UCL power rankings: Napoli and Bayern Munich remain perfect

With two matchdays left to play, the group stage of the Champions League is heading towards its dramatic finale. Here’s a look at the latest power rankings.

The Champions League is drawing nearer to the conclusion of the group stage, a compressed series of matchdays (six of them over the span of nine weeks) given that the World Cup kicks off in less than a month.

With several storylines already dominating this season’s UCL, there remain a series of permutations as the 32 teams whittle down to the 16 that will advance to the knockout stage.

The top two teams from each group advance to the round of 16, while the eight third-place sides compete in the second-tier Europa League.

Bayern Munich, Club Brugge, Manchester City, Napoli and Real Madrid are already through to the round of 16. Another 12 could go through this week: Benfica, Chelsea, Borussia Dortmund, Inter Milan, RB Leipzig, Liverpool, Olympique Marseille, PSG, Porto, Red Bull Salzburg, Sporting Lisbon and Tottenham.

Here are the latest UCL power rankings.

10. Liverpool (3-0-1)

The Reds look sharp once again after a series of wins in Group A and could very well advance as the second-place team. Manager Jurgen Klopp always finds a way to motivate his side and he’s been able to do so in recent weeks.

9. Chelsea (2-1-1)

The London club makes a return to the power rankings after putting together some points and going tops in Group E. The group’s outcome remains wide open as Chelsea works to regain the form that got them far in this tournament in recent editions.

8. Borussia Dortmund (2-1-1)

The Germans are second in Group G and appear poised to advance to the knockout stage thanks in large part to striker Jude Bellingham’s ability to find the back of the net.

7. Benfica (2-2-0)

Second to PSG in Group H (on goal differential), the Portuguese club have overachieved at this stage of the competition, a compliment to them. They can still win the group should PSG miss a step in the group stage finale.

6. PSG (2-2-0)

Whether the Paris-based club can win the UCL is a talking point every season. For now, they remain undefeated, but two draws thus far show that this is a club that will need to do more in order to grab all three points.

5. Real Madrid (3-1-0)

The defending UCL winners are always a threat in this competition and this season appears to be no different with its mix of talented stars.

4. Club Brugge (3-1-0)

One of the surprise sides of the competition thus far, Club Brugge have dominated Group B with its stingy defense: no goals conceded in four games.

3. Manchester City (3-1-0)

The defending Premier League champions remain among one of the best clubs in Europe, but it’s also very clear that they depend far too much on Erling Haaland to generate goals.

2. Bayern Munich (4-0)

The Bavarian giants have excelled in Group C and never really threatened by the likes of Inter Milan or Barcelona. With Sadio Mane knocking in goals, there’s no telling how far Bayern can go.

1. Napoli (4-0)

Only one of two teams to win all their group-stage matches to date, Napoli have been an offensive juggernaut. They have made a mockery of Group A with just two matchdays left to play.