Ranking the Top 25 European Clubs After Weekend of April 25-27
Welcome to the latest edition of our European club rankings (previous edition here), where we rank the top teams on the continent based on seasonal form and squad strength.
The second legs of both the UEFA Europa League and Champions League quarter-finals are done, and we have our final fours. We also saw three 0-0 draws between first- and second-place teams in England, Ukraine and Portugal.
Remember: Form over the past six weeks or so is taken into account, with the most recent result being the biggest factor in changes of placement. It's also cumulative, so teams such as Marseille and Arsenal have been floating in reasonably stable positions due to up-and-down form.
Disagree with our order? Join the conversation in the comments section below!
Dropout
1 of 26
Liverpool: A poor run of form gets worse. A 0-0 draw with West Bromwich Albion was so bad it's arguable Dejan Lovren was the Reds' best player.
25. Zenit St. Petersburg
2 of 26
Last Week: 25
Differential: None
Zenit St. Petersburg can consider themselves a little lucky to still be in the top-25, but with others around them losing form, Andre Villas-Boas' men just about retain their spot.
A close two-legged tie against Sevilla ended in the Spanish side's favour, but the champions elect did at least rebound with a 1-0 win over Arsenal Tula in the league this weekend.
24. Dynamo Kiev
3 of 26
Last Week: 24
Differential: None
Dynamo Kiev were involved in the first of three top-of-the-table 0-0 draws around Europe this weekend as they held Shakhtar Donetsk goalless.
It's a result that keeps the Waxtap at arm's length (five points) in the Ukrainian Premier League table, and it soothes the blow of exiting the Europa League at the hands of Fiorentina. They'll feel aggrieved at that; Jeremain Lens was sent off in the first half for simulation, and it didn't really look warranted.
23. Fiorentina
4 of 26
Last Week: 22
Differential: -1
Three straight league losses, ordinarily, would see a team ranked 22nd drop out the following week, but Fiorentina are fighting on multiple fronts.
They overcame the stiff challenge of Dynamo Kiev on Thursday to book their place in the Europa League semi-finals, where they will face Sevilla. The competition stands their sole hope of qualifying for the Champions League next year.
22. Sporting
5 of 26
Last Week: Unranked
Differential: New!
Benfica and FC Porto's title tussle in the Liga NOS has dominated the continental headlines, meaning not an awful lot of attention has been paid to Sporting Club.
Their 4-1 demolition of Moreirense away from home on Monday made it three wins in a row, and while the top two are too far away to challenge, the capital club are comfortably nailing third.
21. Saint-Etienne
6 of 26
Last Week: 21
Differential: None
Over to B/R's Jonathan Johnson for the Ligue 1 lowdown:
"Determined to better last season's fourth-placed finish, Saint-Etienne are providing Monaco with stiff competition for the third and final Champions League qualification spot, at present.
"A narrow 1-0 home win over Montpellier HSC kept the pressure on Les Monegasques, and with four games remaining, all against teams in the bottom half of the table, Les Verts could well overtake Leonardo Jardim's men.
"Christophe Galtier has done a fantastic job with Saint-Etienne since arriving in 2009, and a third-place finish with Champions League qualification would arguably be the crowning moment of his tenure. Should the Frenchman lead ASSE back to European football's top table for the first time since 1981-82, it would be a surprise to see him at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard next season."
20. Manchester United
7 of 26
Last Week: 16
Differential: -4
They were doing so well, weren't they? Manchester United lost their second consecutive game on Sunday as they fell 3-0 to Everton at Goodison Park. It was not a good performance.
Lots of possession but no cut and thrust, and silly defensive errors, plagued them all game long as they fell behind early and scrabbled fruitlessly for a way back into the game.
Forget Chris Smalling's rise, look at his opposite number, John Stones!
19. Monaco
8 of 26
Last Week: 19
Differential: None
Over to B/R's Jonathan Johnson for the Ligue 1 lowdown:
"Not to be disturbed by their Champions League exit at the hands of Juventus after a narrow 1-0 aggregate defeat to the Italians, Monaco are clinging to third place after a mixed month of April. A 3-0 win away at lowly RC Lens last Sunday keeps them two points ahead of Saint-Etienne, but it was only the principality outfit's second win of the month.
"Admittedly, they only lost once, away at Juventus in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final, but three draws in Ligue 1 have stopped Les Monegasques from really seizing control of third place. Aside from Marseille away, Monaco's remaining fixtures look straightforward. Jardim's men could make sure of a second-straight Champions League campaign if they can beat OM in that crunch clash."
18. Napoli
9 of 26
Last Week: 20
Differential: +2
Napoli are surging, and it's about time given they took the middle of the season off. It's almost as if the players ran out of battery and it took Rafa Benitez months to find the charger.
The 4-2 win over Sampdoria makes it three in a row and lifts them back into UEFA Champions League contention. They're also into the semi-finals of the UEFA Europa League. Rafa wants a cup.
17. Borussia Monchengladbach
10 of 26
Last Week: 18
Differential: +1
Borussia Monchengladbach leapfrogged Bayer Leverkusen this weekend in the race for a UEFA Champions League spot in the Bundesliga. The Premier League relegation scrap is going to be great, but this tussle could well match it for end-of-season excitement.
A 1-0 win over Wolfsburg, courtesy of a Max Kruse goal, is enough to get people wondering if The Foals can pull off something special here. It'll be a fight to the end against Roger Schmidt's men.
16. Wolfsburg
11 of 26
Last Week: 9
Differential: -7
Hold on a minute, is second place in the Bundesliga still up for grabs?
For months we've been operating safe in the knowledge that die Wolfe are the second-best team in the league and will finish second, but a recent collapse of sorts sparks doubts in the mind.
They haven't won in four, losing heavily to Napoli, drawing with Schalke and now losing to Borussia Monchengladbach. Time to look down, not up?
15. Benfica
12 of 26
Last Week: 15
Differential: None
Benfica did a Chelsea this weekend: hold your closest league rivals to a 0-0 draw and not exactly go all-out for the victory—largely because you don't need it.
The gap at the top of Liga NOS between Benfica and FC Porto remains at three as we close in on the end of the season. Jorge Jesus will be trusted to bring home the bacon.
14. Paris Saint-Germain
13 of 26
Last Week: 11
Differential: -3
Over to B/R's Jonathan Johnson for the Ligue 1 lowdown:
"A 2-0 defeat away at Barcelona last week confirmed PSG's exit from the Champions League by a heavy 5-1 aggregate scoreline. It was a disappointing end to a European campaign that saw them eliminate English Premier League giants Chelsea, but Laurent Blanc's men got over that disappointment by pulverising Lille OSC 6-1 in the league a few days later.
"In action again on Tuesday, in their game in hand against Metz, PSG know that they still have plenty to play for this season. No team in French football history has ever won a domestic treble (consisting of Ligue 1, Coupe de France and Coupe de la Ligue), yet that is what Les Parisiens could be celebrating by the end of the season.
"Beat Metz and PSG will be three points ahead of Lyon and four wins from their final four games of the season will see them crowned champions. "
13. Bayer Leverkusen
14 of 26
Last Week: 13
Differential: None
Bayer Leverkusen's winning streak was halted at seven as they drew away to Koln this weekend at the RheinEnergieStadion.
A very late goal from Bard Finne rescued the hosts a point and spoiled Roger Schmidt's day, and two dropped points allowed Borussia Monchengladbach to overtake them in the table.
12. FC Porto
15 of 26
Last Week: 8
Differential: -4
Oh, Porto. What happened?
After a brilliant 3-1 victory over Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League quarter-final first leg, they threw it away at the Allianz Arena and crumbled under the weight of an elite team possessed with intent for revenge.
The 6-1 loss affirms Julen Lopetegui's men are not a budding superpower, and five days later they drew 0-0 with Benfica—missing a serious chance to overhaul The Eagles and take first place in the Liga NOS table.
11. Lyon
16 of 26
Last Week: 14
Differential: +3
Over to B/R's Jonathan Johnson for the Ligue 1 lowdown:
"Under pressure to win away at Stade de Reims on coach Hubert Fournier's first return to his former club as OL boss, Lyon responded well and secured a 4-2 win to put Paris Saint-Germain back down into second place on goal difference.
"Les Gones will be hoping that Les Parisiens slip up in their game in hand against struggling FC Metz on Tuesday but will also be wary of a few potentially tricky games over the final month of the campaign. Stade Malherbe Caen away, Girondins de Bordeaux at home and Stade Rennais away are all potential banana skins, and a slip at this point in the season will be fatal.
"Assuming that PSG beat Metz, even four wins from their last four might not be enough for Lyon to win a first Ligue 1 title since 2007-08."
10. Sevilla
17 of 26
Last Week: 17
Differential: +7
It's difficult not to be anything other than seriously impressed by Sevilla right now. They've just beaten Zenit St. Petersburg over two legs while maintaining their Liga push for a top-four spot.
The 2-0 victory over Rayo Vallecano this weekend saw Unai Emery rotate his squad but still win, and Fiorentina are up next in the Europa League.
9. Lazio
18 of 26
Last Week: 10
Differential: +1
Lazio's eight-game win streak came to an end two weeks ago, and since then they've failed to secure a three-point haul. A loss to Juventus last week was followed up by a disappointing draw with Chievo this week.
Stefano Pioli will be legitimately irritated his side didn't grab all three points given the sheer number of chances they created for themselves, but then again, Roma lost to Internazionale, meaning Lazio ended the weekend a point better off.
Amazingly, because of nearly every other team around them messing up, Lazio move up one spot despite dropping points.
8. Valencia
19 of 26
Last Week: 12
Differential: +4
Nuno Santo's Valencia absolutely smashed Granada this weekend, beating them 4-0 at Mestalla. Sofiane Feghouli, Dani Parejo, Javi Fuego and even Alvaro Negredo scored.
It was a much-needed win given that Atletico Madrid now only have La Liga to concentrate on and Sevilla are bucking up too. The tussle for third and fourth once looked fairly simple, but now the pressure is on los Che as those below close in.
7. Atletico Madrid
20 of 26
Last Week: 6
Differential: -1
Oh look, another Antoine Griezmann brace in La Liga. In other news, the sky is blue and pigs are yet to take flight.
Now that Atletico Madrid are out of the UEFA Champions League, they can focus on their push for third place in the domestic league. But while the players will put their 1-0 aggregate defeat to Real Madrid out of their own minds, we can't forget such a disappointing attacking performance over two legs.
6. Juventus
21 of 26
Last Week: 4
Differential: -2
Juventus' 0-0 draw last week in France allowed them to progress to the UEFA Champions League semi-finals at the expense of Monaco, but they returned to Italy and lost the Turin derby for the first time in more than a decade.
As we state perhaps too often here, Serie A is done and dusted. The Bianconeri still hold a 14-point lead over second-placed Lazio despite losing two of their last three. It doesn't matter to them, but it does see them drop in our rankings.
5. Chelsea
22 of 26
Last Week: 5
Differential: None
Chelsea's 0-0 draw with Arsenal on Sunday was an incredibly predictable result. When Jose Mourinho only really needs a draw, he gets a draw—and he doesn't concede any goals either.
The Blues started without a recognised striker due to the fitness concerns of Loic Remy, Didier Drogba and Diego Costa, so it's a good job the title is done and dusted. Two wins and it's done, and Chelsea play Leicester and Crystal Palace next.
4. Arsenal
23 of 26
Last Week: 2
Differential: -2
Arsenal's failure to overcome Chelsea this weekend allowed the number of times Arsene Wenger has been stupefied by Jose Mourinho to creep up to 13—a slightly embarrassing figure.
They threw everything at the Blues, but John Terry said no. Mesut Ozil struggled for space, and Olivier Giroud was eaten up by the Chelsea centre-backs.
Luckily, the draw wasn't as damaging as it could have been, since Manchester United lost.
3. Bayern Munich
24 of 26
Last Week: 7
Differential: +4
It has been a good week for Bayern Munich, who appear to have re-found their mojo. They slaughtered FC Porto 6-1 (!) at the Allianz Arena to secure a UEFA Champions League semi-final spot and dispensed with Hertha Berlin 1-0 too.
Still top of the Bundesliga, players returning from injury and a date with Barcelona and the Camp Nou on the horizon. Oh yes!
2. Real Madrid
25 of 26
Last Week: 3
Differential: +1
Celta Vigo gave Real Madrid a fright this weekend, pulling level not once but twice as they made it difficult for the visitors to achieve victory.
In the end they did, courtesy of Toni Kroos, James Rodriguez and a brace from the now-in-form Javier Hernandez, and in doing so they kept the pressure on Barcelona.
Last week, they finally overcame rivals Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Champions League to progress to the semi-finals. Just a brilliant week.
1. Barcelona
26 of 26
Last Week: 1
Differential: None
Barcelona won the big one this weekend—no not El Clasico, and not their UEFA Champions League quarter-final—but the Catalonian derby against Espanyol.
The 2-0 victory saw both Neymar and Lionel Messi score, re-asserting their undoubted dominance over the region. Midweek saw them beat Paris Saint-Germain 2-0 with ease.
It's a simple decision to keep the Blaugrana top.
Quotes obtained firsthand.
