Paul Merson does not view Real Madrid as one of the five favourites to win the Champions League next season. Carlo Ancelotti’s side enjoyed a sensational run in Europe’s top club competition last season, beating Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool to lift the Champions League for a 14th time.
But former Arsenal and England winger Merson still has doubts over Real Madrid, telling Sportskeeda: ‘I just can’t wrap my head around what they did last season.
Were they great, or did they just get lucky? ‘They were effectively out of the competition three times in the knockout stages against PSG, Chelsea and Manchester City but managed to defy the odds each time, while they prevailed in the final despite Liverpool playing better football and creating better chances. ‘It was one of the most one-sided finals I’ve seen, but they still came out on top! ‘Karim Benzema, who is deservedly the frontrunner for the 2022 Ballon d’Or, had one of the biggest purple patches of his career last time around, but can he carry on in the same vein this season?’ With Merson raising doubts over Real Madrid’s ability to retain their Champions League crown, the Gunners hero has named Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Barcelona and Bayern Munich as the favourites to win the competition next year. ‘I have a feeling we’ll see an all-English final this season because I genuinely believe the Premier League is head and shoulders above the rest of the domestic leagues in Europe,’ he added. ‘Unless the draw puts two English sides against one another in one of the knockout rounds, I do think they’ll face each other in the final.’ ‘Bayern Munich might look a bit different as a team this season as Robert Lewandowski has moved on to