Is it possible that the top 16 of the Champions League this season will set a historical record for the number of teams in a single league?

Isn’t it a bit difficult to pronounce? It doesn’t matter, let’s break it down piece by piece.

More than halfway through the first stage of the Champions League this season, although the final ranking cannot be determined yet, generally speaking, the state of each team and their trend in the last four rounds have actually already had a rough outline. For downtrodden giants like Benfica and Ajax, four consecutive defeats have made it difficult for them to turn around. Perhaps for them, the most practical goal is not to advance, but to score as many points as possible, and not lose too ugly, ranking lower than some fish belly. Bayern and Arsenal are making great progress. To a certain extent, their direct confrontation in the next round can be called an early final. In fact, Bayern's strength is easy to understand. After all, after one or two years of trough, the South King is bound to recover. The Bundesliga puts too little pressure on them, so they can kill everyone in the Champions League. But Arsenal is not only at the top of the Premier League rankings in a fiercely competitive Premier League, but also has the energy to advance in the Champions League. This state is really enviable. It can only be said that the overall competitiveness of teams trained in the Premier League is strong. In fact, it’s not just Arsenal. Look at Manchester City. After a small setback, they have also established a foothold in the top three of the Premier League and are also ranked fourth in the Champions League. Liverpool have been criticized for their fluctuating form during this period, but they were only upset by Galatasaray in the Champions League. After losing, they were ranked eighth. This result was maintained until the end, and they could be directly shortlisted for the top 16. There are many details that no one will care about unless you mention them, but once you mention them, people will be shocked. After the four rounds of the first stage of the Champions League, four of the top eight teams are from the Premier League, accounting for half of the country. In addition to the three teams mentioned earlier, there is also Newcastle United in sixth place.

Is this scene familiar? Since the 21st century, especially in the first ten years, there have been several situations where Premier League teams have occupied four of the top eight spots in the Champions League. Of course, that was the quarter-finals stage, not comparable to the current first preliminary stage. But from the current situation, we can also get a glimpse of the trend in the future stages. Previously, a league had a maximum of 4 participating teams, and in extreme cases, 5. But now, with the expansion and restructuring of the Champions League, leagues with high European points have 5 places, plus the seats for the Europa League champions, so now a league can have up to 6 teams participating in the Champions League. For example, this season’s Premier League. The scary thing about the Premier League is that the six teams they sent, even if they are recognized as weak among the top teams, are not here to make up the numbers. For example, Tottenham, as the Europa League champion last season, was close to the relegation zone in the league, but what is their performance after four rounds of the Champions League this season? 2 wins and 2 draws to remain unbeaten. With such stability, it may be difficult to make the top eight, but grabbing a play-off spot is not a big problem. Among the 6 teams in the Premier League, Chelsea, the worst ranked team in the Champions League, is also ranked 12th. And with the strength of the new Club World Cup champions, I can't imagine that they will be snatched away from the play-off spots by some team in the next four rounds. Chelsea can even hit the top eight and be directly shortlisted for the top 16. Therefore, there is a possibility for the top 16 of the Champions League this season - among the 16 teams, 6 are from the same league, that is, the Premier League. This is a situation that has never happened in the history of the Champions League. Of course, there will be changes in the next four rounds, and a Premier League civil war in the play-offs cannot be ruled out. But I have to say that it is possible for the six teams to gather in the top 16. Looking at the current European football world, Real Madrid, Barcelona, ​​Bayern and PSG are too outstanding, but it is actually difficult for them to fully represent the overall level of their respective leagues. Look at how Villarreal, Athletic Bilbao, Atalanta, Leverkusen, Frankfurt, and even Atletico Madrid rank in the Champions League now? This is the truth about La Liga, Bundesliga and Serie A. Only in the Premier League, the teams that come to participate are indeed strong enough in strength and performance. Even if 6 teams reach the top 16 together, it is normal and reasonable. Let's see if this scene will happen.