A supercomputer has predicted what the Champions League table will look like at the conclusion of the competition’s current phase.
The 2025/26 edition of Europe’s most-prestigious competition is now well underway, with this season’s Champions League representing the second-ever league stage, which replaced the more traditional group stage formatting in 2024.
As is always the case with the Champions League, a number of elite European sides will be vying for the glory of winning what many regard to be the greatest club achievement that is available. Paris Saint-Germain, under Luis Enrique’s management, will no doubt seek to retain their title.
Now past the halfway point, the current Champions League could – and no doubt will – throw up some surprising results as it continues. Opta Analyst have asked their supercomputer how it thinks the Champions League table will look at the league stage’s conclusion.
Eliminated Teams – 36th to 25th
Based on Opta’s Expected Points and Position data, a number of gigantic clubs have been predicted to crash out of the Champions League after the group stage, including Ajax, a team that have continental pedigree courtesy of four European Cup/Champions League victories. After seven league games, only Kairat, in their maiden Champions League season, Spanish outfit Villarreal, and Slavia Prague and Eintracht Frankfurt are predicted to finish below the Amsterdam side.
Moving up the table, Opta have positioned Pafos and Benfica as teams that will miss out on progressing. It’s been a hugely disappointing league phase campaign for Jose Mourinho’s Portuguese side and time is running out for them to turn their fortunes around.
Union Saint-Gilloise and Copenhagen are also expected to crash out; the latter have endured a topsy-turvy campaign but are likely to miss out on a play-off place. The Danes gave themselves slight hope with a 1-1 draw against Borussia Dortmund on matchweek seven.
Predicted Champions League Table – 36th to 25th
Position
Team
Expected Points
25th
Copenhagen
8.33
26th
USG
7.38
27th
Benfica
7.36
28th
Pafos
7.34
31st
Ajax
7.26
32nd
Bodo/Glimt
6.63
33rd
Eintracht Frankfurt
5.29
34th
Slavia Prague
4.38
35th
Villarreal
1.91
36th
Kairat
1.11
Play-Off Teams – 24th to 9th
Moving into teams that will qualify for the play-off games that follow the league, the next stage of the table, Opta have predicted that Antonio Conte’s Serie A champions Napoli scrape 23rd place by the skin of their teeth. They are ahead of Athletic Bilbao while Olympiacos are tipped to join them in the playoffs.
French duo AS Monaco and Marseille, who lost 3-0 at home to Liverpool, will also likely be in the play-offs. Atletico Madrid have been a letdown but they are expected to be in contention for the knockout stages through the playoffs.
Qarabag are this season’s surprise package and the Azerbaijani side are predicted to have a chance to reach the knockouts. As are Galatasaray, German sides Bayer Leverkusen and Dortmund, the latter, who were well beaten by Tottenham and look way off their usual standards.
If Inter Milan are going to replicate last season’s run to the final, they will have to do so through the play-offs, and joining them are sleeping giants Juventus. Any side that finishes between 16th and ninth in the table qualifies for the play-offs as a seeded team, which ensures that they will play the second leg at home.
That’s expected to be the case for English duo Chelsea and Newcastle United, according to Opta, which projects them to finish 13th and 11th, respectively. In between them are former Europa League winners Atalanta, who have proven a tricky outfit.
Sporting CP and, shockingly, Paris Saint-Germain, who became European champions for the first time last season, are just set to miss out on automatic progress. Luis Enrique’s Parisians haven’t quite looked like the powerhouse that earned such rave reviews last year.