POWER RANKED: All 32 teams in the Champions League after the competition's opening day

32. FC Sheriff

20/21 finish: Did not feature

Winners odds: 2000/1

One thing to know: Adama Traoré, who joined Sheriff in February, played a crucial role in the club's qualification to the Champions League group stages.

The Malian was the club's top scorer in the qualifying phase and has netted four goals in eight games including two as part of a 3-0 win against Dinamo Zagreb.

He also scored on the opening night in Sheriff's 2-0 win over Shakhtar Donetsk.

31. Club Brugge

20/21 finish: Finished third in Group F

Winners odds: 1500/1

One thing to know: No player has assisted more goals in the Belgian First Division this year than Brugge winger Noa Lang.

The 22-year-old has been on hand to provide four assists so far, which is the joint highest in the league.

On the opening day, Brugge held giants Paris Saint-Germain to a 1-1 draw.

30. Dynamo Kyiv

20/21 finish: Finished third in Group G

Winners odds: 1500/1

One thing to know: Dynamo Kyiv won its first European title in 1975 with the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup.

The Ukrainian side played out a 0-0 draw with Porto on the opening day.

29. Malmo

20/21 finish: Did not feature

Winners odds: 1000/1

One thing to know: Having started his senior career at Nottingham Forest, Swedish center back Anel Ahmedhodzic returned to his hometown club Malmo in 2019 and has missed just three league games so far.

The highly rated 22-year-old, who is on the radar of the likes of Manchester United, featured heavily in Malmo's qualifying campaign, helping his side navigate past the likes of Rangers to reach the group stages.

A 3-0 defeat to Juventus in the opening round was likely a sign of things to come in a group that also features holders Chelsea, and Russian champions Zenit St. Petersburg.

28. Besiktas

20/21 finish: Knocked out in the qualifying rounds

Winners odds: 1000/1

One thing to know: The club's record appearance holder is Rıza Çalımbay who played 602 games for the club between 1980 and 1996. 

Çalımbay is now the manager of Turkish club Sivasspor.

The Turkish side lost 2-1 to Erling Haaland's Dortmund in its first match of the 2021 tournament.

27. Shakhtar Donetsk

20/21 finish: Did not feature

Winners odds: 1000/1

One thing to know: The club has not played at its home ground, the Donbass Arena, since 2014 due to the ongoing conflict in the east of Ukraine.

As a result, the team plays its matches at the Olimpiyskiy National Sports Complex in Kyiv.

On opening night, the men in orange and black were humbled by minnows Sheriff.

26. Sporting Lisbon

20/21 finish: Did not feature

Winners odds: 1000/1

One thing to know: Sporting Lisbon has won the Primera Liga 19 times, the third most in history behind Benfica and Porto, winning for the first time in 20 years last season.

The Portuguese champions were on the end of a heavy defeat in the opening week, however, losing 5-1 to Dutch league winners Ajax.

 

25. Zenit St Petersburg

20/21 finish: Finished fourth in Group F

Winners odds: 500/1

One thing to know: Zenit first qualified for the Champions League in 2008, but has never made it past the round of 16.

On Tuesday, the side lost 1-0 away to Chelsea in London.

24. Salzburg

20/21 finish: Finished third in Group A

Winners odds: 250/1

One thing to know: Salzburg has started the season in perfect form having won all seven of its opening games. During that time, the team has scored a league high of 19 goals and conceded a league low of four.

Salzburg drew 1-1 with Sevilla on the opening day after an eventful match which included four penalties in the first half.

23. Young Boys

20/21 finish: Knocked out in the qualifying rounds

Winners odds: 250/1

One thing to know: The team is named Young Boys in response to the Basel club Old Boys and was founded in 1898 by high school students Max Schwab, Hermann Bauer, Franz Kehrli and Oskar Schwab.

A last-gasp goal from Theoson-Jordan Siebatcheu gave Young Boys a 2-1 win against Manchester United in the first game of the season.

22. Benfica

20/21 finish: Knocked out in the qualifying rounds

Winners odds: 200/1

One thing to know: One of the greatest players of all time, Eusébio, played 301 times for Benfica and scored 317 goals.

Nicknamed the Black Panther, Eusébio died in 2014 at the age of 71.

Benfica drew 0-0 on opening day, but face an uphill battle to make the last 16 with both Bayern and Barcelona in the same group.

21. Villarreal

20/21 finish: Did not feature

Winners odds: 200/1

One thing to know: Owing to its yellow jerseys, the club is nicknamed the Yellow Submarine and up until 2001, the side's anthem was the song by the Beatles.

Villarreal drew 2-2 with Italy's Atalanta on matchday one.

20. Lille

20/21 finish: Did not feature

Winners odds: 150/1

One thing to know: Lille has won Ligue 1 twice in the past 10 years but before that, the club had gone 57 years without winning the title.

The French sided kicked of the Champions League this season with a boring 0-0 with Wolfsburg of Germany.

19. Porto

20/21 finish: Quarterfinals (Knocked out by Chelsea)

Winners odds: 100/1

One thing to know: Porto defender Pepe once said he had no desire to play football anymore having given away a late penalty and got himself sent off during Real Madrid's defeat against Getafe.

Porto drew 0-0 with Diego Simeone's Spanish champion Atletico Madrid this week.

18. Wolfsburg

20/21 finish: Did not feature

Winners odds: 100/1

One thing to know: When the club first formed in 1945, the coach had 10 green jerseys and bed sheets donated by the public were sewn together to make the white shorts.

 

17. RB Leipzig

20/21 finish: Round of 16 (Knocked out by Liverpool)

Winners odds: 100/1

One thing to know: Since joining Leipzig from Manchester City in 2020, Spanish full back Angeliño has become a key member of the German team.

In 26 league games last season, he scored four goals and registered six assists.

Leipzig's campaign got off to a shaky start, losing 6-3 to Pep Guardiola's Manchester City.

16. AC Milan

20/21 finish: Did not feature

Winners odds: 100/1

One thing to know: AC Milan is one of the most successful teams in Champions League history having won the tournament seven times but before this season, the Italian giant had gone seven years without qualifying.

In a replay of 2005 final, Milan lost to Liverpool on the opening day, going down 3-2.

15. Sevilla

20/21 finish: Round of 16 (Knocked out by Borussia Dortmund)

Winners odds: 66/1

One thing to know: Since swapping Tottenham for Sevilla, Erik Lamela has hit rich goal scoring form. In his three appearances, all from the bench, he has scored three goals including two during his debut against Rayo Vallecano.

Famed for success in the second tier Europa League, a 1-1 draw started Sevilla's campaign in the Champions League this year.

14. Ajax

20/21 finish: Finished third in Group D

Winners odds: 66/1

One thing to know: Ajax has won four European Cups with its last success coming back in 1995.

A thumping 5-1 win, featuring four goals from Sebastian Haller, opened Ajax's account for 2021.

13. Inter Milan

20/21 finish: Finished fourth in Group B

Winners odds: 66/1

One thing to know: Inter's title win last season was the club's first for 11 years. It has won a total of 19, the second best in history behind Juventus.

Inter, now without last season's star, Romelu Lukaku, lost a tight game to Real Madrid on opening day.

12. Atalanta

20/21 finish: Round of 16 (Knocked out by Real Madrid)

Winners odds: 50/1

One thing to know: In the club's first ever appearance in the competition, Atalanta reached the quarterfinals before being knocked out by PSG in 2020.

In that season, one of its matches against Valencia, was widely credited as helping rapidly increase the spread of the coronavirus in Europe.

11. Borussia Dortmund

20/21 finish: Quarterfinals (Knocked out by Manchester City)

Winners odds: 33/1

One thing to know: Dortmund reached the final in 2013 under the management of Jurgen Klopp but was defeated by bitter rival Bayern Munich. 

Dutch winger Arjen Robben scored the winner in the 89th minute to break Dortmund hearts.

10. Barcelona

20/21 finish: Round of 16 (Knocked out by PSG)

Winners odds: 33/1

One thing to know: Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman was the club's hero in 1992 when he scored the winner during the European Cup final. With the score tied at 0-0, the game between Barcelona and Sampdoria went into extra time and looked like it was heading for penalties.

Then, in the 112th minute, Koeman struck a free kick into the net and won the game for the Spanish side.

In its first Champions League game without Messi in over a decade, Barca fell 3-0 to 2020 champion Bayern Munich.

9. Atlético Madrid

20/21 finish: Round of 16 (Knocked out by Chelsea)

Winners odds: 28/1

One thing to know: Diego Simeone is the longest serving manager in Europe's top five leagues having been at Atlético since 2011.

Before becoming the manager, Simeone played for the Madrid club between 1994 and 1997 and then again between 2003 and 2005.

8. Juventus

20/21 finish: Round of 16 (Knocked out by Porto)

Winners odds: 25/1

One thing to know: Manager Massimiliano Allegri has returned to the club after a two-year break. In his first stint, the 54-year-old Italian won five consecutive Serie A titles

7. Real Madrid

20/21 finish: Semifinals (Knocked out by Chelsea)

Winners odds: 14/1

One thing to know: Madrid is the most decorated club in the history of the competition. When the European Cup first started in 1956, the Spanish giant won the trophy five years in a row.

In the first final, Madrid came from behind to beat Stade de Reims thanks to goals from Alfredo Di Stéfano, Marquitos and two goals from Héctor Rial.

6. Manchester United

20/21 finish: Finish third in Group H

Winners odds: 12/1

One thing to know: Manchester United has won the Champions League three times but has not reached a final since 2011.

Sir Alex Ferguson's team were roundly defeated 3-1 by Pep Guardiola's Barcelona. After the match, the United manager said the Spanish side was the best he had ever faced.

Even with the return of Cristiano Ronaldo, United lost in dramatic fashion to Young Boys in Switzerland on the first day of matches.

5. Liverpool

20/21 finish: Quarterfinals (knocked out by Real Madrid)

Winners odds: 8/1

One thing to know: Virgil van Dijk's return from injury will have manager Jurgen Klopp hoping his side can recapture the form that led to the Premier League title in 2020 but another player crucial to that is Mohamed Salah.

At the weekend, he scored his 100th Premier League goal and only Cristiano Ronaldo scored more Champions League goals than Salah during the 2017–18 season.

4. Chelsea

20/21 finish: Winners

Winners odds: 13/2

One thing to know: Romelu Lukaku made a big money move back to Stamford Bridge in the summer having left the club in 2014.

The Belgian returns as a different player and one that Chelsea needed.

At Inter Milan, he excelled, scoring 47 goals in 72 appearances, and it is this kind of clinical finishing in front of goal that coach Thomas Tuchel will be eager to see more of.

3. Bayern Munich

20/21 finish: Quarterfinals (knocked out by PSG)

Winners odds: 6/1

One thing to know: Despite reports in the summer he was looking for a new challenge elsewhere, Robert Lewandowski has stayed with the German giants and will be key if Bayern has aspirations of winning Europe's top prize.

The Polish striker's goal scoring feats broke many records during the 20/21 season including a record that had lasted for 49 years.

He broke Gerd Müller's tally of 40 goals in a single season and finished the campaign with 41 league goals.

 

2. Manchester City

20/21 finish: Final (defeated by Chelsea)

Winners odds: 7/2

One thing to know: The club is one of the biggest spenders in world football and has spent more than $1.5 billion since 2015.

The biggest signing during that time was Jack Grealish who was signed this summer from Aston Villa for $146 million.

Pep Guardiola's team scored six on the opening day, but conceded three.

1. Paris Saint-Germain

20/21 finish: Semifinals (knocked out by Manchester City)

Winners odds: 7/2

One thing to know: If Lionel Messi can't lift PSG's Champions League curse then no one can, right?

The Barcelona legend swapped Spain for France in this summer's biggest shock transfer and he may prove to be the final piece of the puzzle for PSG and its relentless pursuit of Europe's biggest competition.

Messi himself has won four Champions League trophies but has not been successful since 2015.

Even with a 1-1 draw with Club Brugge on opening day, PSG remain favorites to win in 2022.