Race for fifth Champions League spot fuels Bundesliga's UEFA ranking

The race for the fifth Champions‑League‑spot is already underway after the first matchday, while at the same time the UEFA ranking of the Bundesliga is gaining decisive importance. For the German clubs, every early result means not only a step into the knockout phase, but also points for the ranking that decides a possible additional European qualification spot.

Successful Starts in the Champions League

In the Champions League, FC Bayern (5:0 against Bodø/Glimt), Borussia Dortmund (3:2 against Villarreal) and VfB Stuttgart (3:1 against Viking Stavanger) were able to win their matches. Only RB Leipzig disappointed with a 1:4‑loss in Como. These results provide the German representatives with important points for the Bundesliga‑table position and the UEFA ranking.

Mixed Results in the Europa League

In the parallel Europa League fixtures, Bayer Leverkusen secured a 2:0‑win against Celje, while TSG Hoffenheim lost 0:2 to OFI Crete. These results also feed into the country ranking, which currently places Germany in sixth position.

Implications for the Future CL‑Allocation

Only the two highest‑ranked countries receive an additional Champions‑League‑qualification spot. Currently the Premier League is ahead of the Bundesliga, so Germany does not have a bonus spot at the moment. Nevertheless, the Bundesliga could overtake the places of Portugal, Azerbaijan, Turkey and Norway later in the season, as those nations benefit from high summer point totals but have fewer clubs represented in the competition.

The current position in the UEFA‑ranking, however, opens the race for the fifth spot, because a rise in the ranking would increase the chances of an additional qualification place. The German clubs know that every further result in the coming weeks will be decisive.

In October the race will become even more intense when the Champions League and the Europa League enter the second round and the Conference League also begins. There, SC Freiburg will collect points for Germany and further influence the ranking.

The first matchday was photographed by Stuart Franklin/GettyImages and shows that the German representatives have overall started positively, despite the loss of RB Leipzig. The points collected form the basis for the ongoing race for the fifth Champions‑League‑spot and the long‑term goal of improving the country ranking.