Champions League winner revealed by supercomputer simulation

The Champions League returns this week, as the knockout stages get started with Arsenal and Manchester City still in the competition from UK.

But you don't need to watch it, because someone has crunched the numbers and worked out who will win.

Football stats platform Opta has simulated the knockout stages of the Champions League 10,000 times to work out what's going to happen. And no prizes for guessing who is most likely to come out on top.

Manchester City are overwhelming favourites to win the tournament winning 32.1 per cent of the fictional tournaments run by Opta's model.

They are followed by Real Madrid, with 15.4 per cent of the wins, Inter Milan with 11.6 per cent and Bayern Munich with 10.1 per cent.

Arsenal fans can take some heart from the fact they came out on top 8.4 per cent of the time, making them fifth favourites to take home the famous trophy.

But City are clear top dogs. And with both Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland returning to the team in recent weeks, their chances are only going to get better.

The Belgian maestro De Bruyne has already had a devastating effect on the Premier League games he has played in since returning from injury, notching an assist in three straight matches.

Haaland, meanwhile, has had a quieter season than his debut for City, with 16 goals in 18 matches – still a remarkable record most other strikers would be jealous of.

Real Madrid have their own secret weapon in Jude Bellingham, who has set the Spanish league alight this year with a succession of game changing performances.

With Brazilian Vinicius Jr and Bellingham, two of the best players in the world right now, combined with Carlo Ancelotti at the helm, the most decorated manager in the competition's history, they have every chance of going all the way.

Inter Milan made it to the final last year, while a rejuvenated Arsenal have one of the best wingers in the world in Bukayo Saka.

As for Bayern Munich? Harry Kane has scored an incredible 24 goals in 21 matches for them.

For all City's dominance, this year's competition looks set to be another dramatic affair.

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