Tuesday, December 15, 2009
8:09 AM | 
Posted by
Blackyute |
Who's topping the world stage right now?
15 Dec 2009 14:25:50
Goal.com Logo
Related Links
Teams
As the name suggests, here we rank the ten teams across the planet making waves in the club world. The list is unashamedly discursive, but does operate under the assumption that winning teams deserve recognition. It's also true that, the bigger the stage, the higher the rewards - yet at the same time clubs who beat all sides put in front of them will have a day in the sun as a result.
Here are the top ten club sides across the world over the past month as judged by Goal.com International's Chief Editor, Ewan Macdonald...
10. Valencia (Spain)
A fine month for Los Che. A near-blip in the Copa del Rey aside, Valencia have risen to third in the Liga and also cemented their Europa League credentials. Incredibly, the Mestalla side have not lost a game since the end of September.
9. Fulham (England)
The Craven Cottage side are unlikely to trouble the top four anytime soon, but a series of dogged performances have had England sit up and take notice. One defeat to Birmingham City dampened what has otherwise been a superb month for the London side, who are well and truly top half material in England and contenders in the Europa League as well. If they beat Basel they're through to the next round.
8. Olympiacos (Greece)
Panathinaikos impressed last month. Now it's Olympiacos' turn. By beating Pana in the Athens-Piraeus derby, the red and white side even contributed to the sacking of their hated rivals' manager, Henk ten Cate. But on their own front, they are still unbeaten in the Super League and are through to the last sixteen in the CL, defeating a second-string Arsenal to secure their status.
7. Bordeaux (France)
On the domestic stage Bordeaux still top Ligue 1, despite the odd falter. But they earn their spot in the Top 10 thanks to a superb run of European form that sees them top the UEFA co-efficient table for the current season. They enter the Champions League knock-out stage as group winners.
6. Banfield (Argentina)
Still going strong at the top of the Argentine Apertura, Banfield retain their place due to having cemented qualification for the Copa Libertadores. That's a first for the Taladro, who are just one game away from lifting their first ever top-flight trophy. Expect to see them move up the charts if they manage it.
5. AC Milan (Italy)
Who would have thought that AC Milan would be genuine title contenders? Leonardo, for one. He's got the Rossoneri running as a well-oiled machine, unbeaten since September and having won five in a row in Serie A. Can they keep up the good work heading into the later rounds of the Champions League, not to mention for the Milan derby in January?
4. Manchester United (England)
The title race ain't over yet. After losing to Chelsea, the Mancunians bounced back, winning all their league games over the last month, and also beating Wolfsburg away in the Champions League, guaranteeing top spot in doing so.
3. Flamengo (Brazil)
Flamengo's persistence saw them win the Brasileiro, largely thanks to goals from the enigmatic Adriano - their first national league title since 1992 and only their sixth overall. Now begins the Carioca contest for Rio sides, and then the Libertadores.
2. Roma (Italy)
Claudio Ranieri's side have overcome their recent woes to go on a fine unbeaten run, culminating in the 1-0 win in the Rome derby at the weekend. They're also all but through in the Europa League. What's more, Roma are scoring goals with regularity: Perrotta, De Rossi, and of course Francesco Totti - with nearly a goal-a-game - produce consistent wins.
1. Barcelona (Spain)
It hasn't been a flawless month for the Blaugrana by any means. A near-stumble away to Xerez and a draw in Bilbao were not welcome results. But Barca have cemented their status as the best club in Europe thanks to two colossally important wins. The first, a 2-0 victory over Inter in the Champions League; the second, a 1-0 triumph in the Clasico against Real Madrid. For managing two key wins in the space of a week, and staying top of the Liga, Barcelona are the club of the month this time around.
Can Barcelona hang on to top spot for another month, or will Chelsea regain their crown? Or will it be someone else entirely? In fact, are our rankings correct? Let us know your thoughts.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
0 comments:
Post a Comment