The season
The 2012/13 competition used the format we call “eight groups, then knockouts”. Eight groups of four, then two-legged knockout rounds from the last sixteen. 32 clubs from 17 countries took part, and Bayern Munich won it, beating Borussia Dortmund in the final.
By our squad ratings, FC Barcelona had the strongest squad in the field, with a best eleven averaging 88. Bayern Munich had only the fifth strongest squad of 32, so their title was a genuine upset on paper. Their opponents in the final, Borussia Dortmund, rated 83.
England and Spain sent the most clubs, 4 each. 9 of the 17 nations in the field had a single representative.
The highest-rated player in the competition, by our estimates, was Andrés Iniesta of FC Barcelona, a CDM rated 91.
Thirty-two clubs played eight groups of four, home and away. The top two from each group went into the round of sixteen, and from there every tie was played over two legs until the single-match final. Ties level on aggregate were decided by away goals, then extra time and penalties.
The strongest squads
Our rating for each club is the average of its best eleven players that season, on the scale the game uses.
- 1FC BarcelonaSpain88
- 2Real MadridSpain88
- 3ArsenalEngland87
- 4ChelseaEngland87
- 5FC Bayern MunichGermany87
- 6Manchester UnitedEngland87
- 7JuventusItaly86
- 8Manchester CityEngland86
The best players in the field
- 1Andrés IniestaFC Barcelona · CDM91
- 2Philipp LahmFC Bayern Munich · RB91
- 3 KakáReal Madrid · CAM90
- 4Arjen RobbenFC Bayern Munich · CAM90
- 5Daniel AlvesFC Barcelona · LB90
- 6Franck RibéryFC Bayern Munich · CDM90
- 7Iker CasillasReal Madrid · GK90
- 8Lukas PodolskiArsenal · CDM90
- 9Nemanja VidićManchester United · CB90
- 10Zlatan IbrahimovićParis Saint-Germain · LW90
The groups
Replay 2012/13 in Magic Nights
In Magic Nights you can take charge of any of these 32 clubs, with the squad they had that season, and play the competition in this exact format. Win it with the favourites, or try the hardest job in the game: lifting the trophy with a club from the bottom half of the field.