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I prefer Real Madrid and Bayern Munich to advance to the final if they don't meet in the knock-out round because it will be a big match that is quite evenly matched. Man City is still the favorite to advance to the semifinals but I am not so sure they can reach the final with their performance in several previous match results in the domestic league. The ideal semi-final composition could feature four strong teams, namely Man City, Real Madrid, Inter Milan and Bayern Munich, everyone hopes that this scenario can work so that the Champions League semifinals will be more interesting and competitive.
The strength of Real Madrid and Bayern Munich has far more potential this season to advance to the final round compared to Man City because these two teams have almost even quality players in all positions. If you look at the goals conceded in the domestic league, these two teams are still quite stable so the defense also looks very strong in supporting them to advance to the semifinals and finals this season in the Champions League.
I'd even pick Real Madrid and Manchester City over Bayern Munich. Bayern Munich have no much quality in midfied, if they take that performance used in the Champions League group stage and Bundesliga against some certain clubs, then I can assure you that they'll lose. They have a good defense, winger's and attackers but not a strong and creative midfielder's.
They still remain top favorites alongside, Real Madrid, Manchester City, Inter Milan and Bayern Munich. I'm listing Inter Milan because, they got to qualify and went on to reach the Champions League finals last season. They played well defended well with all they've got. It was just a superb finishing from Rodri that decided the how the game ended.
Talking about this season Champions League final is still too early, but there no harm in speculating about what might happen. Inter Milan, who were runners-up last season, are certainly one of the strong candidates to return to the final. However, I think Inter is below other favorite teams such as Manchester City, Bayern Munchen and Real Madrid. All of these teams have their own strengths and weaknesses, so if they face each other the match will definitely be exciting.
Player injuries are indeed one of the factors that can influence a team journey in the Champions League. This cannot be predicted, so favorite teams must be ready to face it. Apart from that, the group phase is still not completely finished. The four favorite teams have already qualified for the round of 16, but there are still two more matches that will determine their position in the final standings.
This is the time for the reserve players to get a chance to play. This can be a rotation option for coaches, as well as an opportunity for reserve players to hone their skills when in big matches.