With just two rounds of games left in the Champions League group stage on Paramount+ the state of play is looking increasingly clear. Four teams — Liverpool, Ajax, Bayern Munich and Juventus — are already through to the first knockout round. Three teams are out. Here’s how the 32 clubs stand in terms of their likelihood of winning the whole thing:
The top tier: Title or bust
These teams should be disappointed with anything less than a semi final berth and frankly even that might not be enough, such is their talent profile.
1. Bayern Munich (+2)
Leapfrogging the two Premier League sides by virtue of their own excellence rather than anything the others have done wrong, Bayern are simply the most explosive team on the continent right now. Their two games against Benfica were rather typical of Julian Nagelsmann’s side this season, good teams can play very well against them but if they switch off for a moment they can find themselves on the end of what looks to be a trouncing.
2. Manchester City (-1)
Set aside the odd brief wobble here and there and this looks like a City team that are motoring along, with space to accelerate up towards top speed. Saturday’s 2-0 win over Manchester United was everything that a top team needs: a game where they never remotely seemed like they were playing their best football but never needed to as they eased to victory.
3. Liverpool (-1)
West Ham’s 3-2 win on Sunday showed there are chinks in the Reds’ defensive armor that the right players can exploit on the counter attack but so many other games in recent weeks have shown that the more likely outcome is that Mohamed Salah and company simply overwhelm you with attacking pressure. Liverpool were supposed to have landed in the group of death. With two games to spare they have already guaranteed top spot in it.
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Source : cbssports
