Ten of the Best Teams Left in the Champions League

This would have been a different type of article last year. Let’s just begin by saying that. Then, writing a piece on the ten best teams left in the Champions League after the group stage could only have been subjective. That’s not entirely the case in the new format. There’s now a league table to consult, one that will literally tell you the best teams from one to ten.

Yet, the table lies sometimes. It must, right? How could Real Madrid, a team that has won five of the eight editions, including the last one, really be 11th? They beat the team they’re directly underneath, Borussia Dortmund, 2-0 in that final and 5-2 in this season’s competition. See? The table lies, but that’s part of the fun of the format. Let’s begin with Los Blancos.

Real Madrid

The best team in Europe added Kylian Mbappé to their ranks last summer, ending one of the most protracted transfer sagas of the century in the process. It took the Frenchman a few months to properly settle, but he already has more than 20 goals to his name a little past the halfway mark of the campaign. In that way, he’s a Madrid man, coming into form at the right moments. Carlo Ancelotti’s side have a tough task in qualifying for the last 16 when they face Manchester City in that play-off, even if it’s far from a vintage Pep Guardiola side. Nobody can dismiss City, but this is Real Madrid, and when it comes to Champions League betting, they’re always favourites.

Liverpool

Under new management, Liverpool are flying. Okay, there was the FA Cup defeat recently, but that was with the kids. They won seven of their eight Champions League group games, scoring 17 goals in the process. The future is uncertain with a trio of star players potentially exiting for free in the summer. But even if that is the case, the question has to be asked, how much can Salah, Van Dijk and Alexander-Arnold achieve before then? Their motivation is one thing that certainly won’t be questioned.

Barcelona

The most attacking team in the competition by a distance, Barcelona are back to scoring goals, with 28 in eight matches. It’s worth mentioning that they also conceded 13. This is a Barcelona side that isn’t afraid to trade punches, convinced that no matter how many they concede, they’ll always score more. It’s also keep up the great Barcelona tradition of attacking trios. Once there was Messi-Henry-Eto’o, then Messi-Suarez-Neymar. Now? It’s Lewandowski-Raphinha-Yamal. And they’re determined to write their names in the history books.

Arsenal

The nearly men of North London have looked extremely solid for most of this season. A more rugged approach to games defined the early part of their campaign, with a significant portion of their goals coming from set-pieces. However, a few injuries to key players over the past few months have highlighted the thinness of the squad. While wonderkids like Nwaneri and Lewis-Skelly have benefitted from this, it fuels the debate about Arsenal’s need for attacking reinforcements. If anything is their undoing, it will be that.

Aston Villa

Aston Villa’s European campaign has been magnificent. Underdogs all season, they’ve played some balanced football. The mid-season departure of Jhon Duran was a blow in theory but they managed to bring in talent like Marcus Rashford. Whether he’s able to return to his old form is anyone’s guess but a cameo against Spurs offered promise. It’s unlikely that Villa will go all the way, but it would be silly to doubt Unai Emery in Europe.
 

Bayer Leverkusen

One of the standout sides of 2024, Xabi Alonso’s men only lost one game last season, the final of the Europa League. The fear for their fans was that they would be the victims of their own success and that the vultures would circle that summer. However, they managed to retain most of their squad, largely down to the decision of Alonso to stay in Germany. His side have the quality to beat anyone on their day, but, as last season showed, may lack the experience to get over the line on the biggest occasions. If they’ve learned from that chastening evening, they could go all the way. 

Inter Milan

One of the best teams in Europe, Inter probably don’t get the credit they’re due for their exploits at home and abroad. They ran City very close in the 2023 final and have the street smarts to go all the way again. There isn’t an obvious weakness across Inter’s team, and six wins from eight games shows how habitual victory in Europe has become for the Nerazzurri. A first Champions League title since 2010 isn’t out of the question.

Atletico Madrid

Atletico had a wobbly start to this Champions League campaign, losing two of their first three matches, before closing out with five wins on the trot, beating the likes of PSG and Leverkusen in the process. Diego Simeone has come so close to winning the Champions League so many times, but it’s now been nine years since his team last reached the final. Are they ready to end that drought? Impressive displays on big occasions, like a league victory at Barcelona last year, suggest they are, as does a stacked squad featuring a frontline of Griezmann, Alvarez, and Sorloth.

Lille 

A success story of the new format, Lille have surprised Europe time and again this season, with a string of eye-catching results, including victories over both Madrid giants. The French side have many talented players, but the undoubted star is Jonathan David, their Canadian forward who has 20 goals in all competitions already this season.

Atalanta

Put some respect on Gian Piero Gasperini’s name. Seriously, why isn’t this man talked about more? The Atalanta manager has performed miracles since taking over the club in 2016, culminating in their Europa League victory last year. That was Atalanta’s first major trophy, lower-division titles notwithstanding, in 61 years. Their gung-ho approach has plenty of substance behind it. They missed out on automatic qualification for last 16 by one point and are at the heart of the Serie A title race. Doubt them at your peril.