The season
The 2018/19 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 15 countries took part, and Liverpool won it, beating Tottenham Hotspur in the final.
By our squad ratings, Real Madrid had the strongest squad in the field, with a best eleven averaging 89. Liverpool had only the fourth strongest squad of 32, so their title was a genuine upset on paper. Their opponents in the final, Tottenham Hotspur, rated 86.
England, Germany, Italy and Spain sent the most clubs, 4 each. 7 of the 15 nations in the field had a single representative.
The highest-rated player in the competition, by our estimates, was Neymar of Paris Saint-Germain, a CDM rated 90.
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.
- 1Real MadridSpain89
- 2FC BarcelonaSpain88
- 3FC Bayern MunichGermany88
- 4LiverpoolEngland87
- 5Manchester CityEngland87
- 6Manchester UnitedEngland87
- 7JuventusItaly86
- 8Paris Saint-GermainFrance86
The best players in the field
- 1 NeymarParis Saint-Germain · CDM90
- 2Gareth BaleReal Madrid · CDM90
- 3James RodríguezFC Bayern Munich · CDM90
- 4James RodríguezReal Madrid · CDM90
- 5Jérôme BoatengFC Bayern Munich · CB90
- 6Jordi AlbaFC Barcelona · LB90
- 7Kevin De BruyneManchester City · LM90
- 8Lionel MessiFC Barcelona · ST90
- 9Marcelo VieiraReal Madrid · LB90
- 10Thomas MüllerFC Bayern Munich · CAM90
The groups
Replay 2018/19 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.