It's very realistic for Liverpool to be favored as one of the strong candidates to win this season Champions League, as they have all the attributes needed to win it. Arne Slot has a squad with balanced depth that is quite ideal for a trophy contending team. What they might need is a bit of luck to have a smoother journey than last season.
Speaking of the defense, every team can actually develop to be more solid in the future. Overall, every player in the main squad must be in their best form to be able to win the trophy, this applies to all contestants. The situation can change drastically if a key player gets injured. Last season, PSG was lucky to avoid serious injury problems, and all of their players were in the best condition.
I was among the people who believed Liverpool would likely win last season's Champions League trophy because at that time Liverpool had the best performance in the Champions League, but I was totally surprised when they were knocked out in the round of 16 by PSG. Despite the players Liverpool added to its squad in the summer transfer window, there's is a big possibility that Liverpool will still miss out in winning the Champions League trophy this season if they fails to be at their best when playing against tough opponent.