So, who will be the champions of Europe in 2024?
Well, Manchester City will be for least another half a year and they are favourites again, but have the quite got the depth of last term when they enjoyed the most successful campaign in their history?
For me, City are one of three clubs who will end up being Kings of Europe – and it’s exactly the same three I had in my mind last season.
The fact that City dispatched both Bayern Munich and Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter and semi-finals respectively will give the reigning champions confidence psychologically.
On the flip side, both Bayern and Real may well be better for the experience and have certainly strengthened since then.
The irony is both have been strengthened by Englishmen in Jude Bellingham and England captain Harry Kane.
Of course, any cup success can rely on the luck of the draw and, with that in mind, the last 16 has landed well for all three clubs – although a tough pool from the quarter-finals on can open up one side of the draw to an outsider, as Inter Milan took advantage of last term.
Yet I look too far ahead as it is some time before the home of football awaits two finalists next June and there will be plenty of Champions League highlights before then.
As well as the holders, fellow English side Arsenal will be confident of progress after they were paired with Porto.
There will be no room for complacency mind.
No group runner-up scored more goals than the 15 the Portuguese managed, although they did only manage one clean sheet.
While it should be closer than their last meeting at the same stage in 2010, when Arsenal ran out 6-2 winners on aggregate, the North Londoners should make it through.
Like Arsenal, one team who would love success in Europe, but who I feel will fall short, are Barcelona.
They face a tougher assignment in the first knockout round in what will be a meeting of the Spanish and Italian champions, although it doesn’t really feel like it.
That’s because, at the time of writing, Barcelona are fourth in La Liga while Napoli are placed eighth in Serie A.
It was always going to be difficult for Napoli this campaign.
They sold Kim Min-jae and Hirving Lozano in the summer. Title-winning coach Luciano Spalletti quit and was replaced by Rudi Garcia, who has since been replaced by Walter Mazzarri and. as it stands, Napoli are already 17 points behind the leaders Inter.
That could mean their sole focus is on Europe, a factor which could help them and is a complete reversal to last season when their sole focus on Serie A hindered them in Europe.
Barca should have the edge over two legs but I don’ think either club are potential tournament winners.
My view on PSG, who will be judged on their European form, is that they will also fall short, even if they have been handed a kind draw.
After being undermined by egos at times over the past decade, they now have more substance but it must be remembered they were average in their group and qualified largely as a result of a highly dubious penalty in the latest VAR controversy.
It may come down to the brilliance of Kylian Mbappe against the defensive solidity of Real Sociedad who impressed in the group stages – no side conceded fewer and they kept clean sheets in all three of their away games.
Staying in Spain, for manager Diego Simeone the last-16 draw has thrown up a return to the club he joined from Atlético in 1997 and represented for two seasons, winning a UEFA Cup.
Atlético aren’t quite what they were at their peak, but with Antoine Griezmann and Álvaro Morata forming an effective partnership up front and Jan Oblak still commanding in goal, they always have a chance.
Inter, last season’s defeated finalists, are top of Serie A after just one league defeat so far this season and this tie will be too close to call.
There’s also a reunion in the PSV Eindhoven v Borussia Dortmund tie.
After a disappointing six months as manager in 2017, this represents a chance for Peter Bosz to make a point to Dortmund.
Few would have thought they’d have topped the ‘group of death’, yet that is exactly what they achieved, winning in Milan and Newcastle and also proving comfortable winners over the Geordies at home.
Domestically, PSV have won 16 out of 16 this season and have a goal difference of +50.
They have found Europe rather harder, though, and I expect the Germans to edge this.
And so back to my three.
Bayern Munich, with Harry Kane settling exceptionally quickly, will face a tough tie but should be too strong for Lazio.
City still look the best side in Europe and, even during a supposedly rocky spell, won six out of six in the group.
With Kevin de Bruyne, Erling Haaland and John Stones due back by the time they face Copenhagen minnows, who took advantage of neighbours Manchester United’s self-destruction, City will not fall the same way.
Madrid were the other side to win all six of their group games and, although they are being run close by Girona at the top of La Liga at the moment, they are favourites for another domestic title.
The Spanish league leaders will have too much for RB Leipzig, who won one and lost one in the group against Madrid last season.
The SBOTOP Champions League betting odds make these three giants the favourites too – and we both won’t get it wrong surely!
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