European Club Rankings: PSG Fall, Monaco, Chelsea and Barcelona Rise
After a remarkable two nights of frenzied UEFA Champions League excitement, it only felt right to drop an updated version of our European Club Rankings to reflect the action.
The rankings are season-long in their measurement of clubs. Previous editions only took recent form into account (spanning four to six weeks), but this version tracks teams throughout 2016-17.
Teams that have lost the fewest games in all competitions naturally rank higher, and Champions League form and presence is used as a tiebreaker for those with similar records.
25-21
1 of 13
25. AC Milan (-2)
So close! AC Milan and Juventus have played out a number of tight games this season, but this one did not go the Rossoneri's way. Friday's 2-1 loss to the Bianconeri, by way of a 97th-minute Paulo Dybala penalty, won't be easy to forget.
24. Villarreal (New!)
Replacing Atalanta in the lower reaches is Villarreal, who have won three in a row and consequently leapfrogged Real Sociedad back into fifth place in La Liga.
23. Inter Milan (+2)
Inter Milan won 7-1 against Atalanta on Sunday. Mauro Icardi and Ever Banega both scored hat-tricks. Incredible stuff.
22. Roma (Stay)
Roma fell foul of Alexandre Lacazette's red-hot finishing and icy-cool stare in the first leg of their Europa League meeting with Olympique Lyonnais but rebounded with a 3-0 victory over Palermo on Sunday. Clement Grenier made his first start for the club and impressed.
21. OGC Nice (Stay)
Nice's under-the-radar Ligue 1 title tilt took a hit on Friday, as they only managed a draw against Caen. Both AS Monaco and Paris Saint-Germain won, opening a little distance in the process.
20-16
2 of 13
20. Arsenal (Stay)
A 5-0 FA Cup quarter-final win over Lincoln City kept Arsenal's head just above water and inside the top 20. Yes, you read that correctly.
19. Lazio (Stay)
Lazio continue to win games. On Monday, they were all over Torino and beat them soundly, with two late goals—including a beauty from Balde Keita—sealing the three points.
18. Manchester United (Stay)
Manchester United's form has dipped a little, so their steady stock rise reaches a temporary plateau. It's possibly not a surprise they haven't been at their best of late given the travelling involved in a trip to FC Rostov.
17. FC Porto (-1)
FC Porto continue to roll over weaker Liga NOS teams, but the Champions League showed us where their limit is this season. They toiled to a 3-0 aggregate loss to Juventus, which included two red cards.
16. Tottenham Hotspur (+1)
Tottenham Hotspur destroyed Millwall in the FA Cup on Sunday, winning 6-0, but at what cost? Harry Kane has a ligament injury, and that could change everything in the Premier League top-four race.
15-11
3 of 13
15. Manchester City (-2)
Bad game plan or bad player performances? That's the debate about Manchester City that's raging on social media, as a Pep Guardiola-coached side on Wednesday exited the Champions League at the round of 16 for the first time.
14. Napoli (-2)
Real Madrid were too much, too soon for this Napoli side. They're talented but hit their 2016-17 ceiling against Los Blancos and will have to refocus on securing Champions League football for next term.
13. Liverpool (+2)
The world we live in must be rather strange if Liverpool's beating of Tottenham and Arsenal is met with a knowing shrug yet their victory over Burnley at home is met with a surprised gasp.
12. Atletico Madrid (+2)
They're still not the Atletico Madrid of old, and while they have secured a Champions League quarter-final berth for the fourth straight season, they've perhaps only done so because goalkeeper Jan Oblak is the modern-day version of Superman.
11. RB Leipzig (-1)
For the first time this season, RB Leipzig are looking over their shoulders. Losing to Wolfsburg at home is never a good look, and it compounded their recent dip in form.
10. Sevilla
4 of 13
Last Week: 11th
Movement: +1
What we witnessed from Sevilla on Tuesday was essentially a full-on implosion. That's not to take away from Leicester City's remarkable achievement, but their Champions League progression followed a chain of events few thought was possible.
Two of Sevilla's best players this season, Samir Nasri and Steven N'Zonzi, made huge blunders that changed the course of the game. The former was sent off for headbutting Jamie Vardy, and the latter took one of one of the worst penalties you'll see in a while.
Boss Jorge Sampaoli's dismissal to the stands summed up what a mess the entire evening was for Sevilla.
9. Benfica
5 of 13
Last Week: 8th
Movement: -1
Benfica's week was remarkably similar to fellow Portuguese powerhouse FC Porto's. They dominated their Liga NOS match, beating Belenenses 4-0, but were shown the door in the Champions League.
The nature of their slender, somewhat fortunate 1-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund in the first leg had sparked concern and fear among the Eagles fanbase ahead of the trip to Germany, and those worries were realised over the course of a difficult 90 minutes from which Benfica emerged heavily beaten.
8. Borussia Dortmund
6 of 13
Last Week: 11th
Movement: +3
Borussia Dortmund have been rather busy since our last European Club Rankings; they played three games, all in different competitions, with varying results.
The 4-0 win over Benfica was ruthless and sealed Champions League progress in style, and their re-arranged cup match with Sportfreunde Lotte went to plan, too.
But sandwiched between those wins was a 2-1 loss to Hertha Berlin in the Bundesliga, meaning they were unable to take advantage of an RB Leipzig slip.
They still move up three places because, well, almost every team that was just above them dropped a clanger.
7. Paris Saint-Germain
7 of 13
Last Week: 3rd
Movement: -4
Unai Emery was hired to fix Paris Saint-Germain's progression issues in Europe, and after a 4-0 Champions League round-of-16 first-leg victory over Barcelona in February, that decision received early, positive appraisals from all quarters.
We spoke too soon.
What followed was one of the biggest chokes football has ever witnessed. PSG fans will justifiably point to the Luis Suarez penalty that should never have been given—which, for the sake of argument, was essentially the difference between progressing and not—but the way the team set up, operated and caved in was nothing short of shocking.
6. Monaco
8 of 13
Last Week: 7th
Movement: +1
Monaco beat Manchester City 3-1 on Wednesday to progress to the Champions League quarter-finals, and unless you're a City fan, you'll have greatly enjoyed every second of it.
The 6-6 aggregate scoreline was what every football fan had been hoping for, but not expecting, since the two sides were drawn together in December. Les Monegasques advanced on away goals, with that rasping Kylian Mbappe effort and the stunning Radamel Falcao chip at the Etihad Stadium proving all the more important.
5. Juventus
9 of 13
Last Week: 6th
Movement: +1
Juventus haven't been at their best recently, but perhaps it's the mark of a champion that they've come away with two key victories regardless.
A last-gasp win over Milan on Friday may only have been achieved via a 97th-minute Dybala penalty, but the starting XI had undergone surgical changes. With Andrea Barzagli at right-back, Dani Alves on the wing, no Alex Sandro and no Giorgio Chiellini, a draw would have been commendable.
On Tuesday, they saw off FC Porto from a comfortable position, with Dybala sparkling again and scoring the only goal of the game from the spot.
4. Barcelona
10 of 13
Last Week: 5th
Movement: +1
Barcelona's momentous 6-1 victory over Paris Saint-Germain—earned in the fifth minute of stoppage time thanks to a Sergi Roberto strike—sealed their route to the Champions League quarter-finals against all odds. Neymar played the game of his life, manager Luis Enrique lost his mind in celebration and Gerard Pique predicted a baby boom, per Goal.
But sadly for Cules worldwide, the hangover matched the elation. A 2-1 loss to Deportivo La Coruna on Sunday gives Real Madrid the chance to pull five points clear at the top of La Liga should they win their game in hand. Although there's still plenty of time left, Sunday's game was the latest example of Barca dropping points against weaker teams domestically.
The loss also meant they only move up one spot in the rankings despite what they achieved against PSG.
3. Chelsea
11 of 13
Last Week: 4th
Movement: +1
Chelsea move up to third place following two more wins, coming against West Ham United and Manchester United. The latter victory carved their passage to the FA Cup semi-finals, giving Antonio Conte a serious shot at winning two pieces of silverware in his maiden season at the club.
The Blues' week was essentially all about N'Golo Kante, who is sweeping the internet and transcending barriers. His performance against the Hammers was disruptive and paved the way for Chelsea's attacking delights to make the difference, then he struck against United to seal a 1-0 win.
2. Real Madrid
12 of 13
Last Week: 2nd
Movement: None
Real Madrid's overwhelming quality led them past Napoli in the Champions League. They faced a spirited side that played some wonderful football, but the Spanish team outgunned them over two legs in bullish fashion.
Los Blancos were nearly shocked immediately after, though, forced to fight tooth and nail for a victory over Real Betis, who are finding their feet a little in terms of performances. Predictably, Sergio Ramos popped up in the closing stages to fire home the winner.
1. Bayern Munich
13 of 13
Last Week: 1st
Movement: None
The Bayern Munich train rolls on. Carlo Ancelotti has seen his side peak in recent weeks, and what they've been able to do so well is refine the art of winning in Europe before doing the business back home.
So many other teams have come crashing back down to earth after Champions League exertions, but Bayern are continually seeing off Bundesliga opponents 3-0, even with just a few days between games.
They've scored 22 goals in their last five games in all competitions.
All statistics per WhoScored.com.
