Champions League: Supercomputer Predicts Final League Phase Table

A supercomputer has forecasted how the Champions League table will look at the end of the current campaign.

The 2025/26 edition of Europe’s most prestigious competition is well underway, with this season’s Champions League serving as the second-ever league stage, replacing the more traditional group stage model in 2024.

As is always the case with the Champions League, a number of strong European sides will compete for the honor of achieving what many consider to be the greatest club achievement available. Paris Saint-Germain, under Luis Enrique’s supervision, will undoubtedly strive to maintain their title.

The current Champions League, which is still in its early stages, has the potential to produce some unexpected results as it progresses. Opta Analyst has asked their supercomputer how it believes the Champions League table will look after the league stage is completed.

Eliminated Teams: 36th to 25th

According to Opta’s Expected Points and Position data, a number of major clubs, including Ajax, are expected to exit the Champions League after the group stage, despite having continental pedigree thanks to four European Cup/Champions League titles. After three league games, only Kairat, in their first Champions League season, is expected to finish behind the Amsterdam side.

Moving up the table, Opta predicts that Copenhagen, Bodo/Glimt, and Slavia Prague will fail to advance. The Norwegian side is also competing in their maiden Champions League season, but Opta believes the fairytale will end when the league reaches its present stage.

Pafos and Benfica are next in the table. Before the league phase began, Jose Mourinho’s team expected to at least reach the play-off stage, if not compete for it, but they have failed to earn a point in their first three games.

Olympiacos, Athletic Club, and Bayer Leverkusen are also expected to drop out. The Germans appear to be a shell of their former selves after losing several key players over the summer, including star Florian Wirtz.

Monaco has drawn respectably against English duo Manchester City and Tottenham, but it is unlikely to be enough to keep them in the competition.

Predicted Champions League Table—36th to 25th

Position

Team

Expected points

25th

Monaco

8.49

26th

Royal Union Saint-Gilloise.

8.47

27th

Bayer Leverkusen

8.17

28th

Athletic Club

7.84

29th

Olympiacos

7.60

30th

Benfica

7.44

31st

Pafos

7.29

32nd

Slavia Prague

6.60

33rd

Bodo/Glimt

6.46

34th

Copenhagen

5.84

35th

Ajax

5.13

36th

Kairat

3.39

Play-off Teams (24th to 9th)

Moving on to the clubs who will qualify for the league’s play-off games, the next stage of the table, Opta predicts that Villarreal will finish just one place ahead of Monaco, securing the lowest berth.

Opta also believes Frankfurt and Marseille, well-known clubs from Germany and France, will do enough to make the play-offs, as will PSV, which has won two Eredivisie titles in a row.

Juventus, the Turin juggernaut, are just ahead of Marseille. The Italian team has had significant setbacks in recent years, but they are still projected to qualify for the playoffs.

Above them are Club Brugge and Qarabag. The Azerbaijani team became the first from their country to move beyond the Champions League qualifiers, and they’ve been the surprise of the season, winning their first two games.

Atalanta ranks 17th. Though the Bergamo side, which won the 2024 Europa League, has become a fixture in continental football, they are no longer managed by club great Gian Piero Gasperini.

Any team that finishes between 16th and ninth in the table qualifies for the play-offs as a seeded team, ensuring that the second leg is played at home. According to Opta, Spanish heavyweights Atletico Madrid are likely to finish 16th.

Galatasaray, who defeated Liverpool 1-0 in September, are also expected to advance to the play-off stage, as are Sporting CP and a Napoli team led by Scott McTominay and Kevin De Bruyne.

English trio Chelsea, Newcastle United, and Tottenham Hotspur will all hope to advance directly to the last 16, but after three games, Opta believes they will miss out and must settle for a playoff spot. They are anticipated to finish ninth, eleventh, and twelveth, respectively.

Borussia Dortmund is sandwiched between the three English sides. Last season, the Bundesliga giants made it to the quarter-finals and will be hoping to advance even farther this year. They’ve had a good start to the season, with seven points out of a possible nine so far.

Predicted Champions League Table: 24th to 9th

Position

Team

Expected points

9th

Chelsea

15.32

10th

Borussia Dortmund

14.23

11th

Newcastle United

14.09

12th

Tottenham Hotspur

13.17

13th

Galatasaray

12.25

14th

Sporting CP

11.90

15th

Napoli

11.15

16th

Atlético Madrid

11.14

17th

Atalanta

10.78

18th

Qarabag

10.27

19th

Club Brugge

9.64

20th

Juventus

9.62

21st

Marseille

9.03

22nd

PSV

8.97

23rd

Frankfurt

8.57

24th

Villarreal

8.53

Automatic Qualifiers: 8th to 1st

Barcelona is ranked eighth on Opta’s expected table, a position that would guarantee an automatic spot in the round of 16, and has looked like a revived team since ex-Bayern Munich manager Hansi Flick joined the club in 2024.

Liverpool is ranked eighth, ahead of the Catalan club. The incumbent Premier League winners, who finished first in the league last season, are anticipated to advance directly to the round of 16.

Inter Milan, who have lost two Champions League finals in the last three years and will undoubtedly seek to win the trophy again, are expected to finish sixth.

Bayern Munich are expected to finish fourth in the table, just ahead of Real Madrid, who are now managed by former Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso. Moving into the top three, Manchester City, who have benefited tremendously from Erling Haaland’s fast start to the season, are expected to finish third.

Although they are defending their Champions League title, Paris Saint-Germain are expected to finish second, with Opta predicting Arsenal to lead the Champions League table by more than a point.

Predicted Champions League Table: 8th to 1st

Position

Team

Expected points

1st

Arsenal

19.53

2nd

Paris Saint Germain

18.63

3rd

Manchester City

17.22

4th

Bayern Munich

17.10

5th

Real Madrid

16.95

6th

Inter Milan

16.92

7th

Liverpool

16.07

8th

Barcelona

15.43