Bayern Munich looks set to make a serious bid for UEFA Champions League glory this season off the back of a successful summer transfer window.
The Bavarian club put up a stunning run of form in the opening months of the 2025/26 season as they won their first 14 games in all competitions ahead of November.
Star signing Luiz Diaz has already proven himself to be the perfect addition to Vincent Kompany’s attacking firepower, and Bayern now look like a team that can seriously bid for continental success again.
Several teams from across Europe also have exceptionally strong setups ahead of the knockout stages of the UCL – Bayern are not quite the outright favourites.
Arsenal
It is difficult not to look at Arsenal as Bayern’s strongest opposition to winning club football’s greatest prize next May. Mikel Arteta’s team are positioned amongst the leading UCL title favourites according to the football betting odds at 5/1.
Arsenal’s strong position in the odds forecast is largely due to their exceptional domestic form, which has made them Premier League title betting favourites at 2/5. Mikel Arteta’s team – like Bayern – look set to run away with their domestic league title based on their early-season form, and that should set them up well to focus on the UCL when the latter stages arrive.
The North London side’s form was not quite as perfect as Bayern’s in the opening three months of the campaign, as they lost to Liverpool and drew to Manchester City within their initial nine league fixtures. However, the individual month of October is what truly showed their UCL credentials, as they won all six of their fixtures across all competitions without conceding a goal.
Germany’s Kai Havertz occasionally leads the line for the English side, so a victory for Arteta’s team in the competition would still represent a small victory for the nation, if it is not to be for Bayern.
Paris Saint-Germain
Besides the defensively incredible Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain’s fluid attacking football could prove to be a stumbling block to a seventh Bayern success.
The Parisians won the competition with ease in the 2024/25 season, which culminated with a five-goal final victory against Inter Milan for Luis Enrique’s side. Their squad is filled with players who are still approaching their primes and will likely only improve in the current season and beyond.
PSG have some of the greatest technicians in world football in Vitinha and Fabian Ruiz, as well as Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele at the centre of attack, and that’s before considering their exceptional depth all over the pitch.
French relentlessness and English defensive brilliance are already becoming themes of this year’s competition, while Bayern’s invincibility has gone under the radar so far.
The Bavarians have not had huge expectations placed on them yet, but they could benefit from a lack of spotlight and pressure as the likes of Luis Diaz and Jonathan Tah continue to gel within the squad.
Kompany’s team looks set to achieve a round of 16 place with ease, and led by Kane and several dynamic wingers that he can feed, they could do serious damage regardless of the opposition they are drawn against.
Bayern are not the UCL favourites, but it looks like the 2025/26 squad could establish the club as a serious threat on the continental stage following several disappointing years – Arsenal and PSG will be desperate to avoid them.
