Champions League 2026-27 power rankings: Can Barcelona, Bayern Munich or Arsenal prevent PSG from securing a historic three-peat?

This season's power rankings are going to look a little different; rather than ranking every team from 1-36, we will instead be mimicking the competition's league phase by ranking the top 24 contenders, with the other 12 teams left on the outside looking in.

That's not to say that none of these 12 teams will make it through - there is always a shock name or two in the knockout rounds - but this dozen are, in our view, the least likely teams to progress and continue their European journey past the opening round.

Amongst them are tournament debutants Sabah FK of Azerbaijan and LASK of Austria, as well as Slovan Bratislava, who are managed by the first African coach in the history of the Champions League, the one and only Yaya Toure.

Bodo/Glimt, who beat Manchester City, Atletico Madrid and Inter on their way to last season's last 16, will do well to make a repeat run, though they are no longer the only Norwegian side in the competition, with Viking FK having qualified for the first time since 1992.

There are teams from Europe's 'Big Five' leagues who also look like having tough European seasons, as both Villarreal and Lens do not look capable of forcing their way through.

GOAL's doomed dozen: AEK Athens, Bodo/Glimt, Club Brugge, Feyenoord, LASK, Lens, Sabah, Shakhtar Donetsk, Slavia Prague, Slovan Bratislava, Viking, Villarreal.

After routinely falling short in qualifying, Fenerbahce are back in the Champions League proper for the first time since the 2008-09 season, and arrive with a squad packed full of recognisable names for fans of European football. Romelu Lukaku, Mason Greenwood and Nathan Ake all joined the club this past summer, and now form part of squad that also includes the likes of Ederson, N'Golo Kante, Marco Asensio and Matteo Guendouzi,

Now in his fifth spell in charge of the club, Ismail Kartal oversaw an ill-tempered victory over Lyon in the qualifying play-off, and Fener's reward was the third-easiest set of fixtures, according to Opta. That won't assure of them anything, and they have already lost twice in their opening four Super Lig games, but Kartal will hope that the amount of Champions League experience within his squad will shine through on the biggest stage.

Given Antonio Conte's woeful record in continental competition, it perhaps shouldn't have been a surprise when Napoli crashed out of the league phase last season, but many were still shocked by the then-Serie A champions' failure to secure a place in the top 24. Conte has since moved on, with Massimiliano Allegri brought in following his own departure from AC Milan.

Things haven't started well for Allegri, who has overseen two defeats in his opening three matches, while talismanic midfielder Scott McTominay is currently on the sidelines after being diagnosed with a minor heart condition. The Partenopei would also have hoped for an easier opening game than hosting Arsenal, but they will still back themselves to improve on their 2025-26 disappointment.

Lille may have lost young stars Ayyoub Bouaddi and Matias Fernandez-Pardo to the Premier League during the summer transfer window, but they have still made an encouraging start to life under new manager Davide Ancelotti. They were two stoppage-time goals from PSG away from three wins out of three to begin the Ligue 1 season, and arrive back into the Champions League in decent shape.

The evergreen Olivier Giroud continues to lead from the front as he approaches his 40th birthday at the end of September, and he has been joined in attack by Ayase Ueda, who finished as top scorer in the Eredivisie last season. If those two can gel quickly, then Lille could produce an upset or two over the next few months.

Sebastian Hoeness continues to work wonders with Stuttgart, whom he has taken from the Bundesliga's relegation play-off to qualifying for the Champions League twice in the space of three seasons. Deniz Undav has emerged as the club's talisman up front, while Angelo Stiller and Jamie Leweling behind him are attracting interest from Europe's biggest clubs.

Working in Stuttgart's favour is that they have, according to Opta, been handed the easiest set of fixtures of any of the 36 qualified teams. They begin their campaign against the unfancied pair of Viking and Slovan Bratislava, which should allow them to build up some early momentum, while their toughest-looking games on paper come against Atletico Madrid and Inter.

Sporting are beginning to become part of the Champions League furniture, and they went all the way to the quarter-finals last season after surprisingly earning a top-eight finish in the league phase before producing an epic comeback to beat Bodo/Glimt in the last 16.

The man who masterminded that run, Rui Borges, remains in charge, and he is still able to call upon star striker Luis Suarez despite a summer filled with rumours regarding his future. From a fixtures point of view, Sporting will know they need to get their points early if they are to again make the knockouts, with their final two matches against Barcelona and Manchester City in January.

After missing out on European football all together last season, Leipzig are back at the top table after a third-placed finish in the Bundesliga. Despite that, they have made a change in the dugout, with former Argentina defender Martin Demichelis placed in charge following the sacking of Ole Werner in June.

He has taken over a squad that has been shorn of star man Yan Diomande following his summer move to Real Madrid, but still possesses plenty of talent in attack via exciting wing duo Antonio Nusa and Johan Bakayoko as well as the returning Christopher Nkunku. They are not the force they were around the start of the decade, but Leipzig will still fancy their chances of making the knockouts.

Despite producing thrashings of Napoli and Liverpool during last season's league phase, PSV came up short in their bid to reach the knockout rounds, though that couldn't kill their momentum as they ran away with the Eredivisie title. Peter Bosz's side have carried that form into the new season, too, having scored 18 goals in their opening five league matches of the campaign.

They have been handed one of the easier sets of European fixtures, too, and will look to the likes of Ricardo Pepi, Ivan Perisic and Ruben van Bommel to continue their excellent form into those games, starting with Shakhtar Donetsk on Thursday.

Back in the Champions League for the first time in over 20 years, Real Betis finished fifth in La Liga last term as they continue to reassert themselves as a force to be reckoned with in Spain under Manuel Pellegrini. That status was underlined by Friday's win over Real Madrid, with summer signing Troy Parrott scoring the winner with his first goal for the club.

The Ireland forward has joined a team that also boasts Antony, Isco and Giovani Lo Celso, and the Heliopolitanos should fancy their chances of making it to the knockouts. The only potential risk is that their two most difficult games, against Arsenal and Bayern Munich, don't arrive until the final two matchdays, meaning any early slip-ups could put pressure on them to deliver against some of the competition's favourites.

Galatasaray made it all the way to the last 16 in 2025-26 before they were beaten by Liverpool, and the Turkish champions gave a strong account of themselves, including in two victories over Arne Slot's Reds. A repeat run is therefore the minimum expectation for Okan Buruk and his players.

Victor Osimhen will once again be relied upon to provide goals, albeit he will miss Wednesday's opening game against Sporting due to injury. The Nigeria forward has been joined in attack this season by Rafael Leao, while Leroy Sane and Ilkay Gundogan remain, bringing plenty of Champions League experience with them.

After two years away, Porto are back in the Champions League after Francesco Farioli's side triumphed in Liga Portugal last season. The Italian coach has made Los Dragoes one of the toughest teams to beat in Europe since taking over in the summer of 2025, with Porto having conceded just 19 goals in 39 league games since Farioli arrived in the aftermath of his Ajax resignation.

That backline is marshalled by Polish duo Jan Bednarek and Jakob Kiwior while Andre Silva is leading the line while talented Spain striker Samu Aghehowa recovers from a serious knee injury. How far they have come under Farioli will be tested by Man City on matchday one, but they have one of the easier sets of fixtures on paper otherwise.

Como might be Champions League debutants who weren't even playing top-flight football three years ago, but they are not in the competition to merely make up the numbers. The Serie A upstarts have showcased a knack for taking down Italy's biggest clubs over the past two seasons, and Cesc Fabregas' side now shifted their focus on defeating some of Europe's very best sides.

Keeping hold of Argentine playmaker Nico Paz was huge in terms of their summer business, while the likes of Martin Baturina and Anastasios Douvikas have carried their form from last season into the early weeks of 2026-27. Como should be able to build some momentum, too, as they do not play either of their Pot One opponents - Barcelona and PSG - until the final two matchdays in January.

It's been all change for Aston Villa as six starters from their triumphant Europa League final have departed, leaving Unai Emery to oversee what is likely to be a season of transition as he looks to build a new team that mostly consists of new signings. The Spaniard has not been helped by the fact that some of those fresh faces have arrived while carrying injuries, meaning the Villa team that has failed to score in each of their opening three Premier League games of the campaign will likely look a lot different in a couple of months' time.

Given his record in European competition, Emery should be given the benefit of the doubt when it comes to plotting a route out of the league phase, though a repeat of their run to the quarter-finals from two seasons ago is likely beyond Villa this time around.

Roma are back in the Champions League for the first time since the 2018-19 season, with Gian Piero Gasperini having worked wonders to restore the Giallorossi to being one of the major forces in Italian football. Under the former Atalanta boss, the capital club have become incredibly difficult to beat, and sit top of the early Serie A table having won each of their opening three matches of the campaign.

Donyell Malen has again been to the fore, with the Dutchman continuing the remarkable form that he showed following his January move from Aston Villa by netting five times in those three wins. He will be supported by Argentine duo Paulo Dybala and Matias Soule as well as Portuguese teenager Rodrigo Mora, who arrived from Porto over the summer. They could be one of this season's dark horses to make a deep run.

Borussia Dortmund earned a reputation as being European football's ultimate finishing school when the likes of Erling Haaland, Jude Bellingham and Achraf Hakimi passed through on their way to superstardom, but elite graduates have dried up in recent years. To that end, the Bundesliga giants have looked to youth over the summer, with Niko Kovac possessing a squad that contains almost unlimited potential.

Talented teenagers Konstantinos Karetsas and Joane Gadou were brought in to join academy starlets Samuele Inacio and Mathis Albert, and Kovac is already relying upon them to produce the goods alongside proven campaigners such as Felix Nmecha and Serhou Guirassy. Dortmund's inexperience may lead to some volatile displays in Europe, but they should still have more than enough to ease into the knockouts.

Michael Carrick guided Manchester United back into the Champions League during his impressive interim spell in charge during the second half of last season, but his start to life as permanent boss has not wholly gone to plan, with the Red Devils having picked up just four points from what looked a relatively straightforward opening three games of the Premier League season.

Question marks remain over how this United squad will cope with playing regular midweek games after being out of Europe all together last term, and while their quality should shine through enough to get them into the knockout rounds, a deeper run looks unlikely for now at least.

Inter were perhaps the biggest underperformers in last season's Champions League, as the beaten finalists from 2025 were dumped out in the play-off round after being beaten home and away by Bodo/Glimt. Cristian Chivu managed to settle things down from that disappointment and secure a domestic double by the end of his first year in charge, with the belief in Italy now that the Nerazzurri will once again produce a European challenge.

The defending champions have won each of their first three Serie A matches to start the season while Opta grades Inter's league-phase fixtures as the second-easiest among all 36 teams. A place in the top eight and automatic qualification for the last 16 should therefore be on the agenda.

Despite going a round further than in the 2024-25 season, Liverpool undoubtedly went backwards in terms of their performance levels in the Champions League last term before being knocked out by PSG for the second successive campaign. The hope is that Andoni Iraola will return some exciting, attacking football to Anfield after replacing Arne Slot at the helm, and there have been some positive signs during his early weeks in charge.

Alexander Isak looks to be rediscovering himself after his abject debut season on Merseyside while Florian Wirtz is beginning to have more influence on games from the No.10 position. Bradley Barcola should also add another dimension to the Liverpool attack, as well as experience of being part of two triumphant Champions League campaigns over the past two seasons.

Against the odds, Atletico Madrid battled their way to the Champions League semi-finals last season before being edged out by Arsenal, and Diego Simeone will believe his side is capable of yet another deep run this time around. That belief will only have increased following the closure of the transfer window as star striker Julian Alvarez remained at the Metripolitano - albeit rather reluctantly!

If the Argentine can be successfully reintegrated then he gives Atleti an X-factor up front, while the signing of Cristian Romero should help shore up the defence while Lee Kang-in has arrived from PSG to try help replace the departed Antoine Griezmann. The only thing holding Atleti back is a pretty tough set of fixtures - the fourth-most difficult, according to Opta - with a trip to Anfield on Wednesday presenting a difficult opening game.

Pep Guardiola, Rodri and Erling Haaland's luscious locks have all gone, but Man City's start to the season suggests they remain one of the teams to beat in not just the Premier League, but in all of Europe. New boss Enzo Maresca has bounced back from a chastening Community Shield loss to Arsenal to oversee three straight league wins ahead of Tuesday's trip to Porto.

With games to come against both Barcelona and PSG, we should get a gauge of how this new-look City match up to the continent's best during the league phase, though as they get used to Maresca's methods, they will believe that they will be even more formidable by the time the knockouts begin.

Real Madrid have fallen woefully short of expectations in the Champions League over the past two seasons, and have now turned to Jose Mourinho in a bid to bring sliverware, both domestic and continental, back to the Bernabeu. There have been some encouraging signs during the early weeks of his second coming, too, with Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr and Jude Bellingham all producing the goods in attack.

Los Blancos certainly possess one of the most formidable forward lines in all of Europe while some of their summer signings should improve the defence. However, it remains to be seen whether they have a midfield capable of knitting everything together after another summer where replacements for Toni Kroos and Luka Modric weren't forthcoming.

Beaten finalists in May, Arsenal's determination to finally get their hands on a first European Cup is likely to reach fever pitch this season, especially if, as expected, they run away with the Premier League title race. Mikel Arteta certainly has a defence and midfield capable of going all the way, but questions remain over the potency of the Gunners' attack after they failed to land a big-name forward over the summer.

The first step for Arsenal will be trying to replicate their perfect league phase from 2025-26, though as the only club to have drawn both Barcelona and Real Madrid, they are unlikely to have things all their own way over the course of the next four months. Still, mark the English champions down as genuine contenders once more.

As last season's Champions League wore on, Bayern Munich emerged as many fans' favourites before they fell short against PSG following one of the great semi-finals in competition history. Led by their swashbuckling attacking trio of Harry Kane, Michael Olise and Luis Diaz, the Bundesliga giants had previously swept all before them, including Real Madrid in the quarters.

Bayern were able to keep hold of Kane and Olise despite reported interest from elsewhere, and Vincent Kompany's side should again be right amongst it come the later rounds despite a relatively quiet summer transfer window. They kick-off against Bodo/Glimt on Thursday.

It's now been 11 years since Barcelona last won the Champions League, but there is a feeling that if any team can dethrone PSG this season then it is Hansi Flick's side. The Blaugrana have dominated the past two seasons in La Liga under the German coach, but have fallen short on the continent in part due to their high defensive line and the open nature of their midfield.

There is a belief that the signing of Rodri can be a game-changer in that regard, with there no better player in the world than the Spain captain at snuffing out counter-attacks. Lamine Yamal and Raphinha, meanwhile, have begun the new season in flying form in front of goal, with the wing duo likely to be relied upon to lead the way in that regard after an established replacement for Robert Lewandowski wasn't brought in.

Winners of the Champions League in each of the past two seasons, PSG are going in pursuit of a three-peat in 2026-27 as they aim to become the first team not named Real Madrid to lift the European Cup on three successive occasions. Luis Enrique has spent his summer bolstering what was already an outstanding attack, bringing in Ferran Torres, Mika Godts and Maghnes Akliouche.

Things have not got off to a great start at Parc des Princes, however. The Ligue 1 champions are winless through their opening three league games of the season having also lost the Trophee des Champions to Lens. However, as PSG have shown so effectively under Luis Enrique, it's not how you start a season, but how you finish, and they remain the most complete team on the planet right now.