The 2023/24 Champions League last 16 teams - ranked

After a winter that lasted what felt like an eternity, the Champions League resumes this week with the beginning of the knockout stages.

The remaining 16 teams will be boosted by the fact some of Europe's best sides, such as Premier League leaders Liverpool and Bundesliga favourites Bayer Leverkusen, are actually stuck in this year's Europa League.

But as you're quickly going to discover, that's not so much of an advantage for these sides, with the race to the bottom perhaps a little more interesting than that to the top.

Which side will go all the way and become kings of Europe? Who is going to vomit all over themselves and stumble out the exit door quickest?

Here are the last 16 teams of this year's Champions League, ranked by their likelihood to win it.

16. Copenhagen

Last 16 opponent: Manchester City
Strength: It's still really cold in Copenhagen
Weakness: It's always really cold in Manchester

This is probably the end of the road for valiant Danish champions Copenhagen, who did well to emerge from a group which contained Bayern Munich, Manchester United and Galatasaray.

15. Napoli

Last 16 opponent: Barcelona
Strength: Champions of Serie A
Weakness: Currently ninth in Serie A

We perhaps should have foreseen that the only natural way for Napoli to follow up on their Scudetto-winning campaign was to put in the worst defence of the Scudetto the world has ever seen.

What is he like, that Aurelio De Laurentiis?

14. Porto

Last 16 opponent: Arsenal
Strength: A lovely city, truly gorgeous, same goes for the stadium
Weakness: I've never seen architecture win a football match

Well Porto, you weren't that fancied in 2004 when you went on to win the Champions League. Maybe your luck will be in again.

13. Lazio

Last 16 opponent: Bayern Munich
Strength: Maurizio Sarri has a winners' medal in Europe
Weakness: This isn't the Europa League

Every time Lazio do qualify for the Champions League, it feels like it's their destiny to get knocked out at the round of 16 stage by Bayern Munich.

12. Real Sociedad

Last 16 opponent: Paris Saint-Germain
Strength: Name translates to 'Royal Society', that's got to mean something
Weakness: It does not, in fact, 'mean something'

Real Sociedad's reward for topping a Champions League group featuring runners-up Inter is a tie with Paris Saint-Germain. Seems fair.

11. PSV Eindhoven

Last 16 opponent: Borussia Dortmund
Strength: 10 points clear atop the Eredivisie
Weakness: Why should I care about that when we're talking about the Champions League?

The silver lining for PSV if they lose to a so-so Borussia Dortmund is it'll show to the world just how awful rivals Ajax are, considering they are 24 points off the pace in the Eredivisie.

10. RB Leipzig

Last 16 opponent: Real Madrid
Strength: Infinite supply of Red Bull
Weakness: Wings won't save them from their Champions League draws this season

Faced Manchester City in the group stage, drawn with Real Madrid in the last 16. It's a tough life for RB Leipzig.

9. Barcelona

Last 16 opponent: Napoli
Strength: Their last 16 opponent
Weakness: The likely strength of a quarter-final opponent

Barcelona are in complete shambles. If they weren't facing a team in even more shambles, they'd be staring down the barrel of another early Champions League exit.

8. Borussia Dortmund

Last 16 opponent: PSV Eindhoven
Strength: Their group of death antics
Weakness: Their most recent knockout stage antics

Coming top of a group featuring PSG, Newcastle United and Milan is all well and good, but being knocked out by Graham Potter's Chelsea at this stage last year still lingers in the memory when discussing Borussia Dortmund's chances.

7. Atletico Madrid

Last 16 opponent: Inter
Strength: Knockout pedigree
Weakness: Go look at their alarming and sudden dip in form

The 'Custody of Diego Simeone ladder match' could conceivably be fought with real ladders and as if it were in the actual WWE. Let's roll out Jim Ross onto commentary.

6. Bayern Munich

Last 16 opponent: Lazio
Strength: Boatloads of talent
Weakness: Thomas Tuchel seemingly doesn't know what to do with it

All is not well at Bayern Munich, who would have been in the top three of these rankings back in December upon conclusion of the group stage.

For example, Thomas Tuchel would prefer to use Eric Dier instead of Matthijs de Ligt. What's that all about?

5. Paris Saint-Germain

Last 16 opponent: Real Sociedad
Strength: Kylian Mbappe's farewell tour
Weakness: That went well last time in 2022

If Kylian Mbappe is to win his hometown PSG their first Champions League, this is probably his last chance. And boy is he going to need to go on a one-man mission in order to do so.

4. Arsenal

Last 16 opponent: Porto
Strength: History
Weakness: History

Arsenal's last victory in the Champions League last 16 came against Porto in 2010. There's your narrative for waltzing through this time.

But Mikel Arteta's Gunners have little European pedigree since he became manager. They actively tried to win last year's Europa League tie against Sporting CP but found a way to lose anyway.

3. Inter

Last 16 opponent: Atletico Madrid
Strength: Finishing second in last year's Champions League
Weakness: Somehow they've dropped a place in the rankings, then

On paper, Inter aren't the strongest team and certainly don't have the most talent. But their run to last season's final will serve them well, with Simone Inzaghi proving to be one of the world's leading coaches.

2. Real Madrid

Last 16 opponent: RB Leipzig
Strength: The aura of Jude Bellingham
Weakness: He could miss both legs with an ankle injury, let's work on some tactics lads

Whether it's this season or in years to come, Real Madrid are going to rip off another run of successive Champions League titles with their young core and the likely addition of Mbappe from this summer. It's inevitable.

1. Manchester City

Last 16 opponent: Copenhagen
Strength: They are literally the champions of the world
Weakness: The threat of 'typical City'

Manchester City are the favourites to win the Champions League until they are knocked out of it. Simple as that.

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