Champions League Power Rankings: Barcelona, Arsenal teams to beat as defending champs PSG faces uphill task

Champions League Power Rankings: Barcelona, Arsenal teams to beat as defending champs PSG faces uphill task originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

As the most prestigious and noteworthy club competition in global football, the UEFA Champions League is the proving ground for all top teams across the European landscape.

Every season, the most notable and talented clubs throughout the continent convene to decide which one is most worthy to be European champion.

Two-time defending champions PSG are looking for a historic three-peat, but they have exceptional competition from a number of massive clubs, including last year's finalists Arsenal plus La Liga giants Real Madrid and Barcelona.

The Sporting News ranks the top 16 teams in the Champions League field, with these teams considered most likely to reach the Round of 16 in the knockout stage.

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Rankings as of conclusion of all matches on Thursday, October 15.

16. RB Leipzig (Bundesliga)

Even as they sold teenage sensation Yan Diomande to Real Madrid for an enormous pile of cash, plus offloading Lois Openda to Juventus, RB Leipzig should cause problems in the Champions League this season.

After finishing a distant third in last season's Bundesliga table, Leipzig are back in Europe's top competition. They are adept at selling superstar-level talent for big money and revamping the squad successfully, and so the departures shouldn't hinder them as much as they might for other sides less experienced at flipping young players for financial gain.

After a heavy defeat to Como to begin their Champions League slate, they got back on track with a narrow victory over PSV Eindhoven in a game they desperately needed points. Qualification is still very much on the cards, even if they suffer defeat in their next two games against both Pot 1 opponents.

15. Villarreal (La Liga)

Villarreal have had a very wonky start to the La Liga season, but they are undoubtedly a contender for both European places domestically and the knockout stage in the Champions League this season.

Despite sitting 11th in the Spanish top flight through eight matches, they are fourth in expected points, and have looked contenders in both their first two European matches. They played Borussia Dortmund very tight on the road, and then beat a struggling Napoli handily at home.

The combination of Nicolas Pepe, Georges Mikautadze, and Ayoze Perez up front has been a strong mix of skills, and manager Inigo Perez has looked capable of taking over for the loss of Marcelino who brought the club success through his three years in charge.

There's a lot for Villarreal to prove, but they appear a strong contender for qualifying places, even if their top-heavy schedule might leave them in a bit of a hole early on. There's enough points to be had through their final four matches that they should be able to make up ground if they're humbled in upcoming games against Liverpool and PSG.

14. Como (Serie A)

Easily one of the darlings of the Champions League this season, Italian upstarts Como have flourished under Cesc Fabregas's leadership.

Led by Argentine revelation Nico Paz, this Como team is a true danger for any of the top teams, and looks to be a threat to not just advance to the knockout stage, but cause some problems there as well. They brought in Trevoh Chalobah and Robert Sanchez from Chelsea, plus the loan of Moise Kean from fellow Serie A side Fiorentina. Alongside Paz, they also have another rising young player in Martin Baturina, plus former Real Madrid youth product Jacobo Ramon at the back.

A win to start things against RB Leipzig was promising, but a road defeat to Feyenoord has cooled their hype considerably. That should have been a winnable game. There is still, however, plenty of room to make up ground and qualify for the knockouts amidst a soft schedule. They have to take their opportunities soon, however, since they finish the slate with both Pot 1 opponents.

13. Borussia Dortmund (Bundesliga)

The offseason departure of Karim Adeyemi will hurt, but Borussia Dortmund remain a top European contender every year regardless of their comings and goings.

Dortmund dominated Villarreal in their Champions League opener, and are off to a very positive start domestically as well. Serhou Guirassy is back for another go at the European top scorer award, having been right up near the top of the table in the last two campaigns, supported in part by new Greek youngster Konstantinos Karetsas. A narrow defeat to Bodo/Glimt in the second matchday was unfortunate, but certainly no massive derail to their campaign.

The German side have a relatively difficult league phase slate, but there's enough meat on the bone to see them through to the knockout stage barring major disappointment, and they could give an opponent trouble in the two-legged tie.

12. Man United (Premier League)

Last season, with no European football whatsoever to bog them down, Manchester United finished third in the Premier League to qualify them for the Champions League.

They spent big in the summer to revamp the midfield, but for the most part the main starting lineup remains the same. Bruno Fernandes is likely to regress some from his historic campaign last year, but even some slight drop-off should put United into position for advancement to at least the playoff round. An early defeat to Atletico Madrid surely put them in their place, but they should still compete for a knockout round spot.

The rigors of a new season with extra congestion will prove a challenge, and they have an extremely difficult league phase slate, so there are added adversities to deal with this season, but they still look likely to advance to the knockout stage if they can avoid disappointing results in games they're favored to win.

11. Real Betis (La Liga)

It's time folks star taking Real Betis seriously. They sit third in the La Liga table through seven domestic matches, and they have two wins to begin Champions League play against quality opponents. They are fifth in the La Liga expected points table, which indicates they are worthy of their strong league position, and they have continued to produce even with the added strain of European football this season.

Isco has transitioned from being a creative force to a goal scoring presence, even at 34 years old, and former MLS star Cucho Hernandez is having a bright start to his second season with the club after hitting double figures last year in his debut campaign. 35-year-old Marc Bartra remains a leader at the back, and the new addition of Fran Garcia from Real Madrid has been a boon. Add in the likes of Dani Ceballos, Gio Lo Celso, and Antony, all household names amongst European football, this is a team to be taken seriously.

From here until their final two games against difficult Pot 1 opposition, Real Betis have to be considered contenders to win matches. If they can keep their level up both domestically and abroad, they have a real shot at a strong qualifying finish.

10. Sporting CP (Primeira Liga)

After reaching the quarterfinals of the Champions League last season and giving Arsenal a good fight there, Sporting are back for another go, and have a very soft league phase slate to prop them up as much as possible.

Sporting made a whole host of moves this summer to revamp the squad with young talent, including securing World Cup standout Nestory Irankunda from Watford. They also offloaded a lot of top talent, however, including winger Francisco Trincao to the Saudi league, midfielder Morten Hjulmand to Atletico Madrid, and defender Ousmane Diomande to Nottingham Forest.

If they can hit the ground running with the new additions, as they appear to have done, they can be an annoyance for the top sides once again, and have the capacity to reach into the last eight of the competition again if the draw works in their favor. Two wins in their first two games are definitely a good start.

9. Inter (Serie A)

On their best day, Inter can challenge anyone in Europe for a result. They proved as much two years ago by beating Barcelona en route to a spot in the Champions League final, and they also made that case in their league phase opener this season, losing to Real Madrid in a game they dominated large stretches of but failed to capitalize on their best chances.

Inter are a talented squad, and set up for success, especially with a relatively soft league phase schedule. Yet they need everything to go right if they are to beat a top side, meaning they won't be favored to win matches against anyone above them on this list. The Azzurri remain far and away Italy's best hopes for a continental title, but they're up against it if they can't finish opportunities presented to them against top-tier opponents.

The difficult start to the European season is worrying indeed. They have won just one of their last seven Champions League games, an eye-popping figure that certainly raises concerns of their ability to compete this season over the course of eight league phase games and beyond.

8. Atletico Madrid (La Liga)

Diego Simeone has long since shedded the overtly defensive mindset his Atletico Madrid team used to embody, and that has made the side much more entertaining to watch. But has it made them better? That is a much tougher question to answer.

Even as their style has evolved, one thing this Atleti team still displays under Simeone is exceptional toughness, especially at home, where they are far tougher to beat, and that makes them a threat against any opponent. Unfortunately, they also display a propensity for conceding soft goals, and they need to repair the relationship with Julian Alvarez if they are to prove a threat to the stronger, more established title contenders.

7. Liverpool (Premier League)

Like many of the Premier League teams this season, Liverpool are also under new management, and Andoni Iraola has struggled in some capacities to get his team rolling to begin the year, complaining about how their fitness levels need to improve before they can execute his desired style of play.

Yet as in seasons past, this Reds team has exceptional moxie, known for grinding out results even when they don't have their best stuff. That was on display against Atletico Madrid in their Champions League opener, as they came back from an early 1-0 deficit to win the match.

Iraola has a task on his hands to make this team legitimate title contenders both domestically and abroad. He has to improve Florian Wirtz's contributions in front of goal, figure out who will start on each wing, and get Alexis Mac Allister back to his best after a very poor season last year. If he can sort those glaring concerns out, the Reds may be one of the dark horses for the competition this year.

6. Man City (Premier League)

With Pep Guardiola no longer on the touchline for Manchester City, the club enters a new era, as Enzo Maresca hopes that being the guy after the guy doesn't give him the (sky) blues.

There are many, many questions around Man City ahead of this season. What will they look like without Pep? Can they cope with the loss of Rodri? How will the many new players settle in? City completely overhauled the midfield this offseason, bringing in Elliot Anderson, Enzo Fernandez, and Ayyoub Bouaddi, plus a number of other players to fill out the roster.

On paper, City are bursting at the seams with talent just like always, but given the incredible amount of transition this offseason, there's a "believe when we see it" feeling around this team to begin the year.

5. Real Madrid (La Liga)

* All road matches at Shakhtar Donetsk will be played at Stamford Bridge in London.

Los Blancos are under new yet familiar management as Jose Mourinho takes over for a second spell, hoping to bring trophies back to the Bernabeu after two straight seasons without any major silverware. They also spent big money to bring in 19-year-old Yan Diomande, an exciting yet raw talent who will need time to develop in Mourinho's system.

Even though Madrid have a new leader on the touchline, they look very similar to their old iteration. Mourinho has them playing well, with Kylian Mbappe gobbling up generational shot totals in front of goal, supported by great creativity and goal-scoring prowess from Vinicius Jr. and Jude Bellingham, while the boss deploys a more central and defensive-minded wing foil on the right flank.

Early on, it looks an effective setup, if still quite shaky at times. Mourinho's biggest influence on the squad appeared at first to be his jolt of energy to Vini, but the Brazilian's form has dropped considerably as the meat of the season approaches. They lack midfield depth after missing out on Rodri in the summer, seeing Mourinho test Trent Alexander-Arnold in the middle of the pitch, and they are thin along the back as well.

We'll see how far they go, but at the moment, Madrid look a bigger threat than they have been the past two years.

4. Bayern Munich (Bundesliga)

The German giants have yet to really get into the thick of their season, having already dropped points domestically with a scoreless draw against Schalke, but they still look a dominant force when the starters all play, and boast supreme, world-class talent in the regular lineup.

Michael Olise in particular has developed into a creative monster, and after a strong World Cup performance, he is firmly in the mix for Ballon d'Or consideration. Speaking of the Ballon d'Or, Harry Kane has a great shot to win last year's award, putting him in good position for yet another great campaign, even if he falls a bit short of last year's generational production.

There are two big problems for Bayern right now. First, Manuel Neuer is 40 years old and clearly no longer a Champions League-caliber player in goal, but continues to press on despite considerable struggles over the past few seasons and in this summer's World Cup. Additionally, the team's depth presents a bit of an issue, as they lean heavier this season on the team's youth call-ups than in recent memory, with the likes of Lennart Karl, Nathaniel Brown, and Tom Bischof not quite up to the level of the starters they back up.

Still, this team, if healthy, looks an absolute force, especially if Jamal Musiala can get back to his best after a number of fitness issues over the past two seasons. Their wild draw with Viking was more quirky than worrying.

3. PSG (Ligue 1)

It may be shocking to see the two-time defending champions so low on the list to begin the season. PSG do this every year under Luis Enrique — they begin the season slow, mixing in lots of their squad depth in league play throughout the first half of the season, before everyone hits the afterburners in late January.

Yet at some point, playing with fire in that manner is going to burn them. It may already have this season, where they have failed to win each of their first three Ligue 1 games of the season, drawing with Rennes and Lille plus defeat to AS Monaco. They clobbered Slovan Bratislava at home, but they must secure results in their upcoming matches against Brest and Marseille if they are to avoid falling deeper into an early-season hole domestically, and have Champions League matches against Man City and Barcelona coming up before October is over.

Make no mistake — PSG are still absolutely, bang-on title contenders, of course. But right now, the three teams above them are simply in much better form, and if Luis Enrique doesn't get them together now, they could lose their grip on the domestic table, which could very easily translate to Europe. The margins are thin at the top of the Champions League title contenders, and this is simply where PSG have shown they are at right now.

The wild 4-2 win over Man City was enjoyable on the eyes, but they were still significantly out-shot in the end, and doesn't move the needle past those above them.

2. Arsenal (Premier League)

Arsenal have slowly improved their Champions League position each of the last three seasons, culminating with a spot in last year's final, where they were narrowly beaten by PSG on a penalty shootout after a regulation draw.

Pair that with their Premier League championship last season, as well as their strong start to the new campaign, and there is no debating that Arsenal are amongst the very best teams not only in England, but in all of Europe. Their defensive capabilities both with and without the ball are unmatched, and they have just enough attacking firepower to edge out the competition, showing an ability to succeed in both long-term league play as well as short-term knockout action.

Still, there are occasional questions about Arsenal's front line, especially in one-off matches or two-legged ties, where a dip in finishing can hurt teams more than over the length of a full league season. They have a massive hole at left wing, and the combination of Kai Havertz and Viktor Gyokeres, while strong, can be edged out by better attacking squads throughout the top echelon of the Champions League title contenders.

When you play so many matches on a knife edge, things can feel a bit hairy, even when they're not.

1. Barcelona (La Liga)

It's incredibly early, of course, but the Barcelona front line is playing like it might be one of the best this generation has ever seen.

By moving Raphinha to the striker position and slotting Anthony Gordon into the left wing, the fluidity of the attacking trio has completely demolished every single opponent, scoring 23 goals and conceding just two.

They also haven't looked quite as susceptible to counter-attacks as they have been in the past under Hansi Flick, a good sign considering their last two exits from the Champions League have come from teams transitioning them to death. This is bolstered by the addition of former Ballon d'Or winner Rodri, who is an exceptional win-now addition to an already monstrously talented squad.

Right now, Barcelona have to be considered the favorites to win the title on current form, squad talent, and coaching acumen, but there's also an exceptional amount of football still to be played.