Champions League 2025/26 Power shift: Who’s already writing their ticket to the future?

Europe’s elite are starting to separate from the rest, and the table reveals who’s built for May. If Matchday 3 of the UEFA Champions League taught us anything, it’s that the gap between good and great is starting to show.
Goals flew in across Europe, power statements were made, and a few giants reminded everyone why their DNA is built for knockout football.

At Montjuïc, Barcelona turned a routine night into a statement game, smashing Olympiacos 6–1 behind a hat-trick from Fermín López, with Marcus Rashford and Lamine Yamal adding the kind of spark that screams future core.

In London, Arsenal looked every bit like a contender. Gyökeres struck twice, Martinelli danced, and the Gunners’ 4–0 rout of Atlético Madrid felt like a warning shot for anyone doubting England’s new hierarchy.

Meanwhile, PSG put Europe on notice, a 7–2 demolition at Leverkusen, led by Desiré Doué, who might have just announced himself as Paris’s next star era. Inter, PSV, and Dortmund all scored four or more, while the scoreboard across the continent looked like something out of a video game.

The crystal ball says: power is shifting

Look deeper and you’ll see the trend, a new generation of heavyweights taking shape. PSG, Bayern, Inter, Arsenal, and Real Madrid are perfect so far with nine points each, while City and Dortmund are building quietly but effectively. This isn’t just form, it’s future foreshadowing.

The new Champions League format, with 36 teams and a single league table, rewards consistency and depth. And after three rounds, the eight who look ready to walk straight into the Round of 16 are showing both.

Power table after Matchday 3

Already writing their ticket to the future (Top 8):

1. PSG – 9 pts (+10)

2. Bayern Munich – 9 pts (+10)

3. Inter Milan – 9 pts (+9)

4. Arsenal – 9 pts (+8)

5. Real Madrid – 9 pts (+7)

6. Borussia Dortmund – 7 pts (+5)

7. Manchester City – 7 pts (+4)

8. Newcastle United – 6 pts (+6)

Fighting for the playoff path (9–24):
Barcelona, Liverpool, Chelsea, Sporting CP, Qarabag, Galatasaray, Tottenham, PSV, Atalanta, Marseille, Atlético de Madrid, Club Brugge, Athletic Club, Eintracht Frankfurt, Napoli, Union Saint-Gilloise

Out of sync (25–36):
Juventus, Monaco, Leverkusen, Ajax, Benfica, Villarreal, and others on the edge of elimination.

What’s next: the calm before the chaos

Three games down, three to go before the cut. The field is dividing, PSG and Bayern are on autopilot, Arsenal and Madrid look reborn, and Barça’s resurrection arc is very real.
But there’s also turbulence brewing, Napoli and Atlético are fighting ghosts of their past, and Chelsea suddenly look like they belong again.

The table doesn’t lie. It’s a mirror of who’s adapting fastest to football’s new era, one where margins are microscopic, youth is fearless, and history still matters, but only if you’re writing the next chapter.