Featured Image Credit: Getty/CBS
Topics: Real Madrid, Champions League, Thierry Henry, Barcelona, Lionel Messi, Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain
Luke Davies
Topics: Real Madrid, Champions League, Thierry Henry, Barcelona, Lionel Messi, Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain
Thierry Henry believes another top side could stop Real Madrid from winning the 2024/25 Champions League.
Henry, 47, is no stranger to Europe’s premier club competition, having played in it 112 times during his time at Monaco, Arsenal and Barcelona.
In 2005/06, he was part of the Gunners side that lost 2-1 in the Champions League final against Barcelona in his native France.
However, ironically, he won the competition with the Catalan side in 2008/09 when Henry, Lionel Messi and the likes of Xavi and Andres Iniesta put on a masterclass during a convincing 2-0 win against Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United in Rome, Italy.
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Since then, Real Madrid have dominated the competition by winning six of the last ten editions. And despite Los Blancos being the current champions, Henry thinks another side will challenge them for this year’s crown.
The Frenchman explained how Barcelona must be “considered as one of the favourites” to win the competition.
"Yes, I do think that this team right now, because of the two years that they had playing together and going through a difficult season last year, that's when you learn the most about your character and what you're about to do and how you're going to perform,” Henry said when speaking on CBS back in November 2024.
During the 2023/24 campaign, Barca exited the competition at the quarter-finals stage after losing 6-4 on aggregate against Paris Saint-Germain despite coming into the second leg with a one-goal advantage after they won 3-2 in Paris.
"I think this team right now, has to be considered as one of the favourites to win it (Champions League),” he added.
“Are they going to win it? You need to, along the way, lose a semi-final, to lose a quarter-final, to know how hard it is to go out. But I do think that they are equipped to go all the way."
Hansi Flick's side have already qualified for the last 16 of this year's competition having finished second in the 36-team group phase with six wins, one draw and one defeat from their eight matches. The La Liga outfit will play PSG, Brest, Monaco or Benfica in the next round.