Ranking the Top 25 European Clubs After Weekend of April 11-12
Welcome to the latest edition of our European club rankings (previous edition here). Here, we'll rank the top teams on the continent based on seasonal form and squad strength.
Barcelona finally dropped points away to Sevilla, but is one blip enough to knock them off top spot? Juventus' shock loss sees them fall, and both Fiorentina and Marseille are slipping too. Manchester United are trending the right way after winning the Manchester derby.
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 some 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 below!
25. Marseille
1 of 25
Last Week: 23
Differential: -2
As ever, we go directly to B/R's Jonathan Johnson for the Ligue 1 lowdown:
"After defeat to PSG in Le Classique, Marseille's Ligue 1 title hopes were well and truly ended by a 1-0 defeat away at Girondins de Bordeaux last Sunday.
"Marcelo Bielsa's men can feel disappointed that they were not awarded what looked like two clear penalties, as well as hitting the woodwork twice, but Les Phoceens had to register a first win at Stade Chaban Delmas since 1977 and failed to.
"Having now been overtaken by Monaco in the race for third, OM are now facing a real battle to make it into the Champions League. The pair meet next month and it could prove key in their battle for third place."
24. Roma
2 of 25
Last Week: 24
Differential: None
A 1-1 draw at Torino, while a decent result in isolation, sees Roma drop into third place in the Serie A table. Even worse, it's cross-city rivals Lazio who leapfrog them into second.
A look at the Giallorossi's bench this weekend suggests either Rudi Garcia is planning for the future or scraping the barrel; UEFA Youth League regulars Lorenzo Pellegrini, Daniele Verde and Toni Sanabria were there, in addition to fellow gem Leandro Paredes.
23. Southampton
3 of 25
Last Week: 25
Differential: +2
Graziano Pelle ended a four-month wait for a goal as Southampton beat Hull City 2-0 at Saturday, keeping their faint, faint hopes of UEFA Champions League football alive.
He and James Ward-Prowse (from the spot) struck early on to kill the game as a contest, and the Tigers toiled to no avail against the league's best defence. They kept a clean sheet despite Nathaniel Clyne resting.
22. Zenit St. Petersburg
4 of 25
Last Week: 21
Differential: -1
Zenit St. Petersburg could only manage a draw against Rubin Kazan this weekend, with Hulk's penalty cancelling out Elmir Nabiullin's early opener at the Petrovski Stadium.
It's not particularly concerning given Andre Villas-Boas' men are still clear at the top of the Russian Premier League, but it does see them drop in our rankings.
21. Fiorentina
5 of 25
Last Week: 14
Differential: -7
Fiorentina have endured a difficult week, losing the Coppa Italia semi-final to Juventus (after establishing an away lead in the first leg) and then falling to Napoli 3-0 in Serie A.
The Viola now really only have the UEFA Europa League to play for as a top-three slot in the league is beyond them; Dynamo Kiev will likely feel the full force of Mohamed Salah this week.
It's a harsh fall, but it's representative of a season all but ending now.
20. Sevilla
6 of 25
Last Week: 22
Differential: +2
Sevilla's draw at home to Barcelona this weekend ruined Ivan Rakitic's homecoming, as the former los Rojiblancos midfielder will have been hoping for a three-point haul on his return to the Pizjuan.
The tie, while immensely credible, actually halted a five-game win streak for the home side who are trying to close the gap on Valencia and Atletico Madrid. They fought back from two down thanks to goals from Ever Banega and Kevin Gameiro.
19. Liverpool
7 of 25
Last Week: 20
Differential: +1
Liverpool's faint top-four hopes were reignited on Monday night thanks to a run of results in their favour. With Manchester City losing (again) and the Reds overcoming Newcastle United at Anfield, there now stands a four-point gap between fourth and fifth.
There's not long to go, so the point buffer will need to be eaten up quickly, but Philippe Coutinho's outstanding display against the Magpies will keep supporters warm while they wait.
18. Borussia Monchengladbach
8 of 25
Last Week: 19
Differential: +1
Borussia Monchengladbach pulled off a 3-1 victory over Borussia Dortmund this weekend, further underlining the dramatic shift in Bundesliga power.
Not long ago this would have been a serious win—one celebrated in the streets as a giant killing—but now it's routine; it's normal.
Raffael (goal) and Patrick Herrmann (assist) both impressed once again.
17. Bayer Leverkusen
9 of 25
Last Week: 17
Differential: None
Bayer Leverkusen are now seriously hotting up, and this weekend saw them win their sixth game in a row.
They're rising to the challenge Borussia Monchengladbach have laid down—who themselves have won five from their last six—and the 3-2 victory over Mainz on Saturday saw the formidable and consistent trio of Heung-Min Son, Stefan Kiessling and Hakan Calhanoglu score again.
16. Monaco
10 of 25
Last Week: 16
Differential: None
As ever, we go directly to B/R's Jonathan Johnson for the Ligue 1 lowdown:
"After two consecutive draws had seemingly dented Monaco's hopes of a top-three finish, Marseille's back-to-back defeats enabled Leonardo Jardim's men to move into third thanks to last Friday's 3-0 win away at Stade Malherbe Caen.
"Les Monegasques warmed up perfectly for their Champions League meeting with Juventus, but how they balance their European and domestic commitments is now going to be key.
"If Monaco can keep their eyes fixed on Ligue 1 without getting too distracted by their continental duties, then finishing higher than third remains a strong possibility."
15. Benfica
11 of 25
Last Week: 15
Differential: None
Benfica beat Academica 5-1 at Estadio da Luz this weekend to keep their three-point lead over FC Porto intact. The game was notable due to Ljubomir Fejsa's goalscoring return to the setup.
The match was finished inside 20 minutes as Jardel, Jonas and Lima all scored to make it 3-0, and Jorge Jesus was able to introduce some fringe players off the bench later on.
14. FC Porto
12 of 25
Last Week: 12
Differential: -2
FC Porto kept up their title chase with a 3-1 victory over Rio Ave, and the focus will swiftly turn to the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals as they face Bayern Munich.
It's going to be a tough, tough game—even if Pep Guardiola has an injury crisis—and Julen Lopetegui will be gearing up for what is likely the most high-profile match of his life.
13. Manchester United
13 of 25
Last Week: 18
Differential: +5
The bragging rights—a genuinely odd phrase, now we come to type it—belong to Manchester United after inflicting Manchester City's fourth loss in six Premier League games.
A derby-day victory is always sweet, but the performance here will have excited United fans and rightly so. Ander Herrera and Juan Mata continued to combine, Ashley Young and Marouane Fellaini wreaked havoc on the left, and the defence looked pretty solid in the face of Sergio Aguero.
Four wins in a row.
12. Lyon
14 of 25
Last Week: 10
Differential: -2
As ever, we go directly to B/R's Jonathan Johnson for the Ligue 1 lowdown:
"Not in action until Wednesday, because SC Bastia played in last weekend's Coupe de la Ligue final against PSG, Lyon have the chance to go a provisional two points clear at the top of Ligue 1.
"With Les Parisiens not getting to take care of their game in hand against FC Metz until the end of this month, Hubert Fournier's men can take full advantage and remain top until their title rivals have caught up in terms of games played.
"Saint-Etienne at home this coming weekend will be a big test for Lyon and if they have not taken three points against Bastia, then the pressure will really be on the beat Les Verts."
11. Valencia
15 of 25
Last Week: 11
Differential: None
Valencia ended a run of two straight draws by beating Levante 3-0 this weekend, with goals from Paco Alcacer, Sofiane Feghouli and Alvaro Negredo doing the damage.
It leaves them clear of fifth by three points and still just one behind Atletico Madrid, and whereas Diego Simeone's men have an energy-sapping, two-part Champions League derby with Real Madrid to contend with, los Che get the week off.
10. Atletico Madrid
16 of 25
Last Week: 9
Differential: -1
Atletico Madrid once again lost ground on the top two in La Liga (and allowed Valencia to close within a point from fourth) as they drew 2-2 away to Malaga.
La Rosaleda is a very tough place to go, so there's no shame in claiming only a point, but it leaves them in a precarious situation given that they have a UEFA Champions League quarter-final to worry about too.
9. Lazio
17 of 25
Last Week: 13
Differential: +4
The Lazio train keeps rolling on. It's now eight wins in a row for Stefano Pioli's men, who have moved into second place in Serie A above arch-rivals Roma.
Felipe Anderson, Stefano Mauri, Miroslav Klose and Antonio Candreva all scored in the capital club's thumping 4-0 win over Empoli. It's getting a bit silly, this outright dominance.
8. Chelsea
18 of 25
Last Week: 7
Differential: -1
Chelsea were pretty poor at Loftus Road on Sunday, but they got the win, and that's all that matters for them as they close in on the Premier League title. In a form ranking, though, they drop after the team below them landed its first piece of silverware of the season.
Cesc Fabregas scored with his side's first shot on target in the 88th minute, sliding a cute finish into the net under pressure following an Eden Hazard assist.
7. Paris Saint-Germain
19 of 25
Last Week: 8
Differential: +1
As ever, we go directly to B/R's Jonathan Johnson for the Ligue 1 lowdown:
"After booking their place in the Coupe de France final by beating Saint-Etienne last Wednesday, PSG picked up the first major piece of domestic silverware over the weekend by downing 10-man Bastia 4-0 to lift the Coupe de la Ligue.
"Although the result was somewhat inevitable from the moment that the Corsicans went down to 10 men, they battled bravely and put up more of a fight than PSG were perhaps expecting. That was a good thing for Laurent Blanc's men, as it will have prepared them well for Wednesday's Champions League quarterfinal first leg against Barcelona.
"Their trip to face OGC Nice in Ligue 1 on Saturday is another important fixture as the quest for glory on four fronts intensifies."
6. Juventus
20 of 25
Last Week: 3
Differential: -3
Juventus' loss to Parma this week is a reminder that, genuinely, anything can happen in football.
The Bianconeri look to have the Scudetto all wrapped up and are cruising, while their opponent's players haven't been paid all season and the club was recently saved from going out of business, being bought for a measly sum of €1 (one euro).
Massimiliano Allegri's men are still 12 clear at the top and in no danger of being caught, but this comes as a welcome shake to the foundations ahead of a clear banana skin in the form of Monaco in the Champions League.
5. Wolfsburg
21 of 25
Last Week: 6
Differential: +1
Wolfsburg beat Hamburg this weekend, but afterward the scoresheet looked a little unfamiliar. Bas Dost assisted two goals, and Kevin de Bruyne assisted none. Stranger things have rarely happened.
Die Wolfe will have their eyes firmly fixed on the UEFA Europa League now and it's become clear they're not going to drop enough points to allow anyone in the Bundesliga to catch them.
Christian Benteke could be a summer target, per The Daily Mail, and he would turn them into a serious title contender.
4. Real Madrid
22 of 25
Last Week: 5
Differential: +1
Real Madrid rung the changes this week but still came out with a comprehensive victory, beating Eibar 3-0 despite starting Asier Illarramendi, Jese and Javier Hernandez.
The latter two scored a goal each and Cristiano Ronaldo bagged the first with a now-rare free-kick, and the three points allowed los Blancos to move within two of Barcelona at the top.
3. Bayern Munich
23 of 25
Last Week: 4
Differential: +1
Pep Guardiola is facing such a horrendous injury crisis that he was only able to name four substitutes for this weekend's win over Eintracht Frankfurt. That side also included Thiago Alcantara in the starting XI—a first start for him in 2014.
Still, the Bayern Munich machine rolls on, sweeping through opposition despite the challenges it faces. Robert Lewandowski scored an absolute cracker in among the goals.
2. Arsenal
24 of 25
Last Week: 2
Differential: None
Arsenal beat Burnley 1-0 on Saturday to make it eight Premier League wins in a row. That's some achievement—the first time since 2004 they've managed it.
The nagging issue for the Gunners is that they'll watch the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals kick off on Tuesday night and know that, really, they should be participating in them. That Monaco loss will haunt, but it should also spur them on to make no more mistakes from here.
1. Barcelona
25 of 25
Last Week: 1
Differential: None
It may seem a little generous to keep Barcelona top after dropping points away to Sevilla, but given the outrageously consistent, brilliant three months Luis Enrique's men have just had, it's going to take another iffy result to knock them off top spot.
A score draw with los Rojiblancos isn't a terrible result—it's not a great one, but it's hardly season-killing—and Barca have built up enough of a lead over everyone else in this ranking to stay clear.
La Blaugrana will likely drop a couple of more points before the end of the campaign, but will Real Madrid take advantage?
