Power Rankings

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2013-14 POWER RANKINGS: FEBRUARY 27
RANK (PV)CLUBCOMMENT
1 (1)Bayern MunichSome numbers for you... 19: Bayern's Bundesliga lead in points. 20: Bayern's wins (from 22 games) in the Bundesliga this season. 47: Games since Bayern lost in the Bundesliga. That is all...
2 (3)Real MadridCarlo Ancelotti's side were the big winners over the weekend, which ended with them three points clear atop La Liga. That, though, was just the warm-up for a sensational display at Schalke. Bayern beware?
3 (4)Paris Saint-Germain We've been here before but the question is again being asked: Is Zlatan Ibrahimovic the best player in the world on current form? He's certainly the best in France. Another hat trick helped PSG to victory at Toulouse and en route to another title.
4 (5)ChelseaIt was classic Jose Mourinho, wasn't it? After a futile 90-plus minutes, Chelsea somehow conjured a last-gasp win to stay on top in the Premier League. The Champions League display in Turkey was workmanlike too, though maybe the tie should already be over
5 (2)BarcelonaTata Martino chose to rest several key men at a venue where Barca have struggled in recent years and paid the price as Real Sociedad won 3-1. That Barca's next game was not for eight days -- and at home vs. Almeria -- made the decision even more odd.
6 (7)JuventusThe Turin derby is one of the more one-sided in world football -- Torino haven't won one since 1995 -- and that trend continued on Sunday, though Juve were somewhat fortunate to triumph 1-0. Europa League progress followed ahead of Milan on Sunday.
7 (9)OlympiakosWell, I asked and I received! Last week, I suggested that Olympiakos would have to impress vs. Manchester United to stay in my top 10 and they did just that with a fine display against the admittedly hapless Premier League champions.
8 (6)Atletico MadridLike Barca, Atleti slipped up -- at Osasuna -- having rested star men. However, they had more of an excuse. They don't have the depth of the Blaugrana and their next league game is the Madrid derby and several key personnel were suspension risks.
9 (10)Manchester CityThings still are not clicking into top gear for the Man City machine. Granted, they beat Stoke, but just one goal scored means they have found the net just three times in the last five games. Maybe the floodgates will open in the Capital One Cup final.
10 (8)BenficaA 1-0 win over Guimaraes saw Benfica maintain their five-point lead at the top in Portugal and their progress continued in the Europa League too. Victory vs. PAOK sets up an attractive tie with Tottenham.
 
Jatz said:
They are top of the EPL and still in Europe. Makes sense
Click to expand...
Isn't it essentially a form guide though? After watching Chelsea you can tell me that they're the 4th best team in Europe right now? Numbers might stack up for them but that's not the point of this system is it.
 
Admittedly looking further down that list doesn't exactly inspire much confidence either, so maybe they are where they are by default I suppose.
 
TomRoberts said:
Admittedly looking further down that list doesn't exactly inspire much confidence either, so maybe they are where they are by default I suppose.
Click to expand...
I'd back Mourinho's Chelsea over any other team to beat Bayern, PSG, Barca or Real Madrid in a two legged CL tie.
 
2013-14 POWER RANKINGS: MARCH 20
RANK (PV)CLUBCOMMENT
1 (1)Bayern MunichIs a 2-1 win for Bayern like a defeat for another, mortal, team? It's now 50 games and counting since they last experienced defeat in the Bundesliga and they could wrap up their second straight title as soon as this weekend.
2 (2)Real MadridIs every clasico billed as the 'biggest-ever'? Whatever, there is no doubt that this Sunday's Real Madrid vs. Barcelona clash is quite important. Hyperbole aside, Madrid lead La Liga by four points and a win would make them overwhelming title favourites.
3 (3)Paris Saint-Germain Here is this week's Zlatan Ibrahimovic update. After two more at the weekend, the incomparable Swede now has 40 goals in all competitions, which means he has already broken the club record for most goals in a season. And we're not even in April yet!
4 (5)JuventusTwo games this week, two superb free-kicks from veteran star, Andrea Pirlo, two 1-0 wins vs. Genoa and Fiorentina. Gianluigi Buffon also saved a penalty vs. Genoa (it's always about the keeper!).
5 (6)Atletico MadridDiego Simeone's side head to Betis on Sunday knowing that at least one of their title rivals will drop points in the clasico. The best-case scenario is probably a Barcelona win, which could mean the top three are separated by just one point on Monday.
6 (4)ChelseaI don't think many saw defeat at Villa coming, despite the fact that Jose Mourinho has never won there. A league-damaging blip it may have been but Chelsea recovered in Europe with a clinical display which ruined Didier Drogba's return. Next up? Arsenal.
7 (8)LiverpoolCan things get any better for Liverpool? Not only are they legitimate Premier League title contenders but they cemented their status as such with a crushing result at Man United that could have been even more one-sided. Anfield fans are in dreamland.
8 (10)BarcelonaIf their Bernabeu trip is not a must-win then it is certainly a must-not-lose for Tata Martino's men. Recent history bodes well for Barca, who have lost just two of their last 10 road clasicos. They certainly warmed up impressively, beating Osasuna, 7-0.
9 (9)BenficaLooked nervous against Spurs but held on for a 2-2 draw on Thursday to advance in the Europa League. Key stat: have won 11 and drawn two since Nemanja Matic joined Chelsea.
10 (N/A)ArsenalI don't like blowing my own trumpet but it looks like I did it again! Though I have no way of proving this, I am quite certain that Arsene Wenger pinned up last week's rankings -- sans Arsenal -- in the dressing room at Spurs. We know what happened next!
 

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2013-14 POWER RANKINGS: APRIL 10
RANK (PV)CLUBCOMMENT
1 (3)Real MadridWe have a new No. 1 as Madrid go top courtesy of Gareth Bale's amazing Copa del Rey winner. One down, two to go? They'll have to come from behind in La Liga and knock out the Champions League holders, but they may be peaking at the right time.
2 (4)LiverpoolAnother weekend brought another test and another successful negotiation. On an emotion-filled day at Anfield, Liverpool saw off Man City and are now four games away from winning the Premier League. Expect Steve Nicol to be a bag of nerves moving forward!
3 (2)Atletico MadridDiego Costa managed to score and hit the post in one go last weekend and, fortunately for the Spanish leaders, the woodwork came off worse. Atleti have won seven in a row (conceding just one goal) and look increasingly like winning a remarkable title.
4 (1)Bayern MunichAfter six months on top, Bayern slip. Are back-to-back league defeats a worrying sign that they are struggling to maintain their edge now the Bundesliga has been won? I guess we'll find out next week when they meet the new kings of my Power Rankings!
5 (5)ChelseaKicking off moments after Liverpool's win was confirmed, Chelsea knew they could not afford to slip vs. Swansea. Fortunately, Chico Flores did misstep and, eventually, Jose Mourinho's side got the goal they needed. Anfield on April 27 looms large.
6 (9)JuventusThe Old Lady is keeping Roma at arm's length by eking out professional wins and, what's more, she remains on course to become the first-ever Italian club to break the 100-point mark. That home Europa League final is only two games away, too.
7 (N/A)Borussia DortmundAfter almost knocking Real Madrid out of the Champions League, BVB handed out another black eye by going into the Allianz Arena and beating Bayern 3-0. The two sides will meet again in the German cup final after each earned comfortable semifinal wins.
8 (10)AS RomaWithout key players, Roma still claimed their seventh straight league win and this weekend could clinch at least a second place in Serie A. As Fiorentina's Vincenzo Montella said recently, Rudi Garcia is the obvious choice for Serie A coach of the year.
9 (10)BenficaSo consistent are Jorge Jesus' side that I feel like I can just copy and paste last week's entry into this latest top 10. Like 12 of the last 14 weekends, leaders Benfica won again while keeping a clean sheet. The Europa League semi vs. Juve will be epic.
10 (7)Paris Saint-Germain PSG's indifferent form continued with a league loss at Lyon. A 10-point lead with five games to go means the Ligue 1 trophy will stay in Paris, but defeat against the same opponents in Saturday's league cup final will be worrisome for Laurent Blanc.
 
2013-14 POWER RANKINGS: MAY 1
RANK (PV)CLUBCOMMENT
1 (1)Real MadridOne of the most impressive displays by any team this season has Madrid 90 minutes away from La Decima. Carlo Ancelotti's men were outstanding in Munich on Tuesday and still retain treble hopes, though they need a slip from...
2 (3)Atletico MadridAnd they don't look like fading, in truth. After a key Liga win at Valencia, Atleti won at Stamford Bridge to set up an all-Madrid Champions League final. Before that, two wins in their last three games will clinch a first Spanish title since 1995-96.
3 (4)Bayern MunichHow the mighty have fallen. Since winning the Bundesliga, Bayern have struggled and now can 'only' win the domestic double. To almost any other club, that would be some achievement but, after a treble, it's a comedown in Pep Guardiola's first season.
4 (2)LiverpoolIt was all set up; the script written. And then Steven Gerrard's slip released Liverpool's grip on the Premier League. The trophy may still be Anfield-bound, but defeat vs. Chelsea was a setback. By the time they play Palace, Liverpool may be third.
5 (5)ChelseaAh, the ups and downs of football. After winning at Anfield despite resting key men, Jose Mourinho saw his side dumped out of the Champions League three days later. Their Prem hopes remain but Chelsea need another slip from both Liverpool and Man City.
6 (6)Borussia DortmundA 2-2 draw at Leverkusen was enough for Dortmund to secure second in the Bundesliga. With Jurgen Klopp set to stay, attention now turns to next season, which will be played without Bayern-bound Robert Lewandowski.
7 (N/A)Manchester CityLiverpool's lapse has let them back into the title race but, after a win at Palace comes another road test, at Everton, where they have lost on each of the last four visits. Another defeat on Saturday could end those so-recently revived hopes.
8 (8)BenficaAfter another win -- 11 in a row for those counting -- for the already-crowned Liga champions, Benfica now get to play for a European crown after beating Juventus in the Europa League semifinals.
9 (10)Paris Saint-Germain The late concession of an equalizer at Sochaux means that PSG will have to wait until next Wednesday to finally claim the Ligue 1 title. The threat of looming FFP sanctions remains, which may take some gloss of the second straight title for the Paris side
10 (7)JuventusA comeback win at Sassuolo means that 'The Old Lady' will clinch her third straight Serie A title with victory at home vs. Atalanta on Sunday, but there will be no European glory after losing to Benfica.
 
2013-14 POWER RANKINGS: MAY 8
RANK (PV)CLUBCOMMENT
1 (2)Atletico MadridThe Spanish title is still in their hands ... just. Defeat at Levante was a major setback and now means Atleti will likely have to get a result at Barcelona on the last day of the season. Still, few would bet against that given their season to date.
2 (1)Real MadridAfter a truly sensational goal by Cristiano Ronaldo saved a point vs. Valencia, Madrid's talisman was forced off through injury at Valladolid and now los Blancos' Liga chances look to be slipping away. A week really is a long time in football.
3 (3)Bayern MunichPep Guardiola's men got over their humiliation at the hands of Real Madrid by beating up on relegation-threatened Hamburg. The Bundesliga season ends this weekend before attention turns to the German Cup final -- Bayern vs. Dortmund -- one week later.
4 (7)Manchester CityHaving lost four straight at Everton, Saturday's victory was huge given the title race implications. Wednesday's win vs. Villa looked easier based on the 4-0 score but, for the first hour, City fans were nervous. They're almost there now, though.
5 (N/A)BarcelonaJust when you thought they were out ... Through no great feat of their own -- a 2-2 draw vs. Getafe was their latest disappointing result -- Barca are back in the title race after their rivals dropped points. Their final-day clash with Atleti looms large.
6 (6)Borussia DortmundRobert Lewandowski was moved to tears following his final home game as a Dortmund player, which ended with a 3-2 win vs. Hoffenheim. Of course, his final match for the club will see him face his future employers, Bayern. It's a funny old game ...
7 (8)BenficaPerhaps understandably, following their exertions at Juventus, Benfica dropped points (in a league they've already won). Saturday's clash vs. Porto, which might have been a title decider, means little and comes four days before the Europa League final.
8 (4)LiverpoolMy oh my, what a dramatic Monday that was. Just when it seemed that Liverpool could close the goal difference gap on Man City, the Reds' defence imploded to the point that the Premier League title now seems beyond them. Liverpool need a miracle on Sunday.
9 (9)Paris Saint-Germain By the time they kicked off vs. Rennes, PSG knew they had retained their Ligue 1 title following Monaco's draw vs. Guingamp. Perhaps that explains why, despite taking an early lead, they eventually lost for the third time in their last six games.
10 (10)JuventusThere will be no dream European final for Juve in their own stadium but at least Antonio Conte's side has the consolation of a third straight Serie A title. Four points from their last two games will see the Old Lady reach the 100-point mark.
 
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