Supercomputer makes surprising predictions about Champions League group stage rankings

Siêu máy tính dự đoán bất ngờ về thứ hạng vòng bảng Champions League - Ảnh 1. — PSG is expected to have a difficult qualifying round but will still be in the top 8 - Photo: REUTERS

Under the new format of the Champions League, 36 teams will compete in a single group. After eight rounds of matches, the top eight teams will advance directly to the round of 16.

Meanwhile, the 16 teams ranked from 9th to 24th will have to play a play-off to compete for the remaining 8 spots. Teams from 25th and above will be eliminated.

Based on the teams' fixtures, Opta predicts that Premier League representatives will dominate the top. Specifically, Liverpool is rated highest with 17.03 expected points, followed by Arsenal (16.92), Man City (15.62) and Chelsea (14.79).

If this prediction is correct, all four teams will qualify directly for the round of 16. The remaining two English representatives, Tottenham and Newcastle, are also predicted to be in good positions for the play-offs, ranked 9th and 10th respectively.

The biggest surprise in the supercomputer's prediction is Bayern Munich's 11th place. With this ranking, the "gray tigers" will have to participate in the risky play-off round instead of getting a ticket to the next round as usual.

Meanwhile, defending champions PSG are also expected to have a challenging journey to defend their title. Despite being champions last season, the French team is only predicted to finish 6th overall with 14.49 points.

In addition to the four English teams, the three remaining names predicted to qualify directly for the round of 16 are Barcelona (5th place, 14.70 points), Real Madrid (7th place, 14.31 points) and Inter Milan (8th place, 13.76 points).

Other notable names predicted to have to play in the play-offs include Napoli, Atletico Madrid, Dortmund and Juventus. In addition, Dutch representative Ajax is predicted to be eliminated in the qualifying round (in 32nd place).

Specific ranking prediction table of Opta supercomputer:

Location	Team	Expected score
1	Liverpool	March 17
2	Arsenal	16.92
3	Manchester City	15.62
4	Chelsea	14.79
5	Barcelona	14.70
6	PSG	14.49
7	Real Madrid	14.31
8	Inter	13.76
9	Tottenham	12.82
10	Newcastle	12.57
11	Bayern Munich	12.52
12	Benfica	12.24
13	Napoli	11.81
14	Sporting CP	11.76
15	Dortmund	11:40
16	Villarreal	11.21
17	Juventus	11.19
18	Atalanta	11.17
19	Club Brugge	11.04
20	Atletico Madrid	10.68
21	PSV	10:20
22	Leverkusen	9.99
23	Monaco	9.97
24	Athletic Bilbao	9.58
25	Union SG	9.52
26	Olympiacos	9.49
27	Galatasaray	9.38
28	Copenhagen	9.04
29	Eintracht Frankfurt	9.01
30	Pafos	8.62
31	Marseille	8.38
32	Ajax	8.28
33	Slavia Prague	7.47
34	Bodo/Glimt	7.37
35	Qarabag	5.56
36	Kairat Almaty	3.49