The Champions League is almost impossible to defend.

Only a Cristiano Ronaldo-inspired Real Madrid have managed it, winning the title three years in a row between 2016 and 2018.

Even the great Barcelona side of Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi failed to retain the trophy.

So, it’s perhaps no surprise that Liverpool, champions last year, were knocked out this time in the round of 16 by a resolute and tactically inspired Atletico Madrid.

The Reds had been favourites to lift the title again, so with Jurgen Klopp’s men out, who are the frontrunners now? Could Manchester City finally claim the prize they desire the most?

Paris Saint-Germain, Atalanta and RB Leipzig have all joined Atletico in this year’s quarter-finals.

Bayern Munich thrashed Chelsea 3-0 at Stamford Bridge and will be confident of progressing too, while Barcelona will fancy themselves to advance after drawing 1-1 at Napoli in the first leg.

Juventus are favourites to overturn a 1-0 deficit when they host Lyon, while City will take a 2-1 lead over Real to the Etihad.

With most of Europe’s elite clubs already in the last eight, or with a good chance of getting there, it’s still all to play for when the competition resumes, probably in early August.

However, City are the new favourites with several bookies.

SportNation.bet have Pep Guardiola’s men as 3/1 frontrunners, but it is awfully tight. Bayern come in second at 10/3, with PSG on 4/1 and Barcelona 13/2.

City’s squad depth is well-suited to the two-legged competition, and we must remember this is the same side who won back-to-back Premier League titles with 100+ points. Don’t let their lacklustre domestic form this season fool you.

They have a Champions League winner in Pep Guardiola at the helm, a side full of trophy winners, and the manner in which they fought back to win 2-1 at the Bernabeu tells you this is a side unaffected by their failure to win the competition so far.

They are talented and tactically superior to almost every other club in world football right now.

While Barcelona top La Liga, they’ve been far from their best this year, while doubts remain over their Champions League mettle after throwing away massive first leg leads against Roma and Liverpool in 2018 and 2019 respectively.

PSG are in the quarter-finals for the first time in four years, but they are inexperienced in the latter stages of the competition having failed to reach a semi-final during their mega-money years.

However, with Ligue 1 done and dusted they can focus their attention entirely on Europe, although a lack of match practice may work against them.

Atalanta (25/1) are this year’s outsiders, and for all their style may be bullied out of the competition by one of the bigger names, while RB Leipzig (16/1) may also struggle to progress.

Atletico (12/1) and Bayern look like the sides ready to pose the biggest threat to City’s hopes.

The former have lacked league form but Diego Simeone is a master at grinding his way through two legs, and his side are riding high following their 3-1 win at Anfield.

Bayern, meanwhile, pummelled Chelsea and look strong enough to take on Guardiola’s side man for man.

Should Juventus (12/1) make it through, they have five-time winner Ronaldo in their ranks and will fancy themselves too.

For all of Guardiola’s era-defining genius, his last Champions League success came almost a decade ago, and that was with arguably the greatest football team ever assembled.

Failure to win it other than with that Barcelona side has cast a shadow over the Spaniard’s accomplishments.

With the Premier League all but over, the City boss will focus all his energies on bringing club football’s greatest prize to the Etihad, and to personally claim it for a third time.

The prospect of City’s European ban will also inspire great deeds.

They are favourites to claim the trophy, and with good reason, but there’s no room for complacency.

SOURCE:- allfootballapp