UCL power rankings: Liverpool leap past Bayern Munich as Premier League dominates

Here’s a look at the best teams in the competition and the Premier League’s domination.   

There are three matchdays left in the group stage of the Champions League and it’s do-or-die time for many teams.

With the group stage halfway complete, there are only three matchdays left as teams jockey to finish one or two in each group in order to advance to the knockout phase. The group stage resumes Tuesday with a few notable matches. In Group E, Bayern Much host Benfica, while the Group F encounter between Manchester United and Atalanta in Bergamo stand out most.

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As for Wednesday, Paris Saint-Germain’s the Group A matchup on the road against RB Leipzig and the Group B game pitting Liverpool and Atletico Madrid offer fans plenty of action and drama.

There’s a minor shift at the top since the last power rankings as Liverpool jump into first place, pushing Bayern to second. Juventus climbed to third, while Borussia Dortmund, who was in third the last time around, fell out of the top 10. PSG, meanwhile, now find themselves in fifth, improving from sixth from the last rankings.

All four English clubs are in the latest top 10, no surprise given that they have dominated the competition in recent years. Last season, the final, won by Chelsea, pitted them against Premier League side Manchester City. Here are the latest power rankings.

10. Real Madrid (2-0-1)

Real roll on as arguably the strongest team out of Spain. They are among the favorites every season, even when losing in shocking fashion to underdogs like Sheriff.

9. Manchester United (2-0-1)

Cristiano Ronaldo has made Man United a much stronger team and his goals are a good reason to believe that they can go far in this competition.

8. Manchester City (2-0-1)

Rivals Man City have the roster to win this thing, but have proven over the past few years that they can often come up short in the knockout stage.

7. Chelsea (2-0-1)

The London-based club, and defending champions, still has a very powerful attack, but an injury to striker Romelu Lukaku could be worrisome.

6. Red Bull Salzburg (2-1-0)

Making their first appearance in the top 10 are the defending Austrian champions thanks largely to being in first place in Group X, but a lack of depth and injuries could hamper them as the opening round rolls on.

5. PSG (2-1-0)

Lionel Messi has made a very good team even better, but big names alone won’t win them the Champions League.

4. Ajax (3-0)

One of four teams with a perfect record to make the power rankings, the Dutch masters have shown that they are serious about vying for the UCL this season.

3. Juventus (3-0)

The post-Ronaldo era has been bumpy domestically, but the Italians haven’t lost a beat in the UCL thus far this season.

2. Bayern Munich (3-0)

The Bavarian giants remain in top form and look to be the odds-on favorites at this early point of the season.

1. Liverpool (3-0)

The Reds are riding on Mo Salah playing the best soccer of his career and that form could get this team very far.