One team Sami Khedira considers UCL favourites over Arsenal, it’s not Real Madrid

Sami Khedira has installed Bayern Munich as his outright favourites to lift this season’s Champions League, placing the German champions ahead of Premier League pace-setters Arsenal and perennial contenders Real Madrid. Speaking to Metro, the former Germany midfielder said the decisive factors will be rest, squad health and the mental sharpness of Bayern’s spine once the knockout phase begins.

“For me, it will be crucial that Bayern Munich go into the knockout phase reasonably rested,” Khedira explained. “But the most important thing in this crucial phase will be that their spine, their absolute top players and game-changers, are healthy and fit, especially mentally. Then, for me, they are the absolute number one, even ahead of Arsenal.”

Khedira’s verdict acknowledges Arsenal’s domestic resurgence under Mikel Arteta, yet he believes the experience and balance within Bayern’s first-choice XI give the Bavarians the edge in Europe. The 36-year-old highlighted last season’s quarter-final exit as a cautionary tale: Manuel Neuer, Jamal Musiala and Dayot Upamecano were all unavailable for pivotal ties, undermining Bayern’s challenge.

“At this level, no squad can really compensate for that,” Khedira noted. “That’s especially true when Bayern’s squad is deliberately kept smaller, consciously consisting of younger players and talents.”

The deliberate construction of a lean, youthful roster can accelerate development when momentum is high, but Khedira argues it leaves little margin once injuries strike. His assessment is blunt: if Bayern’s core escapes the treatment room, they are the team to beat; if not, the competition remains wide open.

Khedira’s stance adds weight to the theory that squad depth, rather than star power alone, often decides the Champions League as the calendar flips to spring.