Rio Ferdinand opines that Manchester City are the clear frontrunners to clinch the Champions League title, though there exists a slim possibility of their dominance being halted.
City progressed to the quarter-final stage of the UCL following a 3-1 victory over FC Copenhagen at the Etihad on Wednesday night (with a 6-2 aggregate score).
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Early goals from Manuel Akanji, Julian Alvarez, and Erling Haaland secured their berth in the last eight.
Joining them will be Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, and PSG, alongside the victors of the remaining round of 16 fixtures, potentially including teams like Arsenal, Barcelona, and Inter Milan.
Nevertheless, City maintains their status as favorites to retain their championship, with Ferdinand asserting that nobody can impede their path to the final, set to be held at Wembley on June 1st.
However, there exists a slight chance of their defeat in the final, but only if their opponents possess some exceptional talent.
‘I just don’t see anybody beating them over two legs. Then it depends on who gets in the final,’ the Manchester United legend told TNT Sports post-match.
‘Whoever they are playing against in the final needs that stardust from one or two players who can turn a game on its head, then they have an opportunity, a chance.
‘But City, I think they are standout favourites. They are a level above.’
With the exception of Real Madrid’s consecutive victories from 2016 to 2018, no club has managed to defend their title since the Champions League underwent rebranding in the 1992/93 season.
Manchester City, naturally, are aiming to defend their treble and are facing two pivotal matches in the upcoming week that could determine their destiny.
Under Pep Guardiola’s leadership, City will first travel to face Liverpool, their Premier League title rivals, on Sunday, followed by hosting Newcastle United in the FA Cup quarter-finals the following Saturday.
Despite this challenging schedule, City’s record this season remains formidable, having only suffered four defeats across all competitions, all of which occurred away from home – against Arsenal, Wolves, and Aston Villa in the Premier League, and against Newcastle in the Carabao Cup.
