Who are the dark horses in the 2025/2026 Champions League

The 2025/2026 Champions League season is the second edition since it was changed to the league phase.

There were several fans who were opposed to the format, but at the end of the first season, they were mostly finally convinced.

Long before that, we were sure that this new format was here to stay for several reasons.

However, UEFA must continue to give fans a reason to buy Champions League tickets, because if the competition is not enjoyable, supporters will stop following it.

In the last few seasons, there has hardly been a surprise winner of the Champions League. Even when PSG won it last term, not many people were surprised because they had come close multiple times.

The Ligue 1 side also had some of the world’s best players in their squad, and they were going to win it sooner or later.

This season, they could retain the crown, but we might have a completely new winner among the other top clubs in the competition.

However, this article is about the teams that may not be considered among the favourites, and their league is not even considered good enough to produce the next Champions League winner.

Galatasaray

Galatasaray is one of the clubs helping to improve the image of the Turkish league at the moment, and they have dominated domestic football.

Helped by the on-loan Victor Osimhen last season, they won the Turkish league crown, which they could retain this season.

However, we expect them to also do well in Europe by making progress in the Champions League, especially as they will be hard to beat at home.

Liverpool already witnessed how tough it is for any opponent who visits the RAMS Park, and their home form could propel them to the knockout stage of the competition.

At that stage, any team can win the Champions League, so Gala could be the underdog that shocks all of us and wins the competition.

Borussia Dortmund

It took a very brilliant Barcelona team to stop Borussia Dortmund in the quarterfinal of the Champions League last season.

Nico Kovac is leading an exciting team that can win the Bundesliga crown at the end of this season.

Bayern Munich will make that hard for them to achieve, but it is doable, and they could do even better in Europe.

As one of the teams that sells the most Bundesliga tickets every season, BVB is one of the clubs that we believe will make an impression in Europe this season.

Their eventful 4-4 draw against Juventus in their first match in the competition shows they are a team that will match the best sides in every part of the pitch.

Writing them off won’t be smart, considering they compete in one of the strongest leagues in the world and have looked comfortable in Europe in 2025.

Atletico Madrid

With Diego Simeone as their manager, you can always bet on Atletico Madrid to outperform expectations.

The Argentinian has already led them to two league crowns, beating Barcelona and Real Madrid to one of the best domestic titles in the world.

They have consistently proven that they are one of the best teams in Europe as well and often make progress in the UCL, which explains why they competed at the Club World Cup, while Barcelona did not.

Atletico reached the Champions League final in 2014 and 2016, losing both times to their city rivals Real Madrid.

Madrid remains one of the favourites to win this one. What are the odds that both teams will meet in the final again? It is certainly not a high odd.

Atletico almost won La Liga last season, and they remain one of the teams to watch in that tournament this season.

However, it would not be wise to underestimate their chances of winning the Champions League, as they have often performed very well in the tournament.

Tottenham

Has Tottenham reduced its chance of success by naming Thomas Frank their newest manager after winning the last Europa League with Ange Postecoglou?

Frank is a very good manager, and he did a brilliant job as the manager of Brentford, which earned him the Tottenham role.

He has started his spell well, helping Spurs to sell many Premier League tickets, and his team has started their European adventure well.

Spurs are one of the teams to watch because they have a very strong squad and one of the smartest managers in the game.

In the summer, they made some shrewd signings, with moves for Mohammed Kudus and Xavi Simons standing out.

These are two players who can make a difference in every game, and they are already proving their worth since the season started.

The Lilywhites face a tough task of making the top four this season, but can they make the Champions League final like they did in 2019?

Napoli

It is hard to ignore Napoli after the fantastic business they did over the summer to strengthen their squad further.

The Azzurri are being led by Antonio Conte, a manager who we predicted was perfect for them before he even led them to success in Serie A.

In the summer, they went back to Manchester United to snap up Rasmus Hojlund, who has been brilliant for them so far.

However, their biggest statement on the transfer market has to be adding Kevin de Bruyne to their squad.

The Belgian who won the Champions League in 2023 has joined them as a free agent after he was let go by Manchester City at the end of last season.

City’s loss has become Napoli’s gain, and his experience in European and domestic competition will be a huge advantage to the Italian side in the Champions League this season.

Chelsea

After winning the Club World Cup in the summer, Chelsea is under pressure to prove that success means a lot.

Many fans and neutrals do not think their last two trophies are serious tournaments, as they also won the Europa Conference League.

Finishing inside the top five earned them a place in the Champions League this season, and we now expect them to do well.

Their recent success has made them one of the teams that could win the Premier League title this season.

Every fan who buys Chelsea tickets will take winning the Champions League over winning the domestic league.

Chelsea has made an inconsistent start to this season as it has been difficult for some of their new stars to settle.

However, the Blues have a very good manager and a strong squad, so they surely are one of the teams that can win the Champions League this term while not being considered one of the favourites.