UEFA Champions League: 10 Dark Horses for the Trophy

Now that all that distracting business of the international break is out of the way, we can get back to the nitty gritty of club football.

No sooner is the return of domestic action upon us than the Champions League lands back in our lives.
This season the trophy will most likely be lifted by one of the usual suspects.

Not since the middle of the last decade when Porto and Liverpool both won has there been a winner of the competition that could genuinely be called a surprise.

But can an underdog upset the odds and claim the ultimate prize in European club football this season?

Here are 10 teams who, provided they make it out of their groups, could be seen as dark horses for the title.

APOEL Nicosia

Here's a surprising fact: no team from Cyprus has ever won the European Cup.

OK, perhaps that isn't much of a surprise, but one thing that has caught people unaware is the form of APOEL. 

The reigning Cypriot champions currently sit atop Group G, unbeaten after four matches. If they complete the double over Zenit St Petersburg next week, they will ensure passage through to the knockout stage.

If they make the last 16, who knows? Well, you can probably guess, but let's dare to dream...

Porto

The 2004 winners took the Europa League by storm last season, and won the Portuguese league and cup double without losing a single match.

The summer saw them lose both head coach Andre Villas-Boas and star striker Radamel Falcao, but they are once again unbeaten domestically this season under Vitor Pereira's management.

While they have lost twice already in Europe, an APOEL win over Zenit will see Porto draw level on points with the Russians if they can claim victory at Shakhtar Donetsk.

They still have plenty of quality in their team with the likes of striker Hulk and midfielders Joao Moutinho and the highly-rated Fredy Guarin. A late run into the next round could spark a surprise run to the championship for the second time in a decade.

Manchester City

While they may be one of the form sides in world football, it is history which makes City dark horses for the trophy.

They may have spent the GDP of a small African country on their squad, but for Roberto Mancini to lead his side to victory in the Munich final next May would still be an exceptional achievement considering it is their first foray into the competition in its current format.

After an uncertain start in their group, a win on Tuesday over Napoli at the Stadio San Paolo will see City qualify for the business end of the tournament. No one will fancy being paired with them when the draw is made. 

Valencia

Otherwise known as "The Other Spanish Team," Valencia have reached the same number of Champions League finals as Real Madrid since the turn of the century.

They may have suffered back-to-back defeats to Real and Bayern Munich in 2000 and 2001, but in doing so they re-established their European credentials and went on to win the UEFA Cup in 2004.

Los Che are making hard work of their passage through Group E, finally claiming their first win last time out at home to Bayer Leverkusen. 

Despite losing Juan Mata to Chelsea in the summer, Unai Emery's side will be a match for anyone in the last 16, provided they make it that far.

Bayer Leverkusen

Another side that went close to going all the way not so long ago is Leverkusen. It took a truly spectacular winner from Zinedine Zidane to beat the German side in the 2002 final. 

Michael Ballack was a key component of the Leverkusen side that made it to Hampden Park that year, and he is now back at the club following spells at Bayern Munich and Chelsea.

What a story it would be for the perennial runner-up to finally lead the North Rhine-Westphalian club to the trophy. 

Arsenal

Unbeaten in all competitions since October 2, it seems safe to take Arsenal out of the "crisis" bracket they were filed in so gleefully not so long ago. 

While they have not exactly sparkled on Group G, they are still to taste defeat in Europe this season with two wins and two draws.

A home win over Dortmund win guarantee the Gunners appear in the knockout phase of the Champions League yet again. By the time the last 16 rolls around they should have Jack Wilshere and Bacary Sagna back from long-term injuries to boost a side that already includes one of the best strikers in the world, Robin van Persie.

A favourable draw should help them make their way through to the latter stages, and on their day they remain a match for any of the best sides in Europe.

Remember, they beat Barcelona at the Emirates Stadium earlier this year.

Chelsea

"Dark horses" may seem a little derogatory for a team which has habitually reached the latter stages in recent years, but this season Chelsea are not exactly the force they were when they lost the final on penalties in Moscow three and a half years ago.

A big reason for Andre Villas-Boas being hired was his success in Europe the previous season with Porto, and while he has struggled to move his new club away from the stolid blueprint laid down by compatriot Jose Mourinho, Chelsea are still atop their group.

A win in Leverkusen will book their place in the draw for the last 16, and if Juan Mata and Fernando Torres can click and the centre-back partnership of John Terry and David Luiz can curb their recent hapless excesses, then the Blues will surely be in amongst it come the business end of the season.

Marseille

After a torrid start to the season, l'OM are seemingly back on track. Unbeaten in seven games in Ligue 1, the French giants made up for their late home defeat to Arsenal by holding the Gunners to a goalless draw in the reverse fixture in their most recent European outing.

Didier Deschamps' side may not be on the same level as that which won the first ever Champions League final in 1993 (also staged in Munich), but he has plenty of talent in his squad.

Steve Mandanda is perhaps the most in-form goalkeeper in Europe at the moment, while France captain Alou Diarra anchors the midfield and looks on as the likes of the Andre Ayew, Loic Remy, Mathieu Valbuena and Lucho Gonzalez provide enough attacking thrust to trouble any team.

Ajax

The Dutch giants may not be the force they were when their young side won the competition in 1995 and lost the following year's final on penalties, but they could yet spring a surprise this season.

Like Marseille, Ajax are climbing up their domestic league after a poor start, save for the insane 6-4 defeat at Utrecht just before the international break.

The loss of Luis Suarez in January was undoubtedly significant, but the midfield scheming of Christian Eriksen and the goals of Kolbeinn Sigthorsson and Miralem Sulejmani could cause a few shocks if they can just win at Lyon next Tuesday and qualify for the last 16. 

Benfica

A European renaissance in the late 1980s saw the Lisbon side reach two European Cup finals, but defeats to PSV Eindhoven and Milan saw them fail to add to the back-to-back titles they won in the early 1960s.

Like Porto, they are unbeaten in the Super Liga this season and are looking good for a place in the knockout phase. A draw at Old Trafford next week will be enough if Basel struggle at Otelul Galati.

The Portuguese side have added real quality this season in the form of defenders Ezequiel Garay and Joan Capdevila, midfielder Axel Witsel and former Barcelona striker Nolito, all of whom promise to bring the glory days back to the Estadio da Luz.