Jamie Carragher and Micah Richards both predict a first-time winner of this season's Champions League

Jamie Carragher and Micah Richards are both in agreement that this season's Champions League will mark a first-time winner.

The competition is now in the round of 16, with Bayern Munich beating Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 in their first leg and AC Milan edging out Spurs at the San Siro.

There's still a lot of football to be played but on CBS' Champions League show on Tuesday night, the pundits weighed in with their predictions.

And both Carragher and Richards concur that it won't be one of the usual suspects lifting it, with the pair fancying a new winner to be crowned in Istanbul on 10 June.

Richards selected Luciano Spalletti's Napoli, who are one of the best teams to watch and are 15 points clear at the top of Serie A.

“I think Napoli. Napoli with their form have been brilliant,” Richards said regarding the Italian outfit, who have been drawn against last season's Europa League winners in the next round.

“In terms of stand-out favourites, it’s difficult. You just think at the end of the season, teams are going to get better but on form I think Napoli.

“They really stand-out to me. If I was a betting man and I was putting money on right now in terms of form, I would pick Napoli because when I watch them, they’re dynamic, they defend well, they attack well. But over the course of the season, teams are going to be in form, they might lose a bit of form but right now I’d say Napoli yes.”

Carragher also talked up Napoli, who dismantled his former side Liverpool 4-1 at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona back in September.

But he reckons Manchester City, with the addition of goal machine Erling Haaland, might finally go all the way after recent disappointment.

“Yeah I think Napoli right now are the form team,” Carragher opined.

“I would love to see them win it, an outsider behind the big teams you expect to win it. But I think this could be the season of Manchester City.”

Thierry Henry won the competition with Barcelona but he sat on the fence on this one, saying: "I don't see a clear favourite".

Featured Image Credit: CBS

Topics: Jamie Carragher, Micah Richards, Champions League

Josh Lawless

Josh is a sports journalist who specialises in football and wrestling. He has been published by Curzon Ashton FC, Late Tackle, Manchester City FC, The Mirror, Read Man City and Manchester Evening News. He provides coverage of professional wrestling and has interviewed some of the biggest names in the field - including the first UK interview with The Hardy Boyz after their return to WWE. He has never sported a pair of Lonsdale Slip-ons, contrary to reports.

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