Every year, the UEFA Champions League presents a spectacle saturated with drama, ambition, and wild possibility. Next season will be no different.
Following their 5-0 demolition of Inter Milan in Munich in May, Paris Saint-Germain head into the new European campaign as the reigning champions for the first time ever. And if online sports betting sites are to be believed, the Parisians are the team to beat once again. The latest odds from Bovada’s sports betting site currently price Luis Enrique’s side as the 7/1 favorites to successfully go back to back in 2025/26, odds level with reigning Premier League champions Liverpool.
But beyond the familiar heavyweights, a fresh cast of aspirants gathers, hungry not just for participation but to create their own legendary tale. Two of them have stories unfolding that we feel are certainly worth keeping an eye on.
Newcastle United
For Newcastle United, every Champions League anthem at St. James’ Park is a hymn to resurrection. It had been two long decades since the Magpies graced this stage by the time 2023 rolled around. Then, they made their triumphant return, even managing to thump the heavily favored Paris Saint-Germain by four goals to one on home turf.
That initial foray back onto the grandest stage, however, would come to a screeching halt in the group stages thanks to defeats to Borussia Dortmund and AC Milan. Now, two years later, they are back. And this time around, they mean business.
The numbers tell a story of rapid ascendancy. Newcastle’s top-five Premier League finish, achieved against a fiercely competitive backdrop, was driven by clinical, relentless football. Alexander Isak emerged as a forward of devastating efficiency—22 goals in all competitions, his movement and finishing acute enough to decide games against any opponent. Anthony Gordon, all pace and predatory intent, terrorized full-backs, while Bruno Guimarães controlled the midfield like a seasoned conductor, knitting together defense and attack with his unique blend of guile and urgency.
Yet, the transformation goes deeper than the pitch. Investment from Saudi owners has elevated Newcastle’s potential ceiling dramatically, granting Eddie Howe both time and tools—a rarity in elite football. But as experts and Tyneside’s own street-corner conversations confirm, the club’s greatest asset isn’t just its newfound wealth—it’s the sense of collective hunger. Memorable Champions League nights, like that battering of PSG, haven’t faded from memory; if anything, they’ve set the standard for what this club demands of itself.
Last season was arguably the greatest in the Magpies’ recent history. Champions League qualification and a first major trophy in 70 years secured. This next campaign, however, is no reward for past effort—it’s the acid test.
Tottenham Hotspur
How to explain Tottenham Hotspur’s 2024/25 season? In the cold math of the Premier League table, last year was a fiasco—17th position, teetering on the abyss. But then came redemption: an improbable Europa League campaign, capped by a gritty 1-0 win over Manchester United in Bilbao, delivered them at the very last gasp to Europe’s top table. Against all odds, Spurs are back in the Champions League—and they’re intent on writing their own epilogue.
That night in the Basque Country was not a triumph delivered by flowing football or attacking bravado. Ange Postecoglou, lauded for his front-foot style, pivoted to steely pragmatism; defense became the order of the day. Captain Son Heung-min, lionized by fans and respected throughout Europe, finally lifted a major club trophy after a decade of personal and collective heartbreak. His emotional embrace with the cup told the story for every supporter who has watched hope turn to dust—until now.
Yet the campaign ahead promises far tougher examinations. An aging core, depth issues in key positions, and the ever-present pressure to evolve tactically in the unforgiving cauldron of Europe. Add to that the fact that Big Ange was brutally given the chop despite delivering Spurs their first trophy in 17 years, and it’s clear that now is no time to rest on last season’s laurels.
Still, there’s a spark flickering at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Manager Thomas Frank has left Brentford in order to take charge in North London. He’s brought with him a pair of exciting signings in the form of Mohammed Kudus from West Ham United and Morgan Gibbs-White from Nottingham Forest, and just like that, belief is back, surging through those famous North London terraces.
