📈 Power Rankings: Real Madrid make their move | OneFootball

It’s Thursday, which means our Power Rankings are back as Europe’s top teams tussle for rank.

Here are the 10 sides in our updated Power Rankings table.

📈 Power Rankings: Real Madrid make their move

10. Arsenal (No change)

Arsenal remain in 10th place despite two spirited performances across the past week. The Gunners overcame a controversial red card to win 1-0 at Wolves in the Premier League, before grinding out three points at Girona in Europe.

With their passage to the Champions League’s Round of 16 secured, the North Londoners can focus on clawing back the gap in the Premier League title race – and signing a striker before the deadline.

9. Bayer Leverkusen (👎 Last week: 7)

Bayer Leverkusen drop two places after losing ground in the Bundesliga title race. The German champions surrendered a two-goal lead to draw with an inconsistent RB Leipzig. It leaves Xabi Alono’s mean six points behind Bayern Munich.

Crucially, Leverkusen bounced back with a routine win over Sparta Prague to reach the Champions League’s Round of 16.

8. Bayern Munich (No change)

Bayern Munich remain eighth in our Power Rankings and in control of the title race in Germany. A 2-1 win at SC Freiburg saw Bayern capitalise on Leverkusen’s slip, before beating Slovan Bratislava comfortably in Europe.

Vincent Kompany’s side have not quite convinced this season and now must navigate a playoff in the Champions League. Celtic or Kompany’s former club, Manchester City, await.

7. Napoli (👍 Last week: 9)

Napoli are climbers and beginning to look like potential champions in Serie A.

After beating title rivals Atalanta in a see-sawing game last weekend, Antonio Conte’s charges ended the unbeaten run of rivals Juventus. Romelu Lukaku hit the winner from the penalty spot to end Juventus’s run of 29 league games without losing. Napoli remain three points clear of defending champions Inter Milan.

The Scudetto is in sight.

6. Barcelona (No change)

Barcelona blitzed Valencia at the weekend, winning 7-1 in an emphatic performance. The Catalans were five goals ahead and cruising at half-time before adding gloss to the scoreline after the break.

Fermin Lopez became the first Barcelona player in five years to both score 2+ goals and assist 2+ goals in the same game.

The previous player? Some bloke called Lionel.

Barcelona blew the chance to end the Champions League’s league phase in top spot, however, after Liverpool lost at PSV. The Spanish side twice led but were pegged back in a 2-2 draw with Atalanta.

5. Paris Saint-Germain (No change)

Paris Saint-Germain are one of the form teams in Europe and the last remaining undefeated side across Europe’s top five leagues.

A weekend draw with Reims was disappointing, though the Ligue 1 champions remain comfortably clear in the title race. Ousmane Dembele was the goalscorer in that game, before hitting a hat-trick in the 4-1 win at Stuttgart that sealed Champions League progress. It’s 11 goals in eight games for the Frenchman, who is flying right now.

4. Atletico Madrid (👎 Last week: 2)

Atletico Madrid drop down two places after falling four points behind in the La Liga title race.

Diego Simeone’s side were frustrated by Villarreal, dropping point for the second straight league fixture. A win in the Champions League was the perfect response, however, as Atleti headed straight into the Round of 16. Antoine Griezmann got two goals as the Rojiblancos beat RB Salzburg.

3. Inter Milan (👍 Last week: 4)

Inter Milan are now 16 unbeaten in Serie A.

The Italian champions crushed Lecce at the weekend, with four different goalscorers in a 4-0 win on the road.

Lautaro Martinez then hit a hat-trick as the Nerazzurri swept aside AS Monaco on Wednesday night. The Argentine’s predatory treble took Inter into the Round of 16, having conceded just once in eight games. Simeone Inzaghi’s side are dark horses for a fourth European crown.

2. Liverpool (👎 Last week: 1)

Liverpool lose their grip on top spot in perhaps the harshest ranking of the week.

Arne Slot’s side swatted aside Ipswich Town in the Premier League last weekend, in the latest devastating display from the league leaders. With Champions League progress already assured, Slot sent a second-string to the Netherlands to face PSV Eindhoven in midweek.

A 3-2 defeat damages their rank, even if it was a dead rubber with little on the line.

The Power Rankings are a cruel mistress…

1. Real Madrid (👍 Last week: 3)

Real Madrid take top spot for the first time this season after extending their winning run to five games.

In an ominous sight for rival fans, Kylian Mbappe scored his first Real Madrid hat-trick as Carlo Ancelotti’s side beat Real Valladolid 3-0.

The absence of Vinicius Junior did not impact their form in Europe, with Brest beaten comfortably to book a playoff place in the Champions League.

It could be Manchester City next up in what would be an epic tie given recent history.

Read – Our Champions League Awards from the 2024/25 League Phase

See more – Champions League Team of the Week – Rogers, Dembele, Wirtz

Follow The Football Faithful on Social Media:

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube | TikTok