📈 Power Rankings: Two huge names return and a change at the top | OneFootball

A busy week domestically and in European competition means a big update to our Power Rankings.

Here are the top 10 form teams in Europe.

10. Rennes (👎 Last time: 8)

Rennes remain unbeaten — now 14 in all competitions without defeat — as they continue to look very impressive.

On fire in the league, through in the Europa League. No notes.

9. Union Berlin (No change)

Another fine week for Union, who beat Braga to keep their Europa League dreams alive and scored a dramatic 97th minute winner against Borussia Mönchengladbach to stay top of the Bundesliga.

Both wins, fully deserved, came at home, where they have played five of their last six games. They’ve won all of those but lost the one trip in that time, a visit to struggling Bochum, and will likely need wins at Union Saint-Gilloise and Bayer Leverkusen to both progress in Europe and then hold onto top spot in Germany.

8. Manchester City (🆕)

No Erling Haaland? No problem. Manchester City return to our rankings after the brilliance of Kevin De Bruyne led them to three points at Leicester on Saturday and then aided a comeback against Sevilla in midweek.

We do not know when Haaland will return but City won the title without him last season and Julián Álvarez is still just finding his feet. That defeat at Anfield remains the only meaningful time City have dropped points in any competition since 3 September. Watch out, Fulham!

7. Real Madrid (👎 Last time: 6)

Things have gone a little topsy-turvy for the European champions, who failed to respond to last week’s defeat at RB Leipzig at the weekend, sinking to a 1-1 draw at home against Girona. The cushion at the top of LaLiga is now just one point.

Midweek went better with a 5-1 win over Celtic to secure top spot in their Champions League group but no more domestic slips can be afforded now.

6. Bayern Munich (🆕)

Hello again! It looked like Bayern were beginning to falter there for a while, suffering defeat at Augsburg and conceding a late equaliser to Borussia Dortmund. A barren September and start to October, by their incredible standards, has been corrected now.

Bayern won a tough Champions League group claiming all 18 points and now have 38 goals in their 10 games since that sole defeat of the season at the WWK-Arena. That’s some going.

5. Newcastle (👎 Last time: 4)

We say it often: sometimes teams drop down in our rankings just because others are doing so well. That’s the case for Newcastle here; slipping a place after a 4-0 win is no reflection on Eddie Howe’s team.

Still on the Premier League’s longest ongoing unbeaten run (eight games) they continue to look formidable at home and tough to handle away. They more than deserve to sit fourth in the league and the test now will be maintaining it as opposition sides come to expect more from them.

4. Arsenal (👎 Last time: 3)

Dropped points at Southampton, defeat in Eindhoven, was the Arsenal bubble beginning to burst? Far from it.

Last Sunday’s 5-0 win over Nottingham Forest was a perfect response and even more encouraging was the fact four of the goals came without Bukayo Saka on the pitch. Arsenal have relied on him heavily in recent years but now look a rounded threat, capable of bodying a blow or two. Win at Chelsea on Sunday and they will remain top of the league.

3. Benfica (👍 Last time: 7)

Who saw that coming?! Benfica remain top in Portugal with 10 wins and a draw from 11 games so far but it was a 6-1 win on Wednesday that made Europe pay attention.

Having already beaten Juventus twice and having held PSG to two draws, a big win at Maccabi Haifa saw them top a tough Champions League group. Roger Schmidt has something special brewing.

2. Napoli (👎 Last time: 1)

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Napoli had to taste defeat at some point and they will be glad their sensational run of form ended at Anfield with a result that did not cost them top spot in their Champions League group.

They continue to blow teams away in the league, where they have now won eight in a row, and look absolutely formidable as they chase that elusive Scudetto.

1. PSG (👍 Last time: 2)

A win in Turin was not enough to seal first place in their Champions League group but PSG got the result they went to Italy for and continued an absolutely dominant start to the season.

Neymar is playing well, Kylian Mbappé has hit top form, and Lionel Messi looks like he’s sharp and as in the groove as he has been for a very long time. Champions League contenders? You’d have to think so.