Michael J. Chandler, Daniel Rouse

21h ago

ANDER GILLENEA / AFP / Getty

Taking into consideration recent domestic and continental results, along with underlying stats, we try to figure out which clubs are among Europe’s elite.

1. Barcelona (1st in La Liga)

Previous rank: 2nd

After Willian Jose and Juanmi handed host Real Sociedad a two-goal first-half lead Sunday in Basque Country, Barcelona’s unbeaten season was suddenly under threat. Thanks to a Luis Suarez second-half brace and Lionel Messi’s record-breaking free-kick, Ernesto Valverde’s side won at the Anoeta Stadium for the first time since May 2007, and regained a nine-point advantage on second-place Atletico Madrid. – MC

2. Manchester City (1st in Premier League)

Previous rank: 1st

Sliding one spot after Liverpool handed Pep Guardiola and Co. a maiden league defeat, Manchester City is still leaps and bounds better than its Premier League rivals with a 15-point margin to show for said dominance. City’s plus-50 goal margin is nearly twice that of any other side in England’s top flight, and its 67 goals scored is 13 better than the next closest total. – MC

3. Paris Saint-Germain (1st in Ligue 1)

Previous rank: 3rd

Ligue 1 leader Paris Saint-Germain celebrated the new year Sunday with a 1-0 victory at defensively adroit Nantes, and thanks to Monaco’s stalemate at Montpellier and Lyon’s draw against Angers, the capital club now boasts an 11-point domestic lead. After slumping to their first shock defeat of the season at Strasbourg in December, Les Parisiens have won four in a row whilst outscoring opponents 11-3 over that stretch. Next is a home date with Dijon, who has had a man sent off in three of its last four matches in all competitions. – MC

4. Bayern Munich (1st in Bundesliga)

Previous rank: 4th

The Bundesliga title race is a foregone conclusion. After 18 matches, Bayern Munich possesses 13 more points than second-placed RB Leipzig, and manager Jupp Heynckes noted his team’s superb discipline in Friday’s 3-1 victory at Bayer Leverkusen. The Bavarians are tipped as a likelier winner of the Champions League than Paris Saint-Germain with some bookmakers, but they should be wary of an exciting Besiktas side in the round of 16. – DR

5. Atletico Madrid (2nd in La Liga)

Previous rank: 8th

It seemed Atletico Madrid would have more firepower when Diego Costa’s transfer was finally rubber-stamped, but the Brazil-born brute was sent off after scoring in his first start. Without the striker in its arsenal, Diego Simeone’s team was characteristically stubborn in defence when engineering a scrappy 1-0 win at Eibar, and currently enjoys a 11-point cushion in La Liga’s Champions League qualification places. – DR

6. Liverpool (3rd in Premier League)

Previous rank: 11th

For a 30-minute spell after the break Sunday against City, Liverpool played like a side bewitched, tearing the previously unbeaten side to shreds with an unyielding attack capped by a trio of world-class finishes. Days after shipping Philippe Coutinho, the Reds are making a claim for England’s second-best side and can begin looking forward to next season when Naby Keita’s arrival and the hopeful addition of a quality shot-stopper should thrust Jurgen Klopp’s tireless charges into the title discussion. – MC

7. Juventus (2nd in Serie A)

Previous rank: 5th

Juventus’ inactivity sees it suffer a slight fall down the rankings, but belief that the Old Lady can capture a seventh straight Scudetto continues to grow. Blaise Matuidi’s arrival has shaken up the midfield, and Paulo Dybala seems to be back to his best after a peculiar period of bench-warming. An 11-match unbeaten run in all competitions still isn’t enough for top spot in Serie A, with Napoli owning one more point. – DR

8. Napoli

Previous rank: 6th

A spot ahead of Juventus in the league but one short of the six-time successive Scudetto champ on this ladder, Napoli has shown an uncharacteristic resolve in bouncing back from the loss to Max Allergri’s lot at the Stadio Sao Paolo in December. The Partenopei’s attack isn’t quite at the breathtaking levels it was during a stretch of eight consecutive victories to start the domestic campaign, though it hasn’t mattered as Serie A’s stingiest backline has guided Napoli to four league wins on the bounce. – MC

9. Tottenham Hotspur (5th in Premier League)

Previous rank: 15th

Spurs strolled to a 4-0 bashing of Everton in Saturday’s late kick-off, with Heung-Min Son continuing to impress in the Londoner’s attack. A tricky period is on the horizon for Mauricio Pochettino’s lot, however, when league wrangles with Manchester United, Liverpool, and Arsenal are followed by a Champions League trip to Juventus. It’s a two-week period that could define Tottenham’s season. – DR

10. Manchester United (2nd in Premier League)

Previous rank: 12th

Manchester United’s matches aren’t awash with shots on target, but Jose Mourinho’s outfit is callous, preying on errors and half-chances. Even when Romelu Lukaku isn’t firing, someone like Jesse Lingard or Anthony Martial will step up. There aren’t any obvious vulnerable areas in Mourinho’s squad, but sometimes you wish he would approach games with a more positive mindset. He has the personnel on hand to trounce teams – just like United did in the season’s earlier months. – DR

11. Valencia (3rd in La Liga)

Previous rank: 11th

Marcelino continues to restore pride at sleeping giant Valencia, guiding the club into third place and tightening its grip on the Champions League qualification places. A huge chunk of the squad is made up of players who are looking to rebuild their careers – like Gabriel Paulista, Francis Coquelin, Simone Zaza, and Geoffrey Kondogbia – and Valencia is benefitting from them seizing their opportunities. – DR

12. Chelsea (4th in Premier League)

Previous rank: 7th

The goals have dried up at Chelsea. Saturday’s goalless affair with Leicester City was the third consecutive 0-0 draw for the Blues, and the fifth straight appearance Alvaro Morata hasn’t registered on the scoresheet. The Spanish striker has just five goals across all competitions since late September, temporarily stalling what appeared to be a blossoming partnership between himself and Eden Hazard. – DR

13. Sporting CP (1st in Primeira Liga)

Previous rank: NR

Power rankings debutant Sporting CP vaulted rival FC Porto for top spot in Portugal courtesy of Sunday’s 3-0 victory over Aves fuelled by a Bas Dost treble to maintain the capital club’s unbeaten start to the season. Porto – which has a match in hand – is also without defeat as the Primeira Liga boasts a top-heavy table where heavyweight Benfica sits third with just one loss. Sporting has conceded a scant 10 goals this season, and has won six in seven, with a 1-1 draw at Benfica the first week of January the sole blip on a stellar run. – MC

14. Internazionale (3rd in Serie A)

Previous rank: 10th

Tumbling a few spots courtesy of the winter hiatus and a 1-1 draw at Fiorentina the first Friday of 2018, Inter’s spot in this ranking is as tenuous as its Scudetto hopes as a stretch of five Serie A matches sans victory sees Luciano Spalletti’s side nine points adrift of table-topping Napoli. A dearth of squad depth has been largely responsible for Inter’s recent run of form, but the over-reliance on Mauro Icardi continues to be the biggest concern at the Giuseppe Meazza, with the Argentine responsible for 18 of the club’s 35 league tallies. – MC

15. PSV Eindhoven (1st in Eredivisie)

Previous rank: 13th

The ease in which Hirving Lozano has stormed the Eredivisie since moving from Mexico should make him one of the hottest properties on the planet. He’s relentless on the left-hand side, with his 11 league goals in 16 appearances often coming when he cuts onto his stronger right foot. He also leads the team for Eredivisie assists with four. He’s been instrumental in helping PSV to a five-point advantage atop Dutch football. – DR

On the cusp: Real Madrid, Istanbul Basaksehir, Lokomotiv Moscow, FC Porto

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)

Philippe Coutinho will not travel with the Liverpool squad for its warm-weather training camp in Dubai in an effort to push through a transfer to Barcelona, according to The Telegraph’s Chris Bascombe.

The Reds are preparing in the United Arab Emirates for next weekend’s Premier League clash with Manchester City, but Coutinho’s involvement in that match now appears unlikely after opting out of the trip.

The Brazilian hasn’t featured for Liverpool since the January transfer window opened, with his latest absence coming in Friday’s FA Cup third-round win over Everton due to a supposed thigh injury.

The red half of Merseyside is determined to keep Coutinho, and is apparently prepared to refuse offers worth as much as £140 million. Liverpool is even disposed to receiving less money in the summer to allow him to feature in the remainder of its 2017-18 Premier League, Champions League, and FA Cup campaigns.

Liverpool is also open to a similar deal to the one it struck with RB Leipzig for Naby Keita, with Coutinho signing for Barcelona now but then effectively staying on loan at Anfield until the end of the season.

However, there is a growing acceptance at Anfield that the club is fighting a losing battle. The fact Coutinho would be ineligible for Barcelona in the knockout stages of the Champions League appears to be no deterrent for the midfielder. Joaquim Piera of Spanish publication SPORT believes there is already an agreement in principle for the sale barring any late hitches in negotiations, and that the Brazilian will sign a five-year contract in Catalonia.

If a transfer is completed, it will conclude a long-term pursuit from Barcelona for the 25-year-old. Liverpool rebuffed three Blaugrana proposals and denied a transfer request from Coutinho last summer. The final spurned bid was worth £118 million including clauses, prompting Liverpool to release a stoic club statement in August that said “no offers for Philippe would be considered.”

This time, Liverpool’s resolve seems to be ebbing away.

Barcelona unveiled club-record signing Philippe Coutinho to the press Monday, ending a long-winded drama tracing back to the end of the summer transfer window.

He’ll just have to wait a little longer to make his debut.

Upon completing a reported €160-million transfer from Liverpool on Monday and signing a five-and-a-half-year contract with the Blaugrana, the Brazilian was ruled out for around three weeks with a pre-existing thigh problem.

But the news couldn’t wipe the smile off his face. Once the Brazilian consummated his new contract, he presented himself alongside president Jose Maria Bartomeu and performed the customary kickieuppies as he greeted thousands of supporters at the Camp Nou.

Barcelona and Liverpool agreed to the megadeal on Saturday, with the former committed to paying a reported €120 million up front and a further €40 million in add-ons. Coutinho even covered a chunk of that amount to avoid any last-minute hitches, according to The Times’ Paul Joyce.

Coutinho’s buyout clause is also set at a whopping €400 million.

The 25-year-old long campaigned for this move to happen. Although his performances for Liverpool in the first half of the season showed no signs of distractions, manager Jurgen Klopp said Coutinho was “desperate” to join Barcelona. Neither Klopp nor Liverpool’s owners were able to convince the Brazilian to stay.

He is now the second-most expensive footballer in the sport’s history, behind only Paris Saint-Germain’s Neymar. Kylian Mbappe will surpass Coutinho once PSG makes the on-loan teenager’s €180-million transfer from Monaco permanent.

“I want to thank the president and everyone who has made it possible,” he told reporters. “I am very happy, it’s a dream come true, and I hope to be up to the job on the field.”

He continued: “It’s very emotional for me to wear the shirt of the most important club in the world. I am anxious to get going.”

However, Coutinho won’t have the opportunity to play for Barcelona in the Champions League knockout round because he is cup-tied. He already appeared in the tournament’s group stage with Liverpool.

Coutinho missed Liverpool’s first two matches of 2018 with the thigh injury. Some suspected he had exaggerated the issue to finally push through a deal that had been in the works since last summer. Back then, he complained of back pain right around the time Barcelona made its first bid.

The Independent reported in September that a scan revealed “nothing was wrong with him.” Coutinho later represented Brazil in a World Cup qualifier, with the team’s doctor noting that he was in “perfect condition” to play.

But Monday’s medical at Barcelona’s Ciutat Esportiva facility confirmed his current injury is, in fact, real.

Should he need the scheduled three weeks to recover, he would have a chance to make his Barcelona debut against Alaves at home on Jan. 28. He would also be in contention to face former side Espanyol on Feb. 4.

The midfielder has prior experience in La Liga, having played on loan at Espanyol during the 2011-12 season. That was long before he emerged as one of the world’s best playmakers – a role in which he relished at Anfield.

Coutinho spent five years on Merseyside, registering 54 goals and 43 assists after arriving from Inter in 2013 for a measly €9.6 million.

It’s official. Philippe Coutinho is joining Barcelona.

Barcelona and Liverpool reached an agreement for the transfer of Coutinho on Saturday. According to the Liverpool Echo’s James Pearce and Neil Jones, the Reds agreed to a fee of €160 million (£142 million). The Brazilian star will have a buyout clause of €400 million.

The reported fee will make Coutinho the second-most expensive footballer on the planet, behind Neymar, who joined Paris Saint-Germain from Barcelona in a transfer worth €222 million.

Liverpool will apparently receive £105 million up front, with the rest received in performance-related bonuses. Per the Guardian’s Sid Lowe, £17 million would be payable for Coutinho’s first 100 games at Barcelona, £4.4 per 25 matches. Another £4.4 million would allegedly be paid if Champions League qualification is achieved, with a £4.4-million bonus for winning the tournament.

Liverpool apparently rejected numerous bids from Barcelona in the summer, as the Reds maintained that the product of Vasco da Gama wasn’t for sale. They allegedly stood firm when a transfer request was submitted the day before the beginning of the Premier League season, but the footballer’s desire to join the Blaugrana never wavered, and the English club’s position softened.

In August, Fenway Sports Group published a statement on Coutinho, reading: “The club’s definitive stance is that no offers for Philippe will be considered and he will remain a member of Liverpool Football Club when the summer window closes.” After it closed, Albert Soler, Barcelona’s director of professional sports, said: “Liverpool put a €200-million price tag on a member on their squad. Logically, the club decided that it was not going to go ahead with the operation.”

Coutinho will reportedly attend Barcelona’s La Liga game versus Levante UD on Sunday, and could make his debut when the Blaugrana and Celta Vigo play the first leg of their Copa del Rey tie on Thursday.

Coutinho tallied seven goals and six assists in the Premier League this season, and five goals and two assists in the Champions League.