Real Madrid crashed out against Ajax, Atletico Madrid collapsed disappointingly against Juventus, Valencia did not make it out of the group stages and Barcelona, who went the furthest of the four teams were destroyed at Anfield after a commanding first-leg lead.

This was the disappointing story of the Spanish clubs in the Champions League last season.

It was the first time since 2012/13 that no La Liga Champions League club qualified for the final. A Spanish team had won the title for each of those five years and an abrupt end to that dominance and the manner in which they were defeated would have been beyond anyone’s wildest expectations.

For the first time since 2008, there was an all English Champions League final that shocked many fans and made people wonder if the era of English dominance is back again or maybe it is just a one-off.

All the big Spanish clubs have been busy this transfer window with major signings made. Some still potentially have some unfinished business with a few days left till the summer window shuts.

There is immense quality in the Barcelona squad last year made them one of the huge favourites for last year’s Champions League but they were defeated by eventual winners Liverpool in the final.

Now they have added Frenkie De Jong and Antoine Griezmann also with the pending arrival of Neymar, Barcelona is out for vengeance this time around.

Real Madrid also made inroads into the transfer market by signing a few players with Eden Hazard and Luka Jovic being the headline purchases upfront.

Atletico Madrid lost Antoine Griezmann and signed Portuguese wonderkid Joao Felix along with some other key additions to the squad.

Barcelona and Atletico Madrid especially will go into the tournament with huge chips on their shoulders considering the manner in which they were knocked out last year and will be eager to go the distance.

The Catalan club were drawn in the group of death along with Borussia Dortmund and Inter but will still be favourites to qualify from the group stages.

Atletico Madrid will get the chance to take revenge early when they face Juventus in the Group stages. They famously squandered a two-goal lead against them last year.

They have also been drawn with Bayer Leverkusen and Lokomotiv Moskva.

Real Madrid are always favourites to qualify from their groups and there will be no difference here with their only tough assignment being Paris Saint-Germain on paper.

Player fitness will be a huge factor for them during the business end of the season if they are to progress in the competition. Already they have key players on the treatment table.

For these teams, group stage games are only a formality as they cruise through them regularly but the real battle begins in the latter stages.

Football is a game of probability. Once you step into the pitch whether as favourites or not, there is a 50/50 chance that you could win or lose.

These teams have built a fear factor over the years that tips these odds into their favour. Their hunger this season will potentially be more than ever before as they are set to dominate yet another Champions League season.

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