And then there were 16. The Champions League group stage finished on Wednesday, eliminating 16 of the 32 entrants in the tournament. Here is how the remaining sides rank from worst to first.
16. Zenit St. Petersburg
The Russian side has the likes of Hulk leading the way, but it is hard to imagine this team making a deep run after struggling in a group that included Porto, Austria Vienna and Atletico Madrid; Zenit finished with six points, the worst of any second place side in the group.
15. Olympiacos
The Greek side finished with 10 points in another weak group that included Paris Saint-Germain, Benfica and Anderlecht. Olympiacos is only through because Porto failed to pick up a victory against the Greek side. Olympiacos was poor against top side Paris Saint-Germain in the group stage and will have to face a tougher opponent moving forward.
14. Schalke 04
Having four German sides in the round of 16 is wonderful, but one of them is extremely mediocre. Schalke was placed into a rather easy group that featured a struggling Chelsea team, Basel and Steaua Bucharest. The German side finished with 10 points but only managed six goals for and six goals against in six matches. The team was also slaughtered 3-0 in two straight games against Chelsea.
13. AC Milan
The Italian side salvaged the Serie A from having no representatives, but do not expect Milan to hang around for too long. The Italian side finished with nine points and played decently throughout the group stage. However, the team has been awful for most of the 2013-14 Serie A season and there is little reason to believe that the team will make a deep run in this tournament when it takes on a titan in the next round.
12. Galatasaray
The Turkish side is likely riding high from its clutch win over Juventus, but it is impossible to ignore the fact that this team needed divine intervention (literally) to manage this berth. Galatasaray was destroyed twice by Real Madrid; in one of those games the Spanish giants had 10 men for most of the game and still finished with a 4-1 win. This team has stars like Didier Drogba and Wesley Sneijder but likely stands no chance against a side like Paris Saint-Germain or Barcelona.
11. Bayer Leverkusen
The German side has been solid in the domestic league but has been brutal in this tournament. The team was annihilated twice by a mediocre Manchester United despite coming up with big wins over Shakhtar Donetsk and Real Sociedad.
10. Manchester United
United has been awful for most of the 2013-14 season. The squad was lucky to land in a rather mediocre group in the first round of this competition and could still get more luck by drawing a poor team in the next round. However, this team is not a title contender.
9. Chelsea
The Blues have been just as mediocre in 2013-14 and struggled in an "easy" group. Jose Mourinho's constant criticism of his players has emphasized the team's overall weakness. This is a very vulnerable team that can be exploited by a good coach.
8. Arsenal
The Gunners have been solid all year long and managed to get through the toughest group in the contest. However, this team could struggle against tougher sides like Real Madrid, Barcelona or even Bayern Munich in the round of 16. Things do not look favorable for the English side after finishing second in the group.
7. Atletico Madrid
The Spanish side has had an impressive campaign thus far this season, but it lacks the experience to make a deep run. The team is capable, but it is unlikely that Atletico gets past stronger teams as it gets deeper into the tournament.
6. Manchester City
This is the one team no one wants to face in the round of 16. City is probably feeling confident about two things. First of all, the team does not have to face Bayern Munich because the two sides were in the same group. Second of all, City defeated Munich on the road and should feel good about its chances against any other team.
5. Paris Saint-Germain
The French side has two of the best strikers in the world and was dominant throughout the group stage. Paris is a dark horse but is a very complete team throughout. Expect them to get as far as the quarterfinals at the very least.
4. Borussia Dortmund
Never overlook Jurgen Klopp. However, the team has struggled to stay in peak form this season and almost failed to get out of the group stage against a 10-man Marseille side. Dortmund can still destroy teams with its pace, but the cohesion has not been there throughout the 2013-14 season.
3. Barcelona
No Messi? Big problem, at least until Wednesday when Neymar put on a three-goal show. The performance was spectacular but it is essential to remember that Barcelona was facing a poor Celtic side that was already eliminated from contention. Barcelona has struggled to find consistency under Gerardo Martino and it is possible that it will continue to regress as the season wears on and its top players become increasingly worn out. The absence of Messi is wearing on the team and it is possible that the superstar will not be in peak form in time to lead Barcelona through the final stages of the tournament.
2. Real Madrid
No Ronaldo? No problem. Real Madrid has proved that it can exist without Ronaldo offensively. Carlo Ancelotti has managed to guide this team well in recent weeks and there is no reason to believe that Madrid's powerhouse offense will not overwhelm opponents.
1. Bayern Munich
They are still the defending champions and despite the loss on Wednesday in a rather meaningless match, the team has done little to show that it has declined since last year's record season. In fact, the team seems to be finding another level of excellence under Pep Guardiola and there is no reason to believe that Munich will falter in this tournament with the way that it is playing.
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