KINGSTON UPON THAMES, ENGLAND - JANUARY 05: (EDITORS NOTE: Digital filters were used in the creation of this image.) Steven Gerrard of Liverpool prepares to take a corner during the FA Cup Third Round match between AFC Wimbledon and Liverpool at The Cherry Red Records Stadium on January 5, 2015 in Kingston upon Thames, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)Michael Regan/Getty Images

Digital Engagement Rankings: Liverpool Climb, Real Madrid Overtake Man Utd

Will TideyJan 7, 2015

Liverpool fans upset by the pending departure of Steven Gerrard will be consoled by the fact that their team is performing well in the digital engagement stakes.

The Reds climbed two places to sixth in our rankings this week, within touching distance of Chelsea.

KINGSTON UPON THAMES, ENGLAND - JANUARY 05: Steven Gerrard of Liverpool prepares to take a corner during the FA Cup Third Round match between AFC Wimbledon and Liverpool at The Cherry Red Records Stadium on January 5, 2015 in Kingston upon Thames, Englan

Michael Regan/Getty Images

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Barcelona remain top, with Real Madrid leapfrogging Manchester United to go second.

Bleacher Report has teamed up with ListenFirst to produce a new weekly ranking of the world's top football clubs based on their success in social engagement for the previous seven days.

The rankings represent a raw aggregate of daily engagement based on owned, earned and organic consumer behavior on Facebook, Google+, Instagram, Tumblr, Twitter, Wikipedia and YouTube.

In terms of trending teams, Valencia led the way this week with a stellar 302 per cent jump in engagement. West Brom and Olympiakos also enjoyed good results for their social media staff.

In the ever-evolving sports industry, where far more fans are able to be captivated on a smartphone than in a stadium, Bleacher Report has teamed up with ListenFirst Media to keep a finger on the pulse of the digital arena. Every Wednesday, ListenFirst Media will provide Bleacher Report with its Digital Engagement Ratings™ for soccer clubs, a syndicated rating system for digital fan engagement. Think decibel meter on the Jumbotron. ListenFirst Digital Engagement Ratings™ aggregate engagement data across the most critical and widely trafficked digital platforms to assess the level of fan engagement generated by the leading franchises.