European Power Rankings: The Continent's 20 Best Football Clubs

We're mid-way through November, and the 2012-13 season is well and truly clicking into gear all over Europe, with plenty of teams now established in their likely battles for the rest of the campaign.

For some, that is merely avoiding relegation if they can pick up some form over the next two-thirds of the season—take note, Queens Park Rangers, Palermo and Wolfsburg.

Others will be targeting some consistency and a run to the top half or European places, but for a lucky few, or rather a well-run, successful and ambitious few, a battle for Champions League spots and title challenges beckons.

Here are the latest power rankings from all round Europe, detailing which teams are flying in form and can expect to remain a big challenger for the top honours—should they not suffer lack of fitness and form to key players.

Form from the past six games especially, and for the season overall as well as present league position and opposition quality are taken into account.

20: Twente Enschede

The Dutch outfit Twente Enschede are 20th in the rankings.

They had a great start to the season which helped propel them to the top of the Eredivisie, and despite not being the most in-form side in the league, they are still one point clear at the top.

Twente have won three and drawn three of their past six games, during which they have only conceded two goals.

They have also won all five home games this season.

19: Schalke

With a similar points-per-game margin over the past six matches, German Bundesliga side Schalke are next up.

Four wins and two defeats is perhaps not as good as remaining unbeaten in terms of consistency, but the German top flight is markedly more competitive than the Dutch Eredivisie.

Schalke's recent form has been enough to see them up into second place in the league, though they are some seven points off the top spot.

18: West Brom

The third and final team with an average of two points per game over the last six matches, English Premier League side, West Bromwich Albion, have surprised everyone during the early part of the season.

Under new manager Steve Clarke, West Brom are sitting in fourth place, just five points off top spot in the division.

As with Schalke, WBA have won four and lost two recently, with their home form certainly providing the best points return for them. Just one loss has been suffered at home this term, as West Brom have conceded only five goals at the Hawthornes.

17: Juventus

The first now in a run of three Italian sides and five teams who all have the same points average from the last six games.

Juventus have won four, drawn one and lost one recently, the joint-second best form record in Serie A.

Their good start to the season where they have lost only that one time, sees them in top spot and looking good to mount a stern defence to their league title.

Three clean sheets over the past six games have helped the Turin outfit on their way.

16: Inter Milan

Next up is Inter Milan.

Inter managed only a sixth place finish last season and would be expected to perform far better in the normal course of events, so their second spot in the league at present is more encouraging for their fans.

They sit one point off Juventus at the top, having won four, lost one and drawn one of their most recent games.

Inter have hit 15 goals in those matches, whilst also keeping one clean sheet.

15: Atalanta

Last up in this particular group of three and in 15th place overall is Atalanta.

A marked improvement on last season's 12th place, so far at least, has seen the side into eighth position, which would be one place higher had they not been deducted two points.

Atalanta's recent run of form has yielded the same points as bigger sides Juve and Inter as they have also picked up four wins and a single draw and loss.

They are ranked slightly higher than those two other sides as it is less expected of them to fare as well as the other teams.

14: Bayern Munich

Two more teams on the same points-per-game average as the three Italians.

One of the best footballing sides in Europe this season, and current Bundesliga leaders, Bayern Munich are in 14th place.

Bayern have kept four clean sheets in their last six games, taking in four victories and making them the most in-form German side.

The Bavarian club lead the league by seven points and have won all five of their games without conceding a single goal in the process, away from home.

13: Levante

Levante are up in sixth place in La Liga and going strong—impressive consistency after their finish in the same position last season.

Four clean sheets in the six matches they have played most recently have aided their steady form, where they have won four games, drawn one and lost one.

Levante are unbeaten this season at home, but away from home they have been less impressive, scoring only twice in five games.

They are the fourth most in-form side in the Spanish top flight.

12: St Etienne

St. Etienne are the only French side in the top 20 in Europe on current form, having risen to sixth place in Ligue 1 after four wins and two draws in the past six games.

ASSE have kept clean sheets in half of those matches, contributing to the joint-second best defensive record in the entire league.

The club ended last season in seventh place.

They actually have the second-best form in Ligue 1 at present—Rennes lead that particular form table with five wins and one defeat in the last six games, but they still lie in ninth place, comfortably below St. Etienne.

11: Porto

Onto a higher points per average game, Porto and their big rivals have an almost identical record recently.

Porto are top in the Liga Sagres, unbeaten in their opening eight matches.

Their last six games have yielded 2.67 points per game on average, winning five and drawing one. A massive 17 goals have been netted during that period, as Porto sits top of the league table on goal difference.

They have yet to concede a goal at home.

10: Benfica

Exactly the same record and points over the season as Porto, and exactly the same recent form, Benfica sit second on both counts.

A single goal separates them in the league, with Benfica having scored four goals less over the past six matches. Three clean sheets have helped them keep defensively sound nonetheless.

Benfica are rated higher than Porto in the power rankings as a result of having finished runners-up last season to the same team, and therefore are arguably doing better to maintain form with them this term.

9: Atletico Madrid

The usual big two of Spain's La Liga are split at present, and it's Atletico Madrid who comes between them.

Atleti sit second in the league with a 100 percent home record.

Over the past six matches they have maintained their impressive start, winning five and losing just one match in that time. Three clean sheets have also aided their recent form.

8: Manchester United

The second most in-form Premier League at present is Manchester United.

Five runs recently were slightly spoiled with a surprise defeat at the weekend to Norwich City, but they have still taken an average of 2.5 points per game recently.

United have scored 15 times, more than anyone else in the league over the same period of time.

Manchester United also sit second place in the league table, one point off the top.

7: PSV Eindhoven

The first of three sides with a 100 percent record over the past six matches, PSV Eindhoven sit in second place in the Eredivisie, one point off leaders Twente.

Far from merely winning the six games, PSV have walloped 24 goals past their opponents.

Two clean sheets have also helped them on their way—a feature of PSV's play this season, where they have conceded just once at home.

6: CSKA Moscow

Onto the second of the sides with a 100 percent recent record, ranked above PSV on account of playing in a more competitive league.

CSKA Moscow are top of the Russian Premier League by a single point, having overhauled Anzhi Makhachkala recently.

Six wins in the past six games have come with three clean sheets, with CSKA having the joint-best defensive record in the league thus far.

5: Barcelona

Barcelona are unbeaten at present this season and lead La Liga by three points.

Their recent form has yielded five wins and a draw, with 22 goals being scored in the process. Barcelona have kept one clean sheet during that run, conceding 10 goals, but their superb record of scoring at the other end has kept that problem at bay for now.

Always one of the best teams around, Barcelona will be expected to win the league given the lead they quickly built up over their biggest rivals.

Some excellent form of late only adds to that expectation.

4: Real Madrid

With exactly the same recent form as Barcelona, Real Madrid have risen to third in La Liga after a difficult start to their league campaign.

Five wins and a draw, with three clean sheets into the bargain, have helped Real pull back ground on city rivals Atletico over the past six games.

They sit above Barça in the form guide by virtue of a better recent goal difference, having scored 20 and conceded only four in those six games.

Both Barcelona and Real have scored in all of their most recent fixtures.

3: Manchester City

Considering they haven't exactly started the Premier League campaign in blistering form and are only recently looking like hitting top gear, it is a little ominous for the other title challengers that Manchester City sits top of the table and are still unbeaten.

A one-point lead is enough of a gap for now—indeed, it is more than they won the league by last season.

The past six fixtures have seen City hit 13 goals, five of which came in their most recent game against Aston Villa.

Five wins and one draw with four clean sheets in that time have seen the club back to the top of the table without ever looking completely convincing for long spells.

2: Fiorentina

Into the top two now and the final Italian side.

Fiorentina have surged into the top four and contention for a Champions League place with a run of five wins and one draw in their last six games.

They are by some distance the most in-form Italian side, which makes their haul all the more impressive given the competition.

Two clean sheets and scoring 15 goals themselves over the same period of games have sent Fiorentina into the top four, and they remain undefeated at home.

1: Shakhtar Donetsk

Shakhtar Donetsk are the most in-form side in Europe right now.

Until last weekend, the Ukranian Premier League table-toppers had played 15, won 15 this season and lead the division by 12 points.

All such great runs must come to an end of course, and Shakhtar were defeated by Arsenal Kyiv at the weekend, dropping points domestically for the first time this season.

Nevertheless, they have shown magnificent fortitude and quality to start the campaign in blistering form. Should any further evidence be required of the ability of the team, a swift look at their Champions League table, where they currently sit above Juventus and Chelsea, should tell all there is to know about the club.

Shakhtar are heavy favourites to win their fourth title in a row, and their early season form shows exactly why.

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