WCR Top 25 - April 4, 2023

For the first time since we started doing this, we have a unanimous number one.  Manchester City tops all five of the statistical ranking services that we use to create these consolidated rankings (links here).  We also have a unanimous number two in Bayern Munich, but that isn’t nearly as sexy, now is it?

For a week in which all clubs played only a single match, there was a lot of movement in the rankings.  The most influential match was AC Milan’s 4-0 thumping of Napoli, which caused Napoli to drop three spots (3-6) in the rankings and helped Milan climb four (22-18).

Other big movers in the bottom fifteen, included Newcastle United, who climbed five spots (18-13) after beating Manchester United 2-0, and Atletico Madrid who climbed from 15th to 11th.  Atleti’s 1-0 win over Real Betis was particularly impressive, but the four clubs immediately above them last week (Dortmund, Chelsea, Leipzig and Inter Milan) all lost.  Speaking of which, Chelsea and Leipzig fell the furthest this week, five spots each, after losses that are becoming all too common for both clubs.

Two German clubs make comebacks into the WCR Top 25 this week.  Union Berlin, who was replaced by Celtic last week, switched spots with the Scottish club once again.  Bayer Leverkusen also returns, after dropping out over a month ago, replacing RB Salzburg in the rankings.  That now gives us five German clubs in the Top 25, second only to England’s eight.

1.  Manchester City (Eng) (125 pts) (5 first place votes) (LW 1) - After giving up a fairly early goal to Salah, we were afraid that our prediction of Manchester City beating Liverpool by three goals was going to be way, way off.  As it turns out, it was dead on as City beat a good Liverpool club 4-1 on Saturday night.  Next week’s match should be even less competitive as City takes on struggling Southampton on Saturday next.

2.  Bayern Munich (Ger) (120 pts) (LW 2) - New manager, but same ol’ results.  A late goal for Dortmund kept our prediction from being spot on, but it is safe to say we were not surprised at all to see Bayern manhandle Dortmund in a 4-2 victory that allowed them to move back to the top of the Bundesliga table.  In the coming week, Bayern will face off twice against Freiburg, first in a midweek DFB Pokal quarterfinal match at Allianz, and then at Europa-Park Stadion on Saturday, where they will look to maintain their narrow Bundesliga lead.

3.  Real Madrid (Esp) (110 pts) (LW 4) - After a slow start in the first ten minutes, Real Madrid rolled to a 6-0 victory over Real Valladolid in which they dominated every facet of the match.  This week’s opponents will be a bit tougher, however.  On Wednesday night, Real Madrid will be at Camp Nou with a 0-1 deficit in the return match of their Copa del Rey semifinal tie.  On Saturday night, Los Blancos will return home to host El Submarino Amarillo.

4.  Barcelona (Esp) (107 points) (LW 5) - The runaway first place club in the division beating the runaway last place club in the division by a 4-0 score is never a surprise, and that’s what Barcelona did to Elche this weekend. Things will get a bit tougher at midweek when the La Liga leaders host Real Madrid after a month’s wait in the second leg of their Copa del Rey semifinal tie, where Barcelona already holds a 1-0 lead.  With the extra match, Barcelona will not play its weekend match until Monday night, when it will host Girona.

5.  Arsenal (Eng) (105 points) (LW 6) - Arsenal probably felt fortunate to be up by a goal at halftime against Leeds on Saturday evening, but the Gunners’ superiority shone through in the second half as they went on to cruise to a 4-1 victory over their weaker opponents.  They have done an excellent job recently beating weaker teams to maintain their Premier League lead, which one has to do.  They also have to get victories over good teams, though.  They will have an opportunity to show that they can do this on Sunday when they go to Anfield to take on Liverpool.

6.  Napoli (Ita) (102 pts) (LW 3) - You’ll see us refer to our successful predictions a lot in the Top Ten, but not here.  We really screwed the pooch on this one, brother.  I’m not sure, however, how much to read into AC Milan’s 4-0 away thrashing of Napoli.  Surely, this match meant little to Napoli, who had already nearly clinched the Serie A title.  Also, it is likely that they wouldn’t want to show AC Milan everything as they anticipated the Champions League tie between the two coming up in just over a week.  That being said, Milan must have a lot more confidence right now than they had leading into the international break.  Napoli will return to action on Good Friday at Lecce in their last match before facing Milan again in the UCL.

7.  Liverpool (Eng) (98 pts) (LW 7) - For a little while, the Reds looked capable of pulling off the upset at Etihad Stadium, but City proved too strong in their 4-1 defeat of the Merseyside club.  I guess this week gets easier, in theory, because Liverpool will not have to play the best club in the world, but they have two matches, pitting them at Chelsea and at home against Arsenal, giving them the most unenviable schedule of any club in the world this week.

8.  Manchester United (Eng) (76 pts) (LW 9) - I hate to keep saying this (not really), but we picked that loss to Newcastle, 0-2 at St. James’ Park.  Newcastle has started scoring again and Manchester United doesn’t play particularly well on the road against good teams.  All that being said, the Red Devils’ next three matches are at home, where they are a tremendous club.  United even managed to move up a notch this week, despite the loss, since they lost to a better club than the one that beat PSG.  Manyoo will face Brentford on Wednesday night, who is coming off a road victory over Brighton - so it won’t be easy - and then face Everton in the early game on Saturday

9. Paris St. Germain (Fra) (76 pts) (LW 8) - Back-to-back Ligue 1 home losses, including this week’s 0-1 fall to Lyon, leaves PSG only six points above both Lens and Marseille with nine matches to go.  It’s still an enviable position, but it is a lot closer than it should be and there’s still time for the team from the capital city to be caught.  Maybe a trip away, say to Nice on the Saturday night before Easter, will help.  The French Riviera may do them well . . .

10.  Benfica (Por) (73 pts) (LW 10) - Benfica scored a 1-0 victory over Rio Ave over the weekend.  It wasn’t very impressive, but I don’t suppose it has to be when you have a comfortable lead in the Liga Portugal and you would like to save yourself for the Champions League quarterfinals.   There will be no saving anything on Good Friday, however, when Benfica will play another away match, this time against archrival Porto.  

11.  Atletico Madrid (Esp) (66 pts) (LW 15)

12.  Borussia Dortmund (Ger) (62 pts) (LW 11)

13.  Newcastle United (Eng) (58 pts) (LW 18)

14.  Juventus (Ita) (56 pts) (LW 16) 

15.  Inter Milan (Ita) (55 pts) (LW 13)

16.  Porto (Por) (47 pts) (LW 17)

17.  Chelsea (Eng) (47 pts) (LW 12)

18.  AC Milan (Ita) (45 pts) (LW 22)

19.  RB Leipzig (Ger) (39 pts) (LW 14)

20.  Brighton (Eng) (31 pts) (LW 19)

21.  Tottenham Hotspur (Eng) (26 pts) (LW 20)

22.  Bayer Leverkusen (Ger) (16 pts) (LW NR)

23.  Ajax (Ned) (15 pts) (LW 21)

24.  Palmeiras (Bra) (15 pts) (LW 23)

25.  Union Berlin (Ger) (8) (LW NR)

Also receiving votes:  Feyenoord (Ned) (8), Lazio (Ita) (8), RB Salzburg (Aut) (8), Sporting CP (Por) (6), Celtic (Sco) (6), Roma (Ita) (5), Lille (Fra) (5), Brentford (Eng) (4),  Aston Villa (Eng) (3)