Footy Power Rankings: Barcelona dethrones Bayern; Juventus soars

Taking into consideration recent domestic and continental results, along with underlying stats, we try to figure out which clubs are among Europe’s elite.

1. Barcelona (1st in La Liga)

Previous rank: 2nd

The champion of Spain still has plenty to play for as the La Liga season enters its final weeks and, despite bowing out of the Champions League in heartbreaking fashion, spirits remain high in the Catalan capital. Barcelona secured a vital point Sunday against Real Madrid in a match that saw Ernesto Valverde’s side reduced to 10 men. The club now enters the last three matches without a blemish in the loss column, and avoiding defeats in the final weeks will see Barcelona become the first Spanish team since the 1930s to finish the season unbeaten.

2. Bayern Munich (1st in Bundesliga)

Previous rank: 1st

Although the Bundesliga title race officially – and mercifully – ended last month, Bayern Munich has continued to steamroll the competition in Germany’s top flight. Bayern thumped Eintracht Frankfurt – whose manager, Niko Kovac, will succeed Bavarian boss Jupp Heynckes next season – before cruising past 2. Bundesliga-bound FC Koln. The positive results, however, were overshadowed by Robert Lewandowski and his frustration at Heynckes’ decision to substitute him, as the Polish striker’s attention has shifted toward padding his stats.

3. Manchester City (1st in Premier League)

Previous rank: 3rd

Perhaps Manchester City players were thinking about Sunday’s post-match festivities, as Pep Guardiola’s men produced a rare goose egg when they failed to find cracks in Huddersfield’s organised back line in a scoreless affair at the Etihad Stadium. Regardless, spirits were high after the final whistle in anticipation of captain Vincent Kompany hoisting the Premier League trophy. Now the celebration is over, City will surely look to put the finishing touches on a historic season by breaking numerous Premier League records over the next two matches.

4. Juventus (1st in Serie A)

Previous rank: 9th

A seventh successive Scudetto is well within Juventus’ reach after following up a dramatic victory over Inter with an encounter with Bologna that appeared difficult to win until substitute Douglas Costa put his mark on the game with a pair of decisive assists. The victory, combined with Napoli’s badly-timed dip in form, virtually ended what was the tightest title race among Europe’s top five leagues.

5. Real Madrid (3rd in La Liga)

Previous rank: 5th

With the title race over, Zinedine Zidane didn’t appear to be bothered with the outcome of Real Madrid’s match with Leganes, opting to rest his stars, including Cristiano Ronaldo and Sergio Ramos. Regardless, Madrid’s “reserves” produced a victory before a draw with Bayern resulted in the club progressing to the Champions League final for a third successive season.

6. Liverpool (3rd in Premier League)

Previous rank: 8th

It’s difficult to dampen the euphoria of reaching the Champions League final, but Liverpool found a way Sunday when Jurgen Klopp’s side fell to Chelsea in a match that could have further solidified the team’s top-four position. Despite the loss, Liverpool next takes on Brighton & Hove Albion in a relatively comfortable fixture that should secure the team’s place in next season’s Champions League. Even if the Reds stumble on the final day, a win over Madrid will do the trick and secure Liverpool’s berth in next season’s tournament.

7. Roma (3rd in Serie A)

Previous rank: 10th

It wasn’t pretty, but Roma followed up the heartbreak of losing in the Champions League semi-finals by grinding out a narrow victory over Cagliari, helping separate the capital city club from its rival, Lazio. With four points between Roma and fifth-place Inter, Eusebio Di Francesco’s side will be desperate to collect points after next week’s encounter with Juventus.

8. Paris Saint-Germain (1st in Ligue 1)

Previous rank: 4th

Neymar can’t return fast enough, as Paris Saint-Germain produced its second straight lackluster result, following up last week’s draw with Guingamp with an equally disappointing stalemate Friday against Amiens. It’s hardly anything to worry about considering PSG was crowned Ligue 1 champion last month, but, with Real Madrid reportedly targeting the Brazilian this summer, the club needs to do a better job of convincing him to stay after its string of underwhelming performances.

9. Lyon (2nd Ligue 1)

Previous rank: 11th

There seemingly isn’t a team in Ligue 1 that can beat Lyon these days after Les Gones recorded their eighth consecutive league win by dismantling Troyes on Sunday. There’s still plenty of work to do in the final two matches, as the club will need results against Strasbourg and Nice in order to maintain its place in second, which ensures an automatic berth in the Champions League.

10. Manchester United (2nd in Premier League)

Previous rank: 6th

What a difference a week can make. After Marouane Fellaini’s dramatic game-winner saw Manchester United collect three points in Arsene Wenger’s final appearance at Old Trafford, Jose Mourinho placed blame on his fringe players, holding them responsible for Friday’s dismal performance against Brighton. Despite the team’s improvement this season compared to the 2016-17 campaign, the Portuguese manager certainly doesn’t appear to be satisfied ahead of a summer that could include a major overhaul as United attempts to close the gap on City.

11. Atletico Madrid (2nd in La Liga)

Previous rank: N/A

Perhaps Diego Simeone’s men have shifted their attention toward the Europa League final. The Wanda Metropolitano had been an impenetrable fortress after seeing the likes of Barcelona and Real Madrid fail to secure a win at Atletico Madrid’s new home this season. That all changed Sunday, though, when Espanyol, which sits 32 points back of Atletico and 15th in La Liga, produced a stunning 2-0 victory to end Los Rojiblancos’ 17-match unbeaten run in the league in their new stadium.

12. Chelsea (5th in Premier League)

Previous rank: N/A

Don’t look now, but Chelsea has quietly put together a string of impressive performances that have quelled the perceived panic at Stamford Bridge. Sunday’s 1-0 victory over Liverpool was the team’s third straight clean sheet and increased Chelsea’s unbeaten run to six matches since a home loss to Tottenham on April Fool’s Day. The victory also keeps the Blues within punching distance of the top four, as Chelsea will need to produce results against Swansea and Newcastle and hope Liverpool stumbles for a chance to qualify for the Champions League next season.

13. Marseille (4th in Ligue 1)

Previous rank: N/A

The joy of Rolando’s goal that sent Marseille to the Europa League final was followed by a massive victory over Nice that kept Les Olympiens within shooting distance of AS Monaco for the final Champions League spot in Ligue 1. With a pair of matches remaining, Marseille will hope a berth in the continental competition isn’t reliant on a victory over Atletico in the Europa League final later this month.

14. FC Porto (1st in Primeira Liga)

Previous rank: N/A

For the first time in five seasons, FC Porto is the champion of Portugal. The club didn’t even have to take the pitch to clinch the Primeira Liga title, as Benfica’s goalless draw with Sporting CP saw Azuis e brancos collect their 28th top-flight crown.

15. Napoli (2nd in Serie A)

Previous rank: 7th

It’s been a week to forget for Napoli fans. Despite still technically having a shot at ending Juventus’ Serie A dominance, a stunning 3-0 loss to Fiorentina was followed by further misery. Torino did its neighbour a massive favour by scoring late Sunday to produce a 2-2 draw to all but end the stumbling Neapolitan club’s hopes of winning the league.

On the cusp: Tottenham, Arsenal, AS Monaco, Lazio, Inter, Lokomotiv Moscow, Celtic

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)