{
  "id": 6169743,
  "title": "Champions League returns - who are favourites and players to watch?",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/07/champions-league-returns-who-are-favourites-and-players-to-watch",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-07T20:30:53.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "BBC Sport",
    "slug": "bbc-sport",
    "url": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c17j5lr8kkqo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Champions League has returned, with Paris St-Germain aiming for their third title in a row. Five English teams will enter the tournament, with Arsenal favored to improve on their second-place position from the previous year. Experts Julien Laurens and Guillem Balague discuss who they believe will win the tournament and which players to watch.\n\nLaurens believes Bayern Munich and Arsenal are the teams most deserving to reach the final. He predicts Arsenal will win the title, citing their strong defense as crucial for a championship win. Balague suggests Bayern Munich could finish second, while PSG is a strong contender to reach the semi-finals. In his opinion, PSG's inconsistent start to the season makes it difficult for them to maintain their high level throughout the year.\n\nArsenal's defensive prowess and players feeling a release from regular wins are key factors that will help them progress. The experts also highlight five players to watch in this year's Champions League: Jude Bellingham, Nico Paz, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Ismaelo Ganiou, and Donyell Malen.",
  "summary": "The Champions League is back and BBC Sport take a look at who the favourites are to win the title plus predictions from the experts.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 5,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Channel News Asia",
        "title": "Mourinho not feeling pressure to win Champions League in second Real Madrid spell",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/07/mourinho-not-feeling-pressure-to-win-champions-league-in-second-real",
        "published": "2026-09-07T11:54:37.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Business Recorder",
        "title": "Mourinho not feeling pressure to win Champions League in second Real Madrid spell",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/07/mourinho-not-feeling-pressure-to-win-champions-league-in-second-real-6147788",
        "published": "2026-09-07T14:48:34.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "New Straits Times",
        "title": "Mourinho not feeling pressure to win Champions League in second Real Madrid spell",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/07/mourinho-not-feeling-pressure-to-win-champions-league-in-second-real-6153776",
        "published": "2026-09-07T16:49:12.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "BBC Sport Football",
        "title": "Champions League returns - who are favourites and players to watch?",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/07/champions-league-returns-who-are-favourites-and-players-to-watch-6169837",
        "published": "2026-09-07T20:30:53.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}