Opta forecasts interesting Champions League twist; here’s what it says about your favourite clubs

Nii Ayitey Brown 22:20 - 27 November 2025

The Opta Supercomputer has released its latest prediction for the final Champions League league-phase table with three games left to play and several major clubs are projected to face a tense play-off to reach the knockout stage.

Five matchdays have been completed, with Arsenal standing as the only team to maintain a 100 per cent record so far. Their most recent win came against Bayern Munich, handing the German champions their first defeat of the campaign.

Bayern currently sit third, just behind defending champions Paris Saint-Germain.According to Opta’s projections, Bayern and PSG are expected to swap places by the end of the league phase, with Arsenal tipped to finish top.

Real Madrid and Inter Milan are predicted to follow in fourth and fifth place respectively as the table begins to take shape.In last season’s inaugural edition of the new Champions League format, teams needed at least 16 points to secure a top-eight finish and automatic qualification to the round of 16.

Eleven points, alongside a strong goal difference which was typically enough to make the top 24 and earn a play-off spot.Manchester City currently find themselves outside the top eight after a recent defeat to Bayer Leverkusen.

However, Opta’s model still expects Pep Guardiola’s side to finish sixth with 15 points, placing them just ahead of Chelsea.Borussia Dortmund are predicted to claim the final automatic qualification position in eighth, a projection that pushes several European giants into the play-off zone.

Based on the simulation, Liverpool, Barcelona, Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United would all be forced to battle through the play-offs for a place in the knockout rounds.