Top 5 favourites for the UEFA Champions League 2018-19 trophy after the group stage
The UEFA Champions League remains the biggest stage in European football - allowing the biggest clubs and the biggest players to showcase their fantastic abilities while contesting against one another, and that is why it is a tournament most football fans never want to miss.
Once again, the competition has produced all it is well known for - from intense clashes to surprise packages and magical moments as European powerhouses continue to go head-to-head in their bid to claim the continental crown.
At the beginning of the season, many clubs were tipped to dominate the Champions League, but by the conclusion of the group stage, we have already seen most of these clubs fail to reach the expectations that accompanied them into the tournament, while a few others have surprised us with their incredible efforts.
Therefore, we decided to rank the top 5 favourites for the European crown this season, following the conclusion of the group stage.
They are as follows:
#5 Manchester City
Despite trailing Liverpool with 4 points in the race for the Premier League title this season, it has been another impressive campaign for Manchester City, as they been bright in all competitions so far, especially in the UEFA Champions League.
The Citizens reached the knockout phase of the European tournament last time out, and went as far as the quarter-finals before they were eliminated by Liverpool, and they have returned to the competition with a more determined spirit, as they aim to continue their impressive run.
Pep Guardiola's men were one of the brightest sides during the group stage, recording 4 victories, 1 draw, and 1 defeat in 6 games, as well as finishing as leaders of Group F with a whopping 13 points.