The draw for the group stage of the UEFA Champions League has been made, and FC Bayern now knows exactly who they’ll face in their eight matches. It’s a good draw with some attractive opponents, but also a few beatable ones.
If the record champions have their way, they’ll aim to play a major role in the Champions League this season and, following their narrow elimination in the semifinals last season, compete for the title once again.
That’s why players like Ismael Saibari and Nathaniel Brown were signed. Bayern still doesn’t have an absolutely star-studded roster in terms of depth, but that’s exactly what they want—to give young players the opportunity to prove themselves.
Experts are certain: Bayern isn’t the absolute top favorite
According to the experts at Amazon Prime Video—which will once again be broadcasting one Tuesday match per matchday—Bayern definitely has a shot at the title, but they aren’t the absolute top favorites.
Christoph Kramer, at least, is quite optimistic. “I’ll say this: Barcelona will face Bayern in the final,” the 2014 World Cup champion declared.
His fellow expert Mats Hummels added: “Bayern is a favorite, not the top favorite,” Hummels said of Munich’s prospects in the Champions League: “I don’t see any one team standing out; rather, there are the usual five or six suspects who can win it—maybe even just four. Bayern is one of them.”
One thing is clear: FC Bayern will give it their all to achieve more than they did last season. Vincent Kompany, Bayern’s coach, has set the bar high for his team, aiming for the absolute maximum. And that certainly includes winning the title in this competition.
“Bayern hasn’t gotten any worse; with Brown and Saibari, they might even be a tad better,” said Matthias Sammer, the third Prime expert in the group. He doesn’t currently see PSG quite at the level of recent years, but warns against writing off the French team.