Supercomputer Predicts 2025-26 Champions League Winner As Last 16 Teams Set

"Arsenal are expected to upset the apple cart this season. The Gunners may never have won the competition and have seen their mentality questioned with each passing week back in the Premier League. But they have been imperious on the continent thus far this season. Mikel Arteta's side topped the league phase table with a perfect record of eight wins from eight without trailing for a single second."

"Bayern Munich's only blemish in European competition this term was a reverse at the Emirates Stadium in November yet they remain a formidable foe. Vincent Kompany is able to call upon one of the most prolific players in the competition, Harry Kane, and the Champions League's leading assist provider, Michael Olise. No wonder their stock is high."

"Intriguingly, the Premier League pairing of Manchester City and Liverpool are the next two most likely winners. As they demonstrated in their thrilling top-flight meeting earlier this month, both recent champions possess their own flaws which is why neither currently sit top of the domestic league table."

The Champions League represents football's most prestigious yet unpredictable competition. A supercomputer analysis predicts a new winner for the 2025-26 season, with Arsenal emerging as the primary favorite. Mikel Arteta's side achieved a perfect eight-win record in the league phase without trailing once, earning praise as the world's best team. Bayern Munich, despite their only loss at Arsenal, remain formidable with Harry Kane and Michael Olise providing prolific attacking options. Manchester City and Liverpool, recent champions with demonstrated vulnerabilities, rank as secondary contenders. The knockout format's inherent unpredictability makes definitive predictions challenging, yet statistical analysis suggests Arsenal's continental dominance positions them as the competition's most likely winners.

Read at SI