Will stars finally align for PSG or City?

If you are a football fan, especially an ardent club football one, you must have occasionally wondered how on earth Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain are yet to win a UEFA Champions League. For quite some time, both teams have possessed all the firepower and a spectrum of quality tailor-made for success but failed to taste the most coveted trophy presented on the European club scene so far.

Clubs like Arsenal, Atletico Madrid, and AS Roma have also never been champions of Europe despite having permanent presence in the competition's modern era. At present, however, Man City and PSG are arguably the biggest sides never to have won it.

One thing that City and PSG have further in common is that they have burst into the list of big clubs only in the last decade or so, having received increased financial backing. While the Abu Dhabi United Group took over Man City in 2008, Qatar Sports Investments purchased PSG in 2011. Since then, they have been enjoying unprecedented success in their respective domestic circuit, with City winning six English Premier League titles and PSG eight times in the French League 1. However, the spending spree was not decisive in leading them to European supremacy.

Looking back to last season, perhaps a few considered Real favorites to go all the way, but they were victorious against all odds. Interestingly, Los Blancos came from behind in dramatic fashion to stun both PSG and City at home in the last 16 and semifinals, respectively.

The closest PSG came to triumph in the Champions League was in 2020 when they reached their only final but lost to German powerhouse Bayern Munich in Lisbon. Led by Neymar, Kylian Mbappe, and Angel Di Maria, PSG had fell short against the Bavarian side who became only the second club to win the 'sextuple' by lifting domestic league, league cup, and the Champions League followed by domestic Super Cup, UEFA Super Cup, and the Club World Cup. To overcome such a formidable opponent, some luck is obviously required.

The following year saw City fall short in the decider against fellow English club Chelsea in Porto by the same 1-0 margin. This time, tactics from Pep Guardiola left a lot to be desired as the Catalan coach decided to take on Chelsea by tinkering without a defensive midfielder in his starting 11, keeping Rodri and Fernandinho on the bench, a controversial decision that still seems baffling.

So, what were the reasons behind their failures? An indomitable opponent, wrong tactical decisions, bad luck, or a combination of those?

The most successful team in Europe's most elite club competition -- with 14 titles, featuring five in the last nine seasons -- defending champions Real Madrid boast a lead of seven UCL trophies. History has certainly been their favour, as they clinched the first five tournaments between 1956 to 1960. Real also possess two other components necessary to go all the way: culture and the ability to handle immense pressure in critical stages of crucial games, and that is where City and PSG are apparently lagging.

Looking back to last season, perhaps a few considered Real favorites to go all the way, but they were victorious against all odds. Interestingly, Los Blancos came from behind in dramatic fashion to stun both PSG and City at home in the last 16 and semifinals, respectively.

Despite regularly featuring in the knockout phase of the Champions League, the two underachievers are relatively new among Europe's elite clubs. However, by outplaying those odds, players can make a difference on the field. There is no denying the fact that the two respective domestic champions have an abundance of stars, but their ability to go the distance still remains to be seen.

The current season offers another prospect for PSG and City as they have gone past the group stage and appear well-equipped for their Round of 16 clashes. Fueled by Lionel Messi, the Argentine talisman who recently tasted World Cup triumph, the Parisians will lock horns with familiar foe Bayern. On the other hand, the Erling Haaland-infused City, now in a crisis of facing punishment for alleged breaches of financial regulations, are set to take on another German side RB Leipzig.

Will this finally be the year for any of the teams? On paper, they certainly promise big but all that star power must consistently reflect on the field.