The season
The 2014/15 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 18 countries took part, and Barcelona won it, beating Juventus in the final.
By our squad ratings, FC Barcelona had the strongest squad in the field, with a best eleven averaging 89. The champions were also the favourites on paper, and they delivered. Their opponents in the final, Juventus, rated 87.
England, Germany and Spain sent the most clubs, 4 each. 11 of the 18 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 BarcelonaSpain89
- 2FC Bayern MunichGermany88
- 3Real MadridSpain88
- 4ArsenalEngland87
- 5ChelseaEngland87
- 6JuventusItaly87
- 7Manchester CityEngland87
- 8Paris Saint-GermainFrance86
The best players in the field
- 1Andrés IniestaFC Barcelona · CDM91
- 2Lionel MessiFC Barcelona · ST91
- 3Philipp LahmFC Bayern Munich · RB91
- 4Arjen RobbenFC Bayern Munich · CAM90
- 5Daniel AlvesFC Barcelona · LB90
- 6Lukas PodolskiArsenal · CDM90
- 7Manuel NeuerFC Bayern Munich · GK90
- 8 PepeReal Madrid · CB89
- 9Cesc FàbregasChelsea · CM89
- 10David LuizParis Saint-Germain · CB89
The groups
Replay 2014/15 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.