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Real Madrid drops Manchester's rampant Reds take over No. 1 in rankings
ATLANTA (CNNSI.com) -- Slumping into the second rotation of Champions League group play this week, Spanish giant Real Madrid gives way to English counterpart Manchester United atop the CNN/World Soccer Top 10, the unique ranking of football clubs determined each Monday through voting by correspondents from CNN Sports and World Soccer magazine. Man United has been in dominating form early in the Premier League season, sitting on top of the table with 14 points after six games, tied with surprising Leicester City. United smashed Belgium's Anderlecht in the Champions League last week 5-1, and travels this week to face Dynamo Kiev on Tuesday. Defending Italian league and cup champion Lazio stays even at No. 2 despite drawing 1-1 with second-division Sampdoria in the Italian Cup. Lazio defeated Ukraine's Shakhtar Donetsk 3-0 last week in the Champions League, and this Wednesday will square off against Sparta Prague. Defending German double winner Bayern Munich rises one spot to third this week after defeating Unterhaching 3-1 in the Bundesliga and Sweden's Helsingborg 3-1 in the Champions League. Bayern hosts Rosenborg Trondheim of Norway on Tuesday in Group F action. Defending Champions League title holder Real Madrid drops from the top spot to No. 4 this week after having to scramble to earn draws in the Champions League and in domestic play. The club came back to tie Sporting Lisbon away 2-2 last week and went on to earn another draw against Malaga 3-3 on Saturday. The Spanish side has a chance to improve its Champions League position Wednesday against Spartak Moscow. The next four spots in the Top 10 remain unchanged this week. In at No. 5 this week is Turkish side Galatasaray, which beat Monaco 3-2 in the Champions League and Kocaelispor 4-1 on Friday in domestic action. Galatasaray battles Austria's Sturm Graz Tuesday in Champions League Group D. South American champion Boca Juniors stays sixth this week after defeating Almagro 2-0 in Argentine league competition and Paraguay's Olimpia 5-2 to stay atop Group D in the Copa Mercosur. Spanish giant Barcelona comes in again at No. 7 after trouncing England's Leeds 4-0 in the Champions League before tripping up against Athletic Bilbao in a 3-1 loss Saturday. Barcelona comes up against Turkey's Besiktas this week in the Champions League. Argentina's River Plate stays eighth after defeating Los Andes 4-0 to stay atop the domestic standings, and topping Universidad de Chile 3-2 away to stay atop Copa Mercosur Group A. The last two spots in the rankings go to new teams this week, as Paris St. Germain and Leeds drop out. AC Milan ranks ninth after trouncing Besiktas 4-1 in the Champions League and topping Torino 3-1 in the Italian Cup. Last season's Champions League runner-up Valencia, meanwhile, rounds out the list after beating Olympiakos 2-1 in the Champions League and thrashing Mallorca 4-0 in the Spanish Primera Liga. Valencia travels to play Dutch champion Heerenveen Wednesday in the Champions League, while AC Milan plays at Leeds Tuesday. Other teams receiving votes this week included Rosenborg, England's Arsenal, Scotland's Rangers and France's Lyon.
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