Rankings
- Barcelona
- Bayern Munich
- Real Madrid
- Paris Saint-Germain
- Manchester City
- Juventus
- Chelsea
- Borussia Dortmund
- Atletico Madrid
- AS Roma
- Vfl Wolfsburg
- Arsenal
- Zenit St. Petersburg
- Manchester United
- FC Porto
- Bayer Leverkusen
- Villarreal
- Benfica
- Fiorentina
- Celta Vigo
News:
Barcelona tops the rankings, despite a shocking 4-1 loss at Celta Vigo and the loss of Lionel Messi against Las Palmas. Both should serve as more of a wake-up call than a warning sign. The Catalan side still has the most potent attack in the world, despite just eleven goals in six games. Rivals Real Madrid have conceded just once thus far this season. Expect lower-scoring Classicos this year.. Robert Lewandowski’s five-goal tally in nine minutes against Wolfsburg was incredible. Bayern must be happy they went through all of that trouble to get him. Atop the league, Guardiola’s men will face few challenges domestically this season.. Meanwhile, Dortmund have gotten off to a hot start in the Bundesliga, with new coach Thomas Tuchel off to a bright beginning after replacing Jurgen Klopp. Tuchel didn’t change much tactically or within the squad, but did add some extra pace by acquiring Adnan Januzaj on loan. Dortmund’s sixth place finish last season is still baffling.. Manchester City has cooled off after a hot start, and Chelsea can’t seem to get going this season. The Sky Blues are the favorites to win the league, but they still have many of the same issues as prior years. With Vincent Kompany and Eliaquim Mangala out, City were all over the place defensively in a 4-1 defeat at White Hart Lane.. Chelsea is just playing too slowly. They have been unable to break on the counter and use the pace of their forwards. Their poor defensive record stands out, but it has been a myriad of mistakes rather than sustained poor play that has cost them goals. Expect things to improve, but not greatly until Thibaut Courtois returns.. This should be PSG’s year to shine. Off to a hot start in Ligue 1, expectations are high for the Parisians in Europe. This could finally be their year.. Manchester United are top of the Premier League, but the odds of a season-long run at the title are still long. Anthony Martial is off to a firing start, and things are certainly coming together for the Reds, but I would not consider them to be contenders until next term. Performances are still too uneven, but this team is capable of beating anyone. The consistency will come.. Villarreal and Celta Vigo are off to good starts in La Liga, with Villarreal top of the league after six matches. While neither side can be expected to sustain a run at the top three, the clubs notched victories over Atletico Madrid and Barcelona, respectively. La Liga is the best league in the world right now, and if some balance finally begins to occur in the table, it will make the league even better.. Juventus, like Chelsea, has lost three of its first six games after losing just three last year. They sit 15th in the table, ten points behind Fiorentina after the Viola notched an impressive 4-1 win over Inter in Milan. Juventus’s dominance of Serie A gives them an easier chance at a fight back than the Blues have in the Premier League, but their 1-1 home draw against newcomers Frosinone was particularly poor. Injuries have played a part but Juve need to press their foot on the gas soon.. FC Porto took the early edge in the Portuguese Liga by defeating Benfica 1-0 last weekend. Benfica has won the league each of the past two seasons, and this season figures to be another tight race between the two archrivals.
Games to Watch:
Tuesday: Eight Champions League matches take place, but keep an eye on FC Porto – Chelsea and Arsenal – Olympiacos. Jose Mourinho visits the club where he won his first Champions League title, and Porto should provide a stiff test for a Chelsea side still trying to find their form. I’m expecting a draw, as Mourinho is typically conservative in road European matches and a draw would be just fine for the Blues as Porto drew their first match. However, Diego Costa will be ready to go – his three-game ban is only for domestic matches. Arsenal and Olympiacos each lost their first match, but in contrasting circumstances. The Greeks lost a relatively tight match to Bayern 3-0, and although the score line is not favorable, two of Bayern’s goals came in the final minutes. However, Olympiacos created little going forward and will need to push the tempo in London, as Arsenal have defended well when they have eleven players on the field. In Zagreb, that was not the case, as Olivier Giroud was needlessly sent off in the first half, and Arsenal fell to an embarrassing defeat in Croatia. This is certainly a must-win for the Gunners. The home side has won each of the last six matches between the two sides, and I expect that trend to continue.
Wednesday: Eight more Champions League matches, and there are two more that stand out: Juventus – Sevilla and Manchester United – Wolfsburg. Although, I wouldn’t mind watching Atletico take on Benfica in an Iberian battle, either. Both Juve and Sevilla won their first match, but are struggling badly in their domestic leagues. It is most surprising to see Juventus struggling, as they have dominated Serie A and kept hold of their most prized asset, Paul Pogba, this summer. Sevilla finally won their first match of the season on Saturday and picked up a solid 3-0 win over Borussia Monchengladbach on Matchday 1. I expect Juve to win this game, but it should be an entertaining affair for the neutrals. Manchester United are top of the league but coming off a surprising 2-1 defeat in Eindhoven against PSV. Wolfsburg, my pick to win the group, defeated CSKA in their first match. German teams usually travel well, and Wolfsburg has a number of talented players, including German internationals Andre Schurrle and Julian Draxler. United should take this game, as it is essentially a must-win, but it should be very exciting with a number of goals.
Thursday: 24 Europa League games are on the slate – most interesting are Monaco – Tottenham and Celtic – Fenerbahce. Monaco and Spurs are two of the best teams in the competition, and while we likely won’t see their best sides on the field, it should still be an entertaining affair. Celtic and Fenerbahce faceoff at what is an always electric scene, Celtic Park. Celtic’s glory days are well behind them, but there is always a spirit about the Bhoys at home, and the crowd always creates an impressive atmosphere on European nights. Fener are finally past the match-fixing scandal that has plagued the club since 2011, and after missing European football the past two seasons, the Turkish side are looking to improve after a surprising 3-1 loss to Molde. Group A is probably the best group in this year’s Europa League – the fourth team is Ajax, another team with a proud history.
Saturday: I will be watching Chelsea take on Southampton, but the only matchup between top sides is Sevilla – Barcelona. As mentioned, Sevilla have struggled in the league but they should be up for the challenge of playing the Catalan side. Expect the fireworks to be going off in Seville, although the absence of Lionel Messi will dampen the hype.
Sunday: The slate is nothing short of incredible – if you’re not an NFL fan (or a fan of say, the Saints, or the Bears) there’s an entire day’s worth of matches. Everton – Liverpool, Arsenal – Manchester United, Atletico Madrid – Real Madrid, Bayern Munich – Borussia Dortmund, PSG – Marseille, and AC Milan – Napoli highlight a jam-packed schedule. The Merseyside derby is always a testy affair, and the pressure has been building for Brendan Rodgers’s Liverpool. An improving Everton side could be exactly what gets them going – or the final nail in the coffin for Rodgers. The Madrid derby has been very tight over the last few seasons, and Diego Simeone’s side will be looking to inflict a first defeat of the season on Real. Unsurprisingly, Real have been much more efficient at the back but far less potent going forward under Rafa Benitez. Expect physical play to persist throughout the game. Bayern sit four points ahead of Dortmund entering the match, with the former already twenty goals to the good with seven wins from seven. Bayern are far ahead of their rivals nowadays, but Dortmund always gives them a good game. The tension between the two clubs regarding transfer policy has made these matches a must-watch.
