Top League Power! Newcastle Completes Double Over Qarabağ; Six Premier League Teams Reach Champions League Round of 16

Despite frequent domestic upsets against lower-ranked teams, Premier League powerhouses demonstrate far superior performance in the Champions League compared to the other top four leagues. On February 25th, Newcastle defeated Qarabağ 3-2 at home, advancing with a commanding 9-3 aggregate to the Round of 16, set to play against Chelsea or Barcelona.

In this season’s Champions League group stage, six Premier League clubs participated, and five of them finished in the top five spots, directly qualifying for the knockout rounds, namelyArsenal in first place, Liverpool third, Tottenham fourth, Chelsea sixth, and Manchester City eighth. Notably, Tottenham is fighting relegation in the Premier League but remains formidable in the Champions League, securing fourth place and direct entry to the Round of 16 — a testament to the Premier League’s elite strength in Europe.

With Newcastle’s smooth progression to the Round of 16, combined with the five Premier League teams already qualified, the league has achieved the remarkable feat of having six teams in the Champions League knockout stage. This season’s Round of 16 will feature six Premier League clubs. In contrast, Serie A’s leader Inter Milan was surprisingly eliminated by underdog Bodø/Glimt, missing out on the Round of 16, and Serie A even faces the risk of complete elimination. The comparison highlights the Premier League’s status as the top league in Europe — truly deserving of its number one ranking!