2019-20: Manchester City
The season is split into two clear phases, pre and post-covid. Initially, things kick off as usual, with the usual suspects breezing through to the second round. Real Madrid, having splashed over 100 million euros on Eden Hazard, hit a snag with a surprise loss in Finland but quickly recover by thrashing HJK at home in the second leg. For the rest of the top clubs, it's business as usual.
But the second round shakes things up with some big matchups that see some top contenders crash out early. Juventus, now led by Maurizio Sarri, square off against Hansi Flick's FC Bayern. Despite Juventus looking stronger a priori, the Germans benefit from the away-goal rule, thanks to Kingsley Coman (who, remember, used to play for the Bianconeri). This turn of events surprises many, especially given Bayern's recent turmoil with the sacking of Niko Kovac and the absence of legends like Arjen Robben and Franck Ribéry.
During the same round, underdog Benfica stuns PSG in Paris after clawing back from a 2-0 deficit in the second half. The Portuguese team fights valiantly in the second leg, pushing the match to the penalty shootout. However, it's the French champions who advance to the next round, courtesy of Keylor Navas's ultimate save.
In March, just as the world was gearing up for the Quarter-Finals, the COVID-19 pandemic strikes, bringing football to a standstill for several months, including the European Cup. When conditions improve, UEFA makes the decision to gather all eight quarter-finalists in Lisbon in August to determine the champion within a span of about 10 days.
In a highly anticipated match, Barcelona suffers a devastating last-minute goal and is defeated by FC Bayern, who advance to the semi-finals alongside the remaining top contenders. Despite Barcelona's significant investment of over 200 million euros in players such as Frenkie de Jong and Antoine Griezmann, they fall short against Bayern Munich, who have rebounded to claim both the Bundesliga and the DFB Pokal titles under Hansi Flick.
In the semi-finals, Bayern Munich also overpower a lackluster Madrid in a match that proves easier than anticipated. Meanwhile, Real can find solace in the joy of reclaiming the LaLiga title after falling short of doing so in the previous season.
In the other semi-final, Manchester City emerges victorious over PSG at Sporting's stadium. Under Guardiola's guidance in his fourth season at Manchester, the Citizens prove they're a stronger team, bolstered by the presence of De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, and new addition Rodri in midfield.
In the final showdown, Guardiola emerges triumphant once again. The Manchester City project reaches its pinnacle after millions and millions invested, and Pep clinches his fifth European Cup (!) facing his former team, FC Bayern. The Citizens seal the victory with a late goal by Kyle Walker, whose powerful shot from the right finds the net just three minutes before the final whistle.
The 2020-21 season will start a bit later after the pandemic, but these will be the main teams to watch:
- Manchester City
- Liverpool
- Real Madrid
- Bayern
- Juve
- PSG
- Porto, Ajax, Shakhtar...