Guardiola still had what it takes to make this club a challenger.
The early weeks and months of the 2025-26 season have shown that Manchester City is back, with Erling Haaland, in particular, showing the goal-scoring form of a couple of years ago.
A draw on match day two away at Monaco might be of some concern, especially if the next few games don’t bring more victories, but City is definitely back as a potential champion and is capable of beating anyone.
