The group stage of the Champions League is a difficult process for clubs to navigate, as the regular occurrence of midweek games over the next three months will test the overall depth and ability of the remaining 32 clubs. The fact that these teams are not always particularly familiar with one another plays a role in the outcome of these games, and often a team's chances of advancing into the knockout stages depend on its overall talent level along with an ability to earn results away from home.
The ranking of the top 32 Champions League teams below is based on that overall talent. Even though the configuration of certain groups, like Group E (Bayern Munich, Manchester City, Roma, CSKA Moscow), make it difficult for the best talent to advance, it should not take away from the strength that team will exhibit over the course of the year.
Here are the top 32 Champions League teams for the 2014-15 campaign:
1. Barcelona - Despite defensive concerns, the team has yet to concede a goal in its three domestic wins. The back line, commanded by Javier Mascherano and newcomer Jeremy Mathieu, has conceded just two total shots on target, while in the attack Lionel Messi and Neymar lead the team with two goals each. It remains to be seen if Barcelona can avoid the midseason dip in form that led to a quarterfinal exit in the 2013-14 Champions League, but a strong start has it at the top of the rankings. The future addition of a rested Luis Suarez should make Barcelona even more dangerous.