FAST DOWNLOAD
We’re now two rounds into this season’s Champions League proper and the farcically oversized table is thankfully starting to take shape, with 2023-24 runners-up Borussia Dortmund leading the way on goal difference thanks to a couple of big wins.
Newcomers Brest also boast a 100 percent record, along with Benfica, Bayer Leverkusen, Liverpool, Aston Villa and Juventus. Heavily fancied sides such as Manchester City, Inter and Arsenal also remain unbeaten, but we’ve already seen the likes of Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid suffer shock defeats.
So, how are all of the participants shaping up with six rounds remaining in the league phase? GOAL ranks all 36 teams below while rating their chances of winning the tournament, based on their results, fixtures, momentum, pedigree and quality.
-
AFP36Slovan Bratislava ↔️
Slovan Bratislava were the story of qualifiers, coming through four rounds to reach the league phase. However, it’s already been made clear that they’re out of their depth at this level, with the Slovaks suffering a shocking 5-1 drubbing at Celtic before losing 4-0 at home to Manchester City.
It’s arguably just about damage limitation at this stage, with the home game against Dinamo Zagreb on matchday four arguably their only real shot at a win.
-
AFP35Young Boys ⬇️
It’s going to be a long and painful league phase for Young Boys, who have yet to score a single goal and already conceded eight times in just two outings. The Swiss are unlikely to fare any better against Inter on matchday three and, right now, Patrick Rahmen’s team look destined to be eliminated early.
In truth, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them go into their final game, against Red Star Belgrade, still looking for a first win – which would be such a shame for a side that did so well just to make it this far by eliminating Galatasaray in the qualifying rounds.
-
Getty34Red Bull Salzburg ⬇️
After eliminating Twente and Dynamo Kyiv to reach the league phase, Red Bull Salzburg have made a surprisingly shocking start to their campaign, losing their first two games without scoring a single goal – and conceding seven in the process.
Ominously for Pep Lijnders’ side, those two resounding defeats came in two of their winnable games, against Sparta Prague and Brest. It’s, thus, seriously difficult to see Salzburg even making the knockout stage now. They might well beat Dinamo Zagreb on matchday three, but they have Feyenoord, Bayer Leverkusen, PSG, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid to come after that!
-
Getty33Sturm Graz ↔
The draw could have gone an awful lot worse for Sturm Graz – who avoided most of Europe’s heavyweights – but a strong start was imperative if they were to have a real shot at making the play-offs.
Unfortunately for last season’s surprise Austrian champions, they’ve lost their two most winnable games, beaten 2-1 by Brest on matchday one before losing 1-0 at home to Club Brugge. Victory over Sporting CP is now essential.
-
Getty32Red Star Belgrade ⬆️
Things are already starting to look a little ominous for Red Star Belgrade after back-to-back defeats. While it was always unlikely that they’d pick up anything from their trip to San Siro to face Inter on matchday two, the 2-1 loss at home Benfica in their tournament-opener was bitterly frustrating, given they played quite well.
The bottom line is, though, that the Serbs, who still have to face Barcelona and AC Milan, are now right up against it. They desperately need a positive result away to Monaco next time out to give themselves a real shot at making the play-offs.
-
Getty31Dinamo Zagreb ↔
The Champions League can be such a cruel competition for smaller sides. Dinamo Zagreb suffered a demoralising 9-2 loss to Bayern Munich on matchday one, but showed remarkable resilience and quality in taking a 2-0 lead over Monaco thanks to fine finishes from Petar Sucic and Martin Baturina. However, the Croats crumbled in the closing stages, conceding twice in the final 15 minutes to throw away two precious points.
Qualification will now be an uphill struggle, but they do have games against Red Bull Salzburg, Slovan Bratislava and Celtic to come.
-
Getty Images30Girona ⬇️
It’s hard not to feel a little sorry for Girona. Not only did they lose three key players during the summer, the Catalans have, thus far, endured nothing but heartbreak in their first-ever Champions League campaign.
They were just minutes away from a sensational draw on their tournament debut at Parc des Princes when goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga gifted Paris Saint-Germain victory. Then, they were on the wrong end of a devastating smash-and-grab victory against Feyenoord in which they shipped two more own goals and missed a penalty! The next three games – against Slovan Bratislava, PSV and Sturm Graz – will thus decide Girona’s fate.
-
(C)Getty Images29Celtic ⬇️
If there’s one thing we can rely on Celtic for, it’s goals. The Bhoys hammered Slovan Bratislava 5-1 in their league phase-opener before suffering a humiliating 7-1 reversal in Dortmund.
Questions are now being asked of Brendan Rodgers’ style of play, given he’s presided over some of the heaviest defeats in the club’s history across his two tenures, but he’s vowed to continue employing an adventurous approach.
That could result in further embarrassment but, looking at their fixture list, Celtic still have every chance of reaching the play-offs, as they’re down to play Brugge, Dinamo Zagreb and Young Boys.
-
-
Getty28Shakhtar Donetsk ⬇️
Shakhtar Donetsk’s hopes of reaching the knockout stage of the Champions League are once again being hindered by having to play their home games overseas, because of the Ukraine-Russia war.
On Wednesday, Marino Pusic’s men were beaten 3-0 by Atalanta in Gelsenkirchen, which only strengthened the fear that Shakhtar, who could only draw with Bologna on matchday one, will struggle to even get close to the play-offs. Still, at least they have Young Boys to come at the Veltins-Arena.
-
Getty27RB Leipzig ⬇️
Leipzig had high hopes of matching last season’s run to the last 16, where they gave Real Madrid an almighty scare before bowing out at Santiago Bernabeu, but the Red Bull-backed club are in a serious spot of bother after suffering two devastating defeats.
Marco Rose’s men conceded a 90th-minute winner in their 2-1 loss at Atletico Madrid before stupidly throwing away three points by losing at home to 10-man Juventus despite leading twice. Leipzig now have an awful lot of work to do, starting with their home game against Liverpool. At least Benjamin Sesko – three goals in two games – is in flying form.
-
-
Getty Images Sport26Bologna ⬇️
Bologna can count themselves a little unfortunate to have only taken one point from their first two Champions League games ever. Although they conceded an early penalty at home to Shakhtar Donetsk, they should have gone on to win a game they eventually drew, while they hit the woodwork twice during their 2-0 defeat by Liverpool at Anfield.
However, Bologna’s lack of a cutting edge has been the story of their season so far and unless they start scoring, it’s hard to see them avoiding an early exit. Their back-to-back home games against Monaco and Lille will be key to their qualification hopes.
-
Getty25Club Brugge ⬆️
Club Brugge may have suffered a 3-0 loss at home to Borussia Dortmund in their opening game, but the final scoreline flattered the visitors, who scored all of their goals in the final 15 minutes. Consequently, Brugge went into their game against Sturm Graz in reasonably high spirits and came away with three crucial points thanks to a tremendous strike from Christos Tzolis.
A play-off place still looks beyond the Belgians, who have some seriously tough fixtures to come, but a win over Celtic in Glasgow on matchday five would at least put them in with a shout of qualifying.
-
-
-
Getty24Sparta Prague ⬆️
So far, so good for Sparta Prague, who have kicked off their campaign by picking up four points from their first two fixtures, with Lars Friis’ men following up a resounding 3-0 defeat of Salzburg with a commendable 1-1 draw in Stuttgart.
Things are about to get a whole lot tougher for the Czechs, who face Manchester City next, but they’ll be targeting a home win over Brest on matchday four to put them in with a shout of making the play-offs.
-
Getty23Stuttgart ⬇️
Despite losing their opening game, against Real Madrid, Stuttgart impressed at the Bernabeu, so hopes were high that they’d have far too much for Sparta Prague on matchday two. However, the Germans were held to a bitterly frustrating draw at the MHPArena – despite taking an early lead through Enzo Millot.
Stuttgart now face back-to-back games against Italian opposition (Juventus and Atalanta), but their play-off hopes will likely hinge upon them picking up three wins from their clashes with Red Star Belgrade, Young Boys and Slovan Bratislava.
-
-
Getty22Feyenoord ⬇️
After a chastening 4-0 loss at home to Bayer Leverkusen, Feyenoord desperately needed a win at Girona and they got one – but only just. The Rotterdam outfit were second-best from nearly start to finish in Catalunya, but they nicked a 3-2 win thanks to own goals from Ladislav Krejci and Yangel Herrera, and Antoni Milambo’s effort.
Based on what we’ve seen so far, Feyenoord are unlikely to challenge for the top eight, but with home games against Salzburg and Sparta Prague to come, they should progress to the play-offs.
-
AFP21PSV ⬇️
After slumping to a 3-1 loss to Juventus in Turin, Tuesday’s 1-1 draw at home to Sporting CP represented a desperately disappointing result for PSV, who bossed the game in Eindhoven but were ultimately punished for their profligacy.
Still, all is not lost for the Dutch champions. Granted, their next game is away to PSG, but their campaign will be defined by the following four games, against Girona, Shakhtar Donetsk, Brest and Red Star Belgrade. If PSV can find their shooting boots, there’s every chance they’ll already be assured of a play-off place by the time they welcome Liverpool to the Philips Stadion.
-
Getty20Brest ⬆️
Little was expected of Brest in their inaugural Champions League campaign, but the newcomers have got off to a dream start, winning their opening two games, at home to Sturm Graz and away to Red Bull Salzburg, with Abdallah Sima scoring in both games – and three times in total.
Far tougher tests lie in wait, against the likes of Bayer Leverkusen, Barcelona and Real Madrid, but France’s surprise package probably only need one more win to secure at a place in the play-offs – which would be an extraordinary achievement for a tiny club that spent just €10 million (£8m/$11m) in total during the summer transfer window.
-
AFP19Lille ⬆️
Lille’s tournament opener against Sporting CP was a bit of a disaster, with Angel Gomes getting himself sent off as the Ligue 1 outfit lost 2-0 in Lisbon, but that disappointing defeat only made the 1-0 win over Real Madrid all the sweeter because it was just so unexpected.
The most surprising aspect about the victory, though, was that it was fully deserved, with Jonathan David’s penalty just reward for such an enterprising performance from Bruno Genesio’s side against the reigning champions. However, further upsets will now be required because while Lille have Sturm Graz at home, they must also host Juventus and travel to both Atletico Madrid and Liverpool.
-
Getty Images18AC Milan ⬇️
Christian Pulisic scored three minutes into AC Milan’s opener against Liverpool, but not a lot has gone right since. The Rossoneri ended up slumping to a comprehensive 3-1 loss at home to Arne Slot’s side before losing 1-0 away to Bayer Leverkusen.
However, Milan are undoubtedly improving under new coach Paulo Fonseca, who pretty much saved his job by beating Inter in the Derby della Madonnina, and, such is the nature of the new format, they have enough remaining games against weak opposition to cruise into the play-offs.
-
Getty17Sporting CP ⬇️
A very promising start for Sporting, with the Portuguese champions taking four points from their two games so far thanks to a home win over Lille and a 1-1 draw at PSV.
In all honesty, Ruben Amorim’s men didn’t play particularly well in Eindhoven, and needed an 84th-minute goal from Daniel Braganca to salvage a share of the spoils, but they’re now in a very nice position going into their matchday-three clash with Sturm Graz. Sporting then have to host both Manchester City and Arsenal, but it would be a surprise if the Primeira Liga leaders don’t at least qualify for the play-offs.
-
-
-
Getty16Monaco ⬆️
Monaco beat the mighty Barcelona on their first appearance in the Champions League proper since 2018, with Nigerian teenager George Ilenikhena netting the decisive goal in a 2-1 win at the Stade Louis II.
In that context, the subsequent draw with Dinamo Zagreb was a disappointment, but it was actually a decent result in the circumstances, given the game was played out in atrocious conditions and Monaco were 2-0 down after 66 minutes. The net result is that Monaco, who face Red Star Belgrade and Bologna next, could have a play-off place in the bag before their fixture list gets a whole lot tougher.
-
AFP15Benfica ⬆️
Benfica fans were bitterly upset by the summer sale of academy product Joao Neves, but they’re buzzing right now after watching their team win their opening two games in this season’s Champions League, with Kerem Akturkoglu already looking like one of the signings of the season. The Turkey winger broke the deadlock in both the 2-1 win over Red Star Belgrade at the Marakana and the sensational 4-0 hammering of Atletico Madrid.
The Eagles still have to play plenty of big boys – including Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Juventus – but they could effectively clinch a play-off place by beating Feyenoord in their next match.
-
-
-
Getty Images14Atletico Madrid ⬇️
Atletico Madrid spent big during the summer, most notably on Julian Alvarez, but Diego Simeone is still struggling to get his revamped Rojiblancos playing well on a consistent basis.
Atleti, who have yet to lose a game in La Liga and held city rivals Real to a draw at the weekend, kicked off their European adventure with a dramatic late win over Leipzig, but they went to pieces at Estadio da Luz on matchday two, losing 4-0 to Benfica.
It’s clear that Atleti remain very much a work in progress, but their relatively straightforward fixture list means they could yet challenge for a top-eight finish.
-
Getty Images13Paris Saint-Germain ⬇️
With Kylian Mbappe gone, the worry was that PSG might struggle for goals in the Champions League – and so it’s proven so far. Luis Enrique’s men needed a 90th-minute own goal from Paulo Gazzaniga to beat Girona on matchday one, while they failed miserably to capitalise on all of their possession in a 2-0 loss at Arsenal.
It’s imperative that PSG now bounce back against PSV on October 22, given they have a rough run of games thereafter. A trip to Salzburg should help PSG rack up enough points to sneak into the play-offs, but a top-eight finish will be difficult unless No.9 Goncalo Ramos is firing on all cylinders when he returns from injury.
-
Getty Images Sport12Aston Villa ⬆️
What a way to announce your return to the Champions League! After opening with a comfortable 3-0 win over Young Boys in Bern, Aston Villa made the entire football world sit up and take notice by beating Bayern Munich 1-0 in a repeat of the 1982 European Cup final.
With games still to come against Bologna, Brugge and Celtic, Unai Emery’s exciting side are already looking like shoo-ins for the knockout stage. Consequently, the objective now should be finishing in the top eight, as not even a resurgent Juventus will be looking forward to travelling to Villa Park now!
-
Getty Images11Atalanta ⬆️
Atalanta had the life frustrated out of them by Arsenal on matchday one, but last season’s Europa League winners simply overwhelmed Shakhtar Donetsk in their second outing, triumphing 3-0 over the Ukrainians.
If they can maintain that kind of form – La Dea have lacked consistency in Serie A so far this season – they should be guaranteed at least a play-off place by the time they play their two toughest games, against Real Madrid and Barcelona, allowing them to enjoy both.
-
AFP10Borussia Dortmund ⬇️
Can Dortmund repeat last season’s remarkable run to the Champions League final? It still appears unlikely, given the degree to which BVB had to punch above their weight to make it all the way to Wembley.
However, Dortmund could hardly have made a stronger start to the current campaign. After a 3-0 win at Brugge, Nuri Sahin’s side smashed seven goals past Celtic at Signal Iduna Park to storm to the top of the standings.
We’ll find out much more about Dortmund’s true strength in their games against Real Madrid and Barcelona but, given their relatively soft fixture list, BVB will now rightly believe themselves capable of finishing in the top eight.
-
Getty9Barcelona ⬇️
Barcelona bounced back from a shock loss at Monaco – Eric Garcia’s early dismissal played a key role – with a predictably facile victory over Young Boys, with in-form forward Robert Lewandowski on target twice in a 5-0 win in Catalunya.
The Blaugrana still have a multitude of financial and injury issues, but they’re impressing under Hansi Flick, who might well be looking forward to the matchday-three meeting with former club Bayern Munich. At the very least, he’ll find out after that game just how far this Barca side can go in this season’s Champions League.
-
AFP8Juventus ⬆️
It’s fair to say that Juve’s decision to ditch tactical dinosaur Massimiliano Allegri and replace him with the far more progressive Thiago Motta is already paying off. The Bianconeri are unbeaten in Serie A and boast a 100 percent record in the Champions League, after sweeping PSV aside with ease before showing incredible resilience and adventure in beating Leipzig at the Red Bull Arena despite trailing 2-1 with 10 men with 25 minutes to go.
Juve don’t have many easy games on their schedule – other than perhaps Brugge away – but they’re entitled to believe automatic qualification for the last 16 is possible under their new coach, who has Dusan Vlahovic in fine form.
-
(C)Getty Images7Bayer Leverkusen ⬆️
Bayer Leverkusen came under an awful lot of pressure in the closing stages of their win over AC Milan, with Xabi Alonso’s side almost paying for their profligacy during a dominant opening hour. At the end of the day, though, the German titleholders have emerged as the Champions League contenders we expected them to be on the back of last season’s domestic double by winning both of their games so far – they routed Feyenoord at De Kuip on matchday one – without conceding a single goal.
Leverkusen still have to go to Anfield and the Metropolitano, but they’re perfectly primed to push for a top-eight finish.
-
-
Getty6Bayern Munich ⬇️
Bayern Munich made a serious statement of intent by hammering Dinamo Zagreb 9-2 in their tournament opener, with Harry Kane scoring four times. However, the England striker went missing in the Bavarians’ shock 1-0 loss at Aston Villa on matchday two.
There’s no reason for panic, though: Bayern had much the better of the game in Birmingham. However, they need to bounce back quickly from their first defeat under new coach Vincent Kompany as they’ve got a tricky run of fixtures now, against Barcelona, Benfica and Paris Saint-Germain. We should know after those games whether Bayern will finish in the top eight – or the play-offs.
-
Getty5Inter ⬆️
Inter were bitterly frustrated with themselves after getting knocked out of last season’s tournament by Atletico Madrid at a time when they were playing so well domestically. However, the Nerazzurri went on to win the Serie A in some style – in a Milan derby – and look like they mean business in this season’s Champions League.
They executed Simone Inzaghi’s game-plan perfectly in gaining a fine 0-0 draw at Manchester City before hammering Red Star Belgrade 4-0 at San Siro. Inter will be put to the test by the likes of Arsenal and Bayer Leverkusen, but a top-eight finish is a real possibility for such a strong squad.
-
AFP4Liverpool ⬆️
Replacing Jurgen Klopp as Liverpool manager looked like an impossible task, but Arne Slot is making it look quite easy right now, with the Dutchman having won eight of his nine games in charge so far. The Reds boast a 100 percent record in the Champions League, too, with Mohamed Salah starring as the six-time winners followed up an impressive win over AC Milan at San Siro by beating Bologna at Anfield.
Liverpool now have every chance of progressing directly to the last 16 as even their two toughest remaining fixtures – against Bayer Leverkusen and Real Madrid – are on Merseyside.
-
Getty Images3Real Madrid ⬇️
When Real Madrid lifted the UEFA Super Cup on August 14 after a 2-0 win over Atalanta inspired by new signing Kylian Mbappe, Carlo Ancelotti’s side looked like a fearsome proposition for the rest of Europe. However, it’s all gone a little flat since then, with the new generation of Galacticos struggling to click, as so emphatically underlined by the shock 1-0 loss to Lille.
Madrid nearly always come good in the end and will obviously reach the play-offs at the very least – they conclude their league phase campaign with games against Salzburg and Brest – but we should get a clear idea of their title credentials in their next three games, against Dortmund, Milan and Liverpool.
-
-
Getty Images Sport2Manchester City ⬇️
Phil Foden showed signs of a timely return to form as Manchester City picked up their first win of the league phase by sweeping Slovan Bratislava aside on Tuesday.
However, Inter showed on matchday one that Erling Haaland & Co. can be nullified, while the subsequent season-ending injury suffered by Rodri has cast serious doubt over City’s Champions League prospects, given the irreplaceable Spaniard’s importance to Pep Guardiola’s team.
-
AFP1Arsenal ⬆️
Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal aren’t as pretty as they once were, but they are becoming increasingly effective. After bowing out in the quarter-finals in surprisingly feeble fashion against Bayern Munich last season, the Gunners have demonstrated real resolve by picking up four points from their first two games, with a battling draw in Bergamo against Atalanta followed up by an unspectacular but solid 2-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain.
Arsenal still have to negotiate a couple of tricky away games, at Inter and Sporting, but a top-eight finish is a realistic target for a relatively young team that is maturing rapidly under a coach that is proving far more pragmatic than previously thought.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
