Every month throughout the 2025-26 season, we debate which golf equipment are amongst Europe’s elite. Within the first version of the brand new marketing campaign, we’re overreacting to early-season outcomes and tendencies.
Bounce to:ARS | ATH | BAR | BOU | BVB | CHE | FCB | FEY | GS | INT | JUV | LIL | LIV | MCI | NAP | POR | PSG | RMA | SLB | TOT
1. Paris Saint-Germain 🇫🇷
There is a conspiracy in opposition to PSG. Ousmane Dembele and Want Doue had been injured on worldwide responsibility with France, and the crew then misplaced Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Lee Kang-in, and Lucas Beraldo forward of its Champions League opener. The soccer gods don’t need PSG to retain their European crown.
2. Liverpool 🏴
Liverpool’s efficiency at Burnley on Sunday was unimpressive, but it surely felt inevitable that Arne Slot’s aspect would finally win. And that is the way it turned out: Mohamed Salah scored a Ninety fifth-minute penalty to take all three factors. The truth that Liverpool are already successful whereas taking part in ugly is a transparent signal they will simply defend their Premier League title.
3. Actual Madrid 🇪🇸
Is Dean Huijsen overrated? The 20-year-old defender has been heralded by mainly all people because the second coming of Franz Beckenbauer, however he is now obtained two purple playing cards in simply 9 official Actual Madrid video games. Fortunately for Madrid, Kylian Mbappe is able to put the crew on his again this season.
4. Bayern Munich 🇩🇪
Vincent Kompany expressed satisfaction with Bayern Munich’s crew chemistry after Saturday’s 5-0 thumping of Hamburg. The gamers have a greater understanding of their roles and each other’s strengths, leading to extra rhythmic and incisive soccer. Bayern may have an unbeaten league season simply two years after Bayer Leverkusen accomplished that feat for the primary time in Bundesliga historical past.
5. Arsenal 🏴
Viktor Gyokeres will lead the Premier League in scoring after acclimating rapidly to his new membership. On the different finish of the pitch, Mikel Arteta’s insistence on fielding not less than 4 center-backs always will see Arsenal set up a brand new league file for the fewest objectives allowed in a single season.
6. Barcelona 🇪🇸
Barcelona can stand up to Lamine Yamal’s absence. The Catalan giants had been winless in three league matches with out the teenager phenom final season, however their 6-0 destruction of Valencia confirmed they don’t seem to be as reliant on the Ballon d’Or contender this time period due to some shrewd summer time additions.
7. Napoli 🇮🇹
Rasmus Hojlund goes to flourish in Naples. With a reinvigorated Kevin De Bruyne offering beautiful service, the Dane will rapidly put his Manchester United struggles behind him. Even when he returns from damage, Romelu Lukaku can have a troublesome time displacing Hojlund in Antonio Conte’s lineup.
8. Chelsea 🏴
Joao Pedro is the summer time’s most overrated switch. The previous Brighton & Hove Albion ahead earned rave evaluations for his Membership World Cup performances, however he solely scored 5 non-penalty objectives within the Premier League final season, and he is by no means been a prolific finisher. Chelsea have accrued so many attackers however nonetheless lack an elite striker.
9. Juventus 🇮🇹
Igor Tudor is a genius. The Juventus supervisor has the respect of his gamers on a human degree, however he is proving to be a extra astute tactical thoughts than anybody beforehand gave him credit score for. His substitutions determined the Derby d’Italia, and his crew is the one one able to difficult Napoli for the title.
10. Tottenham Hotspur 🏴
The early days of Thomas Frank’s Tottenham reign are extraordinarily promising after final season’s Seventeenth-placed end. The Danish coach merely sees issues that his contemporaries do not: Mohammed Kudus not often hit a cross at West Ham United, however his deliveries are already a useful weapon for Spurs. Frank can win the Premier League Supervisor of the Season award.
11. Manchester Metropolis 🏴
The latest scrutiny of Gianluigi Donnarumma’s ball-playing expertise was an overreaction in itself. He is nice along with his toes, connecting with six lengthy passes and confidently transferring the ball round along with his defenders throughout Sunday’s Manchester derby win, and he makes saves no different goalkeeper may dream of. At simply £26 million, he is the most effective signing of the summer time by far.
12. FC Porto 🇵🇹
There are flashier names in Porto’s squad, like striker Samu Aghehowa and goalkeeper Diogo Costa, however Alberto Costa will quickly be pursued by Europe’s main golf equipment. The proper-back recorded 4 assists within the opening 4 matches of the Primeira Liga marketing campaign. He pairs assured and slick dribbling with robust and cussed defending. Juve had been unsuitable to let him go.
13. Borussia Dortmund 🇩🇪
After ending behind Harry Kane in every of the final two seasons, Serhou Guirassy will lastly upstage the Bayern Munich striker and take residence the Torjagerkanone because the Bundesliga’s high scorer this 12 months. The continued growth of Maximilian Beier will assist unlock more room and scoring probabilities for Guirassy, who’ll push for the European Golden Shoe.
14. Galatasaray 🇹🇷
Galatasaray have some tough fixtures within the Champions League’s opening section, however this squad may cause upsets and make a deep run within the competitors. Most European golf equipment dream of choosing Victor Osimhen and Leroy Sane in assault, whereas Mauro Icardi, Ilkay Gundogan, and Turkish stars Baris Alper Yilmaz and Yunus Akgun ratchet up the concern issue much more.
15. Benfica 🇵🇹
Benfica’s unbelievable run of discovering hidden gems and flipping them for enormous earnings is coming to an finish. Sporting director Rui Pedro Braz is reportedly leaving the membership, which can pressure an enormous philosophical shift throughout the scouting division and will change the panorama of the Primeira Liga.
16. Bournemouth 🏴
Andoni Iraola is without doubt one of the finest managers on the planet, full cease. Whereas different coaches require enormous funding within the switch market to succeed, the Basque tactician works with what he has. Bournemouth misplaced practically their complete backline in the summertime, however Iraola nonetheless has them rolling proper alongside.
17. Feyenoord 🇳🇱
Quinten is the superior Timber twin. The rising Feyenoord star, whose twin brother Jurrien performs for Arsenal, is a whole midfielder. He’ll get his big-money transfer to one in all Europe’s high leagues after main Feyenoord to the Eredivisie title and shining on the 2026 World Cup with the Netherlands.
18. Lille 🇫🇷
Not solely have Lille not missed a beat this season after a number of marquee summer time departures, they could truly be even higher. Regardless of shedding Jonathan David, Edon Zhegrova, and Angel Gomes – amongst others – Les Dogues are the highest scorers in Ligue 1 proper now. Olivier Giroud, 38, has loads left within the tank.
19. Athletic Bilbao 🇪🇸
Athletic Membership will likely be one of the vital nice surprises of this season’s Champions League, they usually’ll push Atletico Madrid all 12 months for the “better of the remainder” title in Spain behind Actual Madrid and Barcelona. Aymeric Laporte’s return will likely be one of the vital astute items of enterprise anyplace this season.
20. Inter Milan 🇮🇹
Cristian Chivu must go. The inexperienced supervisor is an enormous downgrade from Simone Inzaghi. Inter solely misplaced 5 league video games all of final season, however they’ve already dropped two of their opening three fixtures beneath Chivu’s management, and the once-vaunted protection is out of the blue filled with holes. A title push already appears unlikely.
On the cusp: Lyon, PSV, Cremonese
