UEFA Champions League
Our first rankings of the 2021-22 Champions League has English sides leading the way
The group stage draw for the Champions League is done and dusted throwing up thrilling ties from a matchup between the financial superpowers of Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain to a repeat of the 2005 final, all of which you can watch on Paramount+.
But who are the favorites for the tournament before it begins in earnest?
We rank every team below:
The top tier
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.
Chelsea
The holders are not just top by default. They lead our power rankings because they would appear to be the best team in Europe even if they aren’t quite as star studded as some of those beneath them. However, they have talent in every position and, crucially, if they were to suffer injuries
Manchester City
Pep Guardiola’s side may not have a traditional number nine – arguably what is keeping them off top spot – but it is worth remembering that last year they only had a severely diminished Sergio Aguero more. City, built on a rigid defense and with the magic of Kevin De Bruyne, seemed to alight on a more robust approach that can take them far in the Champions League.
Paris Saint-Germain
Their star quotient with or without Kylian Mbappe is remarkable but it is fair to question how much that helps. With every ultra signing they make they threaten to turn Ligue 1 into a less competitive landscape and with it rob themselves of robust opponents to prepare for the knockout stages of the Champions League. They might be the bookmakers’ favorites but until there are signs that Mauricio Pochettino can build a real system out of his galaxy of talent they aren’t ours.
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Serious contenders
It certainly is not beyond the realm of imagination that any of these teams could be lifting the European Cup in Istanbul come May, though it may require a few fortunate breaks for the tournament to go their way.
Liverpool
An excellent start to their domestic season is a reminder of just how good this squad can look with all its component pieces in place. It is worth remembering that without Virgil van Dijk and every other senior center back (plus a fair few midfielders and forwards) this team reached the quarter finals and might have gone further, but for a rough patch in their quarter final. This team knows what it takes to win this tournament and has a burning desire to right their wrongs. They are a force to be reckoned with.
Bayern Munich
Unlike the team above them they have hardly burst out of the blocks and their finances mean that Julian Nagelsmann is going to be stretching his squad to its limits unless they get a few reinforcements between now and the end of January. Still, this team were European champions a year ago. Something needs to click, but if it does …
Dark horses
These teams are unlikely champions, but then so were Chelsea this time a year ago. It may take a change of circumstances like the Blues had when they appointed Thomas Tuchel, perhaps a new signing or the unearthing of a new tactical plan. It’s possible, but certainly not probable.
Manchester United
We have written time and time again that they’re probably a defensive midfielder away from being real contenders, but equally that means you could make a case that in perhaps 10 of their 11 positions they’re good enough to be considered a serious potential winner for this competition. There is quality across this side and the burgeoning excellence of Mason Greenwood might be all the more valuable on a European stage where he is less of a known quantity. Adding the relentless will to win of Cristiano Ronaldo can’t hurt either.
Real Madrid
As things stand at this exact moment – and they will almost certainly have changed an Mbappe-less Madrid are not exactly striking fear into the hearts of Europe’s top teams. The ageing midfield could still bend a game to its will, but a defensive overhaul around David Alaba has left them looking a smidge weaker on paper.
Atletico Madrid
Diego Simeone’s formula was just starting to look a little stale in last season’s Champions League. Having wheezed their way out of the group stages they offered next to nothing as they crashed out against Chelsea. The caveat to this is that Atletico were more expansive in La Liga as they won the title, but even that often came through beating up on the sort of teams they won’t find on the European stage.
Barcelona
Yes, they have lost Lionel Messi, but there is still the nucleus of a decent squad there with perhaps the silver lining that now that others are not playing in service to the greatest in the world they may be able to stretch their own creative muscles a little more. Certainly an attack built around Antoine Griezmann and Memphis Depay, the latter in impressive form early in his Barcelona career, ought not to be discounted.
Juventus
Shorn of Ronaldo, the Old Lady of Italian football is at least showing signs of moving on to a fresh start, one that might make them a lesser force this season, but could see them build back better. Put together a favorable group and a squad that still contains Paulo Dybala, Federico Chiesa and Manuel Locatelli and they should be absolutely fine this season.
Borussia Dortmund
Certainly the draw suited them to a tee and they will be hoping topping Group C sets them up with a welcome round of 16 opponent, though it is hard to be sure. This is not a squad from of issues, but it is one that has a truly world class striker who seems to live for the Champions League. Where you have Erling Haaland you have a punchers’ chance in any tie.
Knockout stage contenders
You will note here that there are slightly more contenders for the knockout stages than there will be teams in there. Welcome to the wonder of those teams battling for second spot in the groups. There will always be someone disappointed.
Sevilla
A decent team with an eminently decent draw in Group G. Julen Lopetegui’s side started strong in La Liga and apparently Erik Lamela is now the greatest scoring Argentine on planet Earth. It’s not too shabby at all. We’ll see you in the round of 16.
Inter Milan
A reunion with Real Madrid and Shakhtar Donetsk in Group D seems like a Room 101 designed specifically for Inter Milan, who crashed out last season with a far better side. They may have lost Romelu Lukaku, Antonio Conte and Achraf Hakimi, but they have replaced them with passable talent and have an impressive level of depth that should suit them well.
RB Leipzig
Tyler Adams’ reaction said it all. Leipzig have been handed the group of death. It’s worth noting that they were last year too and made it out alive. They are probably stronger now than then – certainly Dominik Szoboszlai looks primed to take Europe by storm once more — but so are their opponents.
Atalanta
One wonders whether they might have the same troubles that another all action team like Leeds do when they come up against Manchester United, a side that are adept at picking off high pressing opponents in broken play. Still, this was a team that came out of a tough group last year and gave Real Madrid a thorough examination. They will be a hard out.
Villarreal
The big question for Unai Emery this season is surely: “Wouldn’t you prefer being in the Europa League anyway?” The games against Atalanta will go some way to showing us, but a side that has retained the nucleus of last season’s cup winners should not be treated lightly.
Sporting
The most fortunate of the Pot 1 sides, they’re going to occupy what we will shall now refer to as Group C corner with the other team who would be seriously disappointed to not at least come second behind Dortmund. Portugal’s champions have not lost anyone of note from Ruben Amorim’s side and have started the new season impressively with Pedro Goncalves in rich form.
Ajax
There are more than a few players left at Ajax from the side that reached the Champions League semifinals in 2019, not the stars of that show but still real talent like David Neres, Dusan Tadic and Daley Blind. Add to it yet more top prospects off the academy production line and the Dutch champions will be expecting big things. Perhaps the unanswered question is whether a combination of Tadic, Danilo, Sebastien Haller and Mohamed Daramy can provide goals.
Wolfsburg
A side that have risen impressively up the Bundesliga in recent seasons (and top it at the time of writing) have good young talent across Mark van Bommel’s squad but perhaps not all that much experience of life in Europe’s top tier competition. Joshua Guilavogui and Maximilian Arnold were in the side that reached the 2016 quarter finals and beat Real Madrid but the rest will have to learn swiftly.
In the mix for top two
A few fortunate breaks and they may find themselves extending their Champions League involvement beyond Christmas. Don’t bet on it though.
Lille
Like a French Inter Milan, the Ligue 1 holders head to the Champions League a rather weaker force than they were last year with manager Christophe Galtier having departed along with Mike Maignan and Boubakary Soumare. Without a win so far in the French top flight this may be a disappointing campaign for Lille.
Shakhtar Donetsk
They proved last season that they can give the best sides in Europe a real headache. Indeed Roberto de Zerbi need only remind his team that they took eight points from four games with Inter Milan and Real Madrid last year, in another year that would have been enough to get them through. Their defense is not the most convincing but in Pedrinho they look to have their latest young Brazilian star.
Red Bull Salzburg
After several seasons that might have been viewed as fact finding missions for the Champions League this feels like the year when the stars have aligned for the Austrian champions to seriously push for the knockout stages. They may have lost Patson Daka but Karim Adeyemi and Benjamin Sesko were exceptional in the qualifiers, Brenden Aaronson also seems to be a star on the rise.
Besiktas
Perhaps not the most awe inspiring squad on paper but the Turkish champions have been handed an intriguing draw that opens up a chance for qualification. Canadian striker Cyle Larin excelled in Besiktas’ title charge last season, he will need to do so again with Vincent Aboubakar departed.
Likely chasing the Europa League
There are no bad teams in the Champions League but these five will do well to achieve much more than third place
Benfica
Before the draw Benfica ranked far higher on our first draft of these after an obdurate win over PSV Eindhoven and a start to the season that has seen them display some lockdown defense. If Bayern’s wobbles are more severe than is expected and if Barcelona can’t get it together post-Messi then this team is good enough to punish them but they are probably just pushing for third.
AC Milan
The talent is certainly there for Milan to make some noise but years of underperformance have given Stefano Pioli a brutal task with Atletico Madrid, Liverpool and Porto. Still this is a team with game winners at one end of the pitch (not least Zlatan Ibrahimovic) and a solid
Porto
Any team that knocked out Juventus last season deserves to be taken seriously even if that was perhaps due to a miraculous defensive performance from Pepe and Chancel Mbemba more than any great gameplan. A rough draw means that it is probably the Europa League at best ahead for Sergio Conceicao’s side.
Dynamo Kyiv
The Ukrainian champions have been all out of luck in the group stage draw in recent years and are reunited with Barcelona once more. They gave the Catalans some difficulty in the Nou Camp last season but if winger Viktor Tsyhankov is your most dangerous attacker one wonders whether you will have to goals needed to qualify or even finish top three.
Zenit Saint Petersburg
Zenit have had similarly favorable draws in recent years and have struggled to make much of an impact on the competition but at least this season they will feel they can really compete with Malmo for third spot. The giant Artem Dzyuba will certainly look to impose himself on defenses but it is hard to imagine Giorgio Chiellini or Antonio Rudiger having nightmares over a 6ft 6in striker.
Sheriff Tiraspol
Moldova’s first representatives in the group stage should not be considered the walkovers their national team has often been on the European stage. The quality of football with which they blew past a very good Dinamo Zagreb side augurs well and they have another electrifying Adama Traore in their ranks.
Club Brugge
A cruel draw for Brugge, who gave a thoroughly impressive account of themselves in Group F last season. Young American Owen Otasowie could be one to watch in the middle of the park, he will certainly get a swift introduction to the realities of top tier European football.
Young Boys
If David Wagner’s side bring to the group stage the same manic intensity they had in their 6-4 aggregate win over Ferencvaros they will be one of the Champions League’s most box office teams. They could also very easily be torn to shreds by Manchester United if they aren’t a bit more cute.
Malmo
Before the nation of Sweden turns on us we would remind you there are no bad teams in this competition and Malmo certainly have some very good players. Captain Anders Christiansen in particular looked excellent in the win over Ludogorets Razgrad and Veljko Birmancevic can hit a ball. However, they have looked sufficiently vulnerable in the Allsvenskan this season to suggest they may struggle against Lukaku and Dybala.
Our UEFA Champions League Group Stage opponents for 2021/22
Manchester United
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Champions League group fixtures confirmed
All six of Chelsea’s fixtures in this season’s Champions League group stage have now been revealed, with the Blues starting our campaign on home soil.
UEFA have announced the order and dates for games in the groups, so we now know that we will begin our defence of the Champions League trophy at home, when we face Russian side Zenit St Petersburg in competitive action for the first-ever time. We then take on Juventus in our first away game two weeks later.
Due to the ongoing pandemic situation and travel restrictions between countries, UEFA will confirm details on venues for the games in the coming days.
Supporters are also reminded that UEFA are yet to confirm the availability of tickets for away fans at Champions League games this season. Therefore, supporters are strongly urged to refrain from making any travel arrangements for those games until further information has been set out.
Neutral venues, closed stadiums and the absence of away fans are all still possibilities, as has been the case during the qualifying stages of this season’s European competitions and will be again for matches during September’s international break. A decision regarding away club ticketing is currently under review and further information from UEFA is expected shortly.
All the relevant information regarding tickets and travel for our Champions League group games will be communicated to supporters on the official Chelsea website, The 5th Stand app and our social media channels as soon as it becomes available.