Rankings
- Bayern Munich
- Barcelona
- Real Madrid
- Paris Saint-Germain
- Manchester City
- Atletico Madrid
- Borussia Dortmund
- Juventus
- Chelsea
- Arsenal
- AS Roma
- Manchester United
- Zenit St. Petersburg
- FC Porto
- Benfica
- Vfl Wolfsburg
- Celta Vigo
- Napoli
- Fiorentina
- CSKA Moscow
Out: Villarreal
In: Napoli
News:
Bayern Munich made it nine-for-nine in the Bundesliga to maintain a seven-point lead over Dortmund. Bayern has a ridiculous +25 goal differential.. Barcelona got back on track with a 5-2 win over Rayo. Neymar isn't quite Robert Lewandowski, but did manage four goals on Sunday. He's doing his best to replace Messi, and I don't think Barca will fall off too much without the world's best player.. Celta Vigo maintained their surge, now second in La Liga after picking up a win at previous leaders Villarreal. They are now joint top with Real Madrid and Barcelona. I'm not a believer quite yet. Real might not be as flashy of a team this year, but defensively, Rafa has the team in top form. They've conceded just two goals over eight games in a league that averaged 2.66 per game last year, second highest in the top-five leagues.. All four English teams in the rankings recorded wins last weekend, with Manchester United most impressive in a dominating win at Everton. The other three sides played very weak opposition, and each won easily. The Premier League is shaping up to be a bit more lopsided than usual this year.. Napoli joins the rankings after defeating Serie A leaders Fiorentina 2-1, cutting the gap between the two sides to three points. That's four wins out of five in the league for Napoli, who have recorded two additional wins the Europa League over that span.. Juventus looked better against Inter but could not defeat their rivals, drawing 0-0. I'm still waiting for Juve to turn it around, and there's still plenty of time. Maybe success in Europe will get the team going.. The Portuguese league was off this week.
Games to Watch:
Tuesday: Champions League action features Arsenal hosting Bayern Munich and Dynamo Kiev welcoming Chelsea. Arsenal dropped their first two contests and now face the unenviable task of defeating the German side to try and kick-start their European campaign. Bayern haven't lost since the Super Cup against Wolfsburg in August. They've also won their last two trips to the Emirates, 2-0 and 3-1, during first-leg matches in the Champions League. It's hard to see Arsenal breathing life into their hopes of progressing. Chelsea hardly proved they were back on Saturday despite a 2-0 win over Aston Villa, and face a long trip to Ukraine to face current Group G leaders Dynamo. Dynamo were just beaten 3-0 against arch-rivals Shakhtar, who jumped them into first in the Ukrainian Premier League. It's hard to predict what Chelsea team will show up in Kiev, and a loss would be very damaging for their chances of progression. With Eden Hazard likely returning to the side, I expect a strong performance from the Blues in Ukraine.
Wednesday: A true titanic matchup in Group A takes place, with PSG hosting Real Madrid, and Real one goal ahead of their hosts through two games. Real have been superb defensively and will be a stern test for PSG, who have been rolling through Ligue 1. This is a statement game for the French side – they are not tested in the league very often and have spent the money to be among Europe's elite. Despite the talents of Cristiano Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic being on display, I expect a tight, low-scoring game in Paris, with a slight edge to the home side. CSKA Moscow take on Manchester United with all four teams in Group B recording a win and loss in their first two games. All four are even in goal difference as well. Moscow is the site of United's 2008 Champions League triumph, and they won their last visit in 2009, defeating CSKA 1-0. It should be a good contest with a lot of goals – CSKA are leading the Russian Premier League and can keep up with United's pace. A win for United would put them in pole position to progress.
Saturday: League action is highlighted by Celta Vigo – Real Madrid. After defeating Barcelona 4-1 earlier this season, Celta could make a serious statement to the rest of the league by getting a positive result against Real. Real's goal differential is a bit inflated after a two-game stretch where they recorded 11 goals, but Ronaldo is still maintaining a healthy scoring pace. Celta would deserve a place in the top fifteen with a victory, while Real could close what has been a growing gap between Bayern Munich and the rest of the continent. It's hard to trust Celta with so few games played, but I expect them to give Real some issues.
Sunday: The top two sides in the Premier League clash in Manchester - United get the first shot at City at Old Trafford. United halted a three-game home losing streak against City with a resounding 4-2 win last season. City have won four of six overall against United and lead them by two points. The Manchester derbies have been must-watch games over the last few seasons, and with both sides near the top of the league again, it should be another classic matchup. Wilfried Bony did a good job last week replacing Sergio Aguero, and City's title challenge this season could depend on his ability to produce until he returns. City are the better team overall, but you never know in these sort of games. Complete toss-up.
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