Today, the new season of the UEFA Champions League officially kicked off. Real Madrid defeated Stuttgart while AC Milan lost to Liverpool, creating sustained attention from the media and fans. Apart from the performance of the traditional powerhouses, the performance of the dark horse teams also attracted a lot of attention. In the last season, there were three "recognized" dark horse teams from the top five leagues - Bologna from Italy, Bayer Leverkusen from Germany, and Girona from Spain. They achieved excellent results and secured a spot in the Champions League.

However, this season, these three teams have shown a certain decline in their performance, at least compared to the previous season. Bologna has only won 1 out of 4 matches, with 3 draws and 7 goals conceded. They currently sit at 17th in Serie A, not far from the relegation zone. It seems that the departures of coach Mihajlovic and key players like Zilkeze and Palacio have had a detrimental effect on them. Bayer Leverkusen has had 2 wins and 1 loss in the first 3 matches, currently ranking 5th in the Bundesliga with a goal difference of only +3. Their victories have been hard-fought. It seems that Javier Alonso is facing a test. Girona, on the other hand, has 2 wins, 1 draw, and 2 losses in 5 matches, ranking 9th in La Liga, already 8 points behind league leaders Barcelona. It seems almost impossible for them to repeat their role as "troublemakers" in the competition.

Tomorrow, Bologna will host Shakhtar Donetsk at home, while Girona will face Paris Saint-Germain away. The day after tomorrow, Bayer Leverkusen will meet Feyenoord away. The pressure of competing on multiple fronts is bound to make it difficult for them to cope. I wonder if this will further hinder their performance?

In conclusion, it is relatively easy to create a dark horse team in a season, but it is extremely difficult to sustain their success and truly become a powerhouse.