An overall feeling of approval for Shaka this week – even a round of applause! See if you agree with his top 10 clubs this week.
Can anyone stop Real Madrid? Well, nobody has in 21 games and counting, so they stay top of Shaka Hislop’s elite list!
1. Real Madrid (no change)
Did you know that Madrid are one game away from a world championship? The Club World Cup is a curious affair whose worth is debated on an annual basis, but Carlo Ancelotti’s side will win it with victory vs. San Lorenzo on Sunday. Regardless of its value, another trophy would cap a fine year for Los Blancos.
2. Bayern Munich (+1)
Sometimes numbers are all you need to tell the story, so consider this: Bayern have dropped just six Bundesliga points so far this season, having won 13 of their 16 games — most recently 4-0 at Augsburg and 2-0 vs. Freiburg — to date. Goals scored? 39. Conceded? Three!
3. Chelsea (-1)
After a shock loss at Newcastle the previous week, the Blues bounced back with an utterly efficient win vs. Hull and followed up with a Capital One quarterfinal victory at Derby (Liverpool await in the last four). The invincible talk has been replaced by a “can they win the quadruple?” discussion!
Jose Mourinho’s men got back to winning ways with a pair of victories to boost their league and cup hopes.
4. Barcelona (no change)
Scoring eight goals in two games would normally suggest that victories were achieved in both but, alas for blaugrana fans, that was not the case. A 0-0 draw at Getafe dented their league hopes and an 8-1 Copa del Rey win vs. Huesca was largely useful for padding stats, especially as the aggregate score was 4-0 at kickoff!
5. Manchester City (+1)
January 31 is the 19th anniversary of Frank Lampard’s Premier League debut. The question is, will my old teammate, who scored the winner at Leicester last weekend, mark the occasion by turning out for City at his old club Chelsea or will he be preparing for the MLS season with New York City FC? I think we know what the answer to that question will be.
6. Juventus (+1)
A draw vs. Sampdoria ended Juve’s run of 25 consecutive home wins in Serie A but The Old Lady got back to winning ways with an impressive 3-1 victory at Cagliari on Wednesday. Perhaps the most pleasing aspect of that performance was the superb goal scored by Arturo Vidal, who netted for just the second time in 10 games.
7. Atletico Madrid (-2)
Atleti lost ground on their city rivals in La Liga after suffering a 1-0 loss at home vs. Villarreal. They did, though, get a boost in the Champions League draw, with a winnable tie vs. Bayern Leverkusen and won through to the last 16 of the Copa del Rey by overcoming Hospitalet. Their reward? Not such a good draw: Real Madrid.
8. Racing Club (+2)
All hail the new champions of Argentina! After a 13-year wait, Racing clinched the title with a 1-0 win vs. Godoy Cruz. The victory was their sixth in succession to close the season and each was claimed without conceding a goal.
9. River Plate (new)
They may have missed out on the Argentinean title but River can at least console themselves with the Copa Sudamericana title, which they clinched with a 3-1 aggregate over Atletico Nacional of Colombia. They’ve come a long way since suffering the depths of relegation in 2011.
10. Manchester United (new)
Six straight wins have seen Louis van Gaal’s side force their way into the Top 10 for the first time this season. In truth, I really wanted to include David De Gea on his own, such has been his role throughout that run. Like I always say, it’s all about the goalkeeper…
Dropping out: Marseille, Paris Saint-Germain