Ex-Manchester City and Atletico Madrid striker Sergio Aguero (Picture: Getty)
Sergio Aguero has named Manchester City, Barcelona and Arsenal as his three favourites to win the Champions League.
The new Champions League format is beginning to take shape with all 36 teams in the competition playing three games.
The English clubs have enjoyed a sensational start, with Aston Villa, Liverpool and Man City currently occupying the top-three spots.
Arsenal are ninth but level on points with third-placed Manchester City, with holders Real Madrid only 12th and their city rivals Atletico down in 27th.
In this new Champions League format, the top 12 teams will automatically progress to the knockout stages, with the next 12 clubs moving into a play-off. The bottom 12 will be eliminated.
‘This is a new Champions League format, I think this year will be full of surprises,’ legendary striker Aguero told Stake.
‘This format could help smaller teams to thrive and qualify to the next round. This might also complicate things for bigger clubs to qualify.
The new Champions League format is taking shape (Picture: Getty)
‘I’ve always felt that the favourite to win the tournament is Manchester City, and then Real Madrid, but I also see a very strong Arsenal team.
‘However, I do hope both Man City and Barca can conquer this edition. Even though I’ve seen City struggle in some Premier matches this season, it is the same club we know, controlling the games from start to finish.
‘But to tell you my prediction, I feel that this year’s Final will have two teams that no one is expecting.’
The other major club cup competition taking place across Europe is of course the Europa League, featuring the likes of Manchester United, Tottenham, Roma and Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce.
Champions League odds
Manchester City 3/1
Real Madrid 7/2
Arsenal 13/2
Barcelona 8/1
Liverpool 9/1
Bayern Munich 10/1
Inter Milan,18/1
Paris Saint-Germain 25/1
(Odds courtesy of OLBG)
Mourinho named his two favourites to win the competition ahead of Fenerbahce’s clash with Man United on Thursday night, which finished 1-1.
‘At the end of the day, this new format will always allow that the top teams are going to qualify,’ he said.
‘No problem for a top team to lose three or four matches out of eight because then they will win three or four, they will make 12 points easily and they qualify, so I think they are in a stable situation.
‘If I have to say now which are the two biggest candidates to win the Europa League, I think it’s easy – Man United and Tottenham.
‘The Premier League is a different level of quality, it’s a different level of intensity, it’s a different level of pace, it’s a different level of tactical culture, it’s a different level of everything.
‘I think tomorrow we are going to play against one of the two strongest teams.’
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