Eurosport - Tue, 21 Apr 11:27:00 2009
Manchester United's victory over Porto has seen them edge into the top three of our European Power Rankings.
We take into account domestic, Champions League and UEFA Cup performances, plus the relative difficulty of each team's league, to find out who is the best team in Europe.
With none of the top four teams in the Premier League having played a league game this weekend, movement at the top on the Power Rankings is all about European action this week.
Cristiano Ronaldo's rocket from 40 yards ensured United became the first English team to record a win over Porto in the intimidating Estadio Dragao, and propelled Alex Ferguson's side into third place of our elite rankings at the expense of Chelsea.
Like United, Chelsea progressed into the semi-finals of the Champions League, but their thrilling second-leg 4-4 draw with Liverpool saw them slip to fourth.
Liverpool remain second despite the stalemate at Stamford Bridge while Barcelona continue to set the pace by following their midweek draw with Bayern Munich - who stay in fifth - with victory over Getafe in La Liga.
Arsenal, who play Liverpool in the Premier League on Tuesday, jump three places to seventh, a just reward for their excellent 3-0 win over Villarreal.
Elsewhere, Italian champions Internazionale dropped three places to 14th after being held to a draw by Juventus, who drop down to ninth.
CSKA Moscow are the week's biggest climbers, moving four places to eighth, and Porto fall to 10th after losing their impressive home record against English clubs.
Villarreal drop out of the top 20, with Shakhtar Donetsk replacing them.
Meanwhile, Manchester City may have crashed out of the UEFA Cup, but their 2-1 second leg win over Hamburg boosted them three places to 28th.
European Power Rankings (previous rankings in brackets):
1 (1) Barcelona - 23.08
2 (2) Liverpool - 21.44
3 (4) Manchester United - 20.45
4 (3) Chelsea - 19.97
5 (5) Bayern - 19.18
6 (6) Real Madrid - 19.11
7 (10) Arsenal - 18.53
8 (12) CSKA Moscow - 18.50
9 (8) Juventus - 18.13
10 (7) Porto - 17.76
11 (13) Metalist Kharkiv - 17.50
12 (14) Roma - 17.50
13 (9) Hamburg - 17.48
14 (11) Internazionale - 17.19
15 (15) Sporting - 17.04
16 (16) Atletico Madrid - 16.65
17 (17) Dynamo Kiev - 16.50
18 (-) Shakhtar Donetsk - 16.25
19 (18) Lyon - 15.94
20 (19) Panathinaikos - 15.88
28 (31) Manchester City - 13.01
HOW IT WORKS
Scores are based on points per game in domestic league, Champions League and UEFA Cup games.
Domestic points per game are multiplied by the league coefficient - either 4, 4.5 or 5 - with teams in stronger leagues getting more credit.
League coefficients:
5 - England, Italy, Spain
4.5 - Germany, France, Portugal, Netherlands, Russia
4 - Belgium, Denmark, Greece, Poland, Turkey, Ukraine
Champions League victories are counted as three points for a win. They are all multiplied by a coefficient of 5. Matches in the group stage and beyond are counted.
UEFA Cup victories are counted as three points for a win. They are all multiplied by a coefficient of 4. Matches in the group stage and beyond are counted.
Example: Barcelona
78 points from 31 Liga games = 2.52 points per game.
Multiplied by league coefficient of five - 2.52 x 5 = 12.58
21 points from 10 Champions League game = 2.10 points per game.
Multiplied by European coefficient of five - 2.10 x 5 = 10.50
Total score = 12.58 + 10.50 = 23.08
Comment 29 - 48 of 48
4 all u people that talk about me i got 1 word 4 u JEALOUSY!
raymie - i agree with offloading lucas, may as well get rid of babel and n'gog as well. also would lovfe to see villa and silva at anfield, maybe e'to as well. had doubts about dossena, but he's come good recently so may improve next season. lets try to sign gareth barry as well to replace hyppia who unfortunately is leaving end of season
the maths is right the formula is all wrong, they forgot to put in +10 points for having a manager with a goatee and +3 points if your team begins with an L
This is a bunch of bull ****
United !!!
come on the pool go all out and get villa and silva take out al the rubbish lucas dossena etc.
Simon C - FACTS: Utd top of League, further in FA Cup than Liverpool, won the League Cup, won the World Club, further in Champions League than Liverpool. This in a season where I think UTD due to injury & bedding in youngsters to the team have not been at there best but still streets ahead of Liverpool as a team. One or Two exceptional results and about 8 weeks of attacking football in a whole season does not make champions, consistent positive play & superior quality does.
There is nothing wrong with the formula. It just takes time for MU and Chelsea to catch up to Liverpool. Most of you don't understand math at all and week after week you complain. Now Liverpool is out of the CL so they won't get points on the week of the next round, so they will be overtaken probably. There is nothing to it, just learn to count!
krmbellhouse - Firstly if you wanna call this site on its credibility then first look at your own teams so called acheivements!! Giggs - the most none influential player winning it by sympathy votes for the old farts club who has scored one goal and only starting one in three games is not exactly a good start. Premiership - as I do agree there are dodgy ref decisions all season long against all teams, Man U have had more penalty decisions than anyone else at home??? What does that say about Fergies choice of picking refs for matches!!!! Come on - last weeks game against Spurs didnt show the Premiership champs, if anything Spurs looked like the Champions. Charity shield doesnt count as most teams put out @#$% sides. And finally you seem to forget that the so called champions heaviest defeat this season was against "Liverpool" so get off your horse and look at your teams stats before you come on here and mouth off!!!!!!
barca must win chelsea drink
Love Liverpool, but don't see the formula that puts them above Man U and Chelsea when they only have an outside shot at the EPL and Man U has already won 2 trophies and is in line for 2 more. Chelsea in line for possible 3 trophies. Doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Time to review the formula.
LOOSERPOOL SECOND, DO ME A FAVOUR
man u should be first after they have won the fifa club world cup,carling cup and the community shield.The only reason they got knocked out in the fa cup is because fergie put on a rubbish team.
The team that is ranked second in this confection has been knocked out of Europe at the quarter finals stage and will fall well short once again this year of its awoed ambition of finally winning the premiership. It has not in fact won a league title since 1990. Does rather undermine the credibility of all this doesn't it?
no everton...outrage!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
barca are d best. xavi, iniesta n messi will make up the european team of the season. no way CR7 will outsmart them. hahaha
but the F.A. cup was supposed to be the best, even without the large cash rewards. it was the dream of every football player to be winning that trophey. now, people discard it, think that without money behind it, things have no meaning.
iam very sorry to give this comment cause i am a supporter of manu it is okay to lose in fa cup cause not many dollars
Damnnnn straight!!!!!! Barcelona first!!!!!!!! That is where they belong!!!!!!!!!!
Now.Manchester United fans got what they wanted but i'm predicting a overtake by Chelsea Soon.
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