Power Rankings: The best teams in Europe – Week 34
Following a week in which:
– Jason Tindall went viral.
– Kevin De Bruyne went super saiyan.
– Marseille went and bottled their place in the power rankings (spoiler alert).
90min’s Sean Walsh and Jack Gallagher reconvened and recorded the fifth episode of our new ‘Definitive European Power Rankings’ podcast series.
Here are their picks for the top 10 best teams in Europe right now.
10. Lens (new entry)
Second in Ligue 1 / Catherine Steenkeste/GettyImages
In at 10th in the Definitive European Power Rankings and second in Ligue 1 this week is high-flying Lens, who bagged a big win over Marseille at the weekend.
Les Sang et Or have been mightily impressive lately thanks in large part to the form of Lois Openda, who’s bagged himself 19 league goals this season – 90min understands Premier League clubs are interested in him and some of his talented teammates
Jack: “They’re one of those teams people should keep an eye on when they’re flicking through channels.”
9. AC Milan (down 3)
Not the greatest week for Milan / GABRIEL BOUYS/GettyImages
No Rafael Leao = bad AC Milan performance.
That’s what happened in midweek when Milan were beaten 2-0 by arch rivals Inter in the UEFA Champions League semi final first leg.
They’ll be praying their star man is fit for next week’s clash.
Jack: “The issue for AC Milan is the drop off between Rafael Leao and any other player who can play in his position.”
8. Newcastle United (down 4)
The big man in his element / Stu Forster/GettyImages
In at eighth is Jason Tinda- we mean, Eddie Howe’s men after their rather disappointing defeat to Arsenal.
The Magpies were the favourites for the game on Sunday, but were simply out-smarted by the title-challenging Gunners on the day.
Sean: “You didn’t just let yourselves down, Newcastle. You let me down.”
7. Atletico Madrid (-)
No game last weekend / Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/GettyImages
Atleti didn’t play at the weekend due to the Copa del Rey final. Non-movers.
6. Arsenal (up 2)
Important win / Stu Forster/GettyImages
The Gunners showed real grit and quality on Sunday to eek out a great 2-0 win over Newcastle United.
Now just one point behind Man City, they’re still in with a shout of the Premier League title.
Sean: “It was all set up for this to be the weekend where Arsenal properly lost the title. Now, there’s a chance they can end with 90 points.”
5. Borussia Dortmund (-)
A 6-0 win / Edith Geuppert – GES Sportfoto/GettyImages
BVB were back to winning ways in emphatic fashion at the weekend, thumping a decent Wolfsburg team 6-0 thanks to wonderful performances from Jude Bellingham and Karim Adeyemi.
The two youngster are destined for greatness.
Sean: “The best teams don’t just beat others, they smash them.”
4. Barcelona (down 1)
Barca didn’t play / Eric Alonso/GettyImages
Like Barcelona, Atleti didn’t play a game this week.
3. Real Madrid (re-entry)
Vini scored a great goal / Anadolu Agency/GettyImages
All in, Real Madrid enjoyed quite a decent week.
They won the Copa del Rey to ensure they’d not leave the 2022/23 campaign empty-handed and drew 1-1 with a fantastic Man City team.
The reason the week is only ‘quite decent’ is because, to be perfectly honest, they probably should’ve beat City. They were the dominant team in the game and had the chances to do so.
Sean: “If I’m Real Madrid, I’m disappointed that I didn’t kill the game.”
2. Manchester City (down 1)
A big goal / Anadolu Agency/GettyImages
After a lengthy, lengthy, spell in top spot Manchester City are down one this week.
And that’s because they actually played a game of football that they didn’t win.
It was a game against Real Madrid to be fair…and they drew 1-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu…but still, they didn’t win, and that gives us the opportunity to move…
Sean: “Maybe this is just the sign that you’re not going to win every game.”
1. Inter (up 1)
A big win / Clive Rose/GettyImages
…Inter up to the top of the rankings.
I Nerazzurri have now won six games on the bounces, with their most recent win coming in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League semi final meeting with AC Milan.
That game finished 2-0 and could’ve finished five or six nil, such was Inter’s dominance.
Jack: “I honestly don’t think any team’s been better than them in the last three or four weeks. They’ve nearly been first for a while.”
Source: 90mins
