Alan Shearer says Real Madrid are ‘without doubt’ his favourites to win this year’s Champions League after their resounding two-legged play-off victory over Manchester City.
Madrid, the reigning champions, endured a slow start in the league phase of Europe’s premier competition, suffering three defeats from eight to finish outside of the automatic qualification spots down in 11th.
But Carlo Ancelotti’s men sent out a clear statement of intent to the remaining teams with a 6-3 win on aggregate over Pep Guardiola’s Premier League champions to secure their place in the last-16.
A stunning Kylian Mbappe hat-trick at a rapturous Bernabeu ensured City’s campaign came crashing to a thudding halt and the La Liga giants will discover their next opponents in today’s eagerly anticipated draw.
The likes of Michael Ballack and Lamine Yamal have named Liverpool as the favourites for the title after the Merseyside giants won all but one of their group-stage matches to sail into the round of 16 in emphatic fashion.
But speaking after their resounding defeat of City, legendary ex-Newcastle and England striker Shearer argued that Madrid have asserted themselves as the frontrunners to be crowned European champions for a 16th time.
‘They’re looking very dangerous, Real Madrid, after having one or two poor results in the league games,’ Shearer said on The Rest Is Football podcast.
‘Two performances against City, both home and away, which will send a huge warning out to the rest of Europe in terms of teams that are left in.
‘They know it’s their competition, they know how well they do and they excel in it and they have to win it.’
Asked whether Real Madrid should be considered the favourites, Shearer replied: ‘Yeah, I would put them favourites, absolutely. Definitely.’
City simply could not cope with Madrid’s array of attacking talent and Shearer believes it must be a ‘dream’ for the likes of Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo and Mbappe with the amount of opportunities Ancelotti’s side create in matches.
‘It must be a dream, a treat, for those guys with the amount of chances that they create and the amount of ability that they’ve got,’ he added.
‘So Real Madrid are very, very strong and they are, without doubt, my favourites to win.’
Shearer continued: ‘The three or four of them are brilliant at rotation so if Vinicius Junior wants to come down the middle then Kylian will go out wide.
‘They’re all equally as good wherever they are.
‘Say what you want about the defending. The defending was blummin’ awful at times from Manchester City and you can’t give anyone the amount of space that they did.
‘But to give it to him [Mbappe]… and the three goals were also so very, very different. Three great finishes but very different ones.’
Paris Saint-Germain cruised past Brest to reach the round of 16, winning 10-0 on aggregate, and Shearer feels Luis Enrique’s side could be ‘dark horses’ for the trophy.
After Gary Lineker picked out PSG as an outside bet for the title, Shearer replied: ‘I agree.
‘Over two legs I think they will give anyone a good game. They’re more of a team now than they have been.
‘Whether they’re good enough this season to go and win it, I’m not sure but they’ll be a real test for anyone left in the competition.’
Are Real Madrid the Champions League favourites?
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Yes
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No
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