1 -- FC Barcelona (first league game on Saturday vs. Alarés)
A quiet offseason was good for Barça -- why mess with the best in the world? Ronaldinho set himself up to cash in with a huge extension, while management warded off offers for star número dos Samuel Eto'o. Now, the side is finally healthy, and new additions Mark van Bommel and Santi Ezquerro should contribute immediately. Champions League should be very, very afraid.
2 -- Chelsea (3-0)
Owner Roman Abramovich forked out more than $100 million in transfer money this offseason for Jose Mourinho to upgrade his $200 million all-star roster. One hundred million! That's like buying your kid Versailles for Christmas and advancing him a renovation budget. The best team money can buy wasn't playing like it, though -- that 4-0 shellacking of West Brom on Wednesday was a much-needed boost.
3 -- Juventus (first league game on Saturday vs. Chievo)
It's scary to think, but this Juve side might be better than the one that waltzed to its 28th Serie A title last season. The coup of the offseason clearly was stealing Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira and adding him to an absolutely sick midfield that's already stacked with Pavel Nedved, Emerson and Mauro Camoranesi. Striker Adrian Mutu is coming off a drug suspension and will add yet more punch up front.
4 -- Manchester United (2-0)
The Glazers were in the house last Saturday at Old Trafford to see their new toy win 1-0 over Aston Villa; then Manyoo proceeded to finish off a pounding of Hungarian champion Debrecen on Wednesday to qualify for Champions League. Meanwhile, Wayne Rooney supposedly is cleaning up his act. Ugh. The last thing we need is Beckham 2.0 -- an English soccer icon should be hard-drinkin' and foul-mouthed, dontcha think? Somewhere, Paul Gascoigne is crying in his Carlsberg.
5 -- Real Madrid (first league game on Saturday vs. Cádiz)
That 5-0 smackdown of MLS Select should surprise no one. Neither should the fact that Spain's chosen can grease through a legal loophole. (Generalissimo Francisco Franco is still dead, isn't he?) Roberto Carlos got his Spanish citizenship just as the Galacticos' pursuit of Robinho came to a head, allowing Real to stay under the Spanish league's cap of no more than three non-Europeans per team. Wonder if all this will have been worth it in two years when Real inevitably sell R.C. back to Inter.
6 -- AC Milan (first league game on Saturday vs. Ascoli)
The Rossoneri are still shaking their heads as to how they let that Champions League final get away. But minus Hernan Crespo and Jon Dahl Tomasson, this is still largely the same team that controlled the ball beautifully and dominated the pace of the game -- until that fateful 53rd minute. Good additions in Alberto Gilardino and Christian Vieri, who's getting on in years but has extra motivation to show Inter -- the club that cut him loose-- that he's still got it. (Extra props for giving Inter the middle finger by skipping across town.)
7 -- Arsenal (2-1)
So begins the final season at Highbury, and hopefully the only in those awful "red currant" jerseys. That loss to Chelsea on Sunday sure was "unlucky," as the English commentators say (Final score: Didier Drogba's knee 1, Arsenal nil). The Gunners got back on track at home Wednesday with a convincing 4-1 victory over Fulham. Thierry Henry is two goals away from cementing himself as the greatest Gooner of all time -- can the folks in Islington deal with a Frenchman in that role?
8 -- Bayern Munich (2-0)
Germany's glamour club kicked off the Bundesliga season with back-to-back throttlings of 'Gladbach and Bayer Leverkusen, but general manager Uli Hoeness still has tons of housekeeping to do. Willy Sagnol is livid over the team's reluctance to re-sign him, and those Michael Ballack transfer rumors (to Real? Man U?) still won't die, even though Ballack says he's not going anywhere. All that discord is not a good sign for the defending champs.
9 -- São Paulo (5-7-10)
Tricolors get this one free pass because we're still feeling the love from their sensational Copa Libertadores triumph last month. What makes it all the more remarkable is that the new Latin American champions are in 19th place in the Brazilian league and are trying to stave off relegation (take that, Liverpool!). Way to prioritize, guys. Obviously, that didn't stop Real Madrid from purchasing an option on star defender Cicinho.
10 -- Boca Juniors (1-0-2)
Tough times have befallen Argentina's stalwart of late: A shameful display against Chivas Guadalajara in the Copa Libertadores led to a fan riot and the resigning of former manager Jorge Benitez after he spit on a Mexican player. But things are looking up for los Xeneizes early in the first leg of a new season: They're undefeated under their new manager, former national-team skipper Alfio "El Coco" Basile, and are the early favorites to win their 21st league title.

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