Champions League power rankings: Barcelona enters knockout stage as the team to beat
As the UEFA Champions League enters the knockout stage, four teams have separated from the pack – Barcelona, Chelsea, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid. Winners of the past four trophies of club football's premier competition, they are the favorites of the remaining 16 teams to be crowned champions of Europe on June 6 at the Olympiastadion in Berlin.
[Champions League: Scores and Schedule | Group Standings | Teams]
1. Barcelona (Group stage record: 5-0-1, 15 points; Group F winner): After a couple of years slightly off his phenomenal pace, Lionel Messi has returned to looking like the best player in the world. Adding to Barcelona's top ranking, Luis Suarez has started to shake off the rust, while Neymar continues to improve in his sophomore season at the Camp Nou. This attacking trident has the Catalan club on an 11-match winning streak, and the Blaugrana have scored at least three times in each of their last six matches.
UEFA Stat: Messi was the first player to score five goals in a Champions League match, which he accomplished on March 7, 2012 against Bayer Leverkusen.
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2. Bayern Munich (Group stage record: 5-0-1, 15 points; Group E winner): Bayern Munich's domestic dominance is so pronounced that failure to win for two straight rounds caused panic in Bavaria. Following the minor blip, which included their first defeat of the domestic season, the German champions slapped their next two opponents with an aggregate score of 10-0. Pep Guardiola's Barcelona influence has the Bundesliga powerhouse as the bookmakers' favorites entering the last 16.
UEFA Stat: When Guardiola helped Barcelona to the Champions League trophy in 2009, he became only the sixth man to win Europe's top continental club crown as both a player and a coach.
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3. Real Madrid (Group stage record: 6-0-0, 18 points; Group B winner): Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema combined for a pace-driven counterattack that helped Real Madrid to finish 2014 as the best team on the planet. Unfortunately, Madrid started 2015 with two losses and only managed one win in its first four games of the new year. Most recently, Real Madrid lost 4-0 to city rival Atletico Madrid. Even with those losses, Real Madrid ranks third for being the defending champion, still sitting atop La Liga and possessing Ronaldo.
UEFA Stat: The only side to finish with a perfect group stage, Real Madrid enters the knockout rounds on a nine-match Champions League winning streak during which time Los Blancos have scored 25 times and only conceded thrice.
4. Chelsea (Group stage record: 4-2-0, 14 points; Group G winner): Jose Mourinho seems to have constructed a team built to win the Premier League. Being the best in Britain and being the best in Europe often do not line up. However, Chelsea has strength and depth at seemingly every position on the pitch. Still, Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Real Madrid would all walk into a two-legged tie as favorites over the Blues at the moment.
UEFA Stat: Chelsea has reached three quarterfinals in the past four years and six quarterfinals in the past eight campaigns.
5. Atletico Madrid (Group stage record: 4-1-1, 13 points; Group A winner): Madrid's other team lost in the final a season ago. After selling several key players and retooling the squad, Atletico Madrid has managed to keep Spain's title race a three-team affair. Manager Diego Simeone even has Fernando Torres scoring goals these days, and Atletico Madrid's work rate on defense would pose a problem for any side. Seemingly, no team has Real Madrid's number like Atletico Madrid, and a rematch of the 2014 Champions League final would be a welcome sight for the red and whites.
UEFA Stat: Atletico Madrid has won its last five two-legged ties against German sides.
6. Juventus (Group stage record: 3-1-2, 10 points; Group A runner-up): While the Italian league may be in recession, Juventus is in a new golden age. With both Milan clubs having disappeared from title contention, the team from Turin has taken over top of the table. Juventus would need to undergo a slight collapse to not finish with its fourth straight Scudetto. Unfortunately for the Old Lady of Italian football, none of the previous domestic league titles have translated to European success.
UEFA Stat: Juventus has only suffered one European defeat in 15 matches at the redeveloped Juventus Stadium.
7. Paris Saint-Germain (Group stage record: 4-1-1, 13 points; Group F runner-up): Two points off the top in France, PSG is facing a stiff domestic challenge from traditional powerhouses Lyon and Marseille. For the Parisians, Zlatan Ibrahimovic is the key to European glory. Despite winning the domestic league in numerous countries, the towering Swede has never experienced European glory.
UEFA Stat: Paris Saint-Germain has reached the quarterfinals of the Champions League in each of the past two seasons.
8. FC Porto (Group stage record: 4-2-0, 14 points; Group H winner): The Portuguese powerhouse faces a favorable tie in the round of 16 against FC Basel, the Swiss Super League leader. Domestically, Porto has won three matches in a row. Julen Lopetegui's side also went through the group stage of the Champions League without losing a game.
UEFA Stat: Porto has only suffered one defeat in six matches against Swiss opposition, and that loss came in the 1980-81 UEFA Cup to Grasshopper Club Zurich.
9. Arsenal (Group stage record: 4-1-1, 13 points; Group D runner-up): The Gunners are getting healthy at an opportune time. Fighting on multiple fronts, Arsenal's squad of skilled stars provides Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger a plethora of selection options. Consistent as the Londoners have been about qualifying for the Champions League and reaching the knockout rounds, Arsenal has a habit of being exposed against the top European sides late in the competition.
UEFA Stat: Arsenal makes its 15th consecutive appearance in the round of 16, where the Gunners have fallen in each of the past four seasons.
10. Borussia Dortmund (Group stage record: 4-1-1, 13 points; Group D winner): Dortmund has won two matches in a row in the Bundesliga for the first time since November of 2014. Those two victories moved Dortmund out of the relegation zone, which is a rare sight this season. Only two years removed from the Champions League final, Jurgen Klopps' team has struggled to earn results domestically and a return to Europe for 2015-16 does not appear likely. Still, the Germans managed to finish as group winners largely due to strong away form.
UEFA Stat: Dortmund has won five of its last seven Champions League away games.
11. Manchester City (Group stage record: 2-2-2, 8 points; Group E runner-up): Manchester City required a dramatic run to advance past the group stage. Sergio Aguero produced late magic and finished with five goals, which amounted to more goals than all of his teammates combined. After managing one win in its first six games of 2015, City appears to be back on track in England. Yaya Toure's return and Wilfried Bony's introduction should help the squad compete on multiple fronts, but a round-of-16 date with Barcelona does not bode well.
UEFA Stat: Manchester City managed to qualify for the knockout stages despite collecting only two points from its first four group stage fixtures.
12. AS Monaco (Group stage record: 3-2-1, 11 points; Group C winner): Monaco sent out Radamel Falcao on a pricey loan deal to Manchester United in a move that should have signaled the club's decline in Europe and in France. Although it has suffered in the domestic league, the team from the South of France managed to stay north of its table in the group stages. Facing Arsenal in the final 16 offers an intriguing tie.
UEFA Stat: The Red and Whites have not advanced to the quarterfinals of the Champions League since 2003-04 when the French side went to the final and lost to Jose Mourinho's Porto.
13. Shakhtar Donetsk (Group stage record: 2-3-1, 9 points; Group H runner-up): Shakhtar possesses enough fire power to frighten most foes, and the fusion of Ukrainian and Brazilian talent has entertained in recent years. Finishing second behind FC Porto in the group stage provided Shakhtar with the unenviable task of facing Bayern Munich in the round of 16. To make matters worse, Shakhtar has not played a competitive fixture since early December, as the Ukrainian league is on winter break until February 28.
UEFA Stat: Luiz Adriano finished as the group stage's top scorer with nine goals. The Brazilian has a noteworthy record of 20 goals in 39 Champions League appearances.
14. Schalke 04 (Group stage record: 2-2-2, 8 points; Group G runner-up): After recently completing 90 minutes level with Bayern Munich, Schalke 04 should have confidence to take on all comers. On the domestic front, Roberto Di Matteo's men are in contention for next season's Champions League, but this team faces long odds against Real Madrid in the round of 16. Even Schalke's diehard fans would have a difficult time picturing their side upsetting the defending European champion.
UEFA Stat: Schalke 04's best run in the Champions League came in 2010-11 when the German club lost to Manchester United in the Champions League semifinals.
15. Bayer Leverkusen (Group stage record: 3-1-2, 10 points; Group C runner-up): Bayer is in contention for the Champions League next season, but only one win in its first three matches of February provides insight into Leverkusen's dip in form. Facing Atletico Madrid, Roger Schmidt's side enters the tie as healthy underdogs.
UEFA Stat: Bayer Leverkusen has lost its last four two-legged ties against Spanish opposition.
16. FC Basel (Group stage record: 2-1-3, 7 points; Group B runner-up): FC Basel set the floor on points required to advance to the knockout rounds, claiming only seven in the group stage. Although pulling off the upset against FC Porto may be plausible, the Swiss team does not figure to be part of the final eight or beyond.
UEFA Stat: The last time Basel faced Portuguese opposition, it won 3-0 in a victory over Sporting Lisbon during the 2012-13 Europa League group stage.
Shahan Ahmed is a soccer columnist for Yahoo Sports. He has previously written about the 2014 World Cup and 2013 Confederations Cup and regularly provides opinions on the English Premier League, UEFA Champions League, German Bundesliga, Italian Serie A and Spanish La Liga. Follow Shahan on Twitter: @ShahanLA
