EUROPEAN CLUB RANKINGS: BARCELONA FALL; MANCHESTER UNITED & JUVENTUS RISE

Time to get excited, but it's also time for a health check. What state are Europe's top teams in heading into what will be their biggest games of the season so far? Atletico Madrid are recovering nicely, but Borussia Dortmund, Barcelona and Bayern Munich have all lost games in the last seven days.                             


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.


It's Champions League quarter-final week!
Time to get excited, but it's also time for a health
check. What state are Europe's top teams in heading
into what will be their biggest games of the season so
far? Atletico Madrid are recovering nicely, but Borussia
Dortmund, Barcelona and Bayern Munich have all lost
games in the last seven days.
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
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THOMAS KIENZLE/Getty Images
25. Atalanta (New!)
Climbing back into the rankings is Atalanta. Despite
drawing with Sassuolo on Saturday and conceding their
first home goal of the year, they're on a healthy
trajectory and still firmly in with a shout of achieving
European football for next season.
24. AC Milan (+1)
A thumping 4-0 win over Palermo sees AC Milan move
up a spot, but any good feelings drawn from the game
have been tempered somewhat by the reports linking
Gerard Deulofeu with a move back to Barcelona, such
as in Sport ).
23. Hoffenheim (Stay)
Hoffenheim beat Bayern Munich on Tuesday thanks to
an Andrej Kramaric stunner but came crashing back
down to earth with a loss to Hamburg on Saturday.
22. Arsenal (Stay)
Arsenal take on Crystal Palace on Monday evening in a
game they simply have to win—or else a place in the
Premier League top four will move even further into the
distance.
21. OGC Nice (Stay)
Another week, another slender victory for OGC Nice.
They're unerringly consistent in how they're able to
grind them out and keep pace in Ligue 1.
20-16
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SCOTT HEPPELL/Getty Images
20. Lazio (-2)
A mixed week for Lazio. They progressed to the Coppa
Italia final by scraping past Roma on aggregate but
were then turned over 3-0 by Napoli on Sunday.
19. Manchester United (+1)
Manchester United dropped yet more points at home on
Tuesday, drawing with Everton, but they beat
Sunderland at the Stadium of Light comfortably on
Sunday. Marcus Rashford scored his first Premier
League goal in months to complete a great day's work.
18. FC Porto (+1)
FC Porto kept themselves within a point of Benfica by
beating Belenenses 3-0 at the Dragao on Saturday.
Tiquinho Soares scored his 10th goal for the club
despite only joining in January.
17. Sevilla (-2)
Sevilla napped their ridiculous run of failures by beating
Deportivo La Coruna on Saturday, but the bad taste of
the 3-0 rollocking Barcelona gave them on Wednesday
still lingers.
16. Manchester City (Stay)
Manchester City represent a confusing team. They can't
play well for 90 minutes, and that leads to defeat when
facing teams such as Chelsea.
15-11
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ROBERT MICHAEL/Getty Images
15. Roma (+2)
Roma's midweek Coppa Italia win over Lazio was in
vain, as the 3-2 scoreline wasn't enough to overcome
the aggregate deficit. They took out their frustrations on
Bologna on Sunday, smashing them 3-0.
14. Liverpool (-1)
The Reds won their first Premier League game this
season without Sadio Mane against Stoke City but
messed up against AFC Bournemouth (again) to drop
valuable points on Wednesday.
13. RB Leipzig (+1)
RB Leipzig move above Liverpool after winning both of
their games this past week. Champions League football
for next season was all but secured in the process.
12. Benfica (-2)
Benfica overcame something of a scare on Wednesday,
drawing 3-3 with Estoril to advance to the Taca de
Portugal final on aggregate. It shouldn't have been that
close.
11. Tottenham Hotspur (+1)
Tottenham Hotspur have managed to transform their
mindset, it seems, into one fit for champions. Their late
show against Swansea City impressed, but their
outright destruction of Watford on Saturday truly made
people sit up and notice.
10. Napoli
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Giuseppe Bellini/Getty Images
Last Week: 11th
Movement: +1
Napoli's chances of claiming silverware this season are
all but finished; their 3-2 win over Juventus in the
Coppa Italia on Wednesday was fantastic, but it wasn't
enough to overturn the aggregate deficit. Out of the
Champions League and well behind in Serie A, that's
them likely done for 2016-17.
But it's important to note just how many huge steps
forward they've taken this season. If manager Maurizio
Sarri can hold on to what he's got for one more
year, then the 2017-18 campaign could see the
Partenopei challenge for trophies.
They're brilliant. They're just lacking that formidable
essence that comes with prolonged periods at the top.
9. Borussia Dortmund
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CHRISTOF STACHE/Getty Images
Last Week: 9th
Movement: None
Once again, Borussia Dortmund were shown rather
firmly where the line is in the Bundesliga. Saturday's
4-1 loss to Bayern Munich featured some good periods
but lacked the imperiousness with which their
opponents played.
The result matters little to manager Thomas Tuchel. In
the back of his mind, he'd have been preparing for their
Champions League tie with Monaco. They're still in
a reasonably healthy position in the league.
8. Monaco
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JEAN-SEBASTIEN EVRARD/Getty Images
Last Week: 7th
Movement: -1
Monaco have slowed down a little of late, and despite
winning 1-0 on Saturday to remain top of Ligue 1, they
slide a spot in these rankings.
Ahead of a tough Champions League tie against
Borussia Dortmund, they'll be mulling over mixed injury
and suspension news: Radamel Falcao is back (he
scored against Angers on Saturday), but Djibril Sidibe
looks set to miss Tuesday's game and Tiemoue
Bakayoko is suspended.
7. Atletico Madrid
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fotopress/Getty Images
Last Week: 8th
Movement: +1
Atletico Madrid's steady climb up the rankings
continues. They've improved tenfold since the turn of
the year, having seemingly refound their old, stubborn
selves after a period of soul-searching.
Their late equaliser at the Santiago Bernabeu on
Saturday ruined their rivals' day and also spoke of the
resilience and determination in their play. It sets them
up rather nicely for their upcoming Champions League
quarter-final, as it'll take a mentally strong team to
overcome Leicester City, who have so little to lose.
6. Paris Saint-Germain
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Aurelien Meunier/Getty Images
Last Week: 6th
Movement: None
Since their dramatic loss to Barcelona at the Camp Nou
in March, Paris Saint-Germain have won five straight
games and scored 16 goals in the process, progressing
in one domestic cup competition, winning the other and
keeping the heat on Monaco at the top of Ligue 1.
Edinson Cavani came within inches of netting a hat-
trick against Guingamp on Sunday, scoring twice but
also striking the woodwork, while Angel Di Maria
continued his 2017 renaissance.
5. Chelsea
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GLYN KIRK/Getty Images
Last Week: 5th
Movement: None
Chelsea made the ideal response to the shock loss
against Crystal Palace, recording two wins in the space
of four days—one against a strong Manchester City
outfit—to take them that little bit closer to the Premier
League title.
Antonio Conte juggled his squad nicely in the midst of
some serious fixture congestion: the central-midfield
selection was rotated, the formation was tweaked here
and there and the return of Victor Moses for the
Bournemouth match solidified the side.
Social media continues to mutter about a potential
Tottenham Hotspur title challenge, but this Blues side
are relentless; they won't drop enough points to make
the race interesting.
4. Barcelona
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Aitor Alcalde/Getty Images
Last Week: 3rd
Movement: -1
Barcelona's incredible ability to make life difficult for
themselves knows no bounds.
Having witnessed Atletico Madrid's late leveller at the
Bernabeu on Saturday open up the chance to draw level
with Real Madrid at the top of La Liga with a victory
later that evening, they fell 2-0 to a Malaga side that
have only just sealed their safety from the threat of
relegation.
Los Boquerones are traditionally a bogey side for Barca
—it's strange, but something about the shape of Carlos
Kameni in goal freaks Lionel Messi and Co. out—but
with so much on the line, they were expected to
negotiate the evening with success.
3. Juventus
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Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images
Last Week: 4th
Movement: +1
Juventus' midweek 3-2 loss to Napoli counted for little,
as they still did just enough to emerge victorious on
aggregate. It was obvious manager Max Allegri was
looking to simply do enough to progress, sending out a
rotated team that included Stefano Sturaro and Tomas
Rincon.
The 2-0 win over Chievo on Saturday was much more
like it, and Gonzalo Higuain's two goals brought him a
little closer to Andrea Belotti and Edin Dzeko in the
Capocannoniere standings. It sets them up quite nicely
for their Champions League quarter-final against
Barcelona, whom they've just leapfrogged in these
rankings.
2. Real Madrid
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fotopress/Getty Images
Last Week: 2nd
Movement: None
The past week was good for Real Madrid and Zinedine
Zidane, but not perfect; Antoine Griezmann's late strike
in the Madrid derby, enough to force a draw, took the
gloss off right at the last.
Fortunately, the result didn't cost them. Barcelona's
loss to Malaga meant Real Madrid can open up a six-
point lead at the top of La Liga if their game in hand
brings a maximum-points haul.
The win over Leganes on Wednesday came despite all
three of Karim Benzema, Gareth Bale and Cristiano
Ronaldo being rested. They'll be in tip-top shape for
their Champions League quarter-final against Bayern
Munich on Wednesday.
1. Bayern Munich
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Boris Streubel/Getty Images
Last Week: 1st
Movement: None
Despite losing their fourth game of the season, falling
1-0 to Hoffenheim on Tuesday because of a pretty
insipid display, Bayern Munich remain top of the rankings.
Why? Because they banished their demons in style just
days later, smashing Borussia Dortmund 4-1 at the
Allianz Arena to gear up for the Champions League
quarter-finals in ominous fashion.
Against Hoffenheim, Carlo Ancelotti rotated his team
heavily and will have learned some important lessons—
mostly regarding his midfield makeup—correcting the
formula on Saturday.
They host Real Madrid on Wednesday. You can be
certain that whoever wins that game will be No. 1 in the
rankings next week.