The 2025-26 Champions League is back again this week for one of the most eventful matchdays of the season as all the 36 teams involved in the league phase will be playing on Wednesday at the same time. While Arsenal and Bayern Munich have already secured the top eight, most of the other teams will be involved to determine their position in the standings and if they will be playing the playoffs next months. Meanwhile, Eintracht Frankfurt, Villarreal, Slavia Prague and Kairat Almaty are all already eliminated from the tournament. Let’s take a look at our weekly power rankings:
1. Arsenal (–)
They are still the best team around Europe, but the side coached by Mikel Arteta is starting to show some issues as they lost 3-2 against Manchester United over the weekend only a few days after winning at San Siro against Inter and clinching a top eight spot. There are no real concerns at the moment but they need to be more cynical from now on as they can’t miss the opportunity this season to win at least the Premier League for the first time in more than 20 years.
2. Bayern Munich (–)
I was not expecting to see them lose their first Bundesliga match of the season over the weekend against Augsburg. Vincent Kompany’s side are still one of the best teams around Europe and, like Arsenal, there is no reasons to be worried about them yet. They are still eight points ahead of Borussia Dortmund and have already clinched the top eight in the UEFA Champions League. Next up: knockout stages.
3. PSG (–)
Meanwhile, we’ve got the new leaders of the Ligue 1. It was just a matter of time to see them at the top of the French league standings and here we are. I was expecting to see them improving in the last weeks and it has happened. The match against Newcastle on Wednesday will determine if they will get to the knockout stages directly or through the playoffs.
4. Barcelona (–)
Lamine Yamal’s stunning goal against Real Oviedo made us realize once again why he’s one of the best players around Europe and he’s a big reason why I strongly believe Barcelona are one of the teams to beat this year. They are at the top of the LaLiga standings despite last week’s defeat and they will need to win their last match against FC Copenhagen in the league phase to end up in the top eight. They can make it.
5. Manchester City (–)
What’s going on at Manchester City? After losing to Bodo/Glimt away last week in the Champions League’s second last matchday of the league phase they managed to win against Wolverhampton over the weekend. The feeling is that they are facing some issues while the future of Pep Guardiola is still uncertain.
6. Real Madrid (+1)
What a start from Alvaro Arbeloa! Three wins in one week against Levante, Villarreal and against AS Monaco last week in the Champions League debut for the former Real Madrid defender as the new head coach after he replaced Xabi Alonso on the bench of the Spanish giants. It’s still early to understand where they can end up this season, but so far so good for them and the new manager.
7. Inter (-1)
They are still showing issues when they face the top teams. After winning the opening four games of the league phase, the Nerazzurri lost to Atletico Madrid, Liverpool and Arsenal while they are now at the top of the Serie A standings. I mean, this is not enough if they want to have success in the knockouts. The away game against Borussia Dortmund could be a pivotal moment of their European season.
8. Atletico Madrid (–)
Every season, they appear to be struggling and under threat, only to finish among the top teams in the competitions they enter. This campaign is no different: Diego Simeone’s side currently sits third in the LaLiga standings and is pushing to avoid the European playoffs, holding 12th place with 13 points.
9. Chelsea (+1)
If we praised the job done by Arbeloa, we need to do the same here about Chelsea and the new coach Liam Rosenior. He was able to turn the spirit around of this team that seemed a bit lost under Enzo Maresca and the game against Napoli on Wednesday will be fundamental for their European run this season.
10. Atalanta (-1)
Everything has changed since Raffaele Palladino joined Atalanta and was able to turn things around pretty quickly at the club. Atalanta are back in the contention for a European spot in Serie A while they can also end up in the top eight of the Champions League potentially.
11. Liverpool (–)
I don’t get what’s going on at Liverpool. Last week they won 3-0 away against Olympique Marseille, one of the best teams around Europe but then lost 3-2 to Bournemouth this weekend and failed to win the last five Premier League games (four draws, one defeat). Too much inconsistency this season.
12. Newcastle (+1)
They needed to improve and they did it. Eddie Howe’s side are currently in the top eight of the league phase but they will face PSG on Wednesday, a key match for their European campaign. I’m pretty confident that multiple clubs will try to appoint him in the summer as there will be big changes in multiple teams and a likely domino of coaches.
13. Olympique Marseille (-1)
I was definitely more confident to see them performing better against Liverpool last week, when they lost 3-0 to the side coached by Arne Slot. Roberto De Zerbi’s side were also able to win 3-1 against Lens on Saturday, allowing PSG to become the new Ligue 1 leaders.
14. Borussia Dortmund (–)
While the Bundesliga season seems already over they can focus on their European run. This week they will face Inter on Wednesday at their home stadium, a great opportunity to show the world they are still one of the best teams around Europe despite failing to win the last two matches against Manchester City and Tottenham.
15. Juventus (+1)
Luciano Spalletti has done an incredible job and brought Juventus back to their level. Over the weekend, the Bianconeri won 3-0 against Napoli, performing one of their best matches of the season. The road is still a long one, but things are now looking much better.
16. Galatasaray (+1)
Now that Victor Osimhen is back in the team after AFCON they can hope to achieve much more than what they’ve done over the past two months.
17. Sporting CP (+3)
They are currently 10th in the league phase standings and can potentially end up in the top eight and avoid the playoffs next month. What a season for Sporting CP, but sadly for them there is FC Porto doing something absolutely incredible with 17 wins and one draw in 18 matches so far.
18. Bayer Leverkusen (–)
Some ups and downs for them this year but we could expect this from them after partying ways with Xabi Alonso at the end of the past season.
19. Napoli (-4)
What is going on at Napoli? Probably too many injuries, but Antonio Conte’s side are seriously risking being eliminated from the league phase if they don’t win against Chelsea this week. Over the weekend they lost 3-0 to Juventus and likely ended their hopes to win the Scudetto again.
20. PSV (-1)
Weekly update of their great season: 17 wins, two draws, only one defeat and a 14-point gap on Feyenoord. Things are playing really well and ending up in the top 24 of the Champions League would be even better.
21. Tottenham (+2)
It’s difficult to put in words the season they are playing. Thomas Frank’s team are in a good spot in Europe (5th place) but facing another big disappointing Premier League season. Which is the real Tottenham? Probably neither.
22. AS Monaco (–)
The 6-1 defeat against Real Madrid told us this is really not their season, but probably we knew that before.
23. Qarabag (+3)
They still have a chance to qualify! It will be difficult because they face Liverpool in the last match on Wednesday but the 3-2 win against Eintracht Frankfurt gave them a last chance.
24. Benfica (-1)
Will Jose Mourinho qualify or not? Big question. If they do, it means they managed to beat Real Madrid in the last game of the league phase.
25. Athletic Club (+4)
Before last week, I had lost all hope of seeing them reach the next phase, but the unexpected away win against Atalanta has given them another chance heading into the final match.
26. Club Brugge (–)
They are finally doing better now, and have a two-point gap on Union SG in the league. They still have a chance to win the title and also qualify for the playoffs in the Champions League.
27. Olympiacos (+6)
The 2-0 win against Bayer Leverkusen gave them the chance to qualify quiet surprisingly and facing Ajax away can be the perfect match to show it.
28. Copenaghen (-1)
After beating Villarreal, they managed to hold Napoli to a home draw despite playing most of the match with ten men. However, the clash against Barcelona may prove too big a hurdle for them to realistically believe in qualification. The potential was always there, they just showed it too late.
29. Bodo/Glimt (+5)
The win against Manchester City was a surprise for many, but this is a team that could have done better this season in Europe.
30. Pafos (+1)
They’ve got a chance to qualify for the knockouts but its a small one as many other teams do as well.
31. Union Saint-Gilloise (-3)
Only one win in the last five Champions League matches won’t make them a contender for the playoffs even if they aren’t technically eliminated.
32. Ajax (+3)
Too late. They are slowing coming back and the last two Champions League wins showed it. They can give themselves a chance with a win against Olimpiacos.
33. Eintracht Frankfurt (-6)
They are out and that’s expected.
34. Villarreal (-4)
They probably focused too much in the league and they were already eliminated.
35. Slavia Prague (-3)
Three draws and no wins in seven games, that’s not Champions League level.
36. Kairat (–)
I was really hoping they could do more than just one draw in seven matches.
