Barcelona secured a resounding victory against Slavia Prague, but the team’s defense raised some questions about its stability. The Catalan side now has 13 points and sits ninth in their Champions League group, just one point away from automatic qualification for the Round of 16, as they did last season.
However, a new factor has added to Barcelona’s optimism: Opta’s supercomputer analysis, which has placed the team among the favorites to win this edition of Europe’s premier club competition.
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🔍 Qualification Details and Probabilities
According to Opta statistics, Barcelona ranks fifth among the teams most likely to qualify directly for the Round of 16, with a probability of 79.8%. Only Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, and Real Madrid have a higher probability, while Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain, and Tottenham also appear to be in a strong position to qualify directly.
Clubs like Atlético Madrid, Chelsea, Newcastle, Napoli, Inter Milan, and Juventus are expected to enter the play-off round, while the following teams have already been eliminated: Eintracht Frankfurt, Slavia Prague, Villarreal, and Kairat Almaty.
⚡ Barcelona and the Race to the Top
Despite currently sitting in ninth place, Barcelona continues its upward trajectory. According to Opta, the team’s chances are as follows:
Quarter-finals: 63.29%
Semi-finals: 34.38%
Final: 16.99%
Winning the tournament: 8.22%
The data suggests that if Barcelona maintains its current form, it could face one of the tournament’s powerhouses, such as Arsenal, Bayern Munich, or Liverpool, in the semi-finals. This strengthens its chances of causing a major upset and even positions it as Real Madrid’s strongest challenger in this edition of the competition.
