Real Madrid are the reigning champions but Manchester City are the (narrow) favourites to win this season’s Champions League. But who else appears to stand a chance of qualifying for the knockout stages of this 36-team beast of a competition, either directly or via the playoff round? And do any other clubs have a good chance of winning it? Throughout the season, we will publish projections — powered by Opta data — to show how teams are expected to perform. These will update after each gameweek. When the league stage is over, there will be probabilities for reaching the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final. The competition’s expanded format might take a little time to get used to, but these projections can show you how it might all unfold.
(Photo: Getty Images/Design: Eamonn Dalton)
