Talent spotting: Five stars in the making

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The Champions League is back – but do you know who the rising stars of this year’s competition are likely to be?

CNN asked one of Europe’s leading scouting experts, Tor-Kristian Karlsen, to give us his top five young players to watch out for in this season’s competition.

But did Tor get it right? You can tweet him here with your own picks.

Alen Halilovic

“Barcelona’s attacking midfielder Halilovic, who made his full international debut Croatia at the age of 16,is currently playing for the Catalan club’s B side but is expected to make his way into the first team this season.

Hakan ?alhanoglu

“?alhanoglu is a 20-year-old attacking midfielder who plays for Bayer Leverkusen. A supremely talented German-born Turkish international, the free-kick specialist is already starring for his new club following his €14.5 million move in July.”

Ruben Neves

“Next up is Neves, he’s just 17 and is a central midfield player for FC Porto. The teenage sensation became the club’s youngest goal scorer when he got Porto’s first goal in the opening round of the Portuguese championship. He’s an intelligent midfielder with wonderful vision and passing ability.

Kingsley Coman

“Coman is an attacking midfielder who plays for Juventus and he’s just 18. He was snapped up by the Italian champions after failing to agree a new deal with Paris Saint-Germain. Quick, agile with excellent technique, his mesmerizing runs from midfield are a headache for any defense.

Lucas Ocampos

“Monaco’s Ocampos, a 20-year-old forward, is equipped with great physique, brilliant ability on the ball and a wide range of skills. He can play on either wing or as a floating forward and is expected to break into the Argentina national team any time soon.”

Read: Complete guide to the Champions League

Who will come out on top?

So those are the five youngsters to watch out for – but which team will end up lifting the trophy on June 6 in Berlin?

We asked our CNN sports team which team they fancied to triumph this season and here’s what they think.

John Sinnott: “Football is a simple game,” former England international Gary Lineker once said. “Twenty-two men chase a ball for 90 minutes and at the end, the Germans always win.” Which is why Bayern will be crowned Champions League winners.

“Coach Pep Guardiola has had a year to instil his philosophy and Bayern have arguably the strongest squad – and by strongest I mean the best balanced – in the competition. The addition of Xabi Alonso’s experience and guile could prove a masterstroke.

Tom McGowan: “Already boasting the attacking talents of Lionel Messi and Neymar, Barcelona added the lethal Luis Suarez to an already potent strike force. With three of the best goalscorers on the planet, supported by the likes of Andres Iniesta and Ivan Rakitic, Barca have enough firepower to shoot down any opposition.”

James Masters: “Diego Costa is the final piece in the Chelsea jigsaw and Jose Mourinho boasts a squad strong enough to go all the way this time around. The addition of Costa has breathed new life into Chelsea with the striker having scored seven times in his first four league appearances. The 2012 champion will see anything but a place in the last four as a failure and given its impressive start to the season, it would take a brave person to bet against Mourinho’s men.”

Alex Thomas: ” They’re not the best team defensively but you could have said the same thing about last season’s Real Madrid side – and it was still good enough to claim “La Decima,” a 10th European Cup. With Toni Kroos and James Rodriguez added to the squad, it can become the first club to retain their Champions League title simply by outscoring the opposition.”

That’s what our team has to say, but what do you think? You can tweet us at @CNNFC or leave us a message on ourFacebook page here.