Ranking the 5 best clubs in Europe right now - January 2022
January, the first month of the calendar year, is always a special one for football clubs. Every big club in Europe try their best to make a good first impression and give their all to keep fans in their corner.
After the holiday season, however, the task is easier said than done. Breaking out the shooting boots and dusting off the insatiable desire to win is not everyone’s cup of tea.
Today, we will take a look at a few European clubs that have passed the inaugural test with flying colors.
Here are five clubs in Europe that are firing on all cylinders right now:
#5 Liverpool
At one point, Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool side looked on course to take the Premier League title fight with Manchester City right down to the wire. The Reds lost a bit of momentum in December and eventually dropped to third place, behind Chelsea.
In January, they have decided to put their best foot forward and regain some lost ground.
They started the year with a 2-2 draw with Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea away from home. Goals from Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah put them 2-0 up, but the Blues bounced back with two quick goals just before half-time.
The Reds then beat Shrewsbury 4-1 in the FA Cup before settling for a goalless stalemate against Arsenal in the first leg of the League Cup semi-final.
A birthday goal for @takumina0116 🥳⚽️ https://t.co/AXSzHQDEB8
Their most recent Premier League appearance came against Brentford on Sunday. Klopp’s men registered a convincing 3-0 win that afternoon to move past Chelsea in the Premier League standings.
The Reds' results haven’t been ideal, of course, but we believe they have performed admirably without the services of Sadio Mane, Naby Keita and Mohammed Salah, who are away representing their nations at the AFCON.
#4 Paris Saint-Germain
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) put daylight between them and other Ligue 1 aspirants in 2021 itself. January 2022 has seen them march on in the same vein.
They started off with a Coupe de France clash against Vannes in the first week of January. Despite playing away from home, PSG easily outmuscled the lowly hosts and recorded a comfortable 0-4 win.
Next, they took on Lyon in Ligue 1 and had to work really hard to squeeze out a 1-1 draw. Last weekend, PSG bagged a comfortable 2-0 win over Brest, which saw them extend their lead at the summit to 11 points.
On this day in 2001, @10Ronaldinho joined @PSG_inside. 🤙 https://t.co/G03HzkIlMN
Although the results have been respectable, PSG have genuinely missed their maestro Lionel Messi. The Argentine hasn’t yet featured for the club this year due to contracting COVID-19 and might not return to action before February.