Power Ranking the Top 25 European Clubs After Weekend of October 3-5
Welcome to the latest edition of our European club power rankings, where we order the top teams on the continent based on early-season form and squad strength.
Two UEFA Champions League rounds are in the books, and plenty of league play has taken place. Juventus met Roma, Atletico Madrid met Valencia and Chelsea met Arsenal, creating some intriguing inter-club tussles in our standings.
Disagree with our order? Join the conversation in the comments below!
Dropping Out: Ajax
1 of 26
Just one side drops out this week, and it may consider itself unlucky to do so.
Ajax fall due to intense weight of competition in the top 25 and their disappointing draw with APOEL Nicosia in the UEFA Champions League.
25. Manchester United
2 of 26
Last Week: New!
Differential: New!
Welcome back, Manchester United. We haven't seen you around these parts in a long, long time.
Louis van Gaal may have required a superlative showing from David De Gea in the final 15 minutes to secure the win against Everton, but the first 75 were excellent to watch.
Angel Di Maria is bringing sexy back to Old Trafford, and it's felt like a lifetime for the supporters.
24. Lille
3 of 26
Last Week: 17
Differential: -7
As always, we go to B/R's Jonathan Johnson for a Lille lowdown:
"For the first time since 2009, Lille OSC lost by a three-goal margin in Ligue 1 with last Sunday's 3-0 away defeat to a resurgent Olympique Lyonnais side. Rene Girard's team conceded more goals in that one match than in all eight of their previous French top-flight fixtures this season.
"Les Dogues need a response at home to EA Guingamp next week, but they can at least be satisfied with taking a point away from VFL Wolfsburg in the UEFA Europa League in midweek. With a number of injuries to key players, Lille are doing as well as anybody could have hoped."
23. Bordeaux
4 of 26
Last Week: 24
Differential: +1
As always, we go to B/R's Jonathan Johnson for a Bordeaux lowdown:
"Willy Sagnol's Girondins de Bordeaux team suffered their second defeat of the Ligue 1 season away at Stade de Reims last Friday, but they still remain second in the French top flight.
"Five points behind leaders Marseille and two points in front of Paris Saint-Germain, Les Girondins are doing their best to keep up with two of the expected title contenders."
22. Borussia Dortmund
5 of 26
Last Week: 16
Differential: -6
Oh boy.
After being beaten by local rivals Schalke 04 last weekend, Borussia Dortmund followed that disappointment up with a devastating home loss to a previously winless Hamburg SV.
Injuries are killing this side, but it seems to have lost the ability to limp across the line until its big players are back. UEFA Champions League schedules are generating typically flat post-Europe performances, too, meaning Jurgen Klopp's men lie 13th with seven points in the Bundesliga.
21. Sevilla
6 of 26
Last Week: 25
Differential: +4
Sevilla got back to winning ways by beating Deportivo La Coruna, and the margin, 4-1, was so comfortable Carlos Bacca had time to miss an inconsequential penalty.
At third and just three points off the unbeaten Barcelona at the summit, Los Rojiblancos look fantastic considering they had Ivan Rakitic ripped away from them this summer.
20. Bayer Leverkusen
7 of 26
Last Week: 18
Differential: -2
Bayer Leverkusen's Karim Bellarabi rescued a draw against lowly Paderborn this weekend as the Roger Schmidt honeymoon effect begins to wane.
With Hoffenheim's challenge likely unsustainable and Borussia Dortmund losing serious ground, the path is clear for Bayer to attack second place in the Bundesliga should they sort out a winning run.
19. Napoli
8 of 26
Last Week: 20
Differential: +1
It's a two-game win streak for Napoli, who are now trending the right way after nearly dropping out of our top 25 a few weeks ago.
Rafa Benitez's reliable cast of goalscoring wingers won the game against Torino, with Jose Callejon and Lorenzo Insigne netting in the 2-1 win.
Some fans are somewhat disappointed the international break is now set to ruin their rhythm:
"Shame the international break has come about,some green shoots of recovery & the crisis bus has been parked in somebody else's bus station
— P (@NapoliBlogger) October 5, 2014"
18. Milan
9 of 26
Last Week: 19
Differential: +1
Milan stopped a slight rot in form, bouncing a three-game winless streak by dealing with Chievo in business-like fashion 2-0.
Keisuke Honda, the man B/R's Chris Atkins has pinpointed as a real beacon of hope for the Rossoneri, scored the sealer after Sulley Muntari had put them ahead.
17. Marseille
10 of 26
Last Week: 21
Differential: +4
As always, we go to B/R's Jonathan Johnson for a Marseille lowdown:
"Marcelo Bielsa's midas touch is showing no signs of losing any of its shine at the moment. Olympique de Marseille are now five points clear at the top of the table, and the charismatic Argentine coach has led his side to seven straight wins following a late 2-1 success away at Stade Malherbe Caen last Saturday.
"Although it is still early in the season, their seven-point lead over Paris Saint-Germain is considerable at this point. With a trip to the French capital looming next month, OM will want to maintain or extend this advantage ahead of that clash."
16. Valencia
11 of 26
Last Week: 22
Differential: +6
Valencia pulled off a superb result this weekend, showing just how far they've come in beating Atletico Madrid 3-1 at home.
Diego Alves saved a penalty—what's new?—and Miranda scored an own goal, capping off a mightily inefficient, error-prone performance from Los Colchoneros.
Don't take anything away from Los Che, though, as they're a truly exciting watch right now.
15. FC Porto
12 of 26
Last Week: 15
Differential: -
FC Porto ended a run of three straight draws this weekend by beating Braga 2-1. It's not the result it was a few years ago—Braga have fallen off a little since—but it's an important win that brings to a halt a run of "poor" form.
Julen Lopetegui's men started brilliantly but are now four points off the pace at the top. They have the deepest, strongest squad in the league, but they're not showing it.
14. Tottenham Hotspur
13 of 26
Last Week: 14
Differential: -
Tottenham Hotspur collected their first victory for about a month on Sunday, as Mauricio Pochettino's former charges Southampton were beaten 1-0 in a close contest.
Sadio Mane missed a glorious chance to level things late on, and Spurs can consider themselves a little lucky in that regard, but it was a good overall performance that housed some strong individual showings.
13. Benfica
14 of 26
Last Week: 13
Differential: -
Benfica remain four points clear at the top of Liga Sagres thanks to a 4-0 win over Arouca this weekend.
The Eagles were supposed to be worse this year, but it feels like Jorge Jesus and Co. didn't receive the memo. Anderson Talisca is leading the charge from a fresh batch of Benfica stars, and they're keeping ahead of the pace with ease.
12. Liverpool
15 of 26
Last Week: 12
Differential: -
Liverpool won their first league game since beating Tottenham Hotspur in August, squeezing past West Bromwich Albion at home.
There were some shoots of recovery but arguably not enough; that said, the overall disappointing performance was swept under the carpet due to the fact three points were garnered.
"three points all that really mattered today. Int'l break now and we're closer to top four points&positions. That'll do.
— Karl Matchett (@karlmatchett) October 4, 2014"
11. Zenit St. Petersburg
16 of 26
Last Week: 11
Differential: -
Zenit St. Petersburg are on a short domestic break in the Russian Premier League, so the last divisional fixture they played remains the 0-0 draw with Spartak Moscow.
They followed that disappointment up with a 0-0 draw against Monaco in the UEFA Champions League, failing to take advantage of multiple chances on home soil.
The first road bump on an otherwise mightily successful season.
10. Arsenal
17 of 26
Last Week: 10
Differential: -
Once again, Arsenal came apart at the seams against a big side they're supposed to be fighting with at the top. Chelsea made light work of the Gunners, beating them in midfield, looking less error-prone in defence and playing a more clinical game up front.
Arsene Wenger uncharacteristically lost his cool on the sideline and pushed Jose Mourinho, embodying much of the frustration the fanbase is feeling right now.
The thumping of Galatasaray keeps them afloat here.
9. Atletico Madrid
18 of 26
Last Week: 8
Differential: -1
Diego Simeone's men lost their first La Liga match of the season on Saturday, falling 3-1 to a mightily impressive Valencia effort.
Although it stands their maiden loss, it has felt like a drop in points has been coming; the coaches have stitched this side back together after a tumultuous summer, and blips like these are inevitable.
A big positive, at least, comes in the form of Mario Mandzukic grabbing another Liga goal.
8. Paris Saint-Germain
19 of 26
Last Week: 9
Differential: +1
As always, we go to B/R's Jonathan Johnson for a Paris Saint-Germain lowdown:
7. Roma
20 of 26
Last Week: 7
Differential: -
Roma can consider themselves a little unfortunate to have lost to Juventus, with some of the penalty decisions given against them rather questionable.
That said, at this early stage, they showed they have more than enough to challenge the Bianconeri for the title, and most importantly, the Giallorossi were able to show immense depth from the bench.
6. Juventus
21 of 26
Last Week: 6
Differential: -
Juventus squeezed out a 3-2 victory over nearest title contenders Roma on Sunday evening, sending the message that they're still top dogs in Serie A.
It was a bit of a mad spectacle—three penalties were awarded and two red cards were shown late—and it was a Leonardo Bonucci wonderstrike (!) that won it in the end.
Pure entertainment.
5. Manchester City
22 of 26
Last Week: 4
Differential: -1
It took 82 minutes, but Manchester City finally broke down the door against Aston Villa on Saturday evening and collected a 2-0 win.
Sergio Aguero, David Silva and Yaya Toure eventually starred, but the result was starting to look a worry as Nathan Baker single-handedly repelled anything that came his way for long periods.
4. Real Madrid
23 of 26
Last Week: 5
Differential: +1
Real Madrid are now on a four-game win streak in La Liga, so their "rough" patch can now be considered done and dusted. Teething problems post-Xabi Alonso and Angel Di Maria are to be expected, but they now appear over the hill.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored another hat-trick, and Gareth Bale combined with Karim Benzema for the rest of the goals and assists. It's a white machine once it gets going; Europe should be fearful again.
Real Madrid move above Manchester City due to the latter's Champions League slip.
3. Barcelona
24 of 26
Last Week: 1
Differential: -2
Barcelona gained possession-based revenge against Rayo Vallecano, turning the tables in terms of statistics and still beating them by a comfortable scoreline.
Neymar and Lionel Messi both scored, continuing their great starts to the season, and the Blaugrana are still yet to concede a goal in La Liga, allowing Claudio Bravo to break records.
Unfortunately, they fall off the top spot after sustaining a Champions League loss to Paris Saint-Germain last week.
2. Bayern Munich
25 of 26
Last Week: 3
Differential: +1
Bayern Munich's 4-0 win against Hannover saw Robert Lewandowski score just his third and fourth Bundesliga goals this season despite making six starts in a rampant team.
Arjen Robben was man of the match after torturing poor Miiko Albornoz on the flank, grabbing two goals of his own and striking the woodwork. Die Bayern are four points clear at the top.
1. Chelsea
26 of 26
Last Week: 2
Differential: +1
Chelsea breezed past Arsenal in a so-called "battle of the big boys" in the Premier League this weekend. Truly, the midfield mismatch made this game near-impossible for the Gunners to win.
Arsene Wenger needs to seriously reconsider his options and selections as Mesut Ozil continues to be criminally misused—that, despite playing him centrally at Galatasaray and watching him excel.
For the Blues, though, it's plain sailing: They're the best team in England by a distance.
All quotes were obtained firsthand.
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