European Power Rankings: A new number one as Real Madrid fall

The relentless nature of this season has continued, with league and European games immediately following the international break for the continent’s powerhouses as the World Cup looms ever larger.

The games immediately following an international period can prove to be a treacherous period for teams as their players can return fatigued or even injured from travel and game time.

There have been some spectacular performances over the course of the last few days that have shaken up the European Power Rankings, which now looks as follows:

10. Chelsea 

Previously: 10th (no change)

Coming just ahead of a Benfica side that has won 12 of its 14 games this season, Chelsea hang onto a place in the Power Rankings by virtue of a strong return from the international break. After snatching a last-minute winner against Crystal Palace at the weekend, they eased to a 3-0 win against Milan that was much needed for their Champions League campaign. Nevertheless, the Blues’ poor domestic and European form overall keeps them vulnerable. 

9. Tottenham Hotspur

Previously: 9th (no change)

Spurs may sit third in the Premier League, but their European form remains cause for concern. After losing to Sporting CP at home, they were held to a scoreless draw against Eintracht Frankfurt in midweek, meaning they have won only four points from three games. A genuinely top European side would be making better progress. And of course, they were blown away against Arsenal in the North London derby on Saturday. It’s not been a good week.

8. Liverpool 

Previously: 6th (down two)

The Reds dropped more points in the Premier League last weekend, as they were held to a 3-3 draw at home by Brighton. Jurgen Klopp’s side have won only two of seven matches in the Premier League and are already 11 points off pacesetters Arsenal. Although they have a game in hand, bridging that gap promises to be a huge challenge. They did, however, win in Europe - 2-0 against a Rangers side with a makeshift defence, with Darwin Nunez missing a slew of chances.

7. Arsenal 

Previously: 7th (no change)

Arsenal may be top of the Premier League but they are only seventh in this ranking, in part due to a lack of Champions League football. Make no mistake, in this most frantic of seasons, this is a big advantage. Still, Mikel Arteta’s side deserve recognition for being top of the table with seven wins from eight, including that derby win over Tottenham on Saturday. 

6. Napoli 

Previously: 8th (up two)

Luciano Spalletti’s Napoli continue to climb the rankings thanks to a series of sparkling offensive performances. The latest of these came on Tuesday as they dismantled Ajax 6-1 in Amsterdam. It was a breath-taking result. Top of Champions League Group A and in Italy, both with a perfect record, there’s not much more they could be doing at present. They’ve also scored 31 goals in 11 competitive games.

5. Barcelona 

Previously: 4th (down one)

For a club that has invested so much in its Champions League hopes for the season, Barcelona are worryingly close to exiting the competition at the first hurdle. Although Xavi’s side moved to the top of the table in Spain, defeats against Bayern Munich and now Inter mean that they need a strong second half to the group stage to progress. Being dumped into the Europa League again would be humiliating. 

4. PSG

Previously: 5th (up one)

PSG aren’t hitting the heights they managed at the beginning of the season, but they remain undefeated in all competitions, and have failed to win only a couple of matches. The 1-1 draw they picked up away to Benfica in midweek will probably not be given the respect it deserves, despite Lionel Messi confirming his return to form with another wonderful goal.

3. Bayern Munich

Previously: 3rd (no change)

Bayern’s domestic form is still under the microscope as they remain third in the Bundesliga, but Julian Nagelsmann’s side have bounced back well after the international break by winning two games by an aggregate of 9-0. Friday’s home match with out-of-form Leverkusen had the potential to be a banana skin, but it was one they negotiated with ease, while Viktoria Plzen provided no challenge in Europe as the Germans romped to a 5-0 success. This is the level expected.

2. Real Madrid

Previously: 1st (down one)

Real Madrid have dropped off top spot in the Power Rankings, just as they have lost first place in LaLiga. Carlo Ancelotti’s side have been close to flawless this season but were held to a 1-1 draw against Osasuna at the weekend, with Karim Benzema passing up the chance to win the game with a late penalty. Even if that had found the net, though, they would have fallen off their perch this week to a team in simply brilliant form.

1. Manchester City 

Previously: 2nd (up one)

It’s become impossible to ignore Manchester City’s rampant form. In two games, they have scored 11 goals, with Erling Haaland getting five of his own. They may be second in the Premier League, but with the Norway international scoring at a rate of more than 1.5 per game, it’s doubtful they will stay there too much longer. With their main man not even going to the World Cup, look for City to only increase in strength as the season goes on. They are a truly frightening prospect at the moment.

European Power Rankings will be updated on a weekly basis. Writer Robin Bairner will assess each team’s position based on a mixture of their most recent performances and dominance in their respective division and the Champions League.