Champions League Week 6 Power Rankings: Real Madrid slide

The Champions League power rankings are set after the final group stage matches. See where Barcelona, Real Madrid, Arsenal and Leicester rank ahead of the draw for the last 16 on Monday.

Arsenal were confirmed as group winners for the first time since the 2011-12 season. Meanwhile, holders Real Madrid finished second in Group F after blowing a two-goal lead against Borussia Dortmund at the Santiago Bernabeu.

But Los Blancos aren’t the only high-profile contender sweating the draw for the last 16. Bayern Munich and Manchester City both finished as runners-up.

Here are the updated rankings:

16. Benfica

Portuguese outfit Benfica had control of their destiny on the final matchday. But the Eagles blew it by losing 2-1 at home to Napoli.

The result means Benfica finish with the lowest points among second-placed qualifiers. Eight points got the Reds out of Group B, but Benfica are a long shot to survive the knockout phase.

15. Sevilla

They couldn’t beat Juventus with top spot on the line, and Sevilla couldn’t find the net against Lyon on Matchday 6 in Group H. The last two matches have knocked some of the luster off this talented squad’s prospects in Europe.

Sevilla are blessed with creative maestros and a progressive playing style. Manager Jorge Sampaoli preaches a heavy pressing, rapid-breaking possession game.

He has the playmakers to create chances against anybody in the tournament. Ganso, Franco Vazquez and Samir Nasri are all match-winners.

But this gifted squad has failed the big tests in both La Liga and the Champions League this season.

14. Paris Saint-Germain

No team wasted its chance to finish top of a group as spectacularly as Paris Saint-Germain. The Ligue 1 giants needed to beat Bulgarian champions Ludogorets at home to seal Group A.

But instead PSG only managed a 2-2 draw at the Parc des Princes. In fact, the hosts twice had to battle back from a goal down.

The result was a shock, but also a continuation of recent troubling form. PSG entered the game with Ludogorets off the back of a 3-0 defeat against Montpellier in the French top flight.

Worryingly, there are problems at both ends of the pitch. The woes in defense are best summed up by OptaJean:

At the other end, striker Edinson Cavani showcases some of the craftiest movement on the continent. But he’s too inconsistent as a finisher.

Cavani has struggled to replace Zlatan Ibrahimovic, while the team hasn’t warmed to the tactics of manager Unai Emery.

13. Manchester City

Just like PSG, Manchester City are stuttering both domestically and in Europe. The Citizens were gutted by Chelsea in the recent Premier League summit meeting. Then they couldn’t beat Celtic at home, with top spot in Group C already long gone.

City can’t keep a clean sheet no matter what combination manager Pep Guardiola chooses at the back. But Guardiola will be equally disturbed by how things are unravelling in attack.

Striker Sergio Aguero has had disciplinary issues. Meanwhile, new signings Nolito and Leroy Sane have struggled to give City the extra dimension they need.

Yet this is still a gifted squad despite the problems. Guardiola also knows how to make progress in Europe.

A favorable last-16 draw would suddenly revive City’s credentials in this tournament.

12. Real Madrid

The holders are through, but they have to be concerned about the way they’ve reached the last 16. Real could have won Group F, but they let a 2-0 lead slip against Dortmund.

A Karim Benzema double was wiped out by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Marco Reus. The reversal summed up Los Blancos’ chief concern. Namely, a suspect defense.

Real also blew a two-goal lead on Matchday 4 when they eventually drew 3-3 with Legia Warsaw. Those results contributed to Los Merengues shipping 10 goals during the group stage.

But the 11-time winners are not without problems in attack, where prolific talisman Cristiano Ronaldo is struggling for form.

In fact, Real’s No. 7 missed a plethora of chances to see off Dortmund. The Bernabeu faithful were unimpressed, prompting manager Zinedine Zidane to defend his star forward, per ESPN’s Dermot Corrigan:

Ronaldo loves this tournament and is a good bet to be firing in time for the knockout phase. Yet Los Blancos have so far been unconvincing as defending champions.

11. Bayer Leverkusen

They haven’t made the same waves as Dortmund, but Bayer Leverkusen have still represented the Bundesliga well. The classy outfit qualified as runner-up from Group E after some efficient performances.

Leverkusen rounded out their group campaign with a 3-0 hammering of leaders Monaco. The result highlighted the attacking quality in Leverkusen’s ranks.

Winger Julian Brandt was on the scoresheet against Monaco. He’s one of the most gifted creative talents in the competition.

Brandt is the jewel of a terrific forward line also featuring ex-Manchester United striker Javier Hernandez.

This is also a resourceful team despite the quality in attack. Manager Roger Schmidt knows how to engineer results, a fact proved by Leverkusen’s impressive group form, per OptaFranz:

10. Porto

Unlike Leverkusen, Porto did lose once en route to finishing second in Group G. Even so, they rank higher due to their pedigree in Europe.

The two-time winners are old hands in the competition. They are also formidable on home soil, with few sides welcoming a trip to the daunting Estadio do Dragao.

This is also a squad loaded with Champions League veterans, including goalkeeper Iker Casillas. The 35-year-old stopper has been in miserly form during the group stage, per the Champions League:

Porto qualified after thrashing leaders Leicester 5-0. Forward Andre Silva and winger Yacine Brahimi were on the scoresheet. They are the key players in a deceptively effective attack.

A stubborn defense and a forward line brimming with pace and ingenuity is a useful combination for knockout football.

9. Leicester

Not even a five-goal defeat while fielding a skeleton starting XI can knock Leicester out of the top 10. The Foxes have defied expectations in their debut Champions League campaign.

Manager Claudio Ranieri hasn’t been able to maintain the magic of last season in the Premier League. But he has stuck with a winning formula in Europe.

Leicester have been defending resolutely and breaking at pace. They’ve been out-working opponents and showing a knack for tournament football.

However, the magic won’t last forever. Leicester’s domestic form has been dire, and Ranieri needs to get star players striker Jamie Vardy and winger Riyad Mahrez back on form before the last 16.

8. Bayern Munich

Bayern Munich are the highest-ranked second-placed qualifiers for obvious reasons. The squad features some of the tournament’s most dynamic players. Striker Robert Lewandowski is the standout performer.

The Polish powerhouse netted a stunning free-kick to beat Group D winners Atletico Madrid 1-0. It helped restore pride for a team surprisingly condemned to second spot.

No group winner will want to face Bayern in the last 16, though. Not with Lewandowski combining with forward Thomas Muller and wingers Arjen Robben and Douglas Costa.

The midfield is also outstanding. Few squads boast a trio as gifted as Renato Sanches, Thiago Alcantara and Arturo Vidal.

When you consider this group is led by three-time Champions League winner Carlo Ancelotti, Bayern are a team to be feared in the next stage.

7. Napoli

Understated yet capable Napoli were worthy winners of Group B. The Serie A outfit confirmed top spot after winning in Benfica.

It was a result that confirmed all of Napoli’s best qualities. This is a team rugged in defense, energetic in midfield and stylish in the final third.

The latter area is usually patrolled by efficient playmaker Marek Hamsik. He often supplies speedy forwards Jose Callejon, Lorenzo Insigne and Dries Mertens.

Napoli won’t be a soft draw for anybody in the last 16.

6. AS Monaco

No club has transformed itself quite like Monaco. Long pragmatic and defensive under manager Leonardo Jardim, Monaco are a completely different animal this season.

They are scoring for fun. In fact, no team in Europe is finding the net so regularly, according to ESPN FC’s Michael Yokhin:

"And yet here they are — the Monegasques have scored 49 goals in just 16 matches in Ligue 1.That is a whopping 19 goals more than leaders Nice and the multimillionaires of Paris Saint-Germain. Real Madrid have netted 37 times in 16 Primera Division fixtures. Barcelona are further back at 34. Bayern Munich have 29 goals in 13 Bundesliga matches. Liverpool, so proud of the best attacking record in the Premier League, stand at 35 goals in 14 games."

Jardim has revived Radamel Falcao. He’s also unleashed fellow striker Valere Germain. The duo benefits from the pace and industry of energetic full-backs Benjamin Mendy and Djibril Sidibe.

Meanwhile, there’s ample technical quality in midfield thanks to playmakers Joao Moutinho and Bernardo Silva.

Losing 3-0 to Leverkusen with top spot already assured hasn’t made this team any less formidable ahead of the last 16.

5. Juventus

It has to worry the rest of the tournament Juventus striker Gonzalo Higuain is back among the goals. He scored the first of Juve’s two goals to beat Dinamo Zagreb and seal top spot in Group H.

Higuain is a lethal finisher, just like fellow Argentinian Paulo Dybala. He came off the bench against Dinamo and will be back fit and on form for the knockout stage.

The Higuain and Dybala double act is one of the best partnerships in the Champions League. They are also the gloss for a team underpinned by a water-tight defense and classy midfield.

Juve are sometimes a little too pragmatic in big games, but the attacking talent is here to win this tournament. A favorable last-16 draw wouldn’t expose some of the Bianconeri’s vulnerabilities.

4. Arsenal

The Gunners got a big and unexpected helping hand from Ludogorets, but still merit praise for winning Group A. Premier League teams don’t usually win in Basel, a place where Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United have all suffered.

But Arsenal not only won, the north London club won in style. The 4-1 victory was further proof manager Arsene Wenger has an attack capable of firing his side to major prizes this season.

Playing Alexis Sanchez as the nominal centre-forward has been the catalyst. But it’s not all about the Chilean’s goals and creative input.

The Gunners proved they’re no one-man team when benchwarmers Lucas Perez and Alex Iwobi accounted for the goals in Switzerland. Perez bagged a hat-trick and showed a poacher’s instinct as a wide player in an ultra-fluid front three.

Iwobi’s not prolific, but winger Theo Walcott can be. Even Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has been effective recently.

All of these players are capable of supplementing Sanchez and Mesut Ozil. The duo’s form will determine how far Arsenal go in this tournament.

First, the Gunners must bypass their now annual nightmare draw in the last 16. It’ll mean avoiding Bayern and Real.

3. Atletico Madrid

Atletico Madrid couldn’t win in Munich but still gave Bayern all they could handle. Topping Group D ahead of a tournament heavyweight already proved Atleti’s credentials as one of the strongest squads in the competition.

A defense led by centre-back Diego Godin is still imposing. The grafting midfield underpinned by intelligent skipper Gabi can out-work any opponent.

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But it’s up front where things are changing for last season’s beaten finalists. Manager Diego Simeone has crafted a swifter, more fluid attack with two wandering wide players dovetailing superbly.

Antoine Griezmann and Yannick Ferreira Carrasco exchange positions rapidly to stretch teams and keep defenders guessing. Opponents never know who will roam wide and who will take up the striker position through the middle.

The duo make Atleti lethal on the break. It’s a counter-strike capability perfect for the way Simeone sets his team up.

2. Borussia Dortmund

Monaco are the top scorers in Europe’s top five divisions, but Dortmund are the most prolific goal-getters in the Champions League. The moment Reus tapped home to equalize in Madrid, Dortmund not only won Group F, but also made group-stage history:

https://twitter.com/ChampionsLeague/status/806622897737502720

Reus pounced to cap a move that showcased the best qualities of Dortmund’s attacking game. The move was slick, incisive and quick.

It was typical of the expansive and attractive game manager Thomas Tuchel has daringly unleashed in Europe. Tuchel’s bold tactics are not only refreshing, they are also getting more from quality attackers such as Reus.

Squawka highlighted how the roving forward has bossed the group stage in economic fashion:

Dortmund are more possession-happy under Tuchel than during their press-crazed days with Jurgen Klopp. This is a team with enough menace in forward areas to continue upsetting the Champions League big boys in the last 16.

1. Barcelona

Barca are still the team to beat thanks to their terrific strikers and awesome depth in midfield. The Blaugrana showed off both qualities to beat Borussia Monchengladbach 4-0 and warm up for the knockout stage.

Lionel Messi opened the scoring, before Arda Turan got a hat-trick. The cerebral winger’s match-winning display proved Barca’s attacking reserves.

He was joined in the starting XI by Andre Gomes and Denis Suarez on Matchday 6. The two are phenomenally gifted on the ball, but they aren’t even first-choice players.

Barca are even more effective when Ivan Rakitic and Andres Iniesta start. The latter is still a master of dictating passing, something the whole team did against Monchengladbach, per WhoScored.com:

When Barca have this much of the ball they are sure to set Messi, Turan, Luis Suarez or Neymar free to punish opponents and ensure progress.

Every other team in the draw will want to avoid Barcelona.