We've reached the halfway point of the league phase of this season's Champions League and the table is really starting to take shape now. What really jumps out is that there are four Premier League teams in the top eight, while Tottenham are 10th and Chelsea 12th, sparking a debate over whether English clubs are going to dominate this season's tournament.
Of course, reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain will have something to say about that – as will record-breaking Bayern Munich, who sent a message to all of their continental rivals by winning at Parc des Princes this week. Elsewhere, Inter maintained their 100 percent winning record, Galatasaray continued their impressive recovery from their shock opening-round loss at Eintracht Frankfurt, while Qarabag continue to carry the flag for the underdogs.
So, after four rounds of action, which sides are looking like potential champions? And who is staring an embarrassingly early exit in the face? GOAL ranks and rates all 36 participants in the 2025-26 Champions League below…
AFP36Ajax ⬇️
Ajax are one of the game's great clubs, a footballing institution renowned for producing top talents and winning major honours. So, for neutrals of a certain age, it's actually quite sad to see them looking so out of their depth in a tournament they've won four times. Ajax are bottom of the Champions League table having lost all four of their fixtures to date, and what's really depressing is that they were outclassed in each and every match.
Their schedule is going to get a little softer from this point on, but after being so easily beaten at home by Galatasaray on Wednesday, it's difficult to make a strong case for them turning their campaign around. Fail to beat Benfica in Amsterdam next time out and Ajax's campaign will effectively be over after five rounds – if it isn't already.
AdvertisementGetty Images Sport35Copenhagen ⬇️
Jacob Neestrup was not a happy man after Copenhagen's 4-0 loss at Tottenham on Tuesday – and it wasn't so much that his side were beaten, but the way in which they were beaten. The Danes defended dreadfully from start to finish – even when facing 10 men – while they also failed dismally to create any clear-cut chances. "It was bad," Neestrup bluntly admitted. "Losing to a better team is one thing, but this is not the level we are used to."
On the plus side, Copenhagen have a glorious opportunity to pick up their first win at home to Kairat on matchday five, though qualification is now a distant dream for a team that will then tackle Villarreal (away), Napoli (home) and Barcelona (away).
AFP34Benfica ⬇️
Jose Mourinho cut a very frustrated figure after Benfica's damaging 1-0 loss at home to Bayer Leverkusen. "The better team lost," according to 'The Special One', and he was probably right, as the Eagles failed to even score – let alone win – despite having 21 attempts on goal. "We hit the post, we hit the 'keeper, we missed chances, we wanted to dribble past the goalkeeper when the goal was open," Mourinho lamented.
The Portuguese still believes Benfica can at least make the play-off round despite still being point-less after four games – but given they still have to play Napoli, Juventus and Real Madrid, that looks like wishful thinking on his part. Unfortunately for Mourinho, he appears to have lost his Midas touch in continental competition.
Getty Images Sport33Kairat Almaty ⬆️
Kairat Almaty coach Rafael Urazbakhtin thanked his players for their efforts at San Siro on Wednesday – and rightly so. The Kazakhstani side were outstanding in their 2-1 loss at Inter and, at one point in the second half, it actually looked like they might pull off a famous draw. "The team followed the plan," a very proud Urazbakhtin said. "But, we played against a great rival, finalists last season, and, against such a team, it's normal to make mistakes. But it's a game that makes us grow and look positively to the future."
Given they've still only one point, Kairat remain rank outsiders to reach the knockout stage. However, their performance in Milan will at least give them a bit of belief going into their crucial run of matches against Copenhagen, Olympiacos and Club Brugge.
