The return of the most popular soccer club tournaments has arrived: The Champions League.
Beginning with the group stages, 32 of the top division European clubs will compete to win the championship.
For many soccer fans, this year’s Champions League will be a bit more exciting than usual, since many soccer matches were cancelled this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. Even though the Champions League has returned, some fans are disappointed with the fact that not all players will get to play due to COVID-19 safety reasons.
Popular matches have already been played, such as PSG v Manchester United (2-1), Bayern v Atletico de Madrid (4-0) and the most exciting – Barcelona v Juventus, in which Barcelona took a 2-0 victory. These are the fan favorites because they feature some of the most popular players in the world, especially F.C. Barcelona and Juventus with the two “best” players, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Unfortunately, Ronaldo did not get to play with them because he tested positive for COVID-19.
Riverside senior Fredy Rodriguez, a Juventus fan, wanted to see another chapter of the Messi-Ronaldo rivalry unfold.
“I am very bummed out about Cristiano Ronaldo not getting to play,” he said, “but it’s better for his and the other players’ health.”
Fans have made many predictions on what teams will make it through to the round of 16. The favorites include Juventus, Dortmund, Chelsea, PSG, Manchester United, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Liverpool, Manchester City, Bayern Munich and Atletico de Madrid.
These teams have shown potential through the years, but these predictions don’t always come true in December. For example, Bayern Munich unexpectedly lost to BATE Borisov in 2012 and Wolfsberg defeating Real Madrid.
The final winning team will not be determined until May of next year.
