Three X-Factors to Watch In Champions League Play

The cream of the crop will square off in Champions League play this spring and summer in order to determine which team is truly the continent’s best. Short of the World Cup or the Euro Cup, this tournament is arguably the most important distinction for a club in Europe to secure.
Football fans can pass the time by playing football-themed games that are available on their favorite game consoles, smartphones, or even the collection of online pokies at Joe Fortune before settling in to root for their favorite players and teams in Champions League competition. The global football world hopes that each club comes into the tournament healthy so that they can put their best foot forward. The two teams that play the best will have the chance to compete for the title on June 10.
Let’s take a look at three players who could make a huge difference for their clubs during Champions League play.
It would be a grave oversight to start any analysis of the 2023 Champions League without first taking a look at the defending champions, Real Madrid. They were able to hold the line just enough last year against Liverpool to finish the deal, but they will be the hunted heading into this year’s edition. Real Madrid is always looking ahead to bring in that next household name such as Jude Bellingham, but the real key to their success might be someone who has been a huge part of their team for a long time.
Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois arguably had the best performance of his football career last year against Liverpool. They had multiple chances to put the ball in the back of the net, but Courtois made one remarkable save after another to preserve a meaningful victory. On the national stage, Belgium had a disappointing 2022 World Cup, but Courtois can jump back into the sport’s limelight with another big Champions League showing.
Even though he won’t finish the campaign with a dazzling clean-sheet total, Courtois has still had a great season. He’s challenging his own career high in save percentage that he set back in 2020-2021. As one of the older members of Real Madrid, his teammates will look for him to provide consistent leadership.
It has been some time since an Italian team from Serie A has performed well enough to make a Champions League Final. Fans will have to go back to 2017 when Juventus made it that far but fell to Real Madrid 4-1. AC Milan is hoping that they will be able to put Italian football back on the map with a memorable stretch of play in the next couple of months.
While Milan has some renowned Frenchmen on their team such as Olivier Giroud and Theo Hernandez, the player that might be most critical to their play is Portuguese forward Rafael Leao. He’s only 23 years old, but he has the chance to develop into one of the best finishers in the sport. For much of the year, Leao had a commanding lead in the goals-scored department on his team, which is saying something considering who he plays with.
While the club will hope for a vintage performance from the 36-year-old Giroud, young legs often make the difference in major tournaments. Leao figures to be in tremendous shape, which will allow him to put pressure on the defense for 90 minutes or more. It will be up to AC Milan to put their budding star in positions to break the game open.
Football fans would be hard-pressed to find a more successful transfer this year or in recent memory than Erling Haaland’s move to Manchester City. The Norwegian has been everything the club could’ve hoped for and much more, leading the Premier League’s race for the Golden Boot by a country mile. Haaland has proven on the largest stage in Germany and the pedestal of England that he is a legitimate force to be reckoned with.
He should be just as difficult to deal with in Champions League play, especially for the non-Premier League teams in the field who have not seen him play live. Haaland’s hot streak is one of the most impressive in the sport, and he could cap off one of the greatest years ever with a dominant performance in the Champions League. The honest truth for Manchester City is that they can’t afford for Haaland to go into a slump.
The goal differential between Haaland and the second-highest Manchester City scorer is astronomical, as fellow 22-year-old Phil Foden is the team’s only other consistent scorer. Expect defensive coverage to shift Haaland’s way, which will give him one of two options. He’ll either try to beat the back line himself, or will be able to find open teammates for clean looks at the net.