UCL power rankings: Man City and Bayern lead the way ahead of last 16

The Champions League resumes Tuesday with the round of 16. Here’s a look at the competition’s latest power rankings following the long winter break. 

The Champions League reaches the business end of the tournament starting on Tuesday when the round of 16 kicks off with the big match between Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid.

The 16 teams left in the competition are vying to win the biggest club competition on the planet. Among the contenders are Manchester City and PSG, two teams with lots of money who have yet to lift the trophy, along with perennial contenders such as Real Madrid and Juventus. Chelsea, the defending champions, also remains in contention.

Among the round’s biggest matchups is Wednesday’s Inter Milan versus Liverpool, while next week will feature Chelsea against Lille on Feb. 22 and Atletico Madrid taking on Manchester United the following day.

All eyes will be on the world’s two superstars, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, and whether they can guide their new clubs (PSG and Manchester United, respectively) to the final scheduled for May 28.

Champions League power rankings based on the teams’ latest form and taking into consideration who they face in the round of 16.

10. Atletico Madrid (2-1-3)

The Spanish club are no strangers to doing well at the knockout stage of this competition and having to face a Manchester United side currently in shambles certainly helps.

9. Ajax (6-0-0)

The Dutch powerhouse and producer of talent (who face Benfica in the round of 16), who surprised many by winning all their matches in the group stage, are looking to retain some of their 1970s and ‘80s glory with a deep run in a tournament they used to once dominate.

8. Chelsea (4-1-1)

The defending champions, fresh off winning the FIFA Club World Cup, don’t look as sharp and clinical as last season, but Lille should be a team they can beat. The London club have learned that repeating as champion could very well be more difficult than winning it the first time.

7. Juventus (5-0-1)

The Italian club, off to a poor start this season, have turned things around over the winter. They seem ripe for a deep UCL run, especially after adding January signings Dusan Vlahovic and Denis Zakaria to the roster who could run up the score against plucky Villareal.

6. Paris Saint-Germain (3-2-1)

Big things were expected of PSG after Messi signed with them last summer. Both Messi and the team haven’t impressed, but this is a club with the talent, most notably Kylian Mbappe and Neymar, to win it all – although their match against Real Madrid could prove to be a real test.

5. Real Madrid (5-0-1)

The Spanish club looks weaker than in past seasons, but they remain perennial favorites to go deep in this competition. Should they get past PSG, Real will be making a big statement.

4. Liverpool (6-0-0)

Never rule out the English club who have players like Sadio Mane and Mo Salah, both back from the Africa Cup of Nations, with loads of UCL experience that will come in handy in their upcoming home-and-away series against Inter Milan.

3. Inter Milan (3-1-2)

The Milan-based club and defending Italian champions have proven to be a cohesive unit over the past few months, something that could overwhelm Liverpool when the two face each other. Look for big things to come from them in this tournament.

2. Bayern Munich (6-0-0)

The Bavarian giants are a scoring machine thanks largely to striker Robert Lewandowski. This is a team that could very well grab the title this spring, but first they have to knock out Austrian upstarts RB Salzburg.

1. Manchester City (4-0-2)

Runaway favorites to win the Premier League, the English clubs needs to now turn their focus on the Champions League and avoid any pitfalls against Sporting Lisbon in their do-or-die series.