Champions League: Supercomputer Predicts Final League Phase Table

The wooden spoon is reserved for Slovan Bratislava, who have never reached the knockout stages and are predicted to collect just 3.4 points.

Unfortunately for Azerbaijani side Sabah FK, there is little reason to take issue with their predicted position just off the bottom of the table. Not only are they competing in the Champions League for the first time in their history, but they have also been handed the toughest set of opponents of any club in the competition. As a result, analysts expect them to have a tough time getting points on the board, but they aren't tipped to come last.

Lille have lost three of their opening four games (3-2 at home to Real Betis, 3-0 away to Arsenal and 4-2 at home to Galatasaray), which has done serious damage to their hopes of progressing.

Napoli, Lens and Feyenoord are all in danger of finishing in the bottom segment of the table.

Porto, like Lille, have surprisingly lost all three of their opening games. They are now being predicted to pick up just seven points and crash out of the competition in the League Phase.

Shakhtar Donetsk, who have agreed to play their home games at Chelsea's Stamford Bridge, are currently on course to finish on just eight points after one win, one draw and two losses.

AEK Athens and Slavia Prague are also expected to bow out in the League Phase.

27-19

Villarreal, Porto and PSV are all tipped to only hit just over eight points, but that's not expected to be enough to advance.

Viking FK will be hoping Norway's growing reputation in European football can help them punch above their weight and replicate Bodo/Glimt's surprise run to the knockout stages last season. They are predicted to join RB Leipzig in scraping into the top 24.

Bodo/Glimt were a breath of fresh air last season, as they got wins over Man City, Atletico Madrid and Inter before falling at the Round of 16. The Norwegian side, as well as Roma, Fenerbahce and LASK, should get another shot at the knockouts.

18-10

Diego Simeone's Atletico Madrid and Turkish giants Galatasaray are predicted to finish 18th and 17th, respectively.

Manchester United started their campaign off with a convincing win over Sabah, but suffered defeats to Atletico Madrid and Como. A stunning comeback against Roma on matchday four has seen their chances of progressing increase dramatically.

Just above them are Inter Milan and VfB Stuttgart, who have the easiest fixture list based on opponent ratings. Inter will hope to recover and have another shot at the big-eared trophy after reaching the final twice over the last five seasons, where they were left heartbroken at the last hurdle against Man City in 2023 and PSG in 2025.

Spanish side Real Betis have surprisingly won three of their opening four matches, beating Lille, Porto and Feyenoord. The Supercomputer thinks they'll finish just outside the top 10 with Borussia Dortmund.

Como have one of the most inspirational stories in European football in recent memory, with their meteoric rise under the management of former Arsenal and Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas making them very difficult not to love. They are now predicted to finish 10th after big wins over Manchester United and Lens.

9-1

Club Brugge could be this season's surprise package, especially if they match the supercomputer's prediction and finish in the top nine. The Belgian outfit have claimed nine points from a possible 12 so far.

Just ahead of them are Europa League holders Aston Villa, who would be very happy with avoiding the play-off round.

Liverpool had a tricky tie against Atletico but were able to come from a goal behind to win 2-1 at Anfield. They then thrashed LASK 6-3 in Austria and scraped past Villarreal. However, a disappointing collapse has given them less room for manoeuvre if they want to make the top eight.

Manchester City are being tipped to finish sixth. Enzo Maresca's team's tally of 16.4 expected points suggests a continuation of the impressive Pep Guardiola era.

Bayern Munich will look to translate their domestic dominance into continental superiority as they are expected to finish fourth, just ahead of Barcelona.

Arsenal are tipped to come third. The reigning Premier League champions have beaten Napoli, Lille and Slavia Prague, as well as playing out an entertaining 2-2 draw with Bayern at Allianz Arena.

Spanish giants Real Madrid are predicted to come second. Jose Mourinho's side have a perfect record so far, having beaten Inter, Roma, RB Leipzig and AEK Athens.

Finally, Paris Saint-Germain, who are looking to win the Champions League for a third time in a row this season, are tipped to finish first. They have shown that they are the team to beat once again with League Phase victories over Manchester City and Barcelona.