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Published 15/09/2025 at 10:43 GMT+1

It is becoming harder and harder to break into the elite of the UEFA Champions League. Picking a team outside of that elite group to really go and win the whole tournament is next to impossible. But we can pick teams who will make a bit more noise than you expect and might cause an upset or two along the way. TNT Sports run you through some of the teams to watch this season.

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With the way modern football has been set up, it is currently an easy task to pick the top eight favourites to make it into the automatic qualification spots of the league phase of the UEFA Champions League.

You can take the four strongest Premier League teams of the time and the other four "superclubs" in Europe – Real Madrid, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich – and they will often be the top eight favourites for the tournament each year.

Only four times this century has a team outside that eight won the Champions League (albeit the two times Chelsea won, they did come out of nowhere). This season, we see those four continental clubs plus Liverpool, Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea as the bookmakers' top eight.

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So, realistically, we cannot say our dark horses are a list of teams who might actually win the Champions League. That is just not the way modern football has designed itself.

Instead, we like to think of this as a list of teams who might surprise. Maybe they make it into the top eight – or get seeded into the play-offs – and make a shock run deep in the knockouts.

Regardless, these are the teams that we think you should be keeping an eye on throughout the Champions League this season. Let’s get into it.

Napoli

Yes, we know in recent years Antonio Conte teams have tended to fall apart a little bit when they start having to balance European action with league football, but if any of the Italian’s teams can buck that trend, it is this Napoli iteration.

And yes, that is despite the injury suffered by Romelu Lukaku that is expected to rule him out of most of the league phase.

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Napoli added plenty of depth this summer to the team that won the Scudetto, giving Conte some different options and crucially, the squad some much-needed experience in the shape of Champions League-winner Kevin De Bruyne.

Much of what Napoli will be able to do this season will come down to what they Conte can extract from Lorenzo Lucca and Rasmus Hojlund in the absence of Lukaku.

They were both highly-promising young strikers whose trajectories have stalled somewhat due to various factors.

Conte has a track record of getting the best out of unloved strikers – Lukaku being the case in point – so can he repeat the trick with one of these two? Early returns are encouraging with Hojlund scoring against Fiorentina in his debut and generally looking sharp.

Galatasaray

Last year, Galatasaray won the Turkish Super Lig by 11 points and not only did they go out and re-sign Victor Osimhen when everyone thought it was impossible, but they also massively strengthened their back four and goalkeeper position.

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In addition, they added a sprinkling of top experience of Champions League winners, in Leroy Sane and Ilkay Gundogan.

Going to Istanbul remains one of the toughest assignments in football and with a team that is at long last worthy of their incredible fanbase, it feels as if Galatasaray are set to ruffle more than a few feathers this season in the Champions League.

Juventus

Are Juventus back? It might be too early to tell but the early signs this season are extremely encouraging.

They are one of just two Serie A teams with a 100% record (along with Napoli) after a thrilling 4-3 victory over Inter Milan on Saturday afternoon in the Derby d'Italia.

Juve might not have the best squad in Italy but what they do have is a budding superstar in Kenan Yildiz, a well-organised defensive structure, and a degree of unpredictability. That can give you some fun opportunities in European football.

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It feels like a long time since this team reached the final twice in two years, and the last time we saw them they were getting dumped out by PSV Eindhoven.

Have things changed? Juventus have been so disappointing for so many years that it is really hard to commit to anything just yet, but they have a relatively favourable draw and they theoretically have the pieces in place.

Tottenham Hotspur

There is every chance that Spurs end up making us look very silly - it would not be the first time - but despite the 1-0 loss at home to Bournemouth just before the international break, we cannot get the performance against PSG out of our heads.

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Spurs did some really fun stuff in the window and they have given Thomas Frank a lot of options - and, like Antonio Conte, he is a proven elevator of talent.

Everyone knows this squad was better than where they finished in the Premier League last season, and it is better now than it was a year ago, despite the loss of club icon Son Heung-min.

It is also worth pointing out that, as per our friends at Opta, Spurs have the fourth-lowest degree of difficulty for their fixtures in the Champions League this season.

This is obviously a difficult one to predict because we have only seen these teams for a handful of games. But it is still interesting to note, and it does seem undeniable that Spurs could have had harder fixtures in their draw.

Champions League schedule difficulty

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Villarreal

Speaking of teams with what seems like an easier draw, let’s talk about the Yellow Submarine, who sit just below Spurs in the aforementioned table.

Villarreal were quietly one of the best stories in Spain last season, bulldozing their way into the Champions League by scoring 71 goals.

To that attack they have added Georgia’s Georges Mikautadze to replace Thierno Barry whilst Alberto Moleiro comes in to fill the void left by Alex Baena’s move to Atletico Madrid.

Marcelinho’s high-intensity system is either going to cause chaos for opponents or for his team. They conceded 51 goals last season, while the rest of Spain’s Champions League entrants all conceded under 40.

But they have made moves in that department as well; Renato Veiga, Santiago Mourino and Rafa Marin have all come in to bolster the central defensive options.

Villarreal won’t be boring to watch – they are the highest scorers in La Liga this term, and sit fifth after four games – and they could do enough to make some noise.

FC Porto

We wrote about Porto and the summer they have had in more depth in our article on the European winners of the transfer market but here is the abbreviated version.

Porto had a disastrous season under new CEO Andre Villas-Boas (yes, him) and as a result he has spent aggressively to try and get the team back to where they need to be.

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It is early days but it seems to be working nicely. Porto are four from four in their start to the season, which included a 2-1 win away at last season’s champions, Sporting CP.

Keep an eye on 19-year-old Victor Froholdt, who arrived this summer from FC Copenhagen. He is one of the most exciting talents anywhere right now and it was a huge coup for Porto to be able to sign him.

He has three goal involvements to the start the season and is ready to announce himself on the biggest stage this season.

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Published 08/09/2025 at 19:25 GMT+1

Tottenham Hotspur's chief executive Vinai Venkatesham has said there is no credence to the ongoing media speculation concerning a potential takeover of the north London club, after Daniel Levy's departure as chairman last week. Venkatesham added that majority owners - the Lewis family - see their reign at the club as "long term" and will give the club "firm backing" investment-wise.

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Vinai Venkatesham, Tottenham Hotspur's chief executive, has denied media speculation relating to a potential takeover of the Premier League club.

Reports had emerged over a change in ownership at Spurs following the shock news of Daniel Levy's departure as chairman after 24 years in the position last week.

ENIC Sports & Developments Holdings Ltd ("ENIC"), Spurs' majority shareholder, is controlled by the Lewis family, who Venkatesham said have a "long-term" plan to remain at the club after the seismic hierarchical change - supported by a statement issued on Sunday saying the club are "not for sale".

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In a video published on Tottenham Hotspur's official media channels, Venkatesham said on Monday: "There’s been a lot of newspaper articles and a lot of media speculation about a takeover.

"The Lewis family are really clear, they see their involvement in Tottenham Hotspur being long term, and they see their involvement continuing through the generations.

"We made a statement very late last night, and a statement I hope was unambiguously clear Tottenham Hotspur is not for sale."

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Venkatesham added that while Levy's departure last week was seen as "big news" from an external standpoint, day-to-day operations at the club have been "business as usual" and said they were "well-organised for succession".

Spurs' chief executive, who was appointed in April, credited Levy for his "extraordinary" work across more than two decades with the north London club - a period which has seen them regularly contest in the top half of the Premier League and in European competitions.

"He has played a huge part in the transformation of the club," Venkatesham said. "His contribution is there for all to see, and his legacy is extraordinary. He’s been a wonderful support and counsel to me and I feel really settled in."

Venkatesham, though, hailed the "new era" under the guidance of the Lewis family, and feels the club have strong foundations to build upon their UEFA Europa League success last season - their first trophy in 17 years.

"In terms of foundations, we’ve got an extraordinary stadium; we've got an extraordinary training centre," he said.

"We’ve got a massive global fanbase. We saw in May in Bilbao what that next step is. That is competing for and ultimately winning trophies.

"We’ve had a taste of that, and it’s even better than you imagined. You realise the club is even bigger than you thought it was, and you’re hungry for more.

"That’s what everyone associated with this club is hungry for, more nights like that."

Peter Charrington has stepped into the position as non-executive chair at Spurs following Levy's departure. Venkatesham said the new appointee's role will be "different" to that of Levy, and his focus will be on "empowerment" for the men's and women's teams.

Venkatesham added there has been a focus from the Lewis family on bringing "calm" to the club, and feels the club will have sufficient backing with regard to investment.

"It is very fair to say we have firm backing from the Lewis family against our ambitions to be successful on the pitch on the men’s side and women’s side," he said. "They know that’s going to require investment, and we have their firm backing."

Spurs return to Premier League action on Saturday as they face West Ham United at the London Stadium.

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Published 08/09/2025 at 17:22 GMT+1

Thomas Frank faced some conundrums as he picked his 25-player squad for the league phase of this season's UEFA Champions League. Mathys Tel, who joined the club permanently this summer after spending the second half of the 2024/25 campaign on loan at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, was one of the players whose spot was denied due to the north London club having to fulfil their homegrown quota.

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Mathys Tel said his omission from Tottenham Hotspur's UEFA Champions League squad "definitely hurts," but he is trying to stay in a "pretty positive" frame of mind.

Tel, 20, joined Spurs permanently this summer for a reported £30 million, after spending the second half of the 2024/25 season on loan at the north London club from Bayern Munich.

Participating clubs in UEFA competitions must comply with the quota of a minimum of eight players who are "locally-trained".

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Tel does not qualify as "locally-trained" as he has not been registered at Spurs for three entire seasons, nor another Premier League club. Spurs' compliance with these rules, alongside an influx of summer signings, meant the France Under-21 international missed out completely on Thomas Frank's 25-player squad.

Speaking to Le Telegramme, Tel spoke about his "disappointment" over not making the squad, but said he "respects" the decision Frank had to make.

"It's clear that when you're not on a list, it definitely hurts," he said. "But I'm someone who stays pretty positive, no matter the situation, because I think I've worked a lot on the mental aspect.

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"So today it's definitely a disappointment, I would have liked to be there. But the coach's choice is the coach's choice, we can only respect it and we're going to work to come back in the best possible way."

Asked how Frank informed him of the news, Tel replied: "Quite simply, with respect. He called me, he simply told me his choice and then you could see the list appear on the networks."

Tel's omission from the squad has not necessarily dashed his hopes of competing in this season's Champions League entirely.

UEFA regulations stipulate that clubs are allowed to register a maximum of three additional players to their squads following the conclusion of the league phase and before the beginning of the knockout stages. The deadline to complete this registration is February 5, 2026.

This allows flexibility regarding the addition of signings in the January transfer window, but could open up the possibility for Tel's inclusion in the latter stages of the competition.

James Maddison - who has been sidelined for the foreseeable future with a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament - was also not included in Spurs' squad, alongside fellow midfielder Yves Bissouma and summer signing Kota Takai.

Tel has been utilised from the bench in two of Spurs' opening three matches of the Premier League season.

Having previously operated at striker and on the wing for Bayern, Tel has found himself behind Richarlison, Brennan Johnson and summer signing Mohammed Kudus in the early weeks of the season. His game time could be impeded further when Dominic Solanke returns from injury.

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Tel has recorded three goals and two assists in 23 appearances for Spurs across both this season and last.

Spurs begin their league phase campaign at home to Villarreal on September 16, and will also face the likes of last year's UEFA Europa League semi-final opponents Bodo/Glimt, Monaco, Borussia Dortmund and current European champions Paris Saint-Germain.

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TNT Sports expert Joe Cole believes that new Tottenham Hotspur boss Thomas Frank is the signing of the summer after his side's win against Manchester City at Etihad Stadium. Spurs have now recorded back-to-back wins to start 2025/2026 after goals from Brennan Johnson and summer signing Joao Palhinha handed them a 2-0 win on the road. Frank's side beat Burnley 3-0 in their opening game.

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TNT Sports expert Joe Cole believes Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank has been the "signing of the season" after guiding his side to back-to-back wins to open their Premier League season.

The north London club followed up their 3-0 triumph over Burnley on the opening day with a 2-0 victory over Manchester City at Etihad Stadium.

Brennan Johnson gave the visitors the lead in the 35th minute before a disastrous bit of distribution from City goalkeeper James Trafford gifted Joao Palhinha a goal on the stroke of half-time.

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Spurs reportedly missed out on the chance to recruit Eberechi Eze this week after bitter rivals Arsenal hijacked the transfer, but Cole believes Frank could turn out to be the best signing of the window.

"Brilliant, I said it at the start of the season, I think Thomas Frank is the signing of the season," said the former Chelsea and Liverpool star.

"I think coming into this club, he is going to calm things, he is going to bring everyone together. That was an outstanding performance from Tottenham from back to front.

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"I think having [Cristian] Romero and [Micky] van de Ven fit for all of the season could make a huge difference for the club, that is something that needs to happen.

"There could have been five or six men of the match, it was fantastic. Thomas Frank is really showing his worth, I think it is a great coup, and Tottenham are very lucky to have him."

Spurs went 2-0 up against Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup earlier this month, but ultimately fell to a 4-3 defeat on penalties after conceding two late goals.

There was no sign of that on Saturday afternoon, though, as the visitors controlled the closing stages of the game.

Cole’s fellow TNT Sports expert Karen Carney believes Frank’s side produced a perfect performance on the road.

"You know what, it was perfect," she added. "Every person played the perfect role today and the game plan was superb.

"[Frank] picked his moments, when to press and when not to. That is brave, you have to be brave to do that, especially away at the Etihad."

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Pep Guardiola's City were well beaten, and Carney could not understand the change from the previous week when they opened the season with an impressive win at Wolverhampton Wanderers.

"I can’t believe what has happened," Carney said. "The City performance from last week to this week was night and day.

"I don’t know what has happened there, but credit to Spurs, absolutely brilliant. A perfect performance."

Frank praises Tottenham's mentality

Spurs finished 17th in the Premier League last term, but they showed character as they secured a place in this season’s UEFA Champions League with a 1-0 victory in the UEFA Europa League final against Manchester United.

Frank, who replaced Tottenham’s Europa League-winning manager Ange Postecoglou, insists that he inherited a squad with a great mentality.

Now the Danish coach wants to build on the morale-boosting end to the 2024/2025 campaign.

"I think this is one of the most difficult places to go to in the Premier League," he said.

"They came with everything and I think before our goal and them dominating us, they were more on top of the game.

"We stayed in it.

"We were solid and had a top mentality.

"After the first goal, more or less we were the better side.

"I found a strong mentality in the players.

"A group of players who had been through a tough season and ended on a high.

"Great mentality in many ways and then we had to build on that.

"On our goal kicks we tried to play out and that was quite successful at times, but the big thing is how we press from a goal kick - we go man to man and that is big for me."

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