Ranking Countries by Champions League Impact
The Champions League group stage has come to an end.
While clubs from 18 different nations entered the tournament proper, only eight of those countries (less than half) will have representatives in the Last 16.
In this feature, we look back over the competition to date and rate the represented nations on the impact of their respective participants.
Specifically, we are classing the teams based on the influence they have had on the tournament so far and have given the most weight to triumphs. BATE Borisov, for example, with their desperate defending, may have made one kind of "impact" on this tournament, but you won't find them celebrated in this list.
We have considered the number of national representatives to have progressed to the Last 16, the number of wins accumulated and also the average number of points collected by nation.
Naturally, however, nations with more representatives tend to rank higher than those with fewer participants, although consistency across a country's contribution is also important.
Falling at the First Hurdle
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All of these nations had one representative each in the Champions League. None of them managed to progress to the Last 16 and thus all fall outside our top ten.
Belgium: Anderlecht, six points, third in Group D.
Holland: AFC Ajax, five points, third in Group F.
Bulgaria: Ludogorets, four points, fourth in Group B.
Slovenia: Maribor, three points, fourth in Group G.
Sweden: Malmo FF, three points, fourth in Group A.
Belarus: BATE Borisov, three points, fourth in Group H.
Cyprus: APOEL FC, one point, fourth in Group F.
Turkey: Galatasaray, one point, fourth in Group D.
10. Russia
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Perhaps a case of “what might have been” for Russian sides in the Champions League this season.
Zenit Saint Petersburg will look at the small details and wonder how things would have turned out had they not conceded a quickfire double against Bayer Leverkusen at the Petrovsky Stadium.
Despite doing the double over Benfica, Andre Villas-Boas’ side have to content themselves with the Europa League.
CSKA Moscow, however, will look at the bigger picture.
Their talented team coped admirably in a terrifically tricky Group E. Had they not capitulated so completely against AS Roma in their opener, it might have been a different story.
They took four points from Manchester City (their win at the Etihad Stadium was one of the results of the round) and also managed a dramatic draw with Roma.
9. Greece
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Mixed sentiments for Olympiakos, one suspects.
The Greek giants will be disappointed at their failure to match last season’s round-of-16 showing, but having been drawn alongside Atletico Madrid and Juventus, they could hardly have hoped for too much more.
Home victories over both heavyweights were not followed up by resilient performances on their travels. Indeed, Thrylos were the only side against whom Malmo picked up points; three, following a victory for the Swedes in early October.
The Europa League beckons…
8. Switzerland
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Basel are an emerging force in Europe, but following their opening 5-1 defeat to Real Madrid (and Liverpool’s concurrent victory over Ludogorets) one would have been forgiven for predicting a Europa League berth for the Swiss side.
To their credit, FCB turned things around.
They largely held their own against Real in the return leg, demonstrating a tangible maturity, and nabbed four points from two fixtures against Liverpool, keeping their nerve in the Anfield decider.
They troubled Bayern Munich (briefly) in the last 16 in 2012 and a repeat might be on the cards this season.
7. Ukraine
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Ukraine’s sole representatives, Shakhtar Donetsk, will be delighted with their group-stage showing.
The Miners lost only one match—at home to Athletic—and put 12 past BATE Borisov over the course of two fixtures. Such attacking menace, alongside the considerable journey, will mean that few sides fancy a meeting with Mircea Lucescu’s outfit in the next round.
Even though they currently boast the tournament’s top scorer—nine-goal Luiz Adriano—there will be some concern at having only managed three goals in four matches against the markedly tighter defences of FC Porto and Athletic.
6. Italy
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Juventus, under Max Allegri, were hardly convincing in Group A, but subsequently managed to overcome two defeats in their first three matches to take second spot.
The Italians are not the side they once were under Antonio Conte, but in Carlos Tevez, Paul Pogba, Andrea Pirlo and Arturo Vidal, possess enough match-winners to advance beyond the next round.
For AS Roma, however, it was a different story.
Who could have guessed, after the Giallorossi’s opening demolition of CSKA Moscow, that Rudi Garcia’s side would not manage another win in their next five Champions League matches?
Not me, and a Matchday 6 defeat to Manchester City was a desperate end to a campaign that peaked far too soon!
5. Portugal
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Particularly mixed fortunes for Portugal’s Champions League trio.
One side topped their group, another had to settle for the Europa League, while a third was eliminated from European competition altogether.
Benfica are the big losers, and they will feel particularly aggrieved at having finished bottom of a fairly evenly-balanced group.
Sporting started badly—picking up only one point from their opening three matches—but their improvement lately (they managed six points from their last three games) suggests they might achieve something in the Europa League.
FC Porto deserve great credit for escaping Group H without losing a match.
They eviscerated BATE Borisov in their opener, a result which set the tone for their subsequent outings. They were worryingly troubled away in Ukraine, but demonstrated both resolve and attacking flair in their other fixtures.
4. England
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Even though three of the Premier League’s four representatives progressed to the last 16, one could argue that only one side—Chelsea—truly impressed.
The Pensioners comfortably advanced from Group G and remain one of only three teams in the competition not to have lost a game.
Arsenal can be happy with their return, although defensive flimsiness against Anderlecht—notably—raised concerns at Ashburton Grove. Few will back the Gunners to beat too many of the group winners in the next round.
An impressive late rally against AS Roma rather masked another laboured group-stage showing by the Manchester City, although they will fancy their chances in the last 16 with Yaya Toure and Sergio Aguero back.
The less said about Liverpool the better. They were the stain on the underpants of the EPL’s group-stage representation and will be devastated with their return of one victory. Ultimately, Brendan Rodgers will have to settle for the Europa League.
English teams averaged ten points, although the Reds’ five brought the average down considerably.
3. France
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France were one of only two nations with multiple teams in the tournament whose clubs had a 100 percent success rate of progressing to the last 16.
Paris Saint-Germain laid down their credentials by advancing from Group F alongside Barcelona. The capital club defeated the Catalonians at the Parc des Princes but lost the dead rubber back at the Camp Nou.
AS Monaco, meanwhile, were arguably the surprise of the group stage.
The optimism of last season has steadily dripped away along with the side’s top stars, but those who remained—underpinned by a superb defence—progressed ahead of Zenit Saint Petersburg and Benfica.
No team conceded fewer than the club of the principality, although it remains to be seen whether Leonardo Jardim’s side can progress past the last 16.
2. Germany
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Impressive consistency from Germany, as all four of their representatives progressed to the last 16.
Bayer Leverkusen and Schalke 04 qualified behind AS Monaco and Chelsea, while Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich topped their respective pools.
The former impressed in the way they managed to banish their Bundesliga troubles from continental competition, while the ease with which Bayern negotiated the Group of Death has sent an ominous warning to the rest of the continent.
A cumulative six defeats and an average points tally of 11.5 puts them second place in this ranking.
1. Spain
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Three of Spain’s four-strong contingent will be delighted by their showing in the Champions League group stage.
Reigning champions Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid all topped their respective groups, losing only two matches between them (Barcelona’s loss away in Paris and Atletico’s opening defeat to Olympiakos).
It's worth noting as well that Madrid, as a team, and Barcelona, as individuals, both broke long-standing records during the group stage.
Athletic let the nation down and ultimately had to settle for the Europa League. They picked up only one point from home fixtures with Shakhtar Donetsk and FC Porto and will regret being defeated away against BATE Borisov on Matchday 2.
Nonetheless, Spain’s quartet averaged 13.25 points from their group-stage campaigns and top our impact ranking.
