Pep Guardiola Names Favourites to win 24/25 Champions League and 3 Other Contenders
Kylian Mbappe’s Wednesday night hat-trick prematurely knocked Pep Guardiola and his men out of the Champions League – and the Catalan native has included Real Madrid as one of the potential winners of the competition.
It was all too much for the four-in-a-row Premier League champions: Erling Haaland left on the bench, Paris-born Mbappe proving his world-beating nature and Guardiola’s hodgepodge campaign now reaching a new nadir.
Ultimately, the defending champions, having held the trophy aloft for a record 15th time last season, proved that class is permanent and are among Guardiola’s chosen quartet of contenders to win the final, which is being held in Munich on 31 May 2025.
It’s no surprise that Guardiola – who has previously enjoyed Champions League success at Barcelona, winning it in 2008/09 and 2010/11 – named Carlo Ancelotti’s well-drilled men, per The Mirror, as one of the favourites to reign victorious in Germany.
“Of course Madrid are a contender, definitely,” the 54-year-old – one of the best football managers of all time – said in the aftermath of crashing out of Europe’s top table at the play-off phase, albeit against one of the competition’s strongest sides.
Jude Bellingham and Co struggled to sign from the same hymn sheet in the competition’s new-look league phase this season and, as a result, finished outside the automatic progression places (1st-8th) in 11th, albeit just one point behind.
Guardiola then gave a pointed salute to Real Madrid’s Champions League pedigree and suggested that the La Liga juggernauts will forever be, irrespective of their form, one of the leading contenders.
“But there are other good teams around. It will be an interesting Champions League season. Madrid are always favourites for this trophy. There are other teams who are having a very good seasons, but Madrid are always favourites.”
Snubbing fellow Premier League outfit Arsenal from his potential winners list, Guardiola name-dropped the triumvirate of Arne Slot’s Liverpool, Hansi Flick-led Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain as potential winners at the back end of May.
The Reds blitzed through the league phase as table toppers and Barcelona were close behind. PSG, on the other hand, are still searching for their first-ever Champions League crown – and their 10-0 aggregate score over Stade Brest highlights their intentions.
“But there are other teams that are playing very well. Liverpool are having a really good season up until now, Barcelona are amazing, Paris Saint-Germain, with my friend Luis [Enrique] in charge, are on the march. But obviously, Madrid are favourites.”
