Top 12 teams in line to make the 2024/25 Champions League knockout stages

With three rounds already completed in this season’s UCL League phase, the League’s standings have started to take a solid form. Two teams hold perfect records, including newcomers Aston Villa and Liverpool. Strong contenders like Manchester City, Bayer Leverkusen, Inter, Brest, and Arsenal remain undefeated, though major sides such as Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Real Madrid have already experienced surprising defeats. 

With five rounds left in the group stage, here is our list of twelve teams that are in line to make it to the last eight and play-offs. 

1. Arsenal

Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal has continued the brilliance they showed last season. The North London Reds reached the quarterfinals of last season’s campaign, where they agonizingly fell to Bayern Munich. This season, they have earned seven points from their first three games and sit in ninth place in the UCL standings. They earned a hard-fought draw in Bergamo against Atalanta in their opening fixture in the Champions League. They followed it up with a 2-0 victory over French champions – Paris Saint-Germain. A 1-0 win against Shakhtar Donetsk ensured they remain in the top flight, two points away from the top spot.

Arsenal still faces challenging away games against Inter and Sporting, but reaching the top eight seems attainable for this youthful squad that is rapidly maturing under Mikel Arteta’s leadership.

2. Manchester City

Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City is the second team on our list. The 2022/23 Champions League winners have been a consistent threat in the competition and have begun replicating their recent success on the European stage this season. The Citizens were held to a draw by Inter Milan in what was a tough replay of the 2022/23 UCL finals. Phil Foden’s return to form was a positive sign as Manchester City secured their first win of the Champions League phase by defeating Slovan Bratislava 4-0. They went on to beat Sparta Praha 5-0 to climb up to the third-place spot in the UEFA Champions League standings.

An ACL injury to Ballon d’Or winner – Rodri, which keeps him out for the rest of the season, has raised significant concerns about City’s Champions League hopes, given the Spaniard’s pivotal role in Pep Guardiola’s team. Manchester City will still navigate through Sporting Lisbon, Feyenoord, Juventus, and PSG on their road to the knockout stages.

3. Real Madrid

The Defending Champions have shown class throughout the season. The club bolstered their attacking options in the summer by signing Kylian Mbappe and Endrick. They began the campaign with a powerful 2-0 victory over Atlanta in the UEFA Super Cup in August. They have been going strong in both the domestic and European League. 

However, their momentum dropped by a surprising 1-0 loss to Lille. They quickly returned to winning ways in the UCL by overcoming Borrusia Dortmund from behind in a 5-2 display. While Madrid has a strong track record of turning things around and will likely secure a spot in the knockout rounds, their upcoming games against Milan and Liverpool should provide insight into their title hopes.

4. Liverpool

Liverpool has quickly adapted to the tune of competitions ahead of them under new manager Arne Slot. The Merseyside Reds won nine of their first eleven games and currently sit in second place after three UCL League phase games. Their 100% start to the competition is only bettered by fellow League club Aston Villa via goal difference.

Following a commanding win over AC Milan in San Siro, they bested Bologna at Anfield and went ahead to beat Leipzig at their home ground. With their toughest remaining games against Bayer Leverkusen and Real Madrid set to be held at Anfield, they have a strong chance of progressing directly to the last 16.

5. Inter Milan

After an early exit in last season’s Champions League despite strong domestic form, Inter rebounded to win the Serie A title in a Milan derby and now look competitive in this season’s tournament. They kicked off the tournament with a solid display against Man City, avoiding the tragic result of the 2022/23 UCL finals. They followed this up with a 4-0 victory over Red Star Belgrade at San Siro and a hard-earned dying-minute win over Young Boys. Though they will face tests against Arsenal, Leipzig, and Bayer Leverkusen,  this well-balanced squad is in a good position for a top-eight finish.

6. Bayern Munich

The most successful German club opened the Champions League with a statement, thrashing Dinamo Zagreb 9-2, including four goals from their English Hitman Harry Kane. However, the team stumbled with a 1-0 loss to Aston Villa on matchday two. A 4-1 defeat to Barcelona added salt to the wounds of Vincent Kompany’s men who now sit 23rd in the UCL standings. Despite these setbacks, Bayern has the quality and experience to recover quickly, especially with decisive fixtures ahead including matches with Benfica and Paris Saint-Germain. The outcome of these games could determine their chances of a top-eight or play-off finish.

7. Bayer Leverkusen

Last season, unbeaten Bundesliga winners Bayer Leverkusen faced intense pressure in the latter stages of their match against AC Milan but held on after a dominant start. The UEFA Europa finalists have emerged as expected Champions League contenders, winning both early games without conceding and being held to a one-all draw with high-flying Brest. While they still face trips to Anfield and the Metropolitano with Atletico Madrid, they appear well-positioned to push for a top-eight spot.

8. Juventus

Juventus’ decision to replace Massimiliano Allegri with the progressive Thiago Motta is already showing results. The team remained unbeaten in Serie A and had a perfect record in the Champions League, defeating PSV comfortably and coming from behind to win against Leipzig. They maintained this stellar form until they lost to VfB Stuttgart at home in Gameweek 3 of the UCL.

With a solid squad led by the in-form Dusan Vlahovic, the Italian club has every reason to aim for automatic qualification for the last 16 while also vying for the Serie A title. They face Lille, Aston Villa, and Man City in their upcoming UCL games.

9. Barcelona

After an early loss to Monaco in the tournament, Hansi Flick’s Barcelona recovered with a 5-0 victory over Young Boys. The Catalans went on to smash Bayern Munich 4-1 in Gameweek 3, making a roaring statement of their dominance in the competition. Barcelona sits 10th in the standings, and with lesser competition against Crvena Zvezda, Brest, Dortmund, and Benfica, they are one of the top clubs expected to make it to the knockout stages.

10. Borussia Dortmund

Although it remains uncertain whether Borussia Dortmund can replicate last season’s journey to the Champions League final, they’ve had a promising start. They led the League with points and goals after the first two games against Brugge (3-0) and Celtic (7-0). Dortmund fell from the top of the standings after losing 5-2 to Madrid despite an early advantage at halftime. They fell to 11th after the defeat and would be tested again when they meet Dinamo Zagreb and  Barcelona in their upcoming fixtures.

11. Atalanta

Last season’s Europa League winners faced a challenging match against Arsenal on matchday one, but they rebounded with a decisive 3-0 win over Shakhtar Donetsk. If they can maintain this form, they have a good chance of securing at least a play-off spot before taking on Real Madrid and Barcelona.

12. Aston Villa

Aston Villa made a memorable return to the Champions League, starting with a 3-0 victory over Young Boys in Bern. They followed the result by surprisingly beating Bayern Munich 1-0 in a rematch of the 1982 European Cup final. In Gameweek 3, they saw off Bologna with a 2-0 victory and now sit on the top of the UCL standings. If Unai Emery’s team can keep up these feet, wins in upcoming games against Brugge and Celtic would be enough to give them a top-eight finish. 

UPCOMING UCL SCHEDULE AND WHERE TO FIND EXCLUSIVE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL TICKETS

It’s a long and competitive road to the 2024/25 UCL final which will be played in the famous Munich Football Arena. The top teams across Europe are set to engage in another nail-biting match-up before the upcoming international break. Here’s a detailed fixture update for Gameweek 4 in the first week of November.

Tuesday, 5th November

17:45 PSV – Girona  

17:45 Slovan Bratislava – Dinamo Zagreb  

20:00 Bologna – Monaco  

20:00 Borussia Dortmund – Sturm Graz  

20:00 Celtic – RB Leipzig  

20:00 Lille – Juventus  

20:00 Liverpool – Bayer Leverkusen  

20:00 Real Madrid – AC Milan  

20:00 Sporting CP – Manchester City  

Wednesday, 6th November

17:45 Club Brugge – Aston Villa  

17:45 Shakhtar Donetsk – Young Boys  

20:00 Bayern Munich – Benfica  

20:00 Feyenoord – Red Bull Salzburg  

20:00 Inter Milan – Arsenal  

20:00 PSG – Atlético Madrid  

20:00 Red Star Belgrade – Barcelona  

20:00 Sparta Prague – Brest  

20:00 Stuttgart – Atalanta

Get available and fast-selling tickets to the games above and the ones to come in the 2024/25 UCL tournament before they are all gone. Champions League final tickets are in high demand and you get to explore seat maps and compare prices to the best spot at the games you love through secondary ticket marketplaces.