Michael Owen has limited the runners and riders of the Champions League to four potential winners.
The round of 16 starts on Tuesday evening with Arsenal and Aston Villa in action against PSV and Club Brugge, respectively before Liverpool Reizen to Paris Saint Germain on Wednesday.
And Owen believes that his former club is the favorites to win the Champions League, but he thinks that three other teams also have a “real chance” – with another of his old parties the next best.
“My favorites of Champions League are Liverpool, above Real Madrid,” said Owen. “You can also watch Barcelona and Bayern Munich as a real chance.
“There is a handful of teams that can win, but I would certainly say that Liverpool and Real Madrid are currently the two teams.”
Real, the ruling champions, sent from Manchester City in the play-off round with Kylian Mbappe who scored a hat trick in the second stage.
Owen thinks that the weight of expectation can fall heavily on the France star, but he knows from personal experience that it is just part of the territory of the Spanish giants.
“There is enormous pressure on Kylian Mbappe, but that is Real Madrid. Managers won and dismissed the competition because they did not win the Champions League, “he added, speaking with Boylesports.
“The pressure there is to beat Barcelona and now also Atletico Madrid, they have the best players and the best manager, you have to win everything or feel like a failure.
“Mbappe knew the scenario before he signed, that is the life of a top player. If he didn't want the pressure, he should have signed for someone else. The higher the food chain, the more pressure there is.
“He will have to fire them to the top of the competition and the Champions League, but he has not yet failed. They have the habit of coming strong and they will make a great run if everyone is.
“They will be the last team that you want to draw in the knockout phase, have people talked about Real Madrid as if they have a disastrous season, but you would now be very brave to fire them.”
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