UCL Power Rankings: Liverpool's ceiling exposed & Barca bounce back

The 2026-27 Champions League is well under way, with all 36 teams now halfway through their league-phase campaigns, and there have been goals galore around Europe to kick-off the new season

Paris Saint-Germain are the defending champions after they won a second successive European Cup back in May, defeating Arsenal on penalties in the final in Budapest. Luis Enrique's side have looked a class apart over the past 18 months or so, but they are likely to face stiff competition for a third straight title.

So who is best placed to challenge PSG for European supremacy at this point? GOAL's Power Rankings is here throughout the competition to keep track of the contenders, all while weeding out the pretenders...

Previous update: October 15, 2026.

On the outside looking in

This season's power rankings are going to look a little different; rather than ranking every team from 1-36, we will instead be mimicking the competition's league phase by ranking the top 24 contenders, with the other 12 teams left on the outside looking in.

That's not to say that none of these 12 teams will make it through - there is always a shock name or two in the knockout rounds - but this dozen are currently, in our view, the least likely teams to progress and continue their European journey past the opening round.

There are teams here who have already enjoyed success in this season's competition, including Norwegian minnows Viking, who backed up their impressive draw with Bayern Munich with victory over Sabah on matchday four. AEK Athens, meanwhile, pushed Real Madrid all the way before losing 3-2 while Bodo/Glimt continue to punch above their weight.

Things are looking less positive for Napoli and PSV, who are both at real risk of missing out on the knockouts for the second straight season after both won just one of their opening four matches.

GOAL's doomed dozen: AEK Athens, Bodo/Glimt, Feyenoord, Lens, Napoli (⬇️), PSV (⬇️), Sabah, Shakhtar Donetsk (⬇️), Slavia Prague, Slovan Bratislava, Viking.

24. LASK ⬆️

While Como have taken much of the attention when it comes to the tournament debutants, an immense amount of credit must go to LASK for how they have acquitted themselves thus far. The Austrian champions lost to both AEK Athens and Liverpool to begin their campaign, but have since got back on track in spectacular fashion.

LASK first went to Lisbon and beat Sporting before putting four past whipping boys Slovan Bratislava, leaving them knowing that only four points will likely be required to finish in the top 24. With home games to come against Fenerbahce and Porto after they visit Bodo/Glimt, the minnows will fancy their chances of finishing the job.

23. Villarreal ↔️

Villarreal were one of the biggest disappointments of last season's Champions League as the Yellow Submarine mustered just a solitary point from their eight games to finish second-bottom of the 36-team league phase table. With that in mind, they have already made a better of fist of things this time around, even if they were embarrassed against PSG last time out.

The Spanish side found themselves 4-0 down inside 17 minutes after repeatedly gifting the defending champions with goal-scoring opportunities, and went on to lose 6-0 on home soil. However, their upcoming games against Slavia Prague and Sabah offer a fantastic opportunity to get back on track before Villarreal take on Manchester United and Fenerbahce in the New Year.

22. Porto ↔️

After two years away, Porto are back in the Champions League after Francesco Farioli's side triumphed in Liga Portugal last season. The Italian coach made Los Dragoes one of the toughest teams to beat in Europe after taking over in the summer of 2025, and they are still to drop a point domestically this season.

Their European campaign, however, looked to be going off the rails before it even got going as they suffered three successive defeats before finally getting on the board with a rousing win over Napoli. With favourable fixtures against Feyenoord, Slavia Prague and LASK to come, Farioli and his players are still very much in the hunt for a knockout berth.

21. RB Leipzig ⬇️

After missing out on European football all together last season, Leipzig are back at the top table after a third-placed finish in the Bundesliga, though their return to the Champions League hasn't got off to the best start, with losses to Como, Real Madrid and Manchester City leaving Martin Demichelis' side towards the bottom of the table at the halfway point.

The good news for the German outfit is that their fixture list is far less daunting from here on out, and they should be confident of earning home wins over both Lens and Shakhtar Donetsk. Do that, and Leipzig will likely need just a point from their two remaining away games, against Manchester United and Feyenoord.

20. Fenerbahce ⬆️

Fenerbahce spent big during the summer transfer window in the hope of building a team who could reach the Champions League knockouts, but doing so didn't look likely after their failed to win any of their opening three games, which included a 6-0 thrashing by Aston Villa and a disappointing draw with Slavia Prague.

Wednesday's win over Liverpool, however, has provided the Turkish side with the jolt they needed, and with games to come against Shakhtar Donetsk, LASK and Villarreal, new manager Emre Belozoglu will be confident of getting the points required to earn a spot in the play-offs.

19. Roma ⬇️

Roma are back in the Champions League for the first time since the 2018-19 season, with Gian Piero Gasperini having worked wonders to restore the Giallorossi to being one of the major forces in Italian football. Under the former Atalanta boss, the capital club have become incredibly difficult to beat in Serie A, though they are developing a nasty habit of throwing away leads on the European stage.

Roma led by two goals against both Real Madrid and Manchester United, only to collapse in the final 10 minutes to suffer defeats, and now could face a fight to even make the play-offs given they still have PSG and Sporting CP to play in the second half of the league phase.

18. Stuttgart ⬇️

Sebastian Hoeness continues to work wonders with Stuttgart, whom he has taken from the Bundesliga's relegation play-off to qualifying for the Champions League twice in the space of three seasons. The German side made a strong start to their European campaign, too, as they picked up seven points from their opening three games.

Working in Stuttgart's favour this season is that they have, according to Opta, been handed the easiest set of fixtures of any of the 36 qualified teams, and though they lost out to Galatasaray on matchday four, they should still feel confident of making the knockouts.

17. Galatasaray ⬆️

Galatasaray made it to the last 16 of last season's Champions League, and the Turkish title winners came into the 2026-27 edition eyeing a similar run, only to suffer defeat in each of their opening two league-phase matches.

They have got back on track impressively, however, as they beat Lille on the road before seeing off previously unbeaten Stuttgart in Istanbul. Galatasaray likely now need just four points from their remaining four games to book a place in the knockouts, and though they still have Aston Villa and PSG to play, they should be confident of getting the job done.

16. Real Betis ↔️

Back in the Champions League for the first time in over 20 years, Real Betis finished fifth in La Liga last term as they continue to reassert themselves as a force to be reckoned with in Spain under Manuel Pellegrini.

They made some early noise in Europe, winning each of their opening three matches before coming unstuck against Borussia Dortmund. They will be confident of bouncing back against Slovan Bratislava before a daunting finish to their league phase campaign that sees them take on Como, Arsenal and Bayern Munich. That run may well prove to be the difference between Betis finishing in the top eight and having to make do with a play-off berth.

15. Club Brugge ⬆️

Club Brugge have qualified for the knockouts in each of the first two years of the new Champions League format, and they will feel confident of making it three from three after they bounced back from an opening-night loss to Aston Villa to win their next three matches.

Exciting forwards Nicolo Tresoldi and Carlos Forbs inspired victories on the road against both Inter and PSV that laid down a marker and showed that the Belgian champions shouldn't be underestimated. A top-eight finish is well within reach now, too, given their remaining fixture list - Liverpool, Napoli, Stuttgart and Bodo/Glimt - is far from daunting.

14. Sporting CP ↔️

Sporting are beginning to become part of the Champions League furniture, and they went all the way to the quarter-finals last season after surprisingly earning a top-eight finish in the league phase before producing an epic comeback to beat Bodo/Glimt in the last 16. The Lisbon outfit are almost assured of a place in the knockouts once again after winning three of their opening four games, and must wonder how they let a home game against tournament debutants LASK get away from them on matchday three.

If Sporting can now earn positive results against Manchester United and Roma under new manager Paulo Fonseca then they could even secure a top-eight finish once again, despite a daunting finish to their league phase fixtures against Barcelona and Manchester City.

13. Manchester United ⬇️

Michael Carrick guided Manchester United back into the Champions League during his impressive interim spell in charge during the second half of last season, but his start to life as permanent boss has already gone off the rails, meaning it remains to be seen who will actually oversee the second half of the Red Devils' league phase campaign.

Carrick gave himself a chance of remaining in the Old Trafford dugout after masterminding Tuesday's remarkable, come-from-behind win over Roma as United bounced back from successive defeats to Atletico Madrid and Como. However, with tough games to come against Sporting and Bayern Munich, their chances of automatic qualification for the last 16 remain slim at best.

12. Aston Villa ⬇️

It was all change for Aston Villa over the summer as six starters from their triumphant Europa League final departed, leaving Unai Emery to oversee what is likely to be a season of transition as he aims to build a new team that mostly consists of new signings. Early signs have been promising, too, with Villa winning each of their opening three Champions League games before suffering defeat to Barcelona on matchday four.

Emery's side were still able to create opportunities at Camp Nou, and they look well capable of going toe-to-toe with some of Europe's best sides. They will have to do so if they are to be sure of a last-16 place, too, with home games against PSG and Borussia Dortmund still on their schedule.

11. Inter ⬇️

Inter were perhaps the biggest underperformers in last season's Champions League, as the beaten finalists from 2025 were dumped out in the play-off round after being beaten home and away by Bodo/Glimt. Cristian Chivu managed to settle things down from that disappointment and secure a domestic double by the end of his first year in charge, but his side have once again flattered to deceive on the continent thus far.

Despite a decent showing in defeat to Real Madrid, Inter's subsequent home loss to Club Brugge left them playing catch-up on the other title hopefuls. The Nerazzurri have since bounced back with successive wins, though the victory over Feyenoord was far more convincing than the narrow win over Shakhtar Donetsk that preceded it. Chivu's team will need to improve, then, if they are to get the wins they now likely need over Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool to avoid the play-off round.

10. Como ⬆️

Como might be Champions League debutants who weren't even playing top-flight football three years ago, but they are not in the competition to merely make up the numbers. The Serie A upstarts have showcased a knack for taking down Italy's biggest clubs over the past two seasons, and Cesc Fabregas' side now shifted their focus to defeating some of Europe's very best sides.

They have begun their continental campaign in style, too, winning three of their four games as they backed up dominant home wins over RB Leipzig and Manchester United with their 9-1 demolition of Lens on matchday four. Only PSG have scored more goals than Fabregas' side at this stage, and they will likely now be assured of a place in the knockouts before they have to play both the defending champions and Barcelona in January.

9. Atletico Madrid ⬇️

Against the odds, Atletico Madrid battled their way to the Champions League semi-finals last season before being edged out by Arsenal, and Diego Simeone went into this season believing his side were capable of a similarly deep run. They are, however, going to have to do things the hard way if they are to avoid the play-off round after taking just four points from their opening four European games.

Defeats to Liverpool and Bayern Munich suggest that Atleti aren't quite on the same level as the true contenders, and while they should still ease through, with fixtures to come against Viking, PSV, Bodo/Glimt and Fenerbahce, big improvements will be needed if the Rojiblancos are to make some noise in the knockouts.

8. Borussia Dortmund ⬆️

Borussia Dortmund earned a reputation as being European football's ultimate finishing school when the likes of Erling Haaland, Jude Bellingham and Achraf Hakimi passed through on their way to superstardom, but elite graduates have dried up in recent years. To that end, the Bundesliga giants looked to youth over the summer, with Niko Kovac now possessing a squad that contains almost unlimited potential.

That potential has helped them enjoy an unbeaten start to the Bundesliga season, which included a draw away at Bayern Munich, and despite a defeat to Bodo/Glimt on matchday two, they have otherwise been perfect through the Champions League thus far. Tough trips to Arsenal and Aston Villa are still on their schedule, but Kovac and his players are building plenty of confidence at present.

7. Liverpool ↔️

Despite going a round further than in the 2024-25 season, Liverpool undoubtedly went backwards in terms of their performance levels in the Champions League last term before being knocked out by PSG for the second successive campaign. The hope is that Andoni Iraola will return some exciting, attacking football to Anfield after replacing Arne Slot at the helm, but any improvements have been minor thus far.

That said, the Reds did win their opening three games of the league phase, albeit they had to come from behind to beat both Atletico Madrid and Villarreal at home. They have looked defensively shaky throughout, and their chickens came home to roost against Fenerbahce on matchday four when they lost 3-2 in Turkiye. A kind fixture list should mean they have a good shot at a top-eight finish, but a deep run might be beyond Liverpool unless things change quickly.

6. Manchester City ↔️

There is perhaps no team more desperate to win the Champions League this season than Manchester City. With a heavy sanction for their financial rule-breaking likely on the way from the Premier League, the only realistic hope Enzo Maresca's side have of maintaining their place among Europe's elite is by winning the biggest competition on the continent.

Their matchday-two defeat to PSG, then, offered a reminder of the level this new-look City need to reach if they are to make a deep run in the competition, and despite coming unstuck with a couple of domestic defeats, they have bounced back with successive European wins over AEK Athens and RB Leipzig. Their December clash with Barcelona will, however, be the true measuring stick of how far they have come since losing out to Luis Enrique's side at the Etihad.

5. Real Madrid ↔️

Real Madrid have fallen woefully short of expectations in the Champions League over the past two seasons, and have turned to Jose Mourinho in a bid to bring silverware, both domestic and continental, back to the Bernabeu.

While there have been some questionable performances since the Portuguese coach returned to Los Blancos, Madrid not knowing when they're beaten remains a theme in their European matches, as the 15-time champions have come from behind in the final 10 minutes to win games against both Roma and AEK Athens on their way to registering a perfect four victories from four. Their recent Clasico win, meanwhile, showed that Madrid have what it takes to beat the very best, which bodes well for the knockouts.

4. Bayern Munich ↔️

As last season's Champions League wore on, Bayern Munich - led by their swashbuckling attacking trio of Ballon d'Or winner Harry Kane, Michael Olise and Luis Diaz - emerged as many fans' favourites before they fell short against PSG following one of the great semi-finals in competition history.

Things haven't quite clicked in the same manner for the Bundesliga champions this time around, with a disappointing draw with minnows Viking the low point of Bayern's campaign thus far. They have since responded in a positive manner, however, as they earned a draw against fellow contenders Arsenal before securing a dominant victory at Atletico Madrid that means an automatic spot in the last 16 remains well in reach.

3. Arsenal ↔️

Beaten finalists in May, Arsenal's determination to finally get their hands on a first European Cup is likely to reach fever pitch this season, especially if, as expected, they run away with the Premier League title race once Manchester City's sanctions are confirmed. Mikel Arteta certainly has a defence and midfield capable of going all the way, but questions remain over the potency of the Gunners' attack after they failed to land a big-name forward over the summer.

Arsenal's hopes of replicating their perfect league phase record from last season were ended by a creditable draw away at Bayern Munich, but they remain well on track for a top-eight finish having won their other three games thus far. Home matches against Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid should offer further tests of their credentials over the next few months, too.

2. Barcelona ↔️

It's now been 11 years since Barcelona last won the Champions League, but there is a feeling that if any team can dethrone PSG this season then it is Hansi Flick's side. The Blaugrana have dominated the past two seasons in La Liga under the German coach, but have fallen short on the continent in part due to their high defensive line and the open nature of their midfield.

There is a belief that the signing of Rodri will be a game-changer in that regard, and the fact he was rested for Barca's loss to PSG on matchday three should offer some hope that things could go differently should the two sides meet again in the knockouts. For now, Flick's side were able to get back on track with a 3-0 win over Aston Villa as Lamine Yamal and Raphinha continued their electric form in front of goal.

1. Paris Saint-Germain ↔️

Winners of the Champions League in each of the past two seasons, PSG are going in pursuit of a three-peat in 2026-27 as they aim to become the first team not named Real Madrid to lift the European Cup on three successive occasions. All signs point to them doing just that, too, after a breath-taking start to their continental campaign.

Luis Enrique's side have scored 20 goals while winning all four of their games thus far, which included statement victories over both Manchester City and Barcelona. The latter came at a cost, with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia set to miss the rest of the season with the knee injury he picked up against Barca, but the French champions have plenty of attacking reinforcements which means they will remain the team to beat come the knockouts.