Which Serie A Team Will Go Furthest In The 2025-26 Champions League? Stats And Recent History Points Towards One Clear Winner

Serie A clubs have endured mixed Champions League campaigns in recent seasons with a number of clubs struggling on the continent. 

Gone are the glory days whereby the likes of AC Milan regularly dominated Europe’s elite club competition. This season, Atalanta, Inter Milan, Napoli and Juventus are Italy’s participants.

After three matchdays, Inter have made the best start with three victories recorded by an aggregate score of 9-0. Gli Azzurri has one win and two defeats to their name with Juve drawing twice and losing the other. La Dea has four points from nine registered so far.

Results So Far For Serie A’s Participants

When the Champions League fixtures were confirmed in August, Inter Milan arguably had the toughest games to navigate. They include two home matches against Arsenal and Liverpool.

Inter are still to play the English Premier League giants. However, they have made they perfect start under head coach Cristian Chivu.

Inter Milan Results

• 🇳🇱 Ajax 0-2 Inter Milan 🇮🇹 (matchday 1)
• 🇮🇹 Inter Milan 3-0 Slavia Prague 🇨🇿 (matchday 2)
• 🇧🇪 Union SG 0- 4 Inter Milan 🇮🇹 (matchday 3)

Inter Milan Fixtures

• 🏠 vs Kairat (matchday 4)
• 🛫 vs Atletico Madrid (matchday 5)
• 🏠 vs Liverpool (matchday 6)
• 🏠 vs Arsenal (matchday 7)
• 🛫 vs Borussia Dortmund (matchday 8)

Reigning Serie A champions Napoli takes on Eintracht Frankfurt on November 4 knowing that a win is absolutely vital. Especially as Gli Azzurri has lost two of the three games so far.

Last time out, Antonio Conte saw his side crushed 6-2 by PSV Eindhoven. 2023 winners Manchester City also inflicted defeat on Conte on matchday 1. The only victory came against Sporting Lisbon whereby Rasmus Hojlund netted a brace in a 2-1 win.

Napoli Results

• 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Manchester City 2-0 Napoli 🇮🇹 (matchday 1)
• 🇮🇹 Napoli 2-1 Sporting Lisbon 🇵🇹 (matchday 2)
• 🇳🇱 PSV Eindhoven 6-2 Napoli 🇮🇹 (matchday 3)

Napoli Fixtures

• 🏠 vs Eintracht Frankfurt (matchday 4)
• 🏠 vs Qarabag (matchday 5)
• 🛫 vs Benfica (matchday 6)
• 🛫 vs Copenhagen (matchday 7)
• 🏠 vs Chelsea (matchday 8)

Atalanta has made a decent-enough start to their 2025-26 Champions League campaign. Le Dea have collected four points so far in the new-look UCL format.

After a bruising 4-0 defeat to reigning champions PSG, Ivan Juric’s side got the better of Club Brugge before being held to a goalless draw by Slavia Prague on matchday 3.

Atalanta Results

• 🇫🇷 PSG 4-0 Atalanta 🇮🇹 (matchday 1)
• 🇮🇹 Atalanta 2-1 Club Brugge 🇧🇪 (matchday 2)
• 🇮🇹 Atalanta 0-0 Slavia Prague 🇨🇿 (matchday 3)

Atalanta Fixtures

• 🛫 vs Marseille (matchday 4)
• 🛫 vs Eintracht Frankfurt (matchday 5)
• 🏠 vs Chelsea (matchday 6)
• 🏠 vs Athletic Club (matchday 7)
• 🛫 vs Union SG (matchday 8)

Juventus are the only Serie A representative not to win in the 2025-26 competition. The Bianconeri salvaged a point in a thrilling 4-4 draw with Borussia Dortmund in Turin in the season opener.

That result was followed up with a fairly credible 2-2 draw against Villarreal. The Old Lady then faced the most successful side in Champions League history – Real Madrid – whereby Jude Bellingham scored the winner for Los Blancos.

Juventus Results

• 🇮🇹 Juventus 4-4 Borussia Dortmund 🇩🇪 (matchday 1)
• 🇪🇸 Villarreal 2-2 Juventus 🇮🇹 (matchday 2)
• 🇪🇸 Real Madrid 1-0 Juventus 🇮🇹 (matchday 3)

Juventus Fixtures

• 🏠 vs Sporting Lisbon (matchday 4)
• 🛫 vs Bodo/Glimt (matchday 5)
• 🏠 vs Pafos (matchday 6)
• 🏠 vs Benfica (matchday 7)
• 🛫 vs Monaco (matchday 8)

Inter Milan Are Expected To Go The Furthest In 2025-26

Owing to this season’s stats and recent history, Inter Milan are the most likely side to go furthest out of Serie A’s representatives in 2025-26.

Their flawless start to the campaign has only strengthened that theory. In fact, FootItalia’s supercomputer gives Inter a probability of 77% that they better their compatriots.

The Nerazzurri reached last year’s final and also did so in 2023. Despite losing on both occasions, their experience and strength in depth will surely see them go further than the other three Serie A sides and they should qualify automatically.

Luciano Spalletti – who was named as the new Juventus manager on October 30 – is expected to struggle the most. Juve has entertained a tough start and are winless in three games.

It’s fair to say the Bianconeri are going through a transitional stage which will hinder their chances of going deep into the competition. Their favorable fixtures should see them obtain a playoff spot at least.

As for Atalanta and Napoli, both sides are also likely to finish in the playoffs as well. Their paths to the last 16 will also be difficult but Gli Azzurri are perhaps the more experienced and equipped to cause a minor upset.

How Many Serie A Clubs Have Won The Champions League?

Italy is the third most successful nation in Champions League/European cup history. A total of three Serie A clubs have tasted success on the continent.

Those in question are both AC and Inter Milan alongside Juventus. Between the trio, they have won the competition 12 times. Only Spain and England have had more victories.

• 🏆🇮🇹 – AC Milan
• 🏆🇮🇹 – Inter Milan
• 🏆🇮🇹 – Juventus

Who Are Italy’s Most Successful Club In The Champions League?

The most successful Serie A club in Champions League/European Cup history is AC Milan. The Rossoneri has won the competition seven times and finished as runners-up four times.

Their last victory came in 2006-07 whereby they beat Liverpool 2-1. Prior to that, the Diavolo won the tournament in 2002-03, 1993-94, 1989-90, 1988-89, 1968-69 and 1962-63.

• 🏆🇮🇹 – AC Milan (7)
• 🏆🇮🇹 – Inter Milan (3)
• 🏆🇮🇹 – Juventus (2)

When Was The Last Italian Winner In The Champions League?

You have to go back to the 2009-10 season for the last time an Italian side won the Champions League. Inter Milan were the victors after beating Bayern Munich 2-0 in the final.

Over the last 15 seasons, Inter has performed the best across all Serie A entries into the competition. There recent performances are another key factor as to why they are almost certain to go the furthest again.