WCR Top 25 - November 14, 2023
Heading into the next international break, we have several big changes within the rankings this week, especially in the bottom half of the table. This is after an extremely fun week with some fantastic matches that ultimately decided who is in and who is out of this week’s edition of the WCR Top 25 Football Clubs in the World.
The top eight spots in the rankings all remain exactly the same as the week before as those clubs were generally successful, though there were some blips among them as well. The big news from above the fold, however, is that Napoli has played their way out of the WCR Top Ten in a week that saw them pick up a draw against Union Berlin and a loss against Empoli, both at home. They are replaced in the top portion of the rankings by RB Leipzig, who return to the Top Ten after securing a spot in the Champions League knockout rounds.
In the bottom half of the rankings, there were an unprecedented three clubs that moved five spots or more. One of those clubs, Real Sociedad, moved up in the rankings, from 19th to 14th, following victories over Benfica and Almería. Two English clubs, however, moved in the opposite direction. Tottenham dropped five notches, from 15th to 20th, after losing a second consecutive heartbreaking match, this time at Wolverhampton. Falling even more, from 11th to 17th, was my beloved Magpies from Newcastle United, who lost away matches at Borussia Dortmund and Bournemouth this week.
Two of the most exciting matches of the weekend also caused a change in the makeup of the WCR Top 25. In the only battle of the weekend featuring a pair of ranked clubs, Sporting CP gave up a pair of extra time goals in the second half to fall 1-2 at Benfica. This caused them to vacate their place in the rankings to make room for the return of Chelsea, who pulled off a 4-4 draw at home against top-ranked Manchester United, which sees the Blues return to the rankings in 23rd position.
All of the rankings are below. If you don’t like the list, please feel free to check out our methodology page, which includes links to all of the source data we are using.
1. Manchester City (Eng) (125 pts) (5 first place votes) (LW 1) - Manchester City punched their ticket to the next round with a 3-0 victory over Young Boys at home at midweek, then went to Stamford Bridge and played in one of the most exciting matches of the season thus far, ultimately drawing 4-4 with the home team, Chelsea. As if that wasn’t enough, City will host Liverpool in the early Saturday game after the international break in a battle of the current numbers one and two in the English Premier League..
2. Bayern Munich (Ger) (119 pts) (LW 2) - With two matches left, Bayern has already clinched Group A in the UEFA Champions League with a 2-1 victory at home against Galatasaray. Over the weekend, a Harry Kane brace helped Bayern past FC Heidenheim to remain undefeated in this season’s edition of the German Bundesliga. Bayern will bring the Bundesliga back to action following the next international break, traveling to Köln for a Friday night matchup.
3. Real Madrid (Esp) (116 pts) (LW 3) -It was a good week for Real Madrid at home this week. First, they remained perfect and clinched a spot in the UCL knockout rounds with a 3-0 victory over Portugues club Braga. On Saturday night, Los Blancos scored five more goals in a 5-1 defeat of Valencia. After the international break, Real will return to the road when they visit Cádiz on the final Saturday of November.
4. Liverpool (Eng) (108 pts) (LW 4) - It was an up-and-down week for our Reds this week. Despite losing 2-3 at Toulouse, Liverpool is still in first place in its Europa League group, with little doubt that they will advance. Domestically, Liverpool defeated Brentford 3-0 in a tidy little match that put them in second place in the Premier League, setting up one of the matches of the year when we come off the international break, as Liverpool will take on Manchester City at Etihad Stadium in the early Saturday Premier League match on November 25.
5. Inter Milan (Ita) (105 pts) (LW 5) - Defending Champions League runners-up is back in the knockout rounds of the European tournament following a 1-0 win at RB Salzburg at midweek. Domestically, Inter handled Frosinone rather easily, winning by a 2-0 score, to stay atop the Serie A table. After the break, things get much more exciting as the Big Grass Snake travels to Turin to take on Serie A second-place Juventus.
6. Arsenal (Eng) (100 points) (LW 6) - A 2-0 victory at home against Sevilla kept Arsenal atop the UCL’s Group B, with a four point lead. Domestically, the Gunners bounced back from their loss to Newcastle United with a 3-1 home victory against Burnley. On the Saturday after the international break, Arsenal will be on the road to take on the Bees of Brentley in their next English Premier League match.
7. Barcelona (Esp) (96 points) (LW 7) -Barça blew a chance to secure a spot in the Champions League knockout rounds by falling to Shakhtar Donetsk by a 0-1 score, though they remain atop Group H with two matches remaining. Domestically, a Robert Lewandowski brace helped overcome a deficit that started 17 seconds into the match, with Barcelona ultimately topping Alavés by a 2-1 score. After the international break, the third-place club in La Liga will play at Rayo Vallecano in a rare Saturday afternoon match for the club.
8. Atlético Madrid (Esp) (91 pts) (LW 8) - Atléti crushed Celtic by a 6-0 score and, with Lazio’s help, moved to the top of Group E in the Champions League. Then, they went and scored a couple late goals against Villarreal to win their La Liga match 3-1. It will be a third consecutive home match for Atlético after the break with a Saturday night matchup against Mallorca on the schedule.
9. Paris St. Germain (Fra) (79 pts) (LW 10) - Despite losing 1-2 at AC Milan at the San Siro, PSG remains in the top two of the Champions League’s Group of Death with a home match against Newcastle United on the horizon. Over the weekend, PSG took care of business with a 3-0 win at Stade Reims to finally take over the top spot in Ligue 1. Like Bayern, PSG will return to action immediately following the international break on Friday night. PSG’s match will be at home against Monaco, in what promises to be a great match.
10. RB Leipzig (Ger) (78 pts) (LW 12) - Leipzig returns to the WCR Top Ten this week, climbing two notches. In part, this return was due to their 2-1 victory over Crvena Zvezda in Belgrade, which secured them a spot in the UCL knockout rounds, and a 3-1 win over Freiburg. In part, it was because of stumbles by the two clubs above them - Napoli and Newcastle United. In any event, Leipzig will be a Top Ten club when they return to action on the Saturday after the international break at Wolfsburg.
11. Napoli (Ita) (70 pts) (LW 9)
12. Bayer Leverkusen (Ger) (69 pts) (LW 14)
13. Borussia Dortmund (Ger) (67 pts) (LW 13)
14. Real Sociedad (Esp) (53 pts) (LW 19)
15. Juventus (Ita) (51 pts) (LW 16)
16. Porto (Por) (48 pts) (LW 17)
17. Newcastle United (Eng) (46 pts) (LW 11)
18. AC Milan (Ita) (34.5 pts) (LW 21)
19. Aston Villa (Eng) (33 pts) (LW 20)
20. Tottenham Hotspur (Eng) (28 pts) (LW 15)
21. Manchester United (Eng) (26 pts) (LW 18)
22. Benfica (Por) (17.5 pts) (LW 22)
23. Chelsea (Eng) (15 pts) (LW NR)
24. PSV Eindhoven (Ned) (14 pts) (LW 24)
25. Brighton (Eng) (13 pts) (LW 23)
Also receiving points: Feyenoord (Ned) (7), Sporting CP (Por) (5), Brentford (Eng) (5), Girona (Esp) (3), Real Betis (Esp) (2), Lazio (Ita) (1).