UEFA Champions League Power Rankings: PSG and Liverpool battle for top spot, Marcus Rashford exposes Newcastle, Real Madrid and Chelsea drop one place

After every matchweek, we’re ranking the top eight teams in Europe, while also flagging three on the rise and three tumbling down.

The opening round brought plenty of fireworks: holders Paris Saint-Germain hit four goals, Liverpool pulled off yet another late show, and Marcus Rashford announced his Barcelona arrival by sinking Newcastle at St James’ Park.

So how does that shake up the ladder? Let’s get into it.

Chelsea just about cling onto the top eight despite opening with defeat to Bayern Munich. The Blues are still finding rhythm, understandable given their previous season dragged late into the summer with the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States. Cole Palmer looks sharp again, but Chelsea are still searching for momentum.

An upset loomed at the Bernabeu before Kylian Mbappe’s second penalty dragged 10-man Real Madrid past Monaco. Xabi Alonso’s men looked far too open on the counter in the first half and remain disjointed in attack. For all their star power, there are gaps that top opposition will punish.

Perfect in Germany, ruthless in Europe. Bayern have started the season flying and comfortably dispatched world champions Chelsea. Harry Kane was outstanding, not only lethal in front of goal but a creative hub as well. The Bavarians need more big European statements to crack the top four, but all the signs are good.

No Lamine Yamal, no problem. Barcelona endured heavy pressure for 45 minutes at Newcastle but absorbed it before Pedri began to dictate play, Jules Kounde shut down stand-in striker Anthony Gordon, and Rashford announced himself with a dazzling brace. A textbook away performance that sucked the energy out of one of England’s great stadiums. If Yamal and Rashford light up both flanks with Pedri orchestrating, they will be a nightmare to stop.

Mentality monsters. They’ve stumbled through games at times this season, yet somehow remain flawless in both the Premier League and Europe. Incredibly, Liverpool would have dropped points in all five matches if football stopped at 80 minutes – instead, they’ve won them all. That aura is already back and their rivals should be worried. Even more ominously, we’ve yet to see Alexander Isak truly catch fire in a red shirt.

Champions stay top until proven otherwise. PSG opened with a 4-0 demolition of Atalanta, continuing their perfect start across all competitions. The schedule offers no hiding places – Barcelona at Camp Nou is next – meaning we’ll quickly learn if PSG are as unstoppable as they look.

Galatasaray are again the hipster’s choice this season – and that looked a smart pick when Leroy Sane teed up Yunus Akgun inside eight minutes. But then Frankfurt went wild with five goals without reply in a raucous home win.

Hans Vanaken, we were not familiar with your game. The 33-year-old Belgian scored a thunderous volley and ran the show as Brugge battered Monaco 4-1. Carlos Forbs also added electricity on the flank in a statement night for the Belgians.

This one can definitely be filed under “unbelievably harsh”. But it spoke volumes that Isak’s replacement, Nick Woltemade, was left out of Eddie Howe’s starting XI for such a big game – and Newcastle lacked that cutting edge in a first half they otherwise dominated. Then Rashford brutally showed them what they’re missing.

A nightmare collapse. Benfica threw away a two-goal lead at home to Qarabag to somehow lose 3-2. Enter new manager Jose Mourinho, who will head straight into a Stamford Bridge reunion with Chelsea in his first European outing. Can he lift the Bella Guttmann curse from 1962, when the legendary coach declared Benfica wouldn’t win a European trophy for 100 years? The task already looks monumental.

Everyone wanted Brugge from Pot 2 – and Brugge tore Monaco to pieces. With Manchester City and Spurs next up, things could get even uglier. They desperately need to get Paul Pogba fit – and will be praying he still has it at this level.