Top 5 clubs in Europe in 2019

The sixth Matchdays of group-stage action in the 2019-20 UEFA Champions League and the 2019-20 UEFA Europa League respectively brought the European club competition for the calendar year to a close.

Both the reigning Champions League winners (Liverpool) and Europa League winners (Chelsea) qualified for the knockout round of the Champions League and both are in the top-four of the English Premier League this season.

Among clubs who have played at least 45 games in all competitions during the year, only the duo of Manchester City (England) and Paris Saint-Germain (France) have won over 40 games in all competitions in 2019 while Liverpool's three defeats in the calendar year is the fewest endured by a club in all competitions.

On that note let us find out the top five clubs in all competitions this year.

#5 Bayern Munich (Germany)

The Bavarian giants won their seventh consecutive and record-extending 29th Bundesliga title in 2018-19. However, their domestic dominance failed to spill over onto the European stage where they fell to eventual winners Liverpool in the Round of 16.

Despite prolific marksman Robert Lewandowski scoring in a record 11 consecutive league games since the start of the season, Bayern Munich have had an indifferent start to the 2019-20 season.

Following four league defeats in 15 games, including a 1-5 defeat at Eintracht Frankfurt marking the club's worst Bundesliga defeat in 10 years, the Munich club find themselves in 5th place, six points adrift of league leaders RB Leipzig.

In the Champions League though, Bayern went 6/6 in their group-games, marking the sixth instance of a club winning all their group-stage games in the competition in a season as the Bavarian giants recorded the highest goal difference (19) for a Champions League group-winner.

#4 Juventus (Italy)

The Bianconeri won a record-extending 8th consecutive Serie A title in 2018-19 but their domestic dominance was marred by a quarter-final exit to Ajax in the Champions League.

In the Serie A this season, Juventus share the lead with Internazionale after 16 games. The Italian giants topped their Champions League group containing Atletico Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen and Lokomotiv Moscow en route to their sixth consecutive Round of 16 appearance.

Among the league winners in the top five leagues across Europe, Juventus' tallies of 81 goals in all competitions in 2019 and their 1.72 goals/game ratio are the only instances of a club scoring less than 100 goals in all competitions and scoring at less than two goals per game.

#3 Barcelona (Spain)

Barcelona won their 4th league title in the last five seasons but failed to reach the Champions League final for a fourth consecutive occasion despite leading eventual winners Liverpool 3-0 after the first leg of their semi-final.

Three of Barcelona's five defeats in the calendar year have come in the La Liga this season as the Catalan club recovered from an indifferent start to share the LaLiga lead with Real Madrid after 16 games.

In the Champions League this season, Barcelona were one of six unbeaten teams in the group stage of the competition. With club captain Lionel Messi becoming the first player to score against 34 different teams in the competition, the Blaugrana successfully navigated the Champions League group-stage for the 23rd straight year.

#2 Manchester City (England)

The only Premier League team to garner 100 points in a season, Manchester City won 14 games on the trot to ward off a fierce challenge from Liverpool in 2018-19 to win their fourth EPL title. City fell to eventual finalists Tottenham Hotspur in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

City's performance in the Premier League this season has been indifferent, as the defending champions find themselves in third place, a whopping 14 points behind runaway league leaders Liverpool.

Since a pair of group stage exits in their first two appearances in the Champions League in 2011-12 and 2012-13, City reached the knockout round of the competition for the seventh straight year by topping a group containing tournament debutants Atalanta, Shakhtar Donetsk, and Dinamo Zagreb.

With 44 wins from 56 games in all competitions in 2019, City have won the most games of any European club to have played over 45 games in the year, while also averaging the highest win percentage (79%), highest goals per game (2.88), most clean sheets (28 of 56, 50%), and most titles during the year (4).

#1 Liverpool (England)

Despite winning their last nine league games and enduring just one league defeat all season, Liverpool fell short of their first English top-flight title in over three decades by a solitary point against Manchester City.

In the Champions League, Liverpool overcame a 3-0 first-leg deficit in the semi-finals against Barcelona before going to beat fellow Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur in the final to win their sixth title in the competition and their first since their 2005 triumph.

Liverpool have continued their good form this season, remaining unbeaten in 16 league games, winning 15. They lead closest challengers Leicester City by 10 points and defending champions Manchester City by 14 points, as the Anfield club look well on track to win their first league title in the Premier League era.

A 2-0 Matchday 6 win at Salzburg took the defending Champions League winners to the knockout round of the competition as group winners.

Liverpool's three defeats in 51 games in all competitions in 2019 are the fewest by any European club to have played over 45 games this year.