European Power Rankings: Robin Bairner lists the best teams in Europe

The best teams in Europe will be feeling the heat at the moment, with most of them playing twice a week in anticipation of the fast-approaching 2022 World Cup break. Here's how the leading clubs shake up this week.

10. Barcelona

Previously: 10th (no change)

Xavi Hernandez’s Barcelona had been in fine form until they ran into Inter Milan in the Champions League. Failure to beat the Italian giants home or away has left them in grave danger of crashing out of the competition, which would be a catastrophe given their summer investment. That was followed by an El Clasico defeat last weekend, a match in which they were well outplayed by Real Madrid. They almost fell out of this list, but instead just cling onto 10th.

9. Tottenham

Previously: 7th (down two)

A similar situation applies to Antonio Conte’s Tottenham, who only remain in these European Power Rankings due to their strong Premier League position. They have strung together a number of wins against weaker domestic opponents, but they are toiling in the Champions League. Spurs were completely outplayed in a 2-0 defeat by Manchester United on Wednesday, and they will need to bounce back this weekend.

8. Chelsea

Previously: 8th (no change)

Chelsea have enjoyed something of a revival under Graham Potter, yet they were held to a scoreless midweek draw against Brentford, in which goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga came to the rescue on numerous occasions. If the Blues are to have aspirations of a title challenge, victory at the Gtech Community Stadium should have been a foregone conclusion. Man Utd on Saturday will offer a greater challenge.

7. PSG

Previously: 6th (down one)

It’s been a complicated couple of weeks for PSG, but they appear to have downplayed Kylian Mbappe’s desire to leave the club. An uneasy peace rests over Parc des Princes for the moment, but they ended a run of three straight draws in all competitions at the weekend as they defeated bitter rivals Marseille. Nevertheless, PSG were pushed relatively hard in that match and they are undoubtedly performing below expectations.

6. Liverpool

Previously: 8th (up two)

Liverpool are finding their way back to top form after a sticky start to the season, as proven by a 7-1 victory over Rangers in the Champions League. The Reds followed that with a brilliant 1-0 win over Manchester City and then a battling success over West Ham on Wednesday. After these positive strides, it would be disappointing if they were to be troubled by either Nottingham Forest or Ajax in their next fixtures. Perhaps their rise continues.

5. Napoli

Previously: 3rd (down two)

The top of these Power Rankings are so close-knit that Napoli have fallen two spots despite retaining first place in Serie A. They were made to battle to a 3-2 success over Bologna at the weekend, which was perhaps a surprise to many neutrals. Luciano Spalletti’s men are playing a brilliant brand of offensive football and continue to perform well, both domestically and in Europe. They are a thrilling team to watch at the moment but didn’t quite do enough to retain their previous spot. 

4. Bayern Munich

Previously: 4th (no change)

It’s difficult to know what to make of Bayern Munich at present, but there are signs that they are on the up after a 2-2 draw with Borussia Dortmund a fortnight ago. They dazzled last weekend by thumping third-placed Freiburg at home, and followed that up with a 5-2 cup success over Augsburg during the week. Nevertheless, they remain three points off the pace in the Bundesliga and head coach Julian Nagelsmann is still under pressure.

3. Arsenal

Previously: 5th (up two)

Arsenal’s title challenge was strengthened at the weekend as they edged past Leeds with a 1-0 victory. That win took them four points clear at the top of the standings thanks to nine wins in their last 10 games. While that performance itself was not necessarily the most impressive, Mikel Arteta’s men are full of confidence and can therefore mount an unexpected title challenge. They look very well placed at present and are clearly on a massive high.

2. Real Madrid

Previously: 2nd (no change)

Just missing out on top spot this week is Real Madrid, who have bounced back from a couple of draws in impressive fashion. Indeed, such are the standards that Carlo Ancelotti’s side are held to, any dropped points should be seen as a failure. Nevertheless, they deservedly won the El Clasico against Barcelona last weekend and avoided a hangover from that game by beating bottom side Elche on Wednesday, aided by a couple of late goals. They are still a formidable force.

1. Manchester City

Previously: 1st (no change)

Manchester City lost 1-0 against Liverpool last weekend but still retain top spot. It’s impossible to overlook how strong Pep Guardiola’s side have looked in recent weeks and Erling Haaland, in particular, has proved almost an unstoppable force. The two-time defending Premier League champions played well in defeat against the Reds and it is pretty likely that we will see a notable response against Brighton on Saturday.

European Power Rankings will be updated on a weekly basis. Writer Robin Bairner will assess the best teams in Europe based on a mixture of their most recent performances and dominance in their respective division and the Champions League.