FOLLOWING THE CONCLUSION of last night’s Round of 16 Champions League action, not for the first time, we’ve calculated the team’s most likely to win Europe’s premier club competition.
There have been some interesting developments over the course of the past fortnight, and the rankings below reflect just that…
8. Porto
Paulo Duarte
Paulo Duarte
(Porto’s Carlos Casemiro, right, celebrates after scoring his side’s third goal during the Champions League round of sixteen second leg against Basel)
Despite a convincing 5-1 aggregate defeat of Basel in the round of 16, Porto are still considered rank outsiders in the competition.
The Swiss side were one of the poorest teams to reach the second round, though Porto were still impressive in dispatching them, particularly given that they were missing key striker Jackson Martinez.
However, they face a potentially distracting fight on their hands domestically, as well as in Europe, as they currently trail Benfica by four points in the Portuguese Liga.
All that said however, no one expected them to win in 2004 either, when a young Jose Mourinho masterminded their improbable success, as they won Europe’s top prize for just the second time.
Previous position: 14th
7. Monaco
As impressive as Monaco were at the Emirates, they were poor on Tuesday evening, as they meekly hung on for an away goals win following a 2-0 loss on the night.
Leonardo Jardim’s men are highly impressive technically, as they showed particularly in the first leg against Arsenal, and in Joao Moutinh0, boast one of Europe’s top midfielders.
They possess the best defensive record in Ligue 1, where they sit fourth, eight points behind leaders Lyon, though with a game in hand, while they’ve been similarly solid at the back in Europe (notwithstanding the second-leg Arsenal defeat).
That said, they are perhaps epitomised by their enigmatic striker Dimitar Berbatov — brilliant at times, but not consistent enough to go all the way.
Previous position: 7th
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6. Atletico Madrid
A side whose resources are just a fraction of most other teams still in the competition, Atletico are doing very well just to have reached this stage.
And though they continue to overachieve in Europe, they look unlikely to repeat last season’s incredible domestic success, as they sit in fourth place in La Liga, nine points behind leaders Barca.
They possess players of top quality, including Koke and Antoine Griezmann, and in Diego Simeone, the Spaniards have one of the world’s most highly thought of coaches at their disposal.
But ultimately, they simply lack the depth of talent of other sides left in the competition, and consequently, their inferior budget is expected to prove costly (in the metaphorical if not the literal sense) eventually.
Previous position: 9th
5. Juventus
All of a sudden, the Italians are giving off a serious dark horse vibe. Carlos Tevez excelled for the Old Lady in their comfortable 3-0 win in Dortmund and if the Argentine continues to fire then the Italians have a chance of winning their first European Cup since 1996.
Worryingly for Juventus, Paul Pogba was withdraw during the first half tonight with an injury. The powerful Frenchman is crucial to what the Italian side does well and they will need him back for the next round.
Two years ago, they drew Bayern in the quarter-finals and many expected it to be close – the Germans ended up winning easily. Have they learnt anything since 2013?
Previous position: 6th
4. PSG
EMPICS Sport
EMPICS Sport
(Paris St Germain’s David Luiz celebrates scoring his side’s first goal in the second leg against Chelsea)
Often considered flaky and unreliable when the pressure’s on, PSG showed a surprising level of grit and determination to progress to the quarters, after being reduced to 10 men at Stamford Bridge.
The French side, who are second in Ligue 1, two points behind leaders Lyon, are set to be without star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic for at least one match, after UEFA refused to rescind his controversial red card against Chelsea, though they have clearly shown they can manage without him.
There may be better teams player-for-player who are left in the competition, though Laurent Blanc’s side are undoubtedly capable of beating anyone on their day, as they showed against Barca last September.
Previous position: 4th
3. Real Madrid
Rated first in our last power rankings, Real’s stock has fallen considerably since then.
Their aggregate defeat of Schalke may have been the most underwhelming Champions League quarter-final progression since the competition began, as an error-ridden display saw them lose 4-3 on the night, ending a 21-match home unbeaten run in Europe in the process.
And more worryingly still, their league form has dipped considerably since the turn of the year, and Carlo Ancelotti’s side now find themselves behind leaders Barcelona in the title race, with Ronaldo in particular looking unhappy and below his best level.
Previous position: 1st
2. Bayern Munich
Matthias Schrader
Matthias Schrader
(Bayern’s Thomas Müller, right, scores with a penalty as Shakhtar’s goalkeeper Andriy Pyatov dives to the wrong corner)
The reigning German champions and current Bundesliga leaders (by a hefty 11 points) have no shortage of Champions League experience in their side, having reached the final of the competition in three of the past five seasons.
Though their first-leg 0-0 draw with Shakhtar may have been unconvincing, their performance in the return leg certainly wasn’t, as they thrashed their Ukrainian opponents 7-0.
While some of their stars may be ageing, others such as Thomas Müller (25) and Mario Götze (22) are getting better all the time, thereby creating a nice blend of youth and experience in the squad.
Stiffer tests than Shakhtar lie ahead of course, but there is no doubt that, at this point, the Germans are one of the most feared teams left in the competition.
Previous position: 3rd
1. Barcelona
The Catalan side weren’t as clinical as they could have been in beating Man City 3-1 on aggregate in the last 16 but the ease with which they are carving up opponents at the moment bodes very well for their European chances.
Their three-headed attack of Suarez, Messi and Neymar was unmarkable in their two last 16 games and after struggling early in the season, Luis Enrique has figured out how to integrate his attacking pieces.
Sunday’s El Classico will an interesting measurement of where the two Spanish giants are at the moment. Has this season’s balance of power shifted completely to Barcelona now?
Power ranking the teams most likely to win the Champions League
FOLLOWING THE CONCLUSION of last night’s Round of 16 Champions League action, not for the first time, we’ve calculated the team’s most likely to win Europe’s premier club competition.
There have been some interesting developments over the course of the past fortnight, and the rankings below reflect just that…
8. Porto
(Porto’s Carlos Casemiro, right, celebrates after scoring his side’s third goal during the Champions League round of sixteen second leg against Basel)
Despite a convincing 5-1 aggregate defeat of Basel in the round of 16, Porto are still considered rank outsiders in the competition.
The Swiss side were one of the poorest teams to reach the second round, though Porto were still impressive in dispatching them, particularly given that they were missing key striker Jackson Martinez.
However, they face a potentially distracting fight on their hands domestically, as well as in Europe, as they currently trail Benfica by four points in the Portuguese Liga.
All that said however, no one expected them to win in 2004 either, when a young Jose Mourinho masterminded their improbable success, as they won Europe’s top prize for just the second time.
Previous position: 14th
7. Monaco
As impressive as Monaco were at the Emirates, they were poor on Tuesday evening, as they meekly hung on for an away goals win following a 2-0 loss on the night.
Leonardo Jardim’s men are highly impressive technically, as they showed particularly in the first leg against Arsenal, and in Joao Moutinh0, boast one of Europe’s top midfielders.
They possess the best defensive record in Ligue 1, where they sit fourth, eight points behind leaders Lyon, though with a game in hand, while they’ve been similarly solid at the back in Europe (notwithstanding the second-leg Arsenal defeat).
That said, they are perhaps epitomised by their enigmatic striker Dimitar Berbatov — brilliant at times, but not consistent enough to go all the way.
Previous position: 7th
6. Atletico Madrid
A side whose resources are just a fraction of most other teams still in the competition, Atletico are doing very well just to have reached this stage.
And though they continue to overachieve in Europe, they look unlikely to repeat last season’s incredible domestic success, as they sit in fourth place in La Liga, nine points behind leaders Barca.
They possess players of top quality, including Koke and Antoine Griezmann, and in Diego Simeone, the Spaniards have one of the world’s most highly thought of coaches at their disposal.
But ultimately, they simply lack the depth of talent of other sides left in the competition, and consequently, their inferior budget is expected to prove costly (in the metaphorical if not the literal sense) eventually.
Previous position: 9th
5. Juventus
All of a sudden, the Italians are giving off a serious dark horse vibe. Carlos Tevez excelled for the Old Lady in their comfortable 3-0 win in Dortmund and if the Argentine continues to fire then the Italians have a chance of winning their first European Cup since 1996.
Worryingly for Juventus, Paul Pogba was withdraw during the first half tonight with an injury. The powerful Frenchman is crucial to what the Italian side does well and they will need him back for the next round.
Two years ago, they drew Bayern in the quarter-finals and many expected it to be close – the Germans ended up winning easily. Have they learnt anything since 2013?
Previous position: 6th
4. PSG
(Paris St Germain’s David Luiz celebrates scoring his side’s first goal in the second leg against Chelsea)
Often considered flaky and unreliable when the pressure’s on, PSG showed a surprising level of grit and determination to progress to the quarters, after being reduced to 10 men at Stamford Bridge.
The French side, who are second in Ligue 1, two points behind leaders Lyon, are set to be without star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic for at least one match, after UEFA refused to rescind his controversial red card against Chelsea, though they have clearly shown they can manage without him.
There may be better teams player-for-player who are left in the competition, though Laurent Blanc’s side are undoubtedly capable of beating anyone on their day, as they showed against Barca last September.
Previous position: 4th
3. Real Madrid
Rated first in our last power rankings, Real’s stock has fallen considerably since then.
Their aggregate defeat of Schalke may have been the most underwhelming Champions League quarter-final progression since the competition began, as an error-ridden display saw them lose 4-3 on the night, ending a 21-match home unbeaten run in Europe in the process.
And more worryingly still, their league form has dipped considerably since the turn of the year, and Carlo Ancelotti’s side now find themselves behind leaders Barcelona in the title race, with Ronaldo in particular looking unhappy and below his best level.
Previous position: 1st
2. Bayern Munich
(Bayern’s Thomas Müller, right, scores with a penalty as Shakhtar’s goalkeeper Andriy Pyatov dives to the wrong corner)
The reigning German champions and current Bundesliga leaders (by a hefty 11 points) have no shortage of Champions League experience in their side, having reached the final of the competition in three of the past five seasons.
Though their first-leg 0-0 draw with Shakhtar may have been unconvincing, their performance in the return leg certainly wasn’t, as they thrashed their Ukrainian opponents 7-0.
While some of their stars may be ageing, others such as Thomas Müller (25) and Mario Götze (22) are getting better all the time, thereby creating a nice blend of youth and experience in the squad.
Stiffer tests than Shakhtar lie ahead of course, but there is no doubt that, at this point, the Germans are one of the most feared teams left in the competition.
Previous position: 3rd
1. Barcelona
The Catalan side weren’t as clinical as they could have been in beating Man City 3-1 on aggregate in the last 16 but the ease with which they are carving up opponents at the moment bodes very well for their European chances.
Their three-headed attack of Suarez, Messi and Neymar was unmarkable in their two last 16 games and after struggling early in the season, Luis Enrique has figured out how to integrate his attacking pieces.
Sunday’s El Classico will an interesting measurement of where the two Spanish giants are at the moment. Has this season’s balance of power shifted completely to Barcelona now?
Previous position: 2nd
Additional reporting by Will Slattery.
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