Four matchdays into the Champions League league phase, the Champions League power rankings still have Paris Saint-Germain at the summit — but the weekend’s loudest statement came from Como, whose nine-goal demolition of Lens under Cesc Fabregas sent them climbing.
PSG and Real Madrid Set the Pace
PSG made the trip to Spain and left with a four-goal advantage before the 20-minute mark, a result that keeps them as the team to beat even with Ousmane Dembele and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia unavailable through injury. Luis Enrique’s squad has shown that the lineup matters less than the system, and the rankings reflect that consistency.
Real Madrid share a perfect four-win record with PSG, though their route has been far less serene. Trailing in the 75th minute against AEK Athens, Madrid scored twice late to preserve their unblemished run. The rankings note that this is a flawed Madrid side, but also one that has historically found a way in European competition.
Barcelona sit third after a controlled shutout of Aston Villa, though Hansi Flick will be watching his depth closely with Rodri set for a spell on the sidelines. Arsenal remain fourth following a professional 2-0 first-half lead against Slavia Prague that they held through the second period.
Como's Record Night Reshapes the Chase
The biggest mover in the top ten is Como, up four places to eighth after becoming the first team in the post-European Cup era to score nine goals away from home. Fabregas has turned them into a side that opponents must take seriously, and Nico Paz’s development is adding another layer to an attack that already looks fearsome.
They have not yet forced their way into the PSG, Arsenal, Barcelona and Real Madrid tier, but the gap is narrowing. The rankings place them just outside contender status while acknowledging that their form is impossible to ignore.
Middle-of-the-Table Carnage
Liverpool dropped four places to ninth after conceding twice in six minutes and failing to respond in their first league-phase defeat. Andoni Iraola’s side remains well placed in the table, but consistency has been elusive.
Borussia Dortmund moved up three spots to tenth despite Serhou Guirassy’s injury concern, with production arriving from across the pitch against Real Betis. Fabio Silva’s growth was singled out as a positive sign. Betis, meanwhile, fell three places to eleventh after failing to reach 1.0 xG.
Aston Villa’s unbeaten start ended against Barcelona, and they slipped two places to twelfth. Atletico Madrid dropped two spots to thirteenth after managing only three shots on target in a home loss to Bayern Munich, a result that left them behind LASK in the league phase standings.
Roma held steady at fourteenth but remain allergic to two-goal leads, a pattern that resurfaced at Old Trafford. Inter climbed one place to fifteenth after a fortunate win over Feyenoord in which two goals came from a combined 0.05 xG.
Movers at the Margins
Galatasaray made the largest jump inside the top 20, rising six places to eighteenth after Aleksey Batrakov’s four goals from five shots helped secure a second win of the campaign. Fenerbahce also moved up four places to nineteenth following a home victory under a new manager.
Manchester United climbed four spots to twenty-third after ending a nine-match winless run against Roma, though the rankings stop short of calling it a turning point under Michael Carrick. LASK rose six places to twenty-fourth after a four-goal win over Slovan Bratislava, giving them ten goals in four matches.
At the bottom, Villarreal fell seven places to twenty-ninth after a heavy defeat to PSG left their goal difference badly damaged, while Lens dropped seven spots to thirty-second following another lopsided loss. Slovan Bratislava remain rooted to the foot of the rankings with one goal scored and seventeen conceded across four games.
