Champions League power rankings: Every team ranked as PSG and Barcelona set for mouthwatering clash

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in

Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Membership today.

Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona will head into next week’s Champions League clash on the back of statement away performances and back-to-back victories.

Holders PSG produced a first-half masterclass before holding on top beat Manchester City 4-2 at the Etihad while Barcelona were among the goals once again as Lamine Yamal starred in a 4-1 comeback win at Galatasaray.

Arsenal, Liverpool, Real Madrid and Aston Villa have also started the Champions League with consecutive wins and Unai Emery’s side enter the top 10 of our rankings at the expense of Manchester United, whose difficult season continued with defeat at Atletico Madrid.

We compiled our 36-team power rankings by combining team’s previous performance in the Champions League, their results in the competition so far, and the likelihood of them going all the way this season.

Agree or disagree with our standings? Let us know and have your say in the comments below.

There were two sides to PSG’s display in the six-goal thriller against Manchester City but holy moly was that first half one of the most impressive performances the Champions League has seen in recent years. It reinforces the idea that Luis Enrique’s team know how to peak at the right time, as they have proved in becoming back-to-back defending champions. PSG are still the team to beat, and will be even if they slip outside of the top eight of the league phase for the third season in a row. Could we see another statement next week at home to Barcelona?

Yep, Barcelona still cannot stop scoring, with their comeback victory over Galatasaray taking Hansi Flick’s side to an astonishing 43 goals in their first 10 games of the season. Lamine Yamal’s outrageous turn and close control for his assist for Anthony Gordon was the pick of the goals from Istanbul and there is little doubt that Barcelona are Europe’s in-form side after 10 consecutive wins in all competitions. Whether the defence holds up come the knockout stages is another question, but for now Barcelona’s attack is unstoppable, inspiring confidence that they could compete for a first Champions League crown since 2015. Next week’s trip to holders Paris Saint-Germain already looks like a mouthwatering clash.

With two wins from two it has been a typically assured start from last season’s runners-up, who are determined to go one better after their heartbreaking defeat on penalties to PSG. It remains to be seen if Mikel Arteta’s side can take the next step against a heavyweight side in the business end of the Champions League, but their unrivalled squad depth means the Gunners have a very good chance of finishing one of the top two spots in this season’s group phase. Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard were summoned off the bench to spark Arsenal into life for the 3-0 win over Lille; flashes of style from the Gunners are to be welcomed, but are they still missing the firepower of a PSG or Barcelona?

No one knows what Manchester City’s season from here is going to look like. Could the Champions League become their top target if they are ruled out of the Premier League title race, for instance? No one knows. Still, there is quality and spirit throughout the team – as shown in a strong start domestically and in the second half of their 4-2 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain where Enzo Maresca’s side actually come pretty close to mounting an unbelievable fightback .

The German champions were stung by Viking in a 3-3 thriller, in the second part of their double-header against teams from Norway following their opening win over Bodo/Glimt. Harry Kane surpassed Lionel Messi’s record for most Champions League goals after turning 30 with a brace, although a silly red card for Michael Olise means he will now be suspended for next week’s home clash against Arsenal. Certainly, if Kane continues his astonishing rate of goalscoring then Bayern will be there or thereabouts.

Real Madrid were second best in both of their first two games in the Champions League and yet have six points under Jose Mourinho after beating Inter Milan and Roma. Performances are unconvincing, to say the least, but the 15-time Champions League winners still carry an aura in this competition and have so far offered a bit of a throwback to the days of Carlo Ancelotti. Inter were in control at the Bernabeu but found themselves trailing 2-0 as Real Madrid inevitably scored from their first two shots. Then Roma led 3-1 at the Stadio Olimpico, only to concede three goals from set-pieces as Real Madrid came from behind to win.

Still sitting outside the top tier of contenders, you’d have to say it would be a surprise for Liverpool (or any of the teams below the Reds in these rankings) to win the Champions League in their first season under Andoni Iraola. But Bradley Barcola’s hat-trick and an improved attacking display in the 6-3 win at LASK showed the potential of Iraola’s side if he can also get a tune out of Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz, and Hugo Ekitike when he comes back from injury. A relatively kind fixture list helps, as does Liverpool’s record in the Champions League in recent years. It has taken PSG to knock them out in the last two seasons.

Last season’s semi-finalists have the added motivation of hosting this season’s Champions League final at the Metropolitano in Madrid and Diego Simeone’s side have clicked into form with five consecutive victories in all competitions since defeat at Anfield. While it would be another colossal overachievement from Simeone to get Atleti into a third Champions League final of his 16-year reign, his side were impressive in beating Manchester United. You know what you’re going to get from a Simeone side in the Champions League but Alex Baena and Pablo Barrios have also added a touch of class into midfield, too.

Memories of the last two seasons sting, with Inter beaten 5-0 by PSG in the 2025 final before being knocked out by Bodo/Glimt in last season’s knockout play-off in one of the Champions League’s biggest ever shocks, and this campaign has started poorly too with back-to-back defeats to Real Madrid and Club Brugge. Inter still top Serie A and remain the strongest side in Italy, whose teams struggled badly overall in the Champions League last season. Their group-phase fixtures were rated as the easiest of the 36 teams in this season’s Champions League but Inter have made a poor start of it.

Unai Emery’s new-look Aston Villa side may be struggling to find their feet in the Premier League, but the Europa League winners are having no such problems in Europe with back-to-back wins to begin their return to the Champions League. Bright showings from the refreshed attacking line-up of Nicolas Jackson, Johan Manzambi and Ibrahim Mbaye in Villa’s record 6-0 win over Fenerbahce, their largest ever European victory, provides encouragement for Emery, who guided Villa to the Champions League quarter-finals two years ago. Victory over Viking in their next fixture would almost be enough to qualify for the knockout stages already, ahead of playing Barcelona and PSG.

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in