Power Rankings: The best teams in Europe – Week 2
Following a week in which:
We at 90min are back to rank the top ten best football teams in Europe right now:
After a fairly shaky start to the 2023/24 season, Newcastle United really started to fire on all cylinders this past week by:
A) Drawing 0-0 at San Siro
B) Thumping Sheffield United 8-0
C) Beating Manchester City in the Carabao Cup
It was a good week for the Magpies, to say the least.
Real Madrid suffered a defeat that’s been coming for quite a while against city rivals Atletico on Sunday.
Diego Simeone’s side fully exploited the weaknesses out wide to punish Madrid at the Civitas Metropolitano and, while they managed to bounce back with a win over Las Palmas, top teams around Europe will be licking their lips after watching Atletico dismantle Los Blancos at the weekend.
Barca had been pretty damn impressive up until Marc-Andre ter Stegen and the back four pressed the self-destruct button on Tuesday evening.
They managed to get a point out of the game regardless, but Xavi will be well aware of the need to improve their defensive performances in the coming weeks.
Having conceded just one goal and won all five of their opening Serie A games, Inter were set to cruise up into the top three of the power rankings this week…and then Sassuolo came to town.
The visitors ended up banging two goals past I Nerazzurri to earn an unlikely win at San Siro.
The feel-good factor is back at Tottenham Hotspur.
And that’s all thanks to Ange Postecoglou, who has got Spurs playing some of the most exciting football in Europe right now.
The injuries are starting to pile up for Arsenal already, but Mikel Arteta’s team are continuing to just chug along.
They’re one of four unbeaten sides in the Premier League and will be hoping to lay a marker down when they face off against Manchester City in a few weeks‘ time.
Bayer Leverkusen are officially very good. Xabi Alonso is officially very big time. Victor Boniface is officially a baller.
Those are three of the key takeaways from the early part of the 2023/24 Bundesliga season.
If you check the La Liga table right you’ll find that it’s Girona, and not Real Madrid or Barcelona, who are in first place.
The City Football Group-owned club (yes, it all makes sense now, doesn’t it?) have won six of their opening seven games of the season. Impressive stuff.
The only team in the top five leagues with a 100% record in their division, Man City drop down to second place this week because of a Carabao Cup defeat.
City can no longer complete the quadruple thanks to the defeat to Newcastle United at St. James‘ Park. Big L.
Games played: 8
Games won: 7
Games drawn: 1
Games lost: 0
After year of mediocrity, Liverpool are explicitly back to their best in 2023/24.