SBI European Top 10

 

Talk about a bunch of high-quality match-ups in European soccer this weekend.

There were a half-dozen matches pairing teams either in the SBI European Top 10 or in the honorable mention, from Roma-Juve to Man U-Chelsea, and these match-ups have helped the Top 10 come into a better focus as we head toward October.

Real Madrid holds on to the No. 1 spot but high-flying Arsenal is closing fast. Here is the Top 10:

SBI EUROPEAN CLUB TOP 10

1. (Last week- 1) REAL MADRID (3-0-1 in league play). Last week: Beat Werder Bremen (UCL), 2-1. Tied Valladolid, 1-1. This week: vs. Real Betis (Thursday), at Getafe (Sunday).

2. (5) ARSENAL (5-0-1). Last week: Beat Sevilla, 3-0 (UCL), Beat Derby County, 5-0 (Saturday). This week: at West Ham United (Saturday).

3. (4) ROMA (3-0-1). Last week: Defeated Dynamo Kiev, 2-0 (UCL), tied Juventus, 1-1 (Sunday). This week: at Fiorentina (Wednesday), vs. Inter Milan (Sunday).

4. (7) BARCELONA (2-0-2). Last week: Defeated Lyon, 3-0 (UCL), defeated Sevilla, 2-1 (on Saturday). This week: vs. Real Zaragoza (Wednesday), at Levante (Sunday).

5. (3) AC MILAN (1-0-3). Last week: Defeated Benfica, 2-1 (UCL-Tuesday), Tied Parma, 1-1 (Saturday). This week: at Palermo (Wednesday), vs. Catania (Sunday).

6. (2) LIVERPOOL (3-0-3). Last week: Tied FC Porto, 0-0 (UCL). Tied Birmingham, 0-0. This week: at Wigan (Saturday).

7. (10) PSV EINDHOVEN (4-0-1). Last week: Defeated CSKA Moscow, 2-1 (UCL-Wednesday), Defeated Feyenoord, 4-0 (Sunday). This week: at NAC Breda (Saturday).

8. (9) BAYERN MUNICH (4-0-2). Last week: Beat Belenenses, 1-0 (UEFA-Thursday), Beat Karlsruhe, 4-1 (Sunday). This week: vs. Energie Cottbus (Wednesday), at Bayer Leverkusen (Saturday).

9. (NR). MANCHESTER UNITED (2-0-1). Last week: Defeated Sporting Lisbon, 1-0 (UCL, Wednesday), Defeated Chelsea, 2-0 (Sunday). This week: at Birmingham (Saturday).

10. (6) SEVILLA (2-1). Last week: Lost to Arsenal, 3-0 (UCL), lost to Barcelona, 2-1 (Saturday). This week: vs. Espanyol (Tuesday), at Real Zaragoza (Sunday).

HONORABLE MENTION: Inter Milan, Valencia, Juventus, Ajax, Fiorentina, FC Porto, AS Nancy Lorraine, Werder Bremen, Rangers, Villarreal.

UCL-UEFA Champions League, UEFA- UEFA Cup

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I came very close to making Arsenal No. 1 but I still think Real Madrid gets the nod (Wesley Sneijder was on the bench for their tie with Valladolid). The Gunners are playing amazing soccer right now and Cesc Fabregas is neck and neck with Sneijder for European Player of the Month honors (Not sure if such an honor exists, if not we'll just have to make one.)

Roma may have settled for the tie vs. Juventus but they outplayed the REIGNING Serie B champs most of the day. The way their midfield is playing I'm not sure when that first loss of the year will come.

That sound you hear is Barca creeping up the standings. Not a bad pair of wins against Lyon and Sevilla, especially considering no Eto'o or Carlos Puyol (or Ronaldinho for the Sevilla match). Thierry Henry looks to have gotten his legs back and Lionel Messi is ready to overtake Ronaldinho as the most dangerous player in their attack (if he hasn't already).

Dropping Milan to fifth may be a bit harsh, especially since Parma did play well in that tie, but Milan played its available starting 11 and needs to get three points there (Nevermind that it's their third draw in four league matches). They clearly missed Gattuso.

I'm still waiting to see the inspired play Liverpool showed earlier this month. Rafa Benitez has the players, he just isn't coming up with the right lineup combinations (not for a lack of tinkering).

Wondering why PSV made the jump? They beat an underrated CSKA Moscow side in the Champions League and absolutely destroyed previously-unbeaten Feyenoord. Say what you want about the Dutch League but PSV is legit.

Yes, Bayern keeps on scoring and beating up on Bundesliga competition, but what was up with only beating Belenenses 1-0? Leverkusen should offer a good test.

Man U is back in the Top 10 and I doubt they fall out again this year. Ronaldo is back, Rooney is healthy and Tevez is adjusting to his new team. With Van Der Sar playing out of his mind these days, Man U looks poised to knock Arsenal from the top spot.

Why does Sevilla stay in the Top 10 despite losing two matches in a week? Because losing to Arsenal and Barcelona in the same week is hardly a sin. Those pink jerseys? That's another story.

What do you think about the SBI European Top 10? Share your thoughts below.

Comments

[JP]

Arsenal is #1.

[Tony M]

Man U played a Chelsea squad in disarray that was playing with only ten men for most of the match, yet the outcome was in doubt until the last couple minutes. I'm not saying that they are not a strong team or that they don't deserve to be in the top ten, but it was not a performance that warranted moving up.

As for the top spot, I say the Gunners will hold them off in a battle.

[Hincha Tim]

I can't wait for the CL knockout phases. I just hope that Arsenal, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Man U are all there and firing on all attacking cylinders (along with Werder Bremen). Don't get any more attractive soccer and what teams to watch when they are playing attacking soccer! (especially against each other)!

[Ives]

You can make a fair case for Arsenal being No. 1, and I almost made them No. 1, but they are No. 2 for now.

As for Man U, they moving into the Top 10 has as much to do with other teams falling off as their own recent run of good form. Say what you want about that Chelsea win, they also took a win on the road in Champions League play.

[Hincha Tim]

I can't wait for the CL knockout phases. I just hope that Arsenal, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Man U are all there and firing on all attacking cylinders (along with Werder Bremen). Don't get any more attractive soccer and what teams to watch when they are playing attacking soccer! (especially against each other)!

[cee]

ives - I am not sure how you think ManU is ready to knock Arsenal off... sure, they are only two points back, but Arsenal have a game in hand, and ManU looks much more likely to drop more points - Arsenal look like they could beat anybody right now...

[Ryan]

Tony - that game was never in doubt. Chelsea was content to stay behind midfield and lose 1-0. ManU controlled the entire game, even the 30 minutes before the Mikel ejection.

ManU's issue was simply a matter of having 2 healthy strikers up top as opposed to just 1. Those 2 strikers opened up the field for Ronaldo and Giggs. That's not even taking into account Michael Carrick's performance - possibly the most underrated player on the pitch. He was easily the best player on the field Sunday, and it wasn't even close.

ManU is playing like a championship side - they are winning games despite not being on form yet. I wouldn't be surprised to see a blowout "statement" type win against Birmingham this Saturday. Rooney is looking to score, as is Ronaldo - so I wouldn't be surprised at all to see a goal outburst from either of them.

[YankatOxford]

Nice to see AS Nancy Lorraine getting some love, as I noted last week. Bayern was nothing but underwhelming at mid-week during UEFA cup. Too early to quibble with the rankings significantly. As I said last week, I'd probably have Arsenal at #1, but thats minor.

BIG SPOILER: Ives you will be taking a look at FC Shakhtar Donetsk soon, they are dominating their league, and at least deserve that look. Yesterday they handily beat UEFA cup participant Dnipro 4-1. Dnipro- who had just drawn 0-0 away at a gritty Aberdeen. And Shakhtar owned Celtic 2-0 as you know.* (Should have been three in the first 25 mins but for a blind linesman).

I know Celtic's away form in the CL has been bad, but this Shakhtar side has real quality. Mexican menace Nery Castillo didn't even start in the CL match. Strikers Luceralli and Brandao will scare anyone, but I feel their defense may fail them in the knock out rounds.

They have played UEFA Cup the last few years in the first group stage, and they play positive, attacking football. Thoughts?

[eric]

Glad to see PSV get bumped up this week, they were lights out in both matches. No, they won't be a top-5 squad all year, but they have tons of experience and will be a handfull for the CL knockout rounds.

ManU is gonna be a beast, they are doing a good job of winning before they are firing on all cylinders, and Ronaldo and Messi will have quite a duel all year for Euro POY.

I guess Hargraves is good cover on the bench, and he has a future with giggity-Giggs and Scholes getting older, but it really seems like a waste right now, where is his place in the side?

Free Peter Crouch!!!

[sean]

No one is playing better than Cesc Fabregas right now.

Not even Emmanuel Adebayor, not Wesley Snejieder, not Lionel Messi.

Though I am a little bias ;)

[Rocco]

No way ManU can overtake Arsenal. The Gunners are playing out of their minds, and don't seem to care who the opponent is.

[Steve W]

Ronaldinho needs to get his act together. I actually think Barca are a better team without him.

But the Gunners are ripping it up and have 70m pounds to spend if they need to. No way that team dressed in red from that city in the north is going to beat them this year.

Fire Lalas.

[Joe in ND]

Liverpool needs to get their act together or I could see them being dropped completely from the SBI European Top 10. Let's see how their youngster do against Reading in the Carling Cup and then see how a "best eleven" Liverpool squad does against Wigan.

As a neutral observer I will instantly watch an Arsenal game. Their somewhat makeshift defense is doing a solid job, their midfield led by Cesc is outstanding, and their front line is good and has depth.

If they keep up this form they will beat anyone in the league or in Europe (save Madrid). Which worries me, because I am not a Gunner supporter.

[Joe in ND]

I also think Steve W has a point. If Ronaldinho is in a bad mood or whatever his problem is he might have what can now be known as "the Henry effect".

[Dave]

Liverpool tied Porto 1 to 1

[tito]

I don't know about Milan being so far down and I think people are getting a bit over the top with Arsenal. Teams like Madrid, Liverpool, Milan, Manu and Barca aren't exactly going to be afraid of Wenger's new kids on the block.

On the individual front, I'd say that Pirlo deserves more love - he's arguably more important to Milan than Kaka. Ronaldo is great but sure does seem to disappear for big stretches. Messi, Drogba, Essien and Totti all deserve a mention as well imo.

[Ryan]

Umm...has Drogba even played yet? Essien was brutal against ManU...

[Chris]

Glad to see my Fiorentina make your honorable mention list. We've gotten enough points to be in the CL the past two seasons but haven't gotten to participate. The squad is playing fairly well so far, but I don't think we've hit our stride yet. Roma tomorrow are going to be though for us. Hopefully we'll get the win. Maybe we'll play well enough to make your top 10 durring the season.

Do agree with some of the posters about Arsenal's ranking maybe being a bit flattering. Not their fault, but they really haven't played much tough oppositon yet (other than Sevilla). The other big clubs in the EPL have played each other to knock off points while Arsenal have cruised though weaker opponents. Heck, they can only beat the teams they've been scheduled to play. They've been fun to watch (and it seems Adebayor is looking like the player he was at Monaco now), but I don't think they've really been tested yet.

Also, why is Milan in 5th place? They're 9th is the standings in Serie A.