The Rondo: Are Arsenal Champions League favorites? What’s next for Real Madrid - and which USMNT star shines brightest?

Tom Hindle: Hard to tell, isn't it? There are a few teams out there with good shouts. PSG could defend their trophy. Bayern look great. Liverpool could always do something in Europe. But the favorites simply have to be Arsenal. They're deeper than anyone in Europe right now, and have performed in big games. The quadruple seems unlikely, and it will get really interesting when teams try to play a bit more against them. But they have so many weapons, and it would be hard to bet against them. Bukayo Saka is due a big performance, too... 

Ryan Tolmich: No shortage of contenders, and there might not be one "favorite" this season. That said, if you had to pick one from that group of elites, it's probably Bayern right now. They seem to have the right mix of form, talent, and, in some ways, desperation to do it. They're sweeping aside the Bundesliga with ease, too, which means they can focus more on Europe. That makes them the team to watch.

TH: Yes, because they're Real Madrid. But wow does this club need an overhaul! There are too many problems, not enough time, and not the right structure to fix them all. Call it injuries, star power, or just ego, this team is full of faults. Everything would have to go exactly right, with a little voodoo sprinkled in, for them to go on a run. Funnily enough, we've heard this story before...

RT: Of course. Talent alone doesn't win games, but Real Madrid still have more of that than just about anyone. We've seen plenty of teams benefit from the "new manager bounce," even if that new manager is one whose whole job is to just put out fires. If Alvaro Arbeloa is able to accomplish that, Madrid are as good as anyone, but getting everyone on the same page will, as always, be their challenge.

TH: Uhhhh, none of them? Ok, realistically, Juve, PSV, Marseille, Monaco, and Atletico Madrid get out of the league phase (which would make sense because it's mathematically harder not to.) But would you bank on any of those teams winning a knockout tie in the round of 16? Probably Atleti, because they've been there before, but how much of a role Johnny Cardoso has to play in that effort remains to be seen. 

RT: Might it be Johnny Cardoso? Atletico Madrid are in a very good spot and have two winnable games left on the schedule. Should they win those, they'll be guaranteed a Round of 16 place. In truth, all of the teams with Americans are pretty flawed, but you at least always know what to expect with Atletico. If they can get to that Round of 16, history shows they'll be a tough team to beat for whoever they meet in those later stages.

TH: Everything should matter! But talk to an Arsenal fan right now, and they'd probably give up everything: Champions League, FA Cup, EFL Cup, their firstborn child, for the Premier League. That's been the central goal for this team for a few years now. Sure, winning Europe's top competition would be an immense achievement, but claiming it and then throwing away the Prem to City? Yikes. 

RT: That's the tightrope they're walking, isn't it? On one hand, Arsenal simply have to win the league, given the pressure that's been built on them. On the other hand, they've never won the Champions League, and this could be their best crack at doing so. Manager Mikel Arteta will have to juggle that really carefully, as one wrong move could see both campaigns derailed in a way that will leave many questioning him personally.

TH: There are a bunch. Tottenham-Dortmund could be excellent, especially given that Thomas Frank's job is on the line. Marseille-Liverpool is tasty. But give me the biggest trap game of them all, and Man City-Bodo/Glimt INSIDE THE ARCTIC CIRCLE. Imagine if City lose in Norway?!

RT: The sickos and hipsters can talk themselves into whatever other game they like, but Inter-Arsenal is the obvious one to get fired up about. Inter have been so, so good in this competition in recent years, while that's a level that Arsenal is still hoping to reach. Now, this Arsenal team is right among the favorites, though, and a win over Inter would sure go a long way towards proving that they should be looked at as the team to beat.

TH: It's not great, is it? UEFA made this thing so you'd get big games early on, but does anyone really care? Think of it this way: when Arsenal play Bayern Munich in a knockout game, the footballing world tunes in. When it's a group phase match before Christmas? Snooze. Effectively, the big teams can drop points against the other big teams and then beat up on the lesser lot to secure a top-eight spot. Sure, it's nice to have, say, Liverpool and Real Madrid at Anfield in November, but it didn't really mean anything. 

RT: The lack of jeopardy is the point, isn't it? At the end of the day, everyone wants the best teams playing meaningful knockout games, and this is probably the safest way to ensure that the best teams can get there with a little bit of wiggle room. Does it make things a little static through the winter? Sure, but it sets up the best possible spring. It's up to the person watching to decide whether that's totally worth the tradeoff.

TH: Right now? Weston McKennie - but only because he's fit. Pre-broken arm, it would have been Ricardo Pepi by some distance. 

RT: He's played a whopping 149 minutes, but it's Ricardo Pepi. He scored against Napoli, Olympiacos and Atletico Madrid, all off the bench, and he played a crucial role in PSV's blowout of Liverpool at Anfield. Pepi has been an absolute force in the Champions League, which is why so many are now interested in signing him.