Quote from: Razmirraz on Today at 08:28:16 AM

Quote from: Obari on August 23, 2025, 06:14:45 PM

Quote from: verdinio on August 23, 2025, 04:53:43 PM

Snip.

No room for underestimating zones here. Italian teams have been underrated over the years and we can remember vividly how Inter Milan knocked out almighty formed Barcelona out of the UEFA Champions League and we had to see the competitive strength of this particular club. Surprises will always come either from Seria A teams, La Liga teams or the EPL. These clubs put in much more efforts to accumulate a win and they will always come for the big win.

Every team that is confirmed to qualify for the Champions League always shows a different performance as usual, Serie A teams may look weaker than EPL and La Liga teams especially Real Madrid and Barcelona, but in reality Inter managed to break that assumption even though they lost badly in the final last season. No one can underestimate anyone in the UCL because they will show different performances to become the best in Europe, surprises will always come and every season there will always be a dark horse team ready to stop the steps of the big teams.
Last season, Real Madrid and Manchester City almost qualified for the knockout stages due to their inability to maintain their best performance. This season there may be another surprise that was never expected before.

If we remember it again carefully, even PSG initially struggled to get past the League Phase, although they ultimately emerged as champions last season. This tells us all that the competitive dynamics of the Champions League produce many surprises, are difficult to predict, and often the surprises come from teams that are completely unfavored.
Aston Villa journey last season can be a perfect example, how they managed to finish in the top eight and automatically qualify for the Round of 16, while at the same time, some elite teams had to fight through the playoff route. I think only a small number of people believed Aston Villa could make it to the quarterfinals. So I agree that in the Champions League, no team can be underestimated, they can perform beyond anyone expectations.