The road to the 2025-26 Champions League final, which will take place in Budapest on May 30, is now set, and the 16 best European teams will be back this week for the round of 16 across Europe. Arsenal and Bayern Munich are still considered the favorites to win the tournament, but other big teams such as Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Manchester City are also in contention for the trophy. The 2024 and 2025 Champions League finalists, Borussia Dortmund and Inter, were both eliminated in the playoffs, while some other surprises shocked the world ahead of the crucial phase of the competition. Let’s take a look at our weekly power rankings:
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1. Arsenal (–)
Another solid week for the team coached by Mikel Arteta. Arsenal, after dominating the league phase of the Champions League with eight wins in eight games, are also at the top of the Premier League standings with a seven-point margin on Manchester City with eight matches left before the end of the season. The feeling is that they will lift at least one trophy in the coming weeks, but they also have a big chance to at least try to win the Champions League. They are still alive in all four major competitions they win, so there’s lots of possible silverware to go around.
2. Bayern Munich (–)
The only team that are at the level of Arsenal this season, Bayern Munich have a 11-point margin on Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesligue, meaning they can now focus on the Champions League where they will meet Atalanta in the round of 16 and then potentially face Real Madrid or Manchester City in the quarterfinals. That’s where we will find out more about their potential in Europe this year.
3. Barcelona (–)
While Barcelona president Joan Laporta is dealing with his re-election, Barcelona are in a strong position both domestically and in Europe, where they will face Newcastle in the round of 16. After 2025’s incredible elimination in the semifinals against Inter, Barcelona are now back on the right track and will try to win more. Perhaps no team has higher upside, or a higher defensive line than this side.
4. PSG (–)
They are back on the right track, and this is what we were waiting for since the start of the season from the team coached by Luis Enrique, but it’s questionable if that will be enough to see them winn the Champions League a second year in a row. For sure, the round of 16 tie against Chelsea will be one of the most exciting to watch this week.
5. Manchester City (+1)
Some ups and downs this season, but Manchester City are still one of the strongest teams in the competition. Even if this might become their last spell with Pep Guardiola in charge, as there is nothing defined about his future. The roster has the potential to win at least one major trophy this season. Everyone wants to know what will be the future of Guardiola and time is running out.
6. Real Madrid (-1)
When we think about Real Madrid, we need to consider them as one of the candidates to win the European tournament, but this season’s injuries have become a factor. With Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham still injured, it’s difficult to see them competing at the highest levels of elite soccer. This tie against the side coached by Pep Guardiola has given us some of the most memorable matches in the recent past, and we are expecting the same this week.
7. Chelsea (–)
Liam Rosenior’s Chelsea will meet PSG, a rematch of the 2025 Club World Cup final won by the English team, but the road to the final won’t be easy at all, even if they manage to defeat the French giants. They might face Liverpool in the quarterfinals and one of Real Madrid, Bayern Munich or Manchester City in the semifinals.
8. Liverpool (–)
Speaking of Liverpool, we need to be honest, it hasn’t been their best season so far, and we all expected much more, especially after what they did during the 2025 summer transfer window. Under Arne Slot they are now seriously risking not ending up in the top spots of the Premier League and not playing the best European tournament next year.
9. Atletico Madrid (–)
Too many questions around this team and too many ups and downs. Will Antoine Griezmann join MLS before the end of the current season? Will Diego Simeone leave the Spanish side in June? And the results have not always supported him recently.
10. Newcastle (–)
They were unlucky to draw Barcelona in the round of 16, and it will be difficult to beat Hansi Flick’s side over two legs, especially with the second game to be played in Barcelona.
11. Atalanta (–)
Imagine pulling off one of the most exciting comebacks of the season against Borussia Dortmund in the playoffs and then picking Bayern Munich, one of the best teams around Europe, in the round of 16. Extremely unlikely they can make it to the quarterfinals.
12. Galatasaray (–)
The return leg of the playoffs against Juventus showed they are still working to be at the level of this tournament, even if they have the players and the talent to play a competitive round of 16 against Liverpool. It won’t be easy at all.
13. Sporting CP (–)
What they are doing is impressive, because staying close to Porto isn’t an easy job to do this season in Portugal, as the team coached by Francesco Farioli has won 21 games, drawn three, and only lost once, while Sporting CP are sitting in second place, four points behind the leaders. They missed a chance to close the gap as Porto drew to Benfica over the weekend.
14. Bayer Leverkusen (–)
I don’t see a way they can knock Arsenal out of the competition. They picked the best team in the tournament.
15. Bodo/Glimt (–)
Have you seen what they’ve done recently? After defeating Manchester City and Atletico Madrid in the league phase they also knocked Inter out of the competition and they’ve drawn Sporting CP in the Round of 16. Looking at it now, it doesn’t seem impossible at all.
16. Tottenham (–)
What else can we say about them? They should probably focus on avoiding relegation in the Premier League.
Teams eliminated
- Olympique Marseille
- Pafos
- Union SG
- PSV
- Athletic Club
- Napoli
- FC Copenaghen
- Ajax
- Eintracht Frankfurt
- Slavia Prague
- Villarreal
- Kairat
- Qarabag
- Olympiacos
- Benfica
- AS Monaco
- Club Brugge
- Juventus
- Borussia Dortmund
- Inter
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