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Liverpool were the only Premier League outfit to avoid defeat – beating Bayer Leverkusen 4-0 on Xabi Alonso’s Anfield return – while Real Madrid were stunned on home soil by an impressive Milan side. There was another loss for Paris Saint-Germain, while Juventus stumbled to an underwhelming draw.
The newly-expanded and reformatted Champions League is certainly adding to the drama as things stand but what do Matchday 4’s results mean for the table come the eighth and final match of the league phase?
Well, Opta’s supercomputer has been working overtime to project how the final table may look – and remember, these are just predictions.
The top eight sides after all eight games are played automatically qualify for the last 16 of the changed Champions League. Liverpool are the only side that have a perfect record after four straight wins and Opta believe that they will maintain their lead at the summit of the table. They’re given a 95.1% chance of finishing in the automatic qualification spots.
After their 1-0 victory over Arsenal on Wednesday, 2022/23 finalists Inter are predicted a second-placed finish. They are projected to earn 17.6 points in the league phase, 0.5 more than Sporting CP after their 4-1 demolition of Manchester City on Tuesday. However, Ruben Amorim’s departure could impact their chances of qualifying automatically.
After a disappointing defeat in their opener, Barcelona have scored 14 goals in their subsequent three matches. They will finish fourth according to Opta’s 50,000 simulations, followed closely by last season’s runners-up Borussia Dortmund, who have also won three and lost one of their first four games.
Despite being humbled by Sporting midweek, 2022/23 winners Manchester City are predicted sixth. They still set tenth at present despite setbacks against Inter and the Portuguese champions, with …
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