UEFA Coefficient Roundup: Matchday 2

Last week saw the UEFA Europa League begin with league phase play, making it the second week of group phase football. Many of the results produced some noteworthy changes in the five-year UEFA coefficient ranking. Several nations ended up earning no points either, which was far from ideal.

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Here is the latest UEFA coefficient roundup after week two of league phase action.

European Performance Spot: England Dominate Again

We start with the race for the two European Performance Spots (EPS), and right away, England are flexing their muscles. A perfect three-for-three has them second in the rankings behind only Portugal, who also continued their impressive start.

The Portuguese also had a perfect week, with Torreense's victory in particular being a big story. The sky could be the limit for the Iberian nation this term, with many believing they could challenge for a top two berth. So far, it is hard not to see why they could not do so. Still, there is a long way to go, and the next few months will show just how serious they truly are.

Spain and Germany had disastrous starts in the Europa League, with both sides from the two nations losing their matches. They were involved in a thrilling battle last term, but now they have had a slightly difficult start this time around. Expect a marked improvement in the coming matchweeks as they will want to avoid falling further behind.

France went 1-1-1 from their three teams, while Italy had a win and a loss. That saw the former earn 0.428 points and the latter 0.285. Seeing that Portugal and England have such fast starts, they will have to pick up the pace as well. With so many games at this portion of the competitions, there are tons of points available. However, as we are starting to see already, gaps can open up very quickly.

Like Spain and Germany, the Dutch were also empty-handed from their duo, while Belgium earned their first points of the competition proper through Union Saint-Gilloise. It will be a tall order for either to truly challenge for the EPS, but anything can happen if they take things seriously. They have a full complement of league phase teams, which always helps.

So, after two weeks of the league phase, England and Portugal have impressed the most, while Spain and Germany have failed terribly. Italy and France have work to do, likewise Netherlands and Belgium. October will see the return of the Conference League, which will surely add an extra level of intrigue to this battle.

Battle for 10th/12th: Poland Passed

To the five-year UEFA coefficient battles now, starting with the race for top 10/top 12. As expected, Poland have already lost out on 10th place after a week which saw both Jagiellonia Białystok and Lech Poznań lose. Czechia's win from Sparta Praha propelled them ahead of the Poles, while Greece impressed.

The gap between 10th and 12th is just 0.113 points now, highlighting just how close this race will be between Czechia and Greece. As noted in previous UEFA coefficient roundups, Poland have next to no chance here with only two clubs left. Even holding onto 12th place could become a challenge if Denmark's four Conference League teams impress.

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Greece are showing some serious intent on taking 10th by season's end as they already have three league phase victories. Olympiakos Piraeus and OFI added onto AEK Athens' points from the Champions League, closing the gap. If they keep up this performance, it will be incredibly difficult for the Czechs to keep up.

Türkiye's Beşiktaş added 0.400 points thanks to a solid home win. While the Greeks have made some moves, it will still be a challenge for them or Czechia to overtake the Turks, who have really looked good so far this term. They should be good to hold onto ninth, and could be in for a huge coefficient total by season's end.

Norway had another loss, this time from Lillestrøm. Three defeats from as many league phase matches is not a good start for the Nordic country. It would not be a total shock if all four teams fail to get past this stage. Fortunately for them, their top 14 place is not really in question just yet.

Czechia and Greece are the two to keep an eye on for 10th place, while Denmark will begin putting the pressure on Poland next month once the UECL league phase commences.

Battle for 22nd: Austria Adds More Secure Points

To the race for 22nd, where four of the seven nations that had teams in play last week collected points. Austria and Hungary were the only two to end up victorious, going farther away from those below them. The latter even beat a direct competitor in Scotland's Celtic, making things even better for them.

Croatia and Israel drew in a direct clash, which helped the former a bit more. Slovenia and Bulgaria ended up without points, with both needing to have strong league phases if they are to really make the push to pass the nations immediately above them.

The UEL will play vital role in this race, since seven of the 12 countries have teams in the competition. Just five of UECL clubs, while four are represented in the UCL, where they will likely struggle to compete. So, getting past the UEL league phase will do wonders when considering the bonus points on offer, and also the potential to have a decent run.

Heading into next month's play, Sweden, Croatia, and Romania are the ones in the most danger of being caught by the likes of Ukraine, Israel, and Azerbaijan. Slovenia, Slovakia, and Bulgaria are further behind, while Austria, Hungary, and Scotland have a decent buffer they will want to make the most of.

Battle for 33rd: Armenia Lose Out

Finally, to the battle for 33rd, where just Armenia were in action. Ararat-Armenia's maiden match in the UEL proper ended in defeat, meaning their country could not widen the gap on those below them.

The likes of Bosnia, Latvia, and FInland were quite happy to see Ararat-Armenia fail, as it keeps the gap as is ahead of October. That, however, means nothing if they fail to make the most of the chance in front of them. While the UECL is looking very competitive this term, it will be a tall order for Armenia to earn anything in the UEL, given the higher level of competition.

A lead of nearly 2.000 points on the nearest competitor is something the Armenians can be happy about. It is just a matter of how long that lead can last - or rather, if it can last.