Club World Cup daily rankings: Real Madrid makes a leap, Bayern Munich still top
The middle phase of the group stage has come and gone. From here, every match will make or break a team's hopes of advancing to a highly lucrative knockout phase. That's why they're here, after all.
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.
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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.
On Sunday, the final two groups played their second batch of matches. In a tournament rarity, expectations were largely met. Manchester City, Juventus and Real Madrid all won by multi-goal margins. In the tightest matchup on-paper, RB Salzburg and Al Hilal lobbed plenty of shots at one another. Yassine Bounou was at his big-game best to thwart Salzburg, while Al Hilal just couldn't find the target to gain an advantage in Group H.
To the rankings!
(Teams that played on Sunday are italicized in the rankings.)
1. Bayern Munich (-): Did what so few have this tournament: regain a lost lead.
2. Flamengo (-): Filipe Luis' 'dream' move to Chelsea was brief. His satisfaction from beating his ex-employer will last far longer.
3. Manchester City (-): Juventus should keep them sharp ahead of the knockouts.
4. Botafogo (-): 'Igor Jesus plus strong defensive shape' can beat anybody. It's canon.
5. Real Madrid (up 4): Looked better with 10 men than 11? We'll call it progress.
6. Juventus (up 1): Took care of business, but still conceding a worrying sum of shots.
7. Paris Saint-Germain (down 2): Uncharacteristically sluggish in second game. Aberration or worrying sign?
8. Inter Milan (down 2): Looked more like its best self on Saturday. Will it last?
9. Chelsea (down 1): A blown lead followed by blunder. Jackson's absence will be felt.
10. Palmeiras (-): Still Group A's favorite. Can they contain Messi?
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11. River Plate (-): Couldn't break down Monterrey. Massive stakes against Inter.
12. Benfica (up 1): Labored in tough kickoff slot before rain, again thin on creative spark.
13. Fluminense (up 1): Needed a comeback get secure result, but dominant across full 90.
14. Atlético Madrid (up 1): Composed breakthrough led by midfield. Botafogo could thwart great escape.
15. Inter Miami (up 1): Messi's magic still invaluable. Another point will see them through.
16. Borussia Dortmund (up 1): Far from sharp, and leaky in the back. Jobe is off the mark, though.
17. Al Hilal (down 5): Just 6 of 32 shots on target; leaving goals (and points) unclaimed.
18. Boca Juniors (-): Tournament's home-away-from-home team may leave sooner than hoped.
19. Monterrey (-): Two close contests, two points for the effort. No matter: advancement in their control.
20. Mamelodi Sundowns (-): Held tight with Dortmund until the end. They've certainly made an impression.
21. Espérance de Tunis (up 1): An impressive strike and an even finer penalty save. Triumphant in a game of inches.
22. RB Salzburg (down 1): Unlucky to face Tournament Bounou. Photo-finish in Group H.
23. FC Porto (down 1): Buckled under duress. May get time off sooner than expected.
24. Urawa Red Diamonds (down 2): Couldn't quite fend off Inter. Will provide Monterrey with a challenge.
25. Al Ahly (-): Another poor second half. Must catch Porto by surprise.
26. Seattle Sounders (up 1): Another 'moral victory' without points. A cruel draw, indeed.
27. Ulsan HD (up 1): Up at halftime, eliminated by the final whistle. Will they be Dortmund's undoing?
28. Wydad Casablanca (up 1): Pressured Juventus throughout. Nordin Amrabat with an ageless, creative shift.
29. Los Angeles FC (up 1): 0 goals, 0 points. Last one in, among the first ones out.
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30. Pachuca (down 6): Spent 83 minutes up a man, and still thoroughly outplayed.
31. Al-Ain (-): 180 minutes played: 0 goals for, 11 conceded.
32. Auckland City (-): Held Benfica scoreless for 45'+ — few teams did this past Champions League.
(Illustration: Kelsea Petersen / The Athletic; Robbie Jay Barratt / Getty, Dylan Buell / Getty, Carl Recine / Getty, Angela Weiss / Getty)
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