NOW THAT THE group stages have come to an end, all the attention switches to Nyon and the draw for the Champions League round of 16. Here, TheScore.ie power ranks the competitions remaining sides as we prepare to enter the business end of Europe’s elite club competition…
16. Bayer Leverkusen
Although they advanced from a tight, competitive group, Leverkusen are a draw several of the big boys will have their eyes on. They are consistently steady in their means but don’t possess the same level of threat as some of the other second-placed qualifiers.
15. Basel
Having scraped through at the expense of Liverpool, the Swiss side will be hoping to cause another upset in the knock-out stages. That said, Paulo Sousa’s side weren’t overly convincing in the group stages and were fortunate to advance with two wins and a draw.
14. Monaco
Whoever is paired with the Ligue 1 side, they’re sure to be in for a tricky tie with Monaco conceding just the solitary goal during the group stages. However, their lack of fire-power at the other end means they won’t have enough to cause any of the top sides too much trouble. Their currently floundering in seventh place domestically and their form doesn’t evince a side likely to go too much further in the competition. That’s unless the mercurial Dimitar Berbatov can single-handedly spearhead an unlikely run of upsets.
13. Schalke
It’s easily forgotten that Schalke made it to the semi-finals in 2010/11 but that has proved to be a once-off feat. Chelsea made light work of the Germans – both at home and away – and while Roberto Di Matteo has made an instant impression as manager, the bookies have Schalke at 200/1 to go all the way. They have some talented operators in their ranks – not least Julian Draxler – and their unpredictable nature means they could be a problematic opponent for the tournament’s protagonists.
12. Porto
The two-time European Cup winners sailed through Group H with minimal fuss and have a side infused with South American flair. A cursory glance down their squad list and you get an idea why they’ve got such a strong European pedigree. They have a wealth of talent at their disposal and will provide anyone with a stern test. Given they topped the group, they will avoid the big, big boys and with luck on their side could have good run.
11. Shakhtar Donetsk
Much like Porto, the Ukrainians have a healthy Brazilian contingent and in Luiz Adriano have the competition’s current top scorer with nine goals. A visit to the atmospheric Donbass Arena is no easy task but two thrashings of Bate underpinned a rather mediocre campaign. They will be keen to make an impact having missed out on progression twelve months ago.
10. Borussia Dortmund
It may seem puzzling that Dortmund, who topped a difficult group, will be ranked as low as this but Jurgen Klopp’s side have been in enduring a rough patch of late and are a shadow of the team that finished runners-up two years ago. Their horrendous league form – they lie 14th currently – has seeped through to the European stage as they lost and drew their final two group fixtures. True, they had done the hard work but Dortmund’s confidence must be rock bottom and while they could easily reach the quarter-finals, they don’t have the propensity to challenge with this current squad.
9. Juventus
The Italian giants have had a mixed time of it in European competition of late and despite their domestic dominance, they’re still trying to regain their bearings on the continent. They stuttered through the group stages and now face the prospect of being handed a tough draw. Although with players of the calibre of Carlos Tevez, Gigi Buffon, Arturo Vidal, Paul Pogba and Andrea Pirlo in their ranks, there is no short of experience or quality.
8. Arsenal
Year-on-year, the Gunners negotiate the group stages successfully before bowing out to one of Europe’s elite. They finished the group strongly and were slightly unfortunate that their slip-up against Anderlecht ultimately cost them top spot but if Arsenal are paired with Real Madrid or Bayern Munich, for example, then they’ll only have themselves to blame. The list of potential opponents for the Gunners is limited so it’s likely they will face a difficult tie and once more, that could lead to their downfall. Priced at 33/1, they may just be worth an outside bet.
7. Atletico Madrid
It’s difficult to know what to expect from last year’s runners-up. Many people have written them off because of the loss of Diego Costa and Thibaut Courtois, among others, but the La Liga side pipped Juventus in Group A. You know what you’re going to get from Diego Simeone’s side and no team will fancy a trip to the Vicente Calderon. Not many manager’s outwit the argumentative Argentinian and Atletico will be keen to show their exploits last season weren’t a once off.
6. Paris Saint Germain
Many believe PSG are capable of challenging for the top prize but while they dominate in France, the gulf in class between their domestic and European competition is vast. There is no doubt they have the squad and resources capable of becoming a powerhouse but too often they don’t show up and while Zlatan Ibrahimovic has the ability to win a match on his own, a leaky defence means Laurent Blanc’s side have work to do yet if they are to harbour realistic hopes of giving the likes of Real Madrid a real run for their money.
5. Manchester City
That City managed to escape Group E was a feat in itself but now that Manuel Pellegrini’s side have made it through, they’ll be determined to make it past the round of 16, the hurdle they blundered last campaign. The Premier League champions are still relatively inexperienced at this level, however, and their failings in the group stages on accentuated that further. The victories over Bayern and then Roma may prove to be a turning point and a favourable draw would put City in good stead for the rest of the competition.
4. Barcelona
Barcelona may not be the force they once were but they’re working their way back to the Barcelona of old. With Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar spearheading a formidable attack, it would take a brave punter to bet against the Catalans going far but their tendency to leak goals may prove to be their downfall when push comes to shove at the business end.
3. Chelsea
The Blues were the top-scorers of all 32 teams in the group stages and there are very few obvious chinks in their armour. According to bookmakers, the most bets have been placed on Chelsea (at 6/1) to lift the trophy in Berlin. As they can’t draw Arsenal or Manchester City, their options are limited with Basel, Bayer Leverkusen and Shakhtar all favourable ties. Jose Mourinho has instilled that ruthless streak back into his side and he’s put together a squad capable of toppling anyone on their day.
2. Bayern Munich
Bayern have a great record in the Champions League and are as strong as ever under Pep Guardiola. They stormed through the group stages, despite that loss to City, and are hotly tipped to go all the way.
1. Real Madrid
No team has ever defended the Champions League but Real Madrid surely have to be heavy favourites to achieve that feat in May. Carlo Ancelotti’s Galacticos swatted aside the challengers in Group B with ease as became the first team to finish the group stages with maximum points. What’s more, they netted 16 goals which was the joint second-highest behind Chelsea. Their current winning run stands at 19 games in all competitions and it’s hard to see any team standing in their way. A lot can change between now and the knock-out stages, however, but at 3/1, Los Blancos don’t offer great value.
