Can Kylian Mbappe ride the Real Madrid juggernaut to win the elusive Champions League?

As the new look UEFA Champions League makes its way into the football calendar from this week onwards, all eyes will be on Real Madrid’s new acquisition Kylian Mbappe as he once again embarks on another journey to capture silverware that has thus far eluded his trophy cabinet.

Having swapped the Parisian blue for the royal white of the Los Blancos, the French superstar will hope that his luck will change in the premier European competition after leaving Paris Saint Germain who failed to win the UCL with a plethora of big guns at their disposal that included a front three of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Mbappe.

Madrid, meanwhile, are a club which has won a record 15 Champions League titles with the last one coming in the 2023/24 season and will be keen to defend their championship after adding Mbappe to their ranks. It’s a match made in heaven with the now 25-year-old linked with Madrid ever since he burst onto the scene in the 2016/17 season where he scored 26 goals in 44 matches in all competitions.

9️⃣ @KMbappe: ‘We understood that the game was going to be difficult and in the end we won.’ #RealSociedadRealMadrid pic.twitter.com/9IGWEXUqYx

— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) September 15, 2024

In 2017, Mbappe would transfer to the French Champions Paris Saint Germain where even with huge signings, they failed to win the Champions League. The later half of Mbappe’s stay with PSG would become riddled with controversy with his rumored fall-out with various teammates, most notably Neymar. There was also the infamous contract extension saga which would ultimately see the relations between the player and the French club reach a boiling point and pave the way for Mbappe to leave PSG on a free transfer to Real in 2024.

“It’s very important. I’ve come to Madrid to experience that kind of night as I said on the first day. I’m focused, we want a win to start well because the Champions League has changed with this new format,” Mbappe stated on Sunday after Real’s 0-2 win against Sociedad.

Even though Mbappe’s addition makes Real the favourites to win their 16th title, with the French superstar having already found his scoring boots for Madrid, scoring 3 goals in 4 matches, the new format might make it a little bit tricky for them.

Back next week! 🙌#UCL pic.twitter.com/VGx7M7hBPS

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) September 10, 2024

This year, the UCL has expanded to 36 teams instead of the usual 32 with each playing eight games against eight different opponents in a league format, four at home and four away which was determined by a computer during the Champions League draw. The top eight in the standings will then directly go to the round of 16. The 9th to 24th-placed teams will then enter a knockout round with teams 9-16 being seeded in the draw and play second legs at home against teams who were placed 17-24. The bottom 12 teams in the standings will be eliminated while the eight playoff winners advance as unseeded teams in the round of 16.

In the league stage, Real will play Borussia Dortmund at home in a repeat of last year’s final as well as recent rivals Liverpool in Anfield. They will also have to contend with AC Milan, RB Salzburg and Stuttgart at the Bernabeu and Atalanta, Lille and Brest in away fixtures.

Even then with an arsenal of attacking talents at their disposal with the likes of Mbappe, Vinicius Jr, Rodrygo, Jude Bellingham and Endrick only just hitting their prime forms, Real are earmarked to go into the next round as one of the first 8 teams. Liverpool at Anfield might be the only real threat for them but their recent history against the English side is overwhelmingly in the Los Blancos’ favour, having beaten the Merseysiders in the 2017/18 final, 2020/21 quarterfinals, 2021/22 final and 2022/23 Round of 16. The Reds last beat Real in 2008/9.

💫 THE @CHAMPIONSLEAGUE IS BACK TOMORROW!
🆚 @VfB
🏟️ Santiago Bernabéu
⏰ 21:00 CEST#UCL pic.twitter.com/UyXf6iqOvY

— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) September 16, 2024

If Mbappe wants to follow in his idol Cristiano Ronaldo’s footsteps, the upcoming Champions League season will be his test by fire.

Other matches to look forward to on UCL week 1

AC Milan vs Liverpool (Sept 18, Wed, 12.30 AM)

Man City vs Inter Milan (Sept 19, Thu, 12.30 AM).

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