The best team in Europe against the best team in Europe? Real Madrid’s case to be deemed the outstanding side last season felt almost watertight. They were Champions League winners, albeit displaying their now familiar habit of flirting with an exit before staging acts of escapology. They won LaLiga by eight points, losing a solitary game out of 38.
The meaningful prizes do not come from being the best in autumn – this time two years ago, Napoli were arguably the finest team on the continent, yet only managed to reach the last 16 in Europe – but Liverpool were alone in possessing a 100 percent record after the first four matchdays of the revamped Champions League. They have an eight-point lead at the Premier League summit. They have won 16 of 18 matches under Arne Slot.
