Football is back and the calendar is as condensed as ever. With only a few domestic games played so far this season, the Champions League group stages are already before us. A busy summer transfer window has meant that this year’s competition will see a number of new faces. Here is a look at some of the standout names.

 

 

Raphinha (Barcelona)

Starring in one of the first transfer sagas of the summer, ex-Leeds United man Raphinha looked to be on his way to Chelsea. However, the Brazilian ended up fulfilling his lifelong dream of joining Barcelona, who snapped up the 25-year-old from right under the noses of the London side, for a deal worth up to £55 million.

 


Despite being a household name, certainly, for fans of the Premier League, Raphinha is yet to play a minute of Champions League football in his career, making it hard to know whether to take a chance on him when betting on Champions League. Furthermore, Barca featured in the so-called ‘Group of Death’ containing Bayern, Inter and Viktoria Plzen. This is where Paddy Power’s Champions League betting tips can come in handy, offering insight on team news, match odds and much more. Whatever Barcelona’s outcome may be, it is likely that Raphinha is set for a fine individual campaign.

 

 

Yves Bissouma (Tottenham Hotspur)

One of Antonio Conte’s many arrivals this summer, Yves Bissouma, came to the Tottenham Hotspur stadium with quite the reputation following his successful four seasons with Brighton. Despite being 26 years of age and possessing a clear plethora of quality, the Mali international is still yet to play Champions League football, having only represented teams at the domestic level in the Premier League and French Ligue 1.

 



The midfielder will feature in a Champions League group that Spurs fans probably received with some relief. They drew one of the least daunting Pot 1 names in Frankfurt, alongside Sporting and Marseille in Pots 3 and 4. This sets up a group from which the Tottenham faithful will be hopeful they can progress, although they will need to rely on the strong performances of Bissouma and others to do so.

 

 

Filip Kostic (Juventus)

At 29 years of age, Filip Kostic is the most experienced player on this list. Nevertheless, the Serbia international is yet to feature in the Champions League, despite winning the 2022 Europa League with his former club, Eintracht Frankfurt, a season in which he was announced as the competition’s player of the season.

 


It was perhaps this form that implored ‘The Old Lady’ to secure the services of the left-back for the 2022/23 season. It is also the reason why he is considered one of the Champions League new boys to watch this campaign. While he has registered just one assist in 308 minutes of Serie A football, it seems likely that Kostic will be able to build upon his Europa League success and thrive in Europe’s elite competition, where Juve will first come up against PSG, Benfica and Maccabi Haifa.

 

The Champions League is full of individuals that always seem to light up the competition, regardless of team performance. With these new boys set to take the competition by storm, it’s definitely worth keeping an eye on them as they adjust to the challenges of the tournament ahead.