The second round of the Champions League saw Italy drop to ninth place in the provisional UEFA ranking, after a series of defeats that hit Inter, Napoli, Como and Roma. With England at the top of the ranking, followed by Portugal, Norway, Germany and Spain, the Italian position is now behind Türkiye, Greece and Azerbaijan. Despite the defeat, the Italian clubs participating in Europe's top competition still have a chance to recover, even if the path is arduous.
Inter and Napoli, both with zero points, find themselves in the most critical position, while Como and Roma, despite having inferior results, still have room for improvement. To qualify directly to the round of 16, teams must reach 16 points, which requires five wins and a draw. If they fail to get that score, the way is open to the playoffs, where three wins and a draw are enough to advance to the next stage. The Roma and Napoli teams, for example, lost to Real Madrid and Brugge, respectively, and now have to recover quickly.
Other European clubs, such as PSG, Barcelona, Manchester United, Lens, AEK Athens and Betis, have already reached the level needed to advance, while Roma drew against Fenerbahce in Istanbul and lost 4-3 to Real Madrid at home, following a 3-1 victory. The result of these matches left Roma in a delicate, but not definitive position.
With six matches of the championship still pending, Italy has time to try to get its head back up. However, the road is narrow: teams must avoid conceding more than three goals in seven minutes and reduce set-piece errors. If they can maintain discipline and win decision-making matches, the playoffs could be within their reach, offering a route to the 2027/2028 Champions League. The future remains uncertain, but the possibility of recovery is not yet closed.