Ranking the best teams in Champions League so far

The new Champions League format has been well-received by soccer fans. From surprise defeats to dramatic comebacks, this year’s tournament continues to deliver exciting soccer. With the group stage gradually drawing to a close, we rank the top teams in the competition right now.

Barcelona

Hansi Flick’s Barça has been the talk of the soccer world this season for obvious reasons: this team is currently playing the best soccer in Europe.

The Catalans lost their Champions League opener to Monaco 2-1 after Eric Garcia received his marching orders in the 10th minute, but the Spanish league leaders have bounced back in style. A 5-0 victory over Young Boys at home was followed by a 4-1 win against Bayern Munich on Matchday 3. Not to mention their 4-0 triumph over rivals Real Madrid at El Clasico just a few days later.

Barcelona boasts a young core of fine talents, including an array of La Masia graduates.

The 5x Champions League winners also have arguably the deadliest front three in all of Europe. Golden Boy winner Lamine Yamal has continued to impress this season, with goal contributions in three of four Champions League matches so far, including Barcelona’s only goal against Monaco.

Veteran Robert Lewandowski already has six goals in the tournament this season, while Rafinha, who scored a brilliant hattrick in the win against Bayern, is having the best season of his career, with five goals and two assists. Then there are the likes of Pedri Gonzalez, Pablo Gavi, Marc Caseido, Fermin Lopez, and Pau Cubarsi in the lineup, enough to put opposing teams to the sword.

With Barcelona’s only tough group stage game on paper being a trip to Dortmund on Matchday 5, they are poised to make it out of the group stage comfortably. The Blaugrana currently have one of the best odds to win the competition this season, and soccer fans can learn how to place their UCL bets via TrustnBet, a credible source for new and veteran sports bettors.

Liverpool

Arne Slot’s appointment as Liverpool manager during the summer was met with mixed reactions from fans and pundits, but the Dutch manager has proved the naysayers wrong so far. The Reds find themselves on top of the Premier League table, with 25 points, and have also recorded three wins in the Champions League this season.

The six-time champions opened their campaign with a 3-1 win versus AC Milan. After finding themselves behind in the second minute at the San Siro, Ibrahim Konate drew the equalizer, and Virgil Van Dijk and Dominik Szoboszlai ensured to seal all three points. Slot’s men handled business at home against Bologna (2-0), and a 27th-minute Darwin Nunez goal earned them a win versus Leipzig on Matchday 3.

They faced a tricky test at home to Bayer Leverkusen but were able to seal a comfortable win despite not playing their best soccer in the first half. Luis Diaz opened the scoring with a lofty finish after receiving a brilliant through ball from Curtis Jackson in the 61st minute. Cody Gakpo extended the lead with a powerful header two minutes later to put the hosts in a comfortable spot. Diaz added two more goals to his tally in the final minutes to record his first Champions League hattrick.

As it stands, Liverpool appears to be heading in the right direction but they will need to be at their best as they face upcoming tests against tough opponents like Real Madrid.

Manchester City

The Cityzens are not playing their best soccer right now but they still rank as one of the best teams in the competition. A season-ending injury to newly crowned Ballon d’Or winner Rodri coupled with Kevin De Bruyne’s continued struggles with injury will obviously be a big blow to their season aspirations. Nevertheless, this is a team coached by Pep Guardiola and capable of pulling out wins when necessary.

City struggled in their group stage opener against Serie A champions Inter Milan, securing a point. They appeared to bounce back with two big wins. A 4-0 win against Slovan Bratislava followed by a 5-0 scoreline versus Sparta Praha, but a shocking 4-1 loss to Sporting on Matchday 4 has put them in a tricky spot, with tough games against Juventus and PSG still ahead of them. Manchester City have now lost three games in a row in all competitions for the first time since 2018. The defeat is also their heaviest since losing 5-2 to Leicester City in 2020

Given the quality of Man City’s squad, oddsmakers expect them to win their next group-stage fixtures and qualify for the knockout rounds. Plus De Bruyne’s recent return to the squad after seven weeks on the sidelines gives Guardiola’s team an added boost.