After significant defeats for Chelsea and Manchester City, the Champions League picture is becoming clearer ahead of the second leg of the 2025/26 Round of 16. Here are the top five contenders, ranked after an exciting first leg of the knockout stages.
5. Barcelona
Barcelona leads La Liga and has strong midfield talent, highlighted by Lamine Yamal. However, they struggled against Newcastle, fortunate to end the game in a draw, similar to Arsenal‘s situation.
Newcastle performed better, and given Barcelona’s shaky defense, they may not be as strong as other teams that either have more solid defending or, like Real Madrid, rise to the occasion in crucial Champions League matches.
4. Arsenal
Arsenal was fortunate to draw against Bayer Leverkusen, as Noni Madueke’s penalty was questionable, and similar actions should face scrutiny later.
The Gunners boast a strong defense and midfield, but some players seem to lack energy. Attacking players like Bukayo Saka are not meeting expectations lately, which can be costly in the Champions League.
3. Real Madrid
Real Madrid is well-known in this tournament, and when their talented players are focused, they can achieve remarkable results.
We are seeing great performances from Fede Valverde, Aurelien Tchouameni, and Antonio Rudiger. Despite some defensive concerns, Real Madrid impressed against Manchester City, making the Premier League contenders appear weak even without Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe.
2. PSG
PSG came into the Round of 16 with concerns due to inconsistent league performances and issues with Monaco in both Ligue 1 and the Champions League. However, the reigning champions took strong revenge on Chelsea in the first leg, proving their status.
When Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and the rest of the attack are in form, they are as thrilling as Bayern’s or Barcelona’s squads, if not more so. Chelsea struggled, but credit goes to PSG for their performance.
1. Bayern Munich
Even without Harry Kane, Bayern Munich dominated Atalanta, winning 6-1 in Bergamo. While many expected a strong showing from Bayern, this scoreline is impressive.
This match highlighted the skills of their other players, even with all eyes on Kane, the Ballon d’Or favorite. If this were not a debate between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, Michael Olise would be a strong contender for the Ballon d’Or based on his current form.