The Football Faithful
¡26 February 2026
đ Power Rankings: Inter in trouble, Manchester United return

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Yahoo sportsThe Football Faithful
¡26 February 2026

This weekâs Power Rankings feature plenty of change as Barcelona bounce back and Manchester United return to the table.
A disastrous defeat for Inter Milan has the Italian giants hanging on to their Power Rankings placement.
Even after losing at Bodo/Glimt, most expected Inter to have enough to turn around the tie against the Norwegian minnows.
Spoiler: They didnât. Another defeat, this time at San Siro, saw the Nerazzurri on the wrong end of a historic result.
Manchester United bounce back into the Power Rankings as Michael Carrickâs caretaker spell steams on. Super-sub Benjamin Sesko was at it again against Everton on Monday night, scoring the decisive goal in a 1-0 win.
United have won five of their six league games under Carrick, drawing the other, to surge into the Champions League places.
Last week, we said itâs time we take Bodo/Glimt seriously. That message is now louder than ever.
The Norwegian outfit produced the biggest win in the clubâs history this week after beating Inter Milan at the San Siro to eliminate the three-time winners from the Champions League.
Proving their first-leg success was no fluke, Bodo beat Inter again to secure a place in the Round of 16. Having never won a Champions League game before January, Bodo have now seen off Manchester City, Atletico Madrid, and Inter (twice) in successive fixtures.
What a story.
Lyonâs long winning run is over, as Les Gones stumbled at Strasbourg. It brought an abrupt end to their 13-game winning run in all competitions, which has lifted Lyon into Ligue 1âs top three. This weekendâs showdown with fourth-placed Marseille is massive.
Lens also endured an off night after losing at home to AS Monaco. The result saw Paris Saint-Germain reclaim top spot in a shock Ligue 1 title race that continues to twist and turn. How Lens bounce back will be a good sign of their championship credentials.
Barcelona bounced back from a torrid time last week, easing past Levante. Goals from Marc Bernal, Frenkie de Jong, and Fermin Lopez secured the points, as the Catalans capitalised on Real Madridâs mishap at Osasuna to take top spot.
A mixed week for Real Madrid, who surrendered top spot in La Liga after that aforementioned slip at Osasuna. Some comical defending gifted Raul Garcia a last-gasp goal in a blow to Alvaro Arebeloaâs side.
Los Blancos bounced back to beat Benfica in midweek, ensuring the second leg of their play-off tie was navigated with a professional performance.
The scenes at full-time showed what this meant to Manchester City, who remain on Arsenalâs coattails in the Premier League title race. Nico OâReilly was the hero against Newcastle, grabbing both goals in a hard-fought 2-1 win at the Etihad. The race is on.
How Arsenal needed this.
Arsenal faced the painfully familiar chokers narrative after a recent wobble, but showed their mettle in the North London Derby. Despite Spurs striking back after Eberechi Ezeâs opener, the Gunners came out on top as 4-1 winners.
Doubles from Eze and Viktor Gyokeres sealed success and a morale-boosting win. The title remains in their hands.
Bayern retain pole position in the Power Rankings table as the German champions canter towards another crown. The Bavarians bested Eintracht Frankfurt 3-2 at the weekend, with Harry Kane on target twice.
Iconic Duos â Champions League Team of the Week â Petter Hauge, Osimhen, Sorloth







































