Supercomputer Opta points out "group of death" in Champions League

Not only did Arsenal not fall into the "group of death" according to some initial assessments, they were even favored by one of the easier groups with a not-too-difficult schedule among the 36 teams participating in the Champions League group stage.

Champions League and English football

Coach Mikel Arteta's team seems to be quite lucky because their opponents include names like Olympiacos, Slavia Prague and especially Kairat Almaty, the Kazakhstan champion ranked only 474th in the world .

The match against Kairat Almaty alone has reduced the average rating of the Gunners' opponents. Opta rates Arsenal's easy run of matches as third in this Champions League qualifying round.

Siêu máy tính Opta chỉ ra — Arsenal will face Bayern Munich in a fierce clash

Of course, Arsenal also had some fierce clashes with Bayern Munich, Inter Milan, Atletico Madrid, but overall, the first leg of the Champions League journey seems favorable for Mikel Arteta's team.

Arsenal's neighbours Tottenham may feel just as lucky. Tottenham, led by Thomas Frank, who will be making his first Champions League appearance in an 18-year managerial career, have also been handed a seemingly easy ride.

The "London Roosters" will face Dortmund, Villarreal, Eintracht Frankfurt and Bodø/Glimt, four of the matches are considered "easy".

Of course, having to face two French teams, Paris Saint-Germain and Monaco, things are not necessarily simple for Tottenham, but overall, "The Rooster" is still named among the teams capable of advancing.

Chelsea, returning to the competition under Enzo Maresca, are also handed a generous fixture list. Ajax, Qarabag and newcomers Pafos (Cyprus) will give the Club World Cup winners a chance to pick up points ahead of tougher challenges from Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Napoli.

Liverpool's fixtures are a mix of challenge and opportunity. Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid will come to Anfield, but Liverpool also have games against Frankfurt, Marseille and Qarabag that manager Arne Slot believes are more likely to be won.

The Analyst Opta ranks Man City in the middle of the difficulty scale as Pep Guardiola's side will face Real Madrid for the fifth consecutive season, alongside tough cup sides Leverkusen, Villarreal, Dortmund, Napoli and Galatasaray.

This is a challenging group but not the toughest, Man City will be confident of improving on their performance after being eliminated in the play-off round last season.

Among English clubs, Newcastle are in a pretty bleak situation. Eddie Howe's side face one of the five toughest fixtures in the league, with fierce battles against Barcelona, PSG, Leverkusen, Benfica, Union Saint-Gilloise and Athletic Bilbao.

The rest of the Champions League

Outside England, Bayern and PSG have some of the toughest fixtures, with Harry Kane and co facing Arsenal, Sporting Lisbon and a resurgent Union Saint-Gilloise, while PSG face Barcelona, Leverkusen, Tottenham and Newcastle.

Interestingly, despite facing the toughest group of last season, Luis Enrique's men still won the first European Cup in the club's history.

Real Madrid also received a tough schedule when the opponents of the Spanish Royal team were Man City (home - SN), Liverpool (away - SK), Juventus (SN), Benfica (SK), Marseille (SN), Olympiacos (SK), Monaco (SN), Kairat Almaty (SK).

Champions League winning odds

Among the 9 "big guys" in the number 1 seed group, Liverpool and Barcelona are considered the teams that "benefit" from the draw results. Therefore, the odds of winning the Champions League fluctuate in a direction that is favorable to these teams.

In theory, PSG are the defending champions and are also the number 1 candidate for the championship. However, after the draw, Liverpool are the number 1 candidate. The odds for coach Arne Slot's team to win the championship are 11/2.

Last season, Liverpool were eliminated early after being defeated by PSG. However, the convincing 2024-2025 Premier League title and the massive summer recruitment process have turned coach Arne Slot's team into a leading candidate for the trophy next year.

Following Liverpool very closely are Barcelona and PSG. The odds for Barca and PSG to win the title are both 6/1.

Real Madrid, despite owning 15 Champions League titles, is only the 4th candidate in the 2025-2026 season with a winning rate of 7/1, equal to the team that has never won the Champions League, Arsenal.

In the past few seasons, Man City has always been the number 1 candidate before the Champions League started. But in the new season, coach Pep Guardiola's team is only the 6th candidate with the odds of 8/1.

The next candidates for the 2025-2026 Champions League title are Bayern Munich (January 11), Chelsea (January 12), Napoli (January 25), Inter Milan (January 28), Tottenham (January 18)...

Source: https://nld.com.vn/sieu-may-tinh-opta-chi-ra-bang-tu-than-tai-champions-league-196250829080748226.htm