Club World Cup daily rankings: A new No. 1 as Bayern loses grip on top spot

New York Times

5 hours ago

Just as many a weekend warrior loathes Monday, perhaps Club World Cup participants despise playing on Tuesdays. It's one way to explain an uncharacteristically low-scoring day, with just eight goals across all four games and eight teams including some genuine tournament favorites. That narrowly exceeded the competition's low point for single-day scoring of seven goals… a mark hit last Tuesday.
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Welcome to another edition of The Athletic's Club World Cup daily power rankings — our look at who's hot, who's not, and how the struggle for global club supremacy is shaking out. Share your comments below and don't be shy to disagree. We'll run the rankings up to before the semifinals.
We will update these rankings at the end of each day's play. Unlike our pre-tournament rankings that focused on the historical might of each team, this series is designed to live very much in the present. Simply, we'll use the results of this competition alone to project who has the best chance to win the trophy — as well as teams who appear doomed to an early ticket home.
It was zeroes, ones and a solitary three on the scoreboards around the grounds. In Group C, the upset of the tournament saw the field's only non-professional side, Auckland City, notch a 1-1 draw with Boca Juniors, clawing back to tie affairs after gifting the favorites an own goal. If there's any reason to spare Boca blushes, it's that the Argentine club would've been eliminated even with a blowout win, as Benfica saw itself through to the knockouts in a narrow 1-0 win over a rotated Bayern Münich. Group D was also relatively placid, with Chelsea beating Espérance de Tunis 3-0 and LAFC getting its first and only point of the tournament against favored Flamengo.
Not many goals, but still some famous draws for each group's underdog. Plus, in a series first: a new team in top thanks to a coach's decision. To the rankings!
(Teams that played on Tuesday are italicized in the rankings.)
1. Manchester City (up 2): Juventus should keep them sharp ahead of the knockouts.
2. Bayern Munich (down 1): Fresh legs after Kompany rotated. Will need them to withstand Flamengo.
3. Flamengo (down 1): Lacked definitive edge for 80'+ against LAFC. Essentially a final next against Bayern.
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4. Botafogo (-): No team a worthier physical foil than Atléti. Win over PSG showed their bona fides.
5. Paris Saint-Germain (-): Embraced being a pressing, possession-dominant side. Will Dembelé add punch?
6. Real Madrid (-): Looked better with 10 men than 11? Call it progress.
7. Juventus (-): Took care of business, but still conceding a worrying sum of shots.
8. Chelsea (up 1): A needed momentum boost – and a favorable matchup against Benfica.
9. Inter Milan (down 1): Looked more like its best self on Saturday. Will it last?
10. Benfica (up 1): Can take confidence from clean sheet against Bayern.
11. River Plate (down 1): Couldn't break down Monterrey. Massive stakes against Inter.
12. Fluminense (-): Needed a comeback to secure result, but dominant across full 90.
13. Palmeiras (-): Did well to regain 1st in A, but unconvincing finale. Botafogo await.
14. Inter Miami (-): Characteristic defensive lapses bring Messi face-to-face with PSG. Sorry, captain!
15. Borussia Dortmund (-): Far from sharp, and leaky in the back.
16. Al Hilal (-): Just 6 of 32 shots on target; leaving goals (and points) unclaimed.
17. Atlético Madrid (-): Roster retool too incomplete to contend. Just not at PSG's level as constructed.
18. Monterrey (up 1): Two close contests, two points for the effort. No matter: advancement in their control.
19. Mamelodi Sundowns (up 1): Held tight with Dortmund until the end. They've certainly made an impression.
20. RB Salzburg (up 2): Unlucky to face Tournament Bounou. Photo-finish in Group H.
21. Al Ahly (up 2): Fought to the end and made Group A far more interesting.
22. Boca Juniors (down 4): Incredible support. A shame the team itself couldn't meet their showing.
23. Espérance de Tunis (down 2): Made Group D very tense for the two favorites.
24. FC Porto (-): Too little, too late; two draws that will win few neutral hearts, if any.
25. Urawa Red Diamonds (-): Couldn't quite fend off Inter. Will provide Monterrey with a challenge.
26. Seattle Sounders (-): Never embarrassed in tournament's toughest group. No long and dour trip home, at least.
27. Los Angeles FC (up 2): 'Of our six halves, five were good, one was bad.' Well said, Steve Cherundolo.
28. Auckland City (up 4): Amateurs got a result against Boca. You'll never sing that.
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29. Wydad Casablanca (down 2): Pressured Juventus throughout. Nordin Amrabat with an ageless, creative shift.
30. Ulsan HD (down 2): Up at halftime, eliminated by the final whistle. Will they be Dortmund's undoing?
31. Pachuca (down 1): Spent 83 minutes up a man, and still thoroughly outplayed.
32. Al-Ain (down 1): 180 minutes played: 0 goals for, 11 conceded.
(Illustration: Kelsea Petersen / The Athletic; Robbie Jay Barratt / Getty, Dylan Buell / Getty, Carl Recine / Getty, Angela Weiss / Getty)