The last set of games before the international break featured several top-of-the-table clashes in some of Europe’s biggest leagues. I’m not sure whether that was just a coincidence or a deliberate attempt to inject some drama before momentum is halted by the week off.
After a weekend full of big games and surprising upsets, here are the winners and losers:
The Winners
Telstar (+30 points)
Last season, Telstar finished in seventh place in the Eerste Divisie, the second tier of Dutch football that is notoriously difficult to get out of. Telstar had been in this division since 1978, but finally earned promotion to the top flight after winning the playoffs. Following a respectable start to the season, they faced PSV in what should have been an easy win for the team from Eindhoven. However, Telstar stunned everyone by beating PSV 2–0, delivering what could be one of this season’s biggest upsets.
Fatih Karagümrük (+28 points)
Fatih Karagümrük are another promoted side—this time from the Turkish Süper Lig—who also enjoyed a good weekend. The winless team traveled to Antalyaspor, where defeat seemed likely. However, a late goal from former Preston North End player Daniel Johnson secured Karagümrük the victory and a boost in our rankings.
Liverpool (+11 points)
While Liverpool did not collect a large number of points, they faced Arsenal in a pivotal clash at the top of the Premier League. A stunning free kick from Dominik Szoboszlai secured a 1–0 win. This not only kept them at the top of the Premier League, but with Barcelona’s draw against Mallorca, the Reds extended their lead in our Europe-wide rankings.
The Losers
PSV (-30 points)
As mentioned above, PSV lost to Telstar. They came into the week at the top of our Eredivisie rankings and as the ninth-best club in Europe. Now, they have surrendered first place in the league to rivals Feyenoord and have dropped to 22nd overall in the Europe-wide rankings.
Inter Milan (-25 points)
Last week, AC Milan were embarrassed by Cremonese (who managed to grab another win this week). This time, it was their city rivals’ turn to stumble. Inter hosted Udinese at the San Siro and were beaten 2–1 by the side from the northwest of the country. The defeat has also pushed Inter out of our overall top 10 rankings.
Sporting Lisbon (-21 points)
Portuguese league leaders Sporting faced rivals Porto in a clash of two unbeaten teams. Two goals within three minutes were enough to give Porto a 2–1 win over their rivals. The defeat cost Sporting the top spot in both the Primeira Liga and our Portuguese rankings, putting them on the back foot early in the season.
Top 10 Rankings
- Liverpool-1938 points
- Barcelona-1926 points
- Napoli-1915 points (+1)
- Real Madrid-1912 points (+1)
- Athletic Bilbao-1907 points (+3)
- Bayern Munich-1905 points (+1)
- Arsenal-1989 points (-3)
- Juventus-1983 points (+2_
- PSG-1888 points (NEW)
- Eintracht Frankfurt-1886 points (NEW)
League Leaders
- Premier League: Liverpool-1938 points
- Ligue 1: PSG-1888 points
- Bundesliga: Bayern Munich-1905 points
- Serie A: Napoli-1915 points
- La Liga: Barcelona-1926 points
- Scottish Premiership: Celtic-1796 points
- Belgian Pro League: Union SG-1835 points
- Eredivisie: Feyenoord-1861 points
- Primeira Liga: Porto-1855 points
- Turkish Super Lig: Galatasaray-1870 points
Ben Tredinnick is the publisher of The 4th Quartile. He can be reached on X: @BMTredinnick, @T4Quartile and on Instagram: b.m.tredinnick and t4_quartile
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