Paris St-Germain are aiming to make Champions League history by winning the competition for a third year running as the league phase begins on Tuesday.
That would put PSG in the same rare territory as Real Madrid, who won three Champions League titles in a row between 2015-18. But football expert Julien Laurens does not expect Paris St-Germain to complete the three-peat, even if he believes they remain one of the teams most likely to go deep in the competition.
"If PSG do the three-peat, it would be an incredible achievement. I don't think they will do it. I think two in a row is already special - three in a row is impossible unless you've got Cristiano Ronaldo in your team, which they don't," Laurens said.
He added that Paris St-Germain should still be in the mix at the business end of the tournament. "I think they will be close. I think they'll reach at least the semi-final, but I think going for three in a row is tough," he said.
Arsenal seen as the main favourite
Laurens is backing Arsenal to lift the trophy when the final is held in Madrid on 5 June next year. Arsenal reached the Champions League final last season for the first time since 2005-06, only to lose to Barcelona, but they are now viewed as the leading candidate to go one step further.
"To win it, I'll go for Arsenal. They have the best defence in Europe by far and that's what wins you titles," Laurens said.
He also pointed to Bayern Munich as another serious contender, saying he does not fully believe in the Jose Mourinho-Real Madrid project. In his view, Bayern Munich and Arsenal are the teams best placed to reach the final, with PSG just behind them in the race for the top four and at least the semi-finals.
"I would go for PSG to reach the last four, Bayern close runners-up and Arsenal to win it," Laurens said.
Guillem Balague also highlighted the challenge PSG face in maintaining their level throughout the campaign. "With PSG's irregular start to the season we are seeing how difficult it is to maintain the level," he said. "As the main axis is there, I expect them to get very close to winning it again."
The league phase begins on Tuesday, and with five English teams involved, the competition again has a wide group of challengers. But the early focus is on PSG: whether they can turn a strong recent run into a historic third straight Champions League title, or whether Arsenal and the other contenders can stop them before Madrid.
