📈 Power Rankings: Barcelona back, Bayern rise | OneFootball

Power Rankings are back with things heating up after the first round of Champions League action.

Every week we produce a rolling tier of the ten best teams in Europe based on their recent performances.

📈 Power Rankings: Barcelona back, Bayern rise

10. Union Saint-Gilloise (🆕)

Weeks don’t come much better than this for Union Saint-Gilloise. The Belgian side lead the standings in the Jupiler Pro League after an unbeaten start to the campaign and marked their Champions League debut with an impressive win on the road.

Goals from Promise David, Anouar Ait El Hadj and Kevin Mac Allister – brother of Liverpool midfielder Alexis – sealed a historic 3-1 win at PSV Eindhoven. Union SG only qualified for the Champions League for the first time last season after becoming Belgian champions for the first time in 90 years.

9. Tottenham Hotspur (🆕)

Tottenham Hotspur have made a solid start to life under Thomas Frank. It’s four wins from five games for Spurs under the new head coach, with each win coming alongside a clean sheet.

At the weekend, the North Londoners piled the pressure on rivals West Ham with a 3-0 win on the road, before edging out Villarreal 1-0 to start their Champions League campaign with a win.

8. Arsenal (🆕)

Arsenal are back in our Power Rankings table after bouncing back from a first defeat of the season. Successive wins have refocused the Gunners, who eased past Nottingham Forest in the Premier League at the weekend.

In midweek, Mikel Arteta’s men won 2-0 at Athletic Bilbao as last season’s semi-finalists started the Champions League season with three points.

7. Juventus (👍 Last week: 10)

Juventus will be pleased with their start to the season, despite some defensive deficiencies in recent games. An epic Derby d’Italia ended 4-3 in Juve’s favour at the weekend, as old rivals Inter Milan were beaten in a thriller.

Juventus were involved in another classic contest in midweek, as their Champions League opener with Borussia Dortmund ended 4-4. Trailing by two goals in the 94th minute, their late comeback salvaged an unbeaten start to the season.

6. Porto (👍 Last week: 9)

Porto are impressing over in Portugal with maximum points in the Primeira Liga after five games.

A goal from Samu Aghehowa was the difference against Nacional at the weekend, to maintain the side’s lead at the summit. It promises to be a fascinating season in Portuigal, as Porto bid to wrestle the title from Sporting. Meanwhile, Porto icon Jose Mourinho has taken the reins at Benfica.

5. Barcelona (🆕)

Anthony Gordon said Barcelona were the ‘best’ side Newcastle have faced when it comes to retaining possession this week. The Spanish side claimed an important 2-1 win at St James’ Park in the Champions League, courtesy of Marcus Rashford’s double. It followed a 6-0 thrashing of Valencia in La Liga as Hansi Flick’s side begin to click into gear.

“I think the way they keep the ball was a learning experience,” Gordon told BeIN Sports.

“We don’t play against that kind of style in England, not at that level anyway, I thought they were the best I’ve played against in that sense of the game. Some of that play in midfield was really top. ”

4. Liverpool (No change)

Liverpool keep finding a way. The Reds have won all six games across all competitions this season, with each winner arriving in the final 10 minutes or later. Virgil van Dijk was the hero against Atletico Madrid, rising to power home a stoppage-time header.

‘Slot time’ is the narrative of their early season results.

3. Real Madrid (👎 Last week: 2)

Real Madrid remain flawless after five games, with Kylian Mbappe the difference against Marseille in midweek.

Mbappe scored twice from the penalty spot to seal a 2-1 win and reach 50 goals in the colours of Los Blancos.

2. Bayern Munich (👍 Last week: 3)

Bayern Munich are another side yet to drop points this season and have been in brilliant goalscoring form.

A 5-0 thrashing of Hamburg was followed with a win against Chelsea, as the German champions navigated a tricky Champions League opener. Harry Kane scored twice in both fixtures and now has 10 goals in just six games this season.

1. PSG (No change)

Paris Saint-Germain remain top of the Power Rankings table after two comfortable victories this week.

Bradley Barcola’s brace saw PSG beat Lens in Ligue 1, before the holders started their Champions League defence with a 4-0 thrashing of Atalanta.

PSG looked formidable, even in the absence of Ousmane Dembele and Desire Doue. An ominous warning to the sides bidding to replace them as European champions.

Read – Five things we learned from the Champions League action

See Also – Champions League Team of the Week: Rashford, Vlahovic, Kane

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