Liverpool won the tournament in 2019 but don’t have much hope of finding it this time around
Injury and loss of form have combined to make it a miserable campaign for Liverpool on the domestic front, but they remain in a decent position when it comes to the Champions League.
Jurgen Klopp saw his side’s title defense crumble, with 22 points between them and leaders Manchester City.
In Europe, however, they scored a commendable 2-0 away home victory in the first leg of their eighth game against RB Leipzig.
With progress to the quarter-finals looking likely, Klopp would be entitled to feel optimistic about the end of this disappointing season in style.
US data analysts FiveThirtyEight are less optimistic.
The analytics company, created by top statistician Nate Silver, has released its latest ‘club football predictions’, and they are making Pep Guardiola’s men the favorites to win the Champions League.
City’s chances of winning the tournament are 40%, four times Liverpool’s 10%.
The Anfield team are ranked third on the list, with Bayern Munich in second with 13%.
Liverpool have a 93% chance of reaching the last eight, 48% chance of qualifying for the semi-finals and 23% chance of making it to the final.
City also won 2-0 in Germany last week, beating Borussia Mönchengladbach in their first leg.
Their chances of taking the next step are considered to be greater than 99%. From there, it’s 77% to make the semi-finals and 58% to reach the final.
There is more cheering news for City fans when it comes to statistics predicting this season’s Premier League winners.
City, who hold a 15-point gap at the top of the EPL, have a more than 99% chance for glory, while sixth-place Liverpool and second-placed Manchester United are within 1%.
In other news, ‘Generous player’: Ian Wright says Arsenal have another Paul Gascoigne on their hands
