YOU DECIDE: Who will win 2025/26 UEFA Champions League? Will Erling Haaland finish as top goalscorer? Which English club will go furthest?
ByTNT UK
Published 15/09/2025 at 22:56 GMT+1
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The road to Budapest starts this week with the league phase of the UEFA Champions League commencing on Tuesday. Paris Saint-Germain look to defend their title by making it all the way to the final, but six English clubs harbour hopes of usurping the Parisians - a record number of sides from one country to have reached this stage of the competition. It's time for your predictions...
How the UEFA Champions League works - format explained and changes through the years
Video credit: TNT Sports
The UEFA Champions League proper returns this week as 36 clubs enter the league phase with dreams of navigating their safe passage through to the knockout stages the other side of Christmas.
It is the second year of the new format, with each team facing eight games between now and the end of January with the aim of advancing straight to the round of 16 by finishing inside the top eight.
As defending champions Paris Saint-Germain proved last season, however, nothing worth having is ever a smooth process. Luis Enrique's side were on the verge of elimination on match day seven before a dramatic comeback win over Manchester City ignited their quest for glory.
With a fresh chapter of drama set to be written, knowing precisely whose name will be etched on the famous trophy come next May is far from a foregone conclusion, but we want you to make your predictions for Europe's premier cup competition, which can be watched every step of the way live on TNT Sports and discovery+.
Cast your votes below.
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How the UEFA Champions League works - format explained and changes through the years
Video credit: TNT Sports
Who will win the UEFA Champions League 2025/26?
PSG have a target on their backs having got better with each passing round last time around, and manager Enrique added to the convincing 5-0 dismantling of Inter in Munich by masterminding a comeback victory over Tottenham on penalties in the UEFA Super Cup in August.
Despite being reigning champions, however, the Parisians are only third favourites with the bookies, behind Liverpool and Barcelona.
The departure of goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma to Manchester City - coupled with how Chelsea sauntered to Club World Cup success in the final at the MetLife Stadium - may well have cooled expectations of a title defence.
Who will be top goalscorer in this year's competition?
There were the usual big-hitters towards the top end of the goalscoring charts in 2024/25 as both Robert Lewandowski and Harry Kane scored 11 times for Barcelona and Bayern Munich, respectively.
Lautaro Martinez also found the net on nine occasions for Inter Milan as the Italians reached the final, while Vinicius Junior was just behind him with eight goals for Real Madrid.
But two unlikely names were leading the way as Borussia Dortmund's Serhou Guirassy and Raphinha of Barca both scored 13 to take a share of the spoils as the leading marksmen.
The feat of Guirassy was all the more impressive given his side were knocked out by Barcelona in the quarter-finals - but not before he scored a hat-trick in vain against the Catalans in the second leg.
If last season is anything to go by, the importance of having a kinder set of eight league matches in the coming months will have a big say on which player wins the Golden Boot this time around.
Erling Haaland has made an ominous start to the season, scoring 11 goals already for club and country. Manchester City have already lost twice in the Premier League, but they embark on their quest to regain the Champions League they won in 2023 by hosting Napoli this week.
Which English club will go furthest?
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'Players want to come to Arsenal now' - Arteta on the Gunners' summer transfers
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Arne Slot said his Liverpool side "ran out of luck" against Paris Saint-Germain after their Champions League elimination on penalties in March - something which the Dutchman has since said was the "biggest disappointment" of his first season in charge at Anfield.
While defending their Premier League title has got off to the perfect start in terms of results, each of The Reds' four victories to date have only been achieved beyond the 83rd minute. A sign of champions or will Liverpool's luck run out again?
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Slot's men have been installed as favourites to add a seventh European title but Arsenal have added real depth to their squad since being knocked out by eventual winners PSG in last season's semi-finals.
Chelsea's impressive showing in the States under Enzo Maresca instils a fear factor and pedigree which cannot be discounted while Newcastle's mouthwatering opening game at home to Barcelona will bring back fond memories of Faustino Asprilla's hat-trick in the fixture back in 1997.
A repeat of that night would represent quite the announcement back on European football's biggest stage and could act as the catalyst in the club's season following the sale of Alexander Isak.
Then there's Europa League holders Tottenham. Thomas Frank has already shown his managerial credentials by masterminding Spurs' victory at Manchester City in the Premier League, having come up with a blueprint which proved successful up to a point in the Super Cup against PSG.
Which La Liga giant will go further: Real and Barca?
You cannot have a conversation about potential winners without mentioning Real Madrid, despite the ease with which Arsenal inflicted a 5-1 aggregate defeat on them in the quarter-finals last season.
That damaging loss sounded the death knell for Carlo Ancelotti's second spell in charge, and Xabi Alonso has now been tasked with winning a record-extending 16th Champions League.
Trent Alexander-Arnold swapped Liverpool for the Santiago Bernabeu with further European success at the top of his list of targets, but his mixed start to life in the Spanish capital has placed added pressure on the full-back's return to Anfield when the two sides meet on November 4.
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McCoist predicts 'mixed' reception for Alexander-Arnold in Liverpool Champions League return
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By then, we should have a good idea of whether Barcelona are well-placed to progress to the knockout stages, who follow up the trip to St James' Park this week by hosting PSG on match day two.
That difficult start is only briefly eased by encounters with Olympiacos and Club Brugge before a visit to face Chelsea at the end of November.
While Barcelona overcame a defeat at Monaco on the opening night to make light work of progressing to the last 16 a year ago - winning six of their eight league matches - this appears a far more daunting set of fixtures.
Which Ballon d'Or contender will score more?
All eyes will be on Paris on September 22, when the winner of the Ballon d'Or will be announced, and strong favourite Ousmane Dembele will hope it is only the first of many individual prizes he claims this season.
It seems a long time ago now that Dembele was omitted from the PSG match day squad by Luis Enrique for the game against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium in October 2024 due to disciplinary reasons.
Dembele's redemption arc would leave him with eight goals in 15 Champions League games and named Player of the Tournament by UEFA to underline his status as an elite player, ready to finally fulfil his huge potential having blown hot and cold at Barcelona.
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'Mesmerising' from Yamal as he scores worldie for Barcelona
Video credit: TNT Sports
Lamine Yamal has been allowed to flourish in the void Dembele left behind in Catalonia, scoring five times in the Champions League last season - and most notably when facing the Frenchman in the semi-finals as he weaved inside from the right to score one of the goals of the tournament.
Dembele would have the final say, and while there is not yet a sense of competitive rivalry between the pair akin to the days of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo at their peak, Yamal already has the mindset of a serial winner ready to put forward a fresh case for individual supremacy.
Stream the Premier League, Men’s and Women’s FA Cup, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League and more on TNT Sports and discovery+
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