Champions League: Ranking All 36 Teams by Fixture Difficulty in the League Phase

The Champions League returns on September 8 with 36 teams entering the league phase, each facing a unique set of challenges. Reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain aim for a third consecutive title, while clubs like Arsenal, Manchester City, Liverpool, Bayern Munich, Barcelona, and Real Madrid will battle for continental glory.

This season marks the third year of the new league-phase format, offering an early glimpse into who might contend for the trophy. The fixtures have been ranked by difficulty using opponents’ average elo scores, a system measuring team strength based on results.

Easiest Fixtures (Ranks 36-28)

• 36. VfB Stuttgart: Opponents' Average Elo Rating: -48
• 35. Inter Milan: -36
• 34. Real Madrid: -28
• 33. Shakhtar Donetsk: -28
• 32. LASK: -21
• 31. Fenerbahce: -18
• 30. Porto: -18
• 29. Slovan Bratislava: -17
• 28. Viking: -16

VfB Stuttgart have the easiest schedule, notably 12 points ahead of Inter Milan at 35th. Even so, they face tough sides like Italian champions Inter, Atletico Madrid, and Galatasaray. Real Madrid sit third easiest with an opponent rating on par with Shakhtar Donetsk, who must play all games away due to their arrangement with Chelsea.

LASK, Fenerbahce, and Porto also enjoy relatively smooth fixtures. Meanwhile, Slovak champions Slovan Bratislava and newcomers Viking hope their draws help them make history.

Moderate Difficulty (Ranks 27-19)

• 27. Real Betis: -14
• 26. AEK Athens: -10
• 25. Liverpool: -9
• 24. Barcelona: -9
• 23. Roma: -8
• 22. PSV: -6
• 21. RB Leipzig: -2
• 20. Borussia Dortmund: -1
• 19. Sporting CP: 0

Both Real Betis and AEK Athens sit on the easier side of this range. Liverpool have the simplest run among English clubs, easing new manager Andoni Iraola into the competition. Barcelona shares Liverpool’s average opponent rating, while Roma and PSV face slightly tougher challenges.

Borussia Dortmund, after fading since their 2024 Wembley final appearance, encounter only two teams rated higher than themselves, giving them a chance to move forward comfortably. Sporting CP sits right in the middle, facing both Manchester clubs and Barcelona but balanced out by matches against RC Lens and LASK.

Tougher Challenges (Ranks 18-10)

• 18. Lille: +3
• 17. Napoli: +3
• 16. Aston Villa: +5
• 15. Galatasaray: +7
• 14. Arsenal: +7
• 13. Feyenoord: +11
• 12. Villarreal: +11
• 11. Bayern Munich: +11
• 10. Paris Saint-Germain: +12

Lille and Napoli share an average opponent rating of +3, while returning Europa League champions Aston Villa face a difficult path after a poor transfer window and rough season start. Galatasaray and Arsenal both have a +7 rating, with Arsenal hoping to build on their recent trophy success under Mikel Arteta.

Bayern Munich and holders PSG have challenging schedules including clashes with Spanish, Turkish, and Slovak champions as well as trips to Manchester City, Aston Villa, and surprise package Como.

Hardest Fixtures (Ranks 9-1)

• 9. Slavia Prague: +12
• 8. Atletico Madrid: +13
• 7. Bodo/Glimt: +13
• 6. Manchester United: +16
• 5. Como: +25
• 4. Club Brugge: +26
• 3. RC Lens: +33
• 2. Manchester City: +39
• 1. Sabah: +42

Slavia Prague rely on their passionate home crowd to face one of the toughest sets of fixtures, while Atletico Madrid under Diego Simeone can never be counted out, especially after their strong run last season.

Bodo/Glimt, who stunned many last season, now confront a much harder schedule. Manchester United, Como, and Club Brugge may struggle due to limited recent Champions League experience. RC Lens ranks third hardest, followed by Manchester City in second place, facing a demanding campaign.

The team with the most difficult run is Azerbaijani debutants Sabah, founded just nine years ago, likely facing a near impossible task against top European sides.