Power Rankings: Who are the best teams in Europe?

The intense nature of the European football calendar this season means that the Champions League groups are already over - who are the best teams in Europe at this crucial point?

A very entertaining final round has thrown up some major shocks: Barcelona and Juventus will both play in the Europa League in 2023, while Benfica and Napoli have impressed. Meanwhile, Tottenham won their group with the last kick of the ball, sending Marseille spinning out, encapsulating what has been a brilliant and breakneck two months at the top of the game.

So, as attention soon turns to the World Cup, here’s how the European Power Rankings look:

10. Tottenham

Previously: 9th (down one)

Tottenham might be third in the Premier League but they continue to be wholly unconvincing. They have flirted with disaster twice in the last week, coming back from two down to beat struggling Bournemouth domestically, before trailing 1-0 to Marseille in a crunch Champions League tie. Although Antonio Conte’s side ultimately won the match 2-1 with the last kick of the game, they were only a simple missed Sead Kolasinac header from going out of the tournament altogether.

9. Benfica

Previously: New entry

Fitting the Portuguese league leaders into the rankings has proven difficult, but they replace a Chelsea side that has tumbled out of the rankings after failing to win any of their last three Premier League matches. Benfica, by contrast, are in hot form. They are unbeaten in 28 games in all competitions, and have won 10 of their last 11 domestically, conceding only five goals in the process. The Portuguese side also won a Champions League group containing PSG and Juventus, thanks to a sparkling late show against Maccabi Haifa. Underestimate them this season at your peril.

8. Barcelona

Previously: 10th (up two)

It’s not been a bad week for Barcelona, who closed the gap to Real Madrid at the top of La Liga to just a single point last weekend. They did, however, require a very late goal from Robert Lewandowski to seal the points in a tricky match at Valencia. A second away trip of the week saw them beat Viktoria Plzen, but their poor defending in that game shows just why they are out of the Champions League already.

7. Liverpool 

Previously: 7th (no change)

The Reds took something of a step forward in midweek when they beat Napoli 2-0 at home in a Champions League fixture that was almost a dead rubber. Nevertheless, they deserve credit for becoming the first team to beat the Italians this season. What was far less impressive was their 2-1 defeat by Leeds at home in the Premier League. Jurgen Klopp’s side face a real battle to finish in the top four at this rate, with their consistency simply lacking.

6. Napoli 

Previously: 4th (down two)

Napoli might already have effectively won their Champions League group when they travelled to face Liverpool on Tuesday but, given they did not have a Serie A match at the weekend, they could reasonably have expected to be more competitive than they were. Certainly, one of the elite clubs in these rankings would have been aiming for a win against an out-of-sorts side. Nevertheless, a five-point lead in Serie A is impressive.

5. PSG 

Previously: 6th (up one)

Edged out of first place in their Champions League group by Benfica, PSG nevertheless became the first French club to win away at Juventus thanks to a 2-1 success. It was a game marked by a wonderful goal from Kylian Mbappe, while the form of Lionel Messi and Neymar means that they will be a danger against any team they come up against. The French side remain undefeated this season in all competitions. 

4. Arsenal

Previously: 5th (up one)

Mikel Arteta’s men were in poor form last week, after they were held by Southampton and lost to PSV, yet their response on Sunday was a strong one. Against a Nottingham Forest side coming off the back of a win over Liverpool, the Gunners ran rampant with a 5-0 success. An injury to Bukayo Saka certainly represents a potential blow, however. Arsenal have a big test coming on Sunday against Chelsea, but win that and they can look forward to their final league match before the World Cup, which is against Wolves, with optimism. 

3. Bayern Munich

Previously: 3rd (no change)

Bayern seem to be over their early season problems, with last week’s 3-0 win over Barcelona a polished display. They weren’t in league action this weekend, but did play in the Champions League against Inter: There was nothing riding on the match but Bayern extended their winning streak to seven games. Stoke flop Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting is surprisingly their man in form right now. 

2. Real Madrid 

Previously: 2nd (no change)

Although Real Madrid remain second, they are more distant to Manchester City than they were this time last week. Held in LaLiga by Girona, their lead domestically to Barcelona has been cut to just a single point. Los Blancos did manage to close out first place in their Champions League group on Wednesday as they steamrolled Celtic 5-1 at the Bernabeu, though. Fede Valverde is now starting to win the plaudits he deserves after an excellent start to the season. 

1. Manchester City 

Previously: 1st (no change)

Even without Erling Haaland, Manchester City have shown a capacity to win football matches. The Norwegian was subbed off through injury against Dortmund in a boring scoreless draw a week ago, allowing Kevin De Bruyne to light up the stage against Leicester on Saturday with a glorious free kick that kept them within touching distance of Arsenal. City showcased the young talent they have at their disposal in midweek as they eased past Sevilla thanks to a fine second-half display with a much-changed side. Rico Lewis and Julian Alvarez led the charge, both finding the net.

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.