Power Ranking the Top 25 European Clubs After Weekend of November 22-23
Welcome to the latest edition of our European club power rankings. We order the top teams on the continent based on early-season form and squad strength.
Chelsea continue to set themselves apart at the top of the Premier League, and Bayern Munich do the same in the Bundesliga, but it's convoluted in La Liga to say the very least.
Disagree with our order? Join the conversation in the comments below!
Dropping out
1 of 26
Dropping Out:
Lazio—a comprehensive loss to Juventus this weekend drops them out.
Still Missing:
Bordeaux, Borussia Dortmund, Liverpool
25. Manchester United
2 of 26
Last Week: New!
Differential: New!
A bit of a leap of faith here, but Manchester United are in the fourth spot in the Premier League and have just beaten Arsenal on their own patch. It's hardly "fixed," but Louis van Gaal has emerged from the opening salvo of games in touching distance of Manchester City.
It also feels like he's getting to grips with his squad, which beckons future improvement so long as the injuries subside.
24. PSV Eindhoven
3 of 26
Last Week: 23
Differential: -1
At the top of the Eredivisie every point matters, and PSV Eindhoven dropped two this weekend after drawing away to Groningen.
Late on, Michael de Leeuw cancelled out Luuk de Jong's earlier opener, leaving Phillip Cocu to ponder over points lost in a game his side arguably deserved to win.
23. Ajax
4 of 26
Last Week: 24
Differential: +1
Ajax made light work of Heerenveen this weekend, extending their winning streak to four games and shrinking the gap between themselves and PSV Eindhoven to just two points.
Of all the impressive performers, Anwar El Ghazi caught the eye. The 19-year-old looks a rather special talent, and opposite the similarly superb Ricardo Kishna, they were a real handful.
22. Borussia Monchengladbach
5 of 26
Last Week: 22
Differential: None
Borussia Monchengladbach slid to their second consecutive defeat of the season this weekend after negotiating the first 10 games unbeaten.
Although major questions must be asked of the defeat, major props must be handed to Eintracht Frankfurt, who stopped their own four-game losing streak to win in epic circumstances here.
21. Lyon
6 of 26
Last Week: 20
Differential: -1
As always, we go directly to Jonathan Johnson for a Ligue 1 update:
"Although the goalless draw away at SC Bastia was a frustrating result for Lyon, they stretch their impressive unbeaten run to 10 Ligue 1 matches. Hubert Fournier's side lost a little ground on Marseille and PSG, but Les Gones are still just four points off the summit.
"A clash with bitter rivals AS Saint-Etienne in the Rhone-Alpes derby is up next, and it will be a stern test of OL's unbeaten record. However, a winnable run of matches follows that encounter, and finishing 2014 unbeaten is a very real possibility."
20. Bayer Leverkusen
7 of 26
Last Week: 22
Differential: +2
That's more like it!
A very strong showing from Bayer Leverkusen away to Hannover saw Roger Schmidt's men move back into relevancy in the Bundesliga.
Son Heung-min, Karim Bellarabi, Lars Bender and Stefan Kiessling all enjoyed excellent games, and the defence held up a fair bit better than usual.
19. Valencia
8 of 26
Last Week: 17
Differential: -2
Valencia, on paper, are a significantly stronger outfit than Levante, but in a derby, anything can happen. Despite boasting a World Cup winner and several excellent players, los Che were downed 2-1.
The feeling is that Valencia can be too cautious, and despite boasting a rock-solid central defensive pairing and some exciting full-backs, don't commit enough to force victory.
That needs to change if they're to be in the Liga title mix-up.
18. Wolfsburg
9 of 26
Last Week: 16
Differential: -2
Wolfsburg's impressive win streak ended at eight. Schalke took them down this weekend 3-2, racing into an early three-goal lead and staving off the inevitable comeback.
Die Wolfe's defence met Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting in one of those moods and were unable to stop him. The regularly excellent Robin Knoche-Naldo partnership really struggled at the Veltins Arena.
17. Marseille
10 of 26
Last Week: 19
Differential: +2
As always, we go directly to Jonathan Johnson for a Ligue 1 update:
"After a difficult few weeks on and off the pitch, Marseille managed to put things right by seeing off Bordeaux. Overall, it was the right result, even if Marcelo Bielsa's men wasted plenty of chances and were sliced open at the back.
"However, the most important thing was the result. Les Phoceens remain top of Ligue 1, and they responded to the pressure of seeing PSG temporarily go top by coming from behind to win a game for the first time this season. They now have the opportunity to put that same pressure on the capital club in the coming weeks. OM are also now on a run of six consecutive home league wins."
16. Zenit St. Petersburg
11 of 26
Last Week: 18
Differential: +2
Zenit snapped back to winning ways by beating Kuban Krasnodar 1-0 this weekend. Hulk's goal, a half-volley following an initial blocked free-kick, appeared to break the sound barrier as it flew into the net.
They recover from two consecutive losses and keep the gap at the top as large as eight points.
15. FC Porto
12 of 26
Last Week: 15
Differential: None
Julen Lopetegui's men kicked their heels this weekend, having been knocked out of the Taca de Portugal in a previous round.
14. Sevilla
13 of 26
Last Week: 12
Differential: -2
Sevilla played a strong first 45 minutes at the Camp Nou this weekend and even forced an equaliser through a Jordi Alba own goal in the second half, but from that point on, Barcelona took control.
Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez were incredible, and when you meet Barca in that mood—when they really turn it on—few teams in the world can stop them.
Sevilla definitely aren't one of them.
13. Southampton
14 of 26
Last Week: 13
Differential: None
Southampton's Premier League win streak stopped at four, as somehow they failed to overcome a reeling Aston Villa side lingering just above the drop zone.
Morgan Schneiderlin and Nathaniel Clyne impressed, but the rest of the squad was stodgy in possession and toothless up front.
12. Arsenal
15 of 26
Last Week: 11
Differential: -1
Arsenal are free-falling, and Arsene Wenger looks troubled in the dugout. With Alexis Sanchez (and possibly Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain) the only shining lights, it's difficult for Gooners to be positive right now.
A 2-1 home loss to Manchester United stings because it's so predictable. Arsenal's soft underbelly was exposed, and despite dominating the opening exchanges, they essentially found a way to lose.
11. Benfica
16 of 26
Last Week: 14
Differential: +3
Benfica crushed Moreirense 4-1 in Portugal's cup weekend, with Jonas and Eduardo Salvio grabbing a brace each.
With FC Porto out of the Taca de Portugal, the Eagles remain hot favourites to lift the trophy given the competition left. Sporting and Braga are formidable, but Jorge Jesus' men are the strongest left.
10. Napoli
17 of 26
Last Week: 10
Differential: None
Napoli came down to earth this weekend, securing a disappointing 3-3 draw with Cagliari. The Partenopei were at home, at full strength and took the lead, so to relent is a huge disappointment.
Gonzalo Higuain continues to score as does Jose Callejon, but the dropped points leave them further trailing in the wake of Roma in the Serie A table.
9. Manchester City
18 of 26
Last Week: 9
Differential: None
Manchester City did well to come from behind and claim a victory against a strong Swansea City side on Saturday, but there was still enough to question and worry over despite the win.
Vincent Kompany and the defensive line don't have a clue what they're doing half the time, and the midfield is underperforming. When Sergio Aguero doesn't outscore the opponent, this team look exceptionally mortal.
8. Roma
19 of 26
Last Week: 8
Differential: None
Roma kept pace with Juventus in the Serie A table, beating Atalanta 2-1 away from home. Adem Ljajic and Radja Nainggolan picked up the goalscoring load for Rudi Garcia, and now attention turns to the Champions League.
It'd take a real collapse to fail to qualify for the knockout stages; a win in Russia could just about seal it.
7. Atletico Madrid
20 of 26
Last Week: 7
Differential: None
Malaga's strong and stingy run came to an abrupt halt against Atletico Madrid this week, who won 3-1 and could have scored a few more.
Antoine Griezmann, Koke, Gabi and more impressed, and this Diego Simeone side continues to grind out results and stay relevant despite the attention being firmly fixed away from them.
It's like everyone discounted them after a slightly rocky start.
6. Juventus
21 of 26
Last Week: 6
Differential: None
Juventus secured a statement victory over Lazio this weekend, illustrating just how big the gap is between themselves and the supposed challengers of Serie A.
Carlos Tevez and Fernando Llorente up front together is working a treat, and Paul Pogba reminded everyone that he is already an elite-class midfielder despite being so young.
5. Paris Saint-Germain
22 of 26
Last Week: 4
Differential: -1
As always, we go directly to Jonathan Johnson for a Ligue 1 update:
"For the first time this season, even if it did only prove to be temporary, PSG hit top spot in Ligue 1 after a 3-2 win away at FC Metz. Coach Laurent Blanc might be experiencing a high number of injuries and physical problems at present, but the Parisien juggernaut keeps on rolling.
"PSG have now won seven consecutive games in all competitions, and they have every chance of extending that run based on their upcoming fixtures. Once the French champions' walking wounded are back to full fitness and available for selection again, Blanc might actually be able to select his first-choice starting XI at last."
4. Barcelona
23 of 26
Last Week: 5
Differential: +1
Barcelona impressed greatly in beating Sevilla 5-1 this weekend. Some felt Sevilla could upset them, especially given their recent blip in form.
Lionel Messi became the all-time leading goalscorer in La Liga by netting a superb hat-trick, and his colleagues decided to throw him up and down on the pitch during play, basically irritating everyone not affiliated with the home club.
Wait till after the game, guys.
3. Chelsea
24 of 26
Last Week: 3
Differential: None
Chelsea made light work of West Bromwich Albion, scoring two first-half goals to kill the game and easing off at the end. The only reason this wasn't a cricket score is because the away side's goalkeeper, Ben Foster, was in inspired form.
The Blues are six points clear at the top of the Premier League title. They are the best English side and face old manager Roberto Di Matteo and Schalke next.
2. Real Madrid
25 of 26
Last Week: 2
Differential: None
Real Madrid dispensed with the challenge of minnows Eibar with ease on Saturday and even had a few slices of fortune go their way in the process.
Cristiano Ronaldo netted two, obviously, and James Rodriguez continued his resurgent form after a slow start. In the defensive phase, Dani Carvajal was made to work hard for his clean sheet.
The Blanco machine rolls on.
1. Bayern Munich
26 of 26
Last Week: 1
Differential: None
Bayern Munich smashed Hoffenheim—a team now seemingly on a vicious slide—4-0 as Bastian Schweinsteiger returned to action for the first time since the World Cup final.
Mario Gotze scored a peach, Arjen Robben and Robert Lewandowski were irresistible, and Jerome Boateng appears to have recovered after an injury scare.
As far as Pep Guardiola's concerned, that's a damn good day's work.
