"The Chaaaampioooooonssss"... It begins! The Cityzens defend the crown against revenge-thirsty heavyweights

Exactly 101 days since the 2022/23 UEFA Champions League final, the new season starts. Manchester City won their first-ever European crown after a gritty win over Inter Milan in Athens. Today, the Cityzens start the long road to UCL trophy number two.

The first obstacle for Pep Guardiola and his team is another club that won the biggest prize in European football once - Crvena zvezda, or Red Star Belgrade, as it's better known outside its homeland of Serbia. Unlike City, the 1991 winners don't have much of a chance of doubling their tally.

Guardiola is counting on his players to go for glory again, as winning it just once is nothing special.

"It'll be easier. The most difficult to win is the first one. It is incredible for us but it is just one. Crvena zvezda is the first step. We will try and get the first three points. It's important the players don't feel relaxed. For our club to win the Champions League is incredible but in perspective how many clubs have won one Champions League? A lot. We haven't done anything special with just one, but we are incredibly proud."

RB Leipzig of Germany and BSC Young Boys from Switzerland complete the group with the English and Serbian champions.

However, the competition for the title will be fierce this season. Disgruntled losers from previous years will aim to reclaim the throne. Clubs like Bayern, Barcelona, Inter - and above all, Real Madrid. Los Blancos' squad for this season is a mix of youth and experience, making them a formidable contender in the competition. While they have several talented players, one standout at this early stage is Jude Bellingham, the 20-year-old midfielder who recently joined the club. His partnership with players like Aurelien Tchouameni and Vinicius Junior can give the team the creative spark needed to succeed in Europe. If the former Borussia Dortmund and Birmingham City starlet maintains his form and adapts well to the challenges of the Champions League, he could be a key player for Carlo Ancelotti's side in the quest for what would be the club's 15th title. On their way in the group stand Napoli, Braga and Union Berlin.

Looking at current odds at Mozzart Bet Kenya, Bayern have slightly better chances of removing Manchester City from their perch. The German club has been going through a period of turmoil over the past year or so - but with the addition of Harry Kane, they can only grow into the season and be strong when it matters most. Thomas Tuchel won the competition in 2021 with Chelsea - when hardly anyone could see it coming. Now, with a quality group of players, the former PSG and BVB coach might have a few aces up his sleeve.

The fourth favourite to win the UEFA Champions League is Arsenal. The Gunners bolstered their squad after missing out on the Premier League title last season and will be highly motivated to prove the UCL is their natural habitat. After missing out on the competition in the previous six years, it will be a welcome sight to see the iconic Champions League flag in the Emirates Stadium centre circle again. Mikel Arteta's team will start the competition on Wednesday with a home match with PSV Eindhoven, with Sevilla and Lens the remaining teams in their group.

For all his trophies, Robert Lewandowski has only won the Champions League once, in that strange final tournament during the Covid lockdown in 2020. If he could propel his current team, Barcelona, to the title, it would be the greatest achievement of his career and Barca's true return to greatness. But it won't be easy for their young coach, Xavi Hernandez, to balance the fans' enormous appetite for success and the club's problematic finances that dictate who will or won't join the club. This year, the former Blaugrana captain relied on cut-price deals and loans to assemble a team which could retain the title in La Liga and make a push for European glory. Culers will play in the group H alongside Porto, Shakhtar Donetsk and Royal Antwerp.

We shouldn't forget about the other strong teams like Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Manchester United, Benfica, Borussia Dortmund and several other dark horses who could stun the favourites in this last season of the Champions League in the old format. Because, next season, everything will change.

The new Champions League format expanded from 32 to 36 teams, introduces significant changes to the competition's structure. Instead of the traditional group stage, all participating teams will compete in a single league phase. Each team will play a total of eight matches, split evenly between home and away fixtures, spanning over ten weeks. This expansion means there will be 189 matches, as opposed to the previous 125. The top eight teams in the league will secure automatic qualification for the knockout stage. Teams ranking from 9th to 24th will engage in a two-legged play-off to determine the final 16 that progress to the next stage. Unfortunately, the bottom eight teams will be eliminated from the competition. This new format aims to bring a fresh dynamic to the Champions League and provide more opportunities for teams to compete at the highest level of European club football.

But, for now, let's enjoy the good old UEFA Champions League as we've grown to love it. The very first match of this season's competition will be played at the legendary San Siro, where the seven-time champions AC Milan host Newcastle United, the club that returns to the elite tournament after a two-decade absence.

Let the games begin!

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE - MATCHDAY 1

Tuesday

19.45: (2.55) Milan (3.50) Newcastle (2.85)

19.45: (5.20) Young Boys (4.00) RB Leipzig (1.65)

22.00: (1.63) Feyenoord (4.00) Celtic (6.25)

22.00: (3.05) Lazio (3.35) Atl.Madrid (2.50)

22.00: (1.75) PSG (3.60) Dortmund (4.90)

22.00: (1.10) Man.City (13.0) Crvena Zvezda (35.0)

22.00: (1.20) Barcelona (7.75) Antwerp (16.0)

22.00: (4.70) Shakhtar (3.70) Porto (1.85)

Wednesday

19.45: (1.63) Galatasaray (4.00) Copenhagen (6.25)

19.45: (1.40) Real Madrid (5.00) Union Berlin (9.00)

22.00: (1.58) Bayern (4.30) Man.Utd. (6.25)

22.00: (1.40) Arsenal (5.30) PSV (8.00)

22.00: (1.95) Sevilla (3.60) Lens (4.20)

22.00: (4.50) Braga (3.60) Napoli (1.90)

22.00: (1.45) Benfica (4.80) Salzburg (8.00)

22.00: (3.20) Sociedad (3.40) Inter (2.40)

***odds are subject to change