The Champions League returns with another hectic itinerary of midweek action ahead – but who is looking strongest after the first round?
The opening week of fixtures saw big wins for holders Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich and Barcelona, while Arsenal, Manchester City and Aston Villa earned away victories to start with three points. Liverpool defeated Atletico Madrid at home while Manchester United marked their return to the Champions League with a triumphant 4-0 win over the debutants Sabah.
Plenty could change, though, with PSG and Manchester City meeting in an encounter with significance beyond football in the pick of the matchday two fixtures.
We compiled our 36-team power rankings by combining team’s previous performance in the Champions League, their results in the competition so far, and the likelihood of them going all the way this season. Agree or disagree with our standings? Let us know and have your say in the comments below.
1. Paris Saint-Germain
- Results: 6-1 vs Slovan Bratislava
- Fixtures: Manchester City (a), Barcelona (h), Villarreal (a), Roma (h), Aston Villa (a), Como (a), Galatasaray (h)
The back-to-back defending champions are still the team to beat, despite their indifferent start domestically. But Luis Enrique’s team have proved over the last couple of seasons that they know how to peak at the right time. They could finish outside the top eight of this season’s group phase, as they have done over the past two years, and would still be considered favourites due to the midfield brilliance of Vitinha and Joao Neves and the attacking quality of Ousmane Dembele and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Their next two fixtures away to Manchester City and at home to Barcelona are intriguing on paper, but the French champions know the real work begins in February.
2. Arsenal
- Results: 1-0 vs Napoli
- Fixtures: Lille (h), Bayern Munich (a), Slavia Prague (a), Borussia Dortmund (h), Real Madrid (h), Real Betis (a), Sabah (h)
Last season’s runner-up are determined to go one better after their heartbreaking defeat on penalties to PSG last season. It remains to be seen if Mikel Arteta’s side can take the next step against a heavyweight side in the business end of the Champions League, but their unrivalled squad depth means the Gunners have a very good chance of finishing one of the top two spots in this season’s group phase. The early season form of Martin Odegaard, who can be like a new signing, could give Arsenal more of an edge in their attack.
3. Barcelona
- Results: 5-1 v Feyenoord
- Fixtures: Galatasaray (a), PSG (a), Aston Villa (h), Sabah (a), Manchester City (h), Sporting (a), Como (h)
Arguably Europe’s in-form side after a devastating start to the season where Hansi Flick’s team have scored 22 goals in their first five games, hitting five goals in four of those matches. Despite not replacing Robert Lewandowski, aside from the free signing of Gabriel Jesus, their attack has sparked into life: Raphinha is off to a flyer while Lamine Yamal is set to return stronger after missing the end of last season with a hamstring injury. The addition of Rodri, too, gives Barcelona experience and muscle in midfield. Tougher tests await but should Barcelona continue their run through tricky tests away from home against Galatasaray and holders PSG then the LaLiga champions could find themselves at the top of this list, while inspiring confidence that they could compete for a first Champions League crown since 2015.
4. Bayern Munich
- Results: 5-0 v Bodo/Glimt
- Fixtures: Viking (a), Arsenal (h), Atletico Madrid (a), Lille (a), Slavia Prague (h), Manchester United (a), Real Betis (h)
It felt like Bayern Munich were on the verge of a breakthrough last season after finishing second to Arsenal in the league phase and ending their hoodoo against Real Madrid in an enthralling quarter-final. The semi-final against PSG was ludicrous and perhaps showed that Vincent Kompany’s team were the finest side in Europe last season after the eventual Champions League winners. Certainly, if Harry Kane continues his astonishing rate of goalscoring and Michael Olise continues to unlock new levels of his game then Bayern will be there or thereabouts. As with PSG’s supremacy in France, their dominance of the Bundesliga is likely to give the German champions an advantage over their Premier League and Spanish rivals come April and May.
5. Manchester City
- Results: 2-0 v Porto
- Fixtures: PSG (h), AEK Athens (h), Leipzig (a), Napoli (h), Barcelona (a), Lens (a), Sporting (a)
Unlike the four high-class teams above them, it feels like more of a stretch to call Manchester City contenders for this season’s Champions League. In part, that comes due to a summer of change; the impacts of the Premier League’s verdict could be significant, too. There is quality throughout the team, no doubt – as shown in a strong start domestically – but Guardiola won just one Champions League title in his 10 years at City, a record that many considered to be an underperformance in Europe’s top competition. Could Enzo Maresca prioritise the continental campaign if a severe Premier League punishment is handed down? There still feels like so much uncertainty, but wins over PSG and Barcelona would be statement results.
6. Real Madrid
- Results: 2-1 v Inter Milan
- Fixtures: Roma (a), RB Leipzig (h), AEK Athens (a), PSV (h), Arsenal (a), LASK (h), Shakhtar (a)
Whatever happens, it’s going to be fun to watch with Jose Mourinho returning to the Bernabeu charged with preventing a third consecutive season without a trophy. The 15-time Champions League winners are faced with the same conundrum as last year of how to get Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr playing together in a balanced side. Real Madrid still look light midfield and missing out on Rodri, who joined Barcelona, could have made a big difference. But there is still an aura around Real Madrid in this competition, with their opening 2-1 win over Inter offering a bit of a throwback to the days of Carlo Ancelotti: Inter were in control of the first half but found themselves trailing 2-0 as Real Madrid inevitably scored from their first two shots.
7. Liverpool
- Results: 2-1 v Atletico Madrid
- Fixtures: LASK (a), Villarreal (h), Fenerbahce (a), Club Brugge (a), Porto (h), Inter (a), Lens (h)
Sitting outside the top tier of contenders, you’d have to say it would be a surprise for Liverpool (or any of the teams below the Reds in these rankings) to win the Champions League in their first season under Andoni Iraola. Issues in midfield and defence abound while a lack of squad depth may come back to cost them, but the one thing Liverpool have going for them is the potential of their attack, if Iraola gets a tune out of Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz and new signing Bradley Barcola ahead of Hugo Ekitike’s return from injury. A relatively kind fixture list helps, as does Liverpool’s record in the Champions League in recent years. It has taken PSG to knock them out in the last two seasons.
8. Inter Milan
- Results: 1-2 v Real Madrid
- Fixtures: Club Brugge (h), Shakhtar (h), Feyenoord (a), Stuttgart (h), Borussia Dortmund (a), Liverpool (h), Slovan Bratislava (a)
Memories of the last two seasons sting, with Inter beaten 5-0 by PSG in the 2025 final before being knocked out by Bodo/Glimt in last season’s knockout play-off in one of the Champions League’s biggest ever shocks. The Serie A champions remain the strongest side in Italy, whose teams struggled badly overall last season, and the tactical flexibility of their 3-5-2 with flying wing-backs and Lautaro Martinez and Marcus Thuram forming a strong front-two can offer an edge in some games. Even before the trip to the Bernabeu, Inter’s group-phase fixtures were rated as the easiest of the 36 teams in this season’s Champions League.
9. Atletico Madrid
- Results: 1-2 v Liverpool
- Fixtures: Manchester United (h), Stuttgart (a), Bayern Munich (h), Viking (h), PSV (a), Bodo/Glimt (a), Fenerbahce (h)
Last season’s semi-finalists have the added motivation of hosting this season’s Champions League final at the Metropolitano in Madrid. Yet it would be another colossal overachievement from Diego Simeone to get Atleti into a third Champions League final of his 15-year reign. You know what you’re going to get from a Simeone side in the Champions League - knocking out Barcelona in last season’s quarter-finals was a reminder of their ability to play up to the underdog role in the latter stages.
10. Manchester United
- Results: 4-0 v Sabah
- Fixtures: Atletico Madrid (a), Como (a), Roma (h), Sporting (a), RB Leipzig (h), Bayern Munich (h), Villarreal (a)
It’s been so long since Manchester United were competitive in the Champions League and a paltry two quarter-finals since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement highlights the gap to European’s elite. Michael Carrick is now tasked with reviving one of the continent’s grandest clubs but this is also unfamiliar ground for an inexperienced coach who must now balance Premier League and European commitments. An opening 4-0 win against Sabah, the champions of Azerbaijan, means United have already equalled their total of wins from their last appearance in the Champions League two years ago, but a challenging fixture list now awaits and that will reveal United’s true level in this competition.
11. Borussia Dortmund
12. Aston Villa
13. Roma
14. Porto
15. Sporting
16. Napoli
17. Fenerbahce
18. Galatasaray
19. Villarreal
20. Como
21. Real Betis
22. RB Leipzig
23. Stuttgart
24. Lille
25. PSV Eindhoven
26. Bodo/Glimt
27. Club Brugge
28. Lens
29. Feyenoord
30. Shakhtar Donetsk
31. AEK Athens
32. Viking
33. Slavia Prague
34. LASK
35. Sabah
36. Slovan Bratislava