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Brazilian side Internacional got an extra time goal from Nilmar to beat Argentina's Estudiantes 2-1 on aggregate for the 2008 Copa Sudamericana title. The victory was a deserved one for the team from Porto Allegre, which dominated large portions of Wednesday evening's match and were unlucky not to score earlier in the encounter. They carried a 1-0 lead from the first leg in Argentina but came out attacking anyway (not the type of thing you'd expect to see anywhere but Brazil and further proof that UEFA's away goal rule has outlived its purpose. If the rule had been in effect for this match, Inter's lead going into the return leg would effectively have been doubled).

As it was, the team Soccer Source deemed 21st-best in the world in its most recent ranking, clearly dominated the first half but it was the guests who struck first, in the 65th minute. At that point Estudiantes (whose captain, Juan Sebastian Veron, is well known in England, particularly Manchester) had fought their way back however and the goal, by Agustin Alayes, was well earned. The tables turned again in extra time with Nilmar's goal coming after a mad goalmouth scramble in the second overtime frame.

You may have not heard the last of the 24-year old, whose full name is Nilmar Honorato da Silva. He already had one stint in Europe, with Lyon, where he did well but was loaned to Corinthians when Giovane Elber came back from injury. He scored 39 goals in 55 games at Corinthians and then became a free agent due to some foul up with Brazilian employment. He's been back with the club of his youth since November, 2007. Just a hunch, but don't expect to see him back after the winter break.

With the victory, the Brazilian side join Boca Juniors as the only two clubs in South America to have won every possible title still in existence.

We're back and better than ever, after a two week absence that actually lasted three weeks (you have MLS Cup to thank for that. Covering U.S. soccer is a very consuming effort, but somebody's got to do it). But a lot has happened so let's get to it:

1 (1). FC Barcelona
Since we last met, Barcelona has been next to perfect, winning four games and drawing one. The most impressive victory might have been its most recent one, on Saturday, when they blew out Sevilla 3-0. On the road. Barca lead the Spanish league and their Champions League group alike. They only lost once all season, on opening day. Other than that, it's hard to find fault with anything they've done this season. A worthy No. 1.
Next Up: Host fourth-placed Valencia Saturday in a game that could go a long way toward determining if anybody is going to challenge Barca in Spain this season. After that a meaningless game at Shakhtar Donetsk in the CL group stage finale, followed by (drum roll please) Real Madrid, at Nou Camp.
Against Top 25 (when they were Top 25): Beat Atletico Madrid at home (6-1, Oct. 4), beat Sporting Lisbon at home (3-1, Sept. 16), beat Sporting Lisbon away (5-2, Nov. 26), beat Sevilla away (3-0, Nov. 29).

2 (2). Liverpool
If it weren't for two of "lesser" London Premiership clubs, Liverpool would have had a flawless three week run. Alas, in a Nov. 12 League Cup tie, Tottenham Hotspur repeated their feat of Nov. 1, when they won at Anfield for the first time since the John Major administration (for all we know). Then Fulham went to Anfield and got a scoreless draw on Nov. 22. Still, this is looking like the strongest Liverpool side in many years. With Chelsea looking beatable and Man U. hanging around in third place, this might just be Reds year. But don't count on it.
Next Up: Host West Ham United today.
Against Top 25: Beat Manchester United (2-1, Sept. 13), beat Olympique Marseille on the road (2-1, Sept. 16), tied Atletico Madrid (1-1 at Madrid, Oct. 22 and 1-1 at Anfield, Nov. 6), won at Chelsea (1-0, Oct. 26).

3 (3). Inter Milan
Other than a home loss to Panathinaikos in a game that turned out to be meaningless, Inter has been firing on all cylinders. They beat fourth-placed Serie A side Napoli yesterday and previously put third-placed Juventus to the sword. The nerrazurri now have a five point lead in Serie A. You might say they haven't really been tested outside of Italy though, but that will change with the UCL Round of 16.
Next Up: Visit Lazio Saturday.
Against Top 25: Lost to AC Milan (1-0, Sept. 28), won at Panathinaikos (2-0, Sept. 16), tied at Fiorentina (0-0, Oct. 29), beat Udinese (1-0, Nov. 9), beat Juventus (1-0, Nov. 22) .

4 (6). Juventus
After losing to Inter on Nov. 22, Claudio Ranieri's team played a scoreless draw at Zenit St. Petersburg in a meaningless affair, then beat up on Reggina Calcio by a 4-0 score. They sit third in Serie A, one point behind AC Milan and six behind Inter. They've had a tougher schedule than Milan though (and have performed admirably, which is why they are higher in this list than many other teams, including the aforementioned Milanese. Speaking of, the two sides clash on Dec. 14).
Next Up: Visit Lecce Sunday.
Against Top 25: Beat Zenit St. Petersburg at home (1-0, Sept. 17) and tied on the road (0-0, Nov. 25), tied at Fiorentina (1-1, Aug. 31), tied at BATE Borisov (2-2, Sept. 30), beat Real Madrid (2-1 at home, Oct. 22 and 2-0 at the Bernabeu, Nov. 5), lost at Inter Milan (1-0, Nov. 22).

5 (8). Bayern Munich
Juergen Klinsmann's side has been on a tear lately, with a three game winning streak that culimated with a 2-0 victory at Leverkusen Saturday. After a rough start to the season everything appears to be coming together for the German champs, who have moved up to second place in the Bundesliga. But the next week will be telling.
Next Up: Host Hoffenheim, whom they trail by three points. Then visit Lyon with first place in their champions league group on the line (both sides have qualified for the Round of 16)
Against Top 25: Tied Olympique Lyon (1-1, Sept. 30), won at Steaua Bucharest (1-0, Sept. 17), beat Fiorentina at home (3-0, Oct. 22), tied at Fiorentina (1-1, Nov. 6).

6. (3). Chelsea
Blues had an inconsistent streak this past month, but at the time of this writing still held onto first place in the Premiership. So they must be doing something right, right? Right. Except, there was yesterday's home loss to Arsenal. And things don't look so rosy in the Champions League, either, where they need to beat Romanian side CFR Cluj on Dec. 12 to guarantee their spot in the Round of 16 (they'll still make it if Bordeaux don't win their game at Roma that same date). And of course they're out of the League cup, thanks to a defeat to Burnley on penalties. So despite initial appearances, all is not well in West London. Just look at how they've done against "quality" competition (below). It's not impressive (and the below tally doesn't include the 3-1 home loss to Roma, who weren't even in the Top 25 at the time of that game).
Next Up: At Bolton Saturday.
Against Top 25 clubs: Tied Man U at home (1-1, Sept. 21), lost to Liverpool (1-0, Oct. 25), lost to Arsenal at home (2-1, Nov. 30).

7. (5) AC Milan
The rossoneri have not impressed lately, playing Torino and Pompey to back-to-back 2-2 draws in Serie A and UEFA Cup action, respectively. They're still second in Serie A and are in fine shape in their UEFA Cup group. But is this really a Top 10 club?
Next Up: Host Lazio in a cup tie Wednesday, then Catania Sunday. A visit to Juventus is up Dec. 14.
Against Top 25: Beat Inter Milan (1-0, Sept. 28), beat Lazio (4-1, Sept. 21).

8 (7). Manchester United
Red Devils have this season done little more than the bare minimum to stay in contention both in the Premiership and Champions League. Most disconcerting is their record against top 25 teams (the only victory came over Celtic, who barely deserved to be there). Yes, they won the Manchester derby (it's pronounced darr-bee) yesterday. If they don't beat Aalborg by a significant margin next week they could finish second in their CL group, which could draw them against a team like Barcelona or Inter or Juventus. That's a lot of hypotheticals (they could also win the group, which is more likely, and draw somebody like Panathinaikos) but the facts are Man United has done very little to prove they are a top five team.
Next Up: Host Blackburn Rovers in the League Cup tomorrow, then Sunderland on Saturday.
Against Top 25: Lost to Zenit St. Petersburg (2-1), lost at Liverpool (2-1, Sept. 13), tied Villareal at home (0-0, Sept. 17) and away (0-0, Nov. 25), tied at Chelsea (1-1, Sept. 21), beat Celtic at home (3-0, Oct. 22) and tied at Celtic Park (1-1, Nov. 6), lost at Arsenal (2-1, Nov. 8).

9 (12). Arsenal
Right after appearing to salvage their season in the Nov. 8 defeat of Man United, Gunners beat Wigan in a League Cup match and promptly lost their next two games to Man. City and Aston Villa. They clinched advancement in the CL with a defeat of Dynamo Kiev after that, but things were not looking good at all going into yesterday's London derby. How desperate were Arsenal? They hired a Yank to run their team. Insanity! When they went down 1-0 to Chelsea yesterday, it suddenly looked like l'Arse might implode. But then Robin van Persie notched a second half brace and Arsenal handed Chelsea their second home loss in a row after 86 straight victories.
Despite these inconsistencies, Arse are deserving of a spot in the Top 10 if you look at their results against quality competition.
Next Up: Play at Burnley in the League Cup tomorrow, then host Wigan Saturday.
Against Top 25: Tied Dynamo Kiev away (1-1, Sept. 17) won at home (1-0, Nov. 25), beat Man United at home (2-1, Nov. 8), beat Chelsea away (2-1, Nov. 30).

10 (9). Real Madrid
In the past month Real has seen its coach fired (to have the decision revoked a few days later), been knocked out of the Copa del Rey at the hands of Real Union de Irun and then, Saturday, lost an important game at Getafe. So what are the bright spots? They're still alive in the Spanish league (but they will likely need to beat No. 1 Barcelona at Nou Camp on Dec. 14) and are through to the Round of 16 in the Champions League.
Next Up: Host Sevilla Sunday. Then a meaningless game against Zenit St. Petersburg, then Barca.
Against Top 25: Won at Zenit St. Petersburg (2-1, Sept. 30), beat Atletico Madrid (2-1, Oct. 18), lost to Juventus (2-1 on the road, Oct. 22 and 2-0 at home, Nov. 5).

11 (11). Olympique Lyon
L'OL have lost several games against lesser opponents recently, but prove they belong here by winning when it counts. Case in point: last week's victory at Fiorentina and the previous 2-1 decision over then third-placed Girondins Bordeaux. Yes, they also lost to FC Metz (no relation to the New York Mets baseball club) in a league cup game.
Next Up: At Nantes, Sunday. Then host Bayern Munich with first place in Group F on the line.
Against Top 25: Tied Fiorentina at home (2-2, Sept. 17) and Bayern Munich on the road (1-1, Sept. 30), won at Fiorentina (2-1, Nov. 25).

12 (10). Atletico Madrid
A series of draws have cost Atletico some spots in the Liga, though there was also an impressive 4-1 defeat of Deportivo La Coruna thrown in as well. Things are looking fine in the Champions League, where they (like all the favorites) have advanced to the Round of 16.
Next Up: Host Racing Santander Sunday.
Against Top 25: Lost at Barcelona (6-1, Oct. 4), lost to Real Madrid (2-1, Oct. 18), tied Liverpool (1-1, Oct. 23), tied Villareal (4-4, Oct. 26), tied at Liverpool (1-1, Nov. 5).

13 (13). Villareal.
The Yellow Submarine have continued to be maddeningly inconsistent in Europe and Spain alike. One week they are every bit Man United's equal (they played two scoreless ties in their Champions League group) then they're being thrown out of the Copa del Rey by the likes of Polideportivo Ejido.
Next Up: Host Getafe Saturday, then some target practice at Celtic Park next week. A trip to Sevilla looms the following Sunday.
Against Top 25: Tied Man U twice (0-0 at Old Trafford, Sept. 18 and 0-0 at home Nov. 25), beat Celtic at home (1-0, Sept. 29), tied Atletico Madrid at home (4-4, Oct. 26).

14 (25). AS Roma
After a disastrous start to the season, Roma have won four in a row and quietly taken over first place in their Champions League group. They're in a good position to win the group, "controlling their own destiny" when they host Girondins Bordeaux a week from tomorrow. A nice run that is rewarded by an 11 place jump in the standings. They deserve it too if you look at their record against other Top 25 clubs.
Next Up: Visit Chievo Saturday.
Against Top 25: Lost at home to Inter (4-0, Oct. 19), lost at Chelsea (1-0, Oct. 22), lost at Udinese (3-1, Oct. 26), lost at Juventus (2-0, Nov. 1), beat Chelsea (3-1, Nov. 4), beat Fiorentina (1-0, Nov. 29)

15 (20). Sporting Lisbon.
Sporting have been very inconsistent this season but have managed to win games when it counted. This was most apparent in the Champions League, where they vanquished a tough Shakhtar Donetsk side twice to clinch a place in the Round of 16 (alas the Ukranian club was not in the Top 25 both times they played). Domestically Sporting are well situated for a run, sitting third, four points behind Leixoes and two behind Benfica. They have several blemishes, such as a loss on penalties to Porto in the Portuguese cup and a home loss to the aforementioned Leixoes.
Next Up: A pair of domestic league opponents, neither of which we can ever pretend to have heard of, sandwich FC Basel in the final Champions League group match.
Against Top 25: Lost to Barcelona (3-1 away, Sept. 19 and 5-2 home, Nov. 25).

16 (-) Aston Villa
Villains make the first appearance in club history in Soccer Source's Top 25 and deservedly so. With a perfect record through two UEFA Cup games, Martin O'Neill's side sit atop their group. Their domestic run is even more impressive. Granted the last two weeks did not exactly go as well as hoped, with back-to-back scoreless draws at home (though one was against Man United) but taken as a "body of work" the 2008 campaign has been an unheralded success. Villa sit fourth in the Premiership and may very well break the "big four" hold on those spots. Their record against quality competition is most impressive at all. See below.
Next Up: Host Zilina in UEFA Cup action Thursday. Visit Everton Sunday.
Against Top 25: Tied Liverpool at home (0-0, Aug. 31), lost at Chelsea (2-0, Oct. 5), beat Arsenal away (2-0, Nov. 15) tied Man United at home (0-0, Nov. 22)

17 (14). Valencia
Valencia have suffered a strange loss of form at home, losing or drawing all but one of their last four games (and the one was a Copa del Rey victory over Club Portugalete). On the road, however Unai Emery's men have fared better, beating Getafe 3-0 and playing Sevilla to a scoreless draw on Nov. 22.
Next Up: At Bruges in UEFA Cup action Thursday, then at No. 1 Barcelona Saturday.
Against Top 25: Lost to Real Madrid over two legs in Spanish Supercup, tied at Sevilla (0-0, Nov. 22).

18 (-). FC Sao Paulo
Last year's Brazilian champs are knocking on the door of a repeat title. With one game left they look to be virtually assured of the silverware (Sao Paulo lead second-placed Gremio by three points and have a +29 goal difference to Gremio's +22). Things did not go according to plan in the Copa Sudamericana (they lost to Atletico Paranaense on penalties) but we still think they're the best club in South America right now.

19 (24). Standard Liege
The Belgian champs were eliminated in the Coup de Belgique by some also-rans back on Nov. 12. Other than that they've done well, particularly in Europe (victories over Partizan Belgrade and Sevilla in the past month). This is the same club that narrowly lost to Liverpool in Champions League qualifiers and ousted Everton from UEFA Cup competition. They sit third in the Jupiler league, three points behind leaders Bruges. Don't expect that to last.
Next Up: Host Sampdoria (it's pronounced Samdoria. The "p" is silent) Wednesday in their next UEFA Cup match.
Against Top 25: Lost to Liverpool in Champions League qualifiers (1-0 in aggregate on an overtime goal in the second leg), beat Sevilla at home (2-0, Nov. 6).

20 (-). Panathinaikos
The Greek club make their debut on the Top 25 (this year at least) by virtue of an impressive 1-0 victory at Inter Milan. The game may have turned out to be meaningless (for Inter at least) but at the time it was anything but. And Panathinaikos are in an excellent position to advance out of what has turned into a very very tough group (quite possibly the toughest of the lot, contrary to initial expectations here and elsewhere). With a one point lead over Anorthosis Famagusta, the Greek side can afford a tie when the two teams meet next week.
Next Up: AO Xanthi, Saturday.
Against Top 25: Lost to Inter Milan at home (2-0, Sept. 16), beat Inter Milan (1-0 away on Nov. 25)

21 (-). Internacional
What's this? Inter Milan this far down? But we already had Inter! Oh wait, it's a different Inter? Indeed (note the difference in spelling). These guys are from Brazil, not Italy. While only sixth in their own country's table, the Porto Allegre side have proven their worth in continental competition the last few weeks. Consider that the two teams it ousted from the Copa Sudamericana (in order, Boca Juniors and Chivas de Guadelajara) were at the time in the Top 25. They won the first leg of the Sudamericana final by 1-0 at Estudiantes and are now heavily favored to win the whole thing (the return leg is Thursday).
Next Up: Host Estudiantes in the return leg of the Copa Sudamericana Thursday. Inter has a 1-0 lead but unless we're mistaken there is none of this goofy UEFA away goals nonsense.
Against Top 25: Beat Boca Juniors and Chivas de Guadelajara over two legs in the Copa Sudamericana quarter- and semi-finals respectively.

22 (-). Santos Laguna
Winners of last year's Clausura championship, Santos are gunning for an Apertura title this time around. The competition is now in its penultimate phase, the semifinals where Santos face Toluca after eliminating Club San Luis in the quarterfinals. They enlisted the help of a guy, Cuahtemoc Blanco, whom U.S. soccer fans have even heard of. Blanco has been money, too, converting a penalty kick in the very late stage of the second leg quarterfinal, when the teams were level. Unfortunately Santos did not get to test themselves against other teams in the hemisphere (but they will in the Libertadores, to ensue after the winter break).

23 (23). Zenit St. Petersburg
The UEFA Cup champs won a crucial game at Spartak Mosow Nov. 22 to clinch fifth place on the final match day and ensure there will be at least some European action next season (though they'll have to go through the Intertoto Cup, or whatever it's called now). Perhaps more importantly, Zenit also held Juventus to a scoreless tie in Champions League play, to clinch third place in their group and thus a spot in the UEFA Cup Round of 32.
Next Up: Visit Real in a meaningless encounter Tuesday.
Against Top 25: Lost at Juventus (1-0, Sept. 17) tied at home (0-0, Nov. 25), lost to Real Madrid (2-1, Sept. 30), tied at BATE Borisov (1-1, Oct. 22), beat BATE Borisov at home (2-0, Nov. 5).

24 (-). Hoffenheim
The surprise team of the German (if not entire European) season is back in the Top 25 after a brief absence. The promoted club are in first place in the Bundesliga with a three point lead over defending champions (and No. 5 in this week's poll) Bayern Munich. The two clubs meet Friday in Munich, with the home side expected to be heavily favored. But Ralf Rangnick's side have already held their own (and in a few cases beaten) some of the Bundesliga's very best, most notably Hamburg, whom they dropped 3-0 on Oct. 26.
Next Up: The aforementioned top-of-the-table clash at Bayern Munich, Friday.
Against Top 25: Beat Hamburg SV at home (3-0, Oct. 26)

25. (15) Dynamo Kiev
After reaching all the way into the top 15, the Ukranian side have come back to earth. Gone is the dream of advancing to the Champions League elimination round (it ended in a 1-0 defeat at Emirates last week). Not only that but they've got a fight on their hands in the domestic league, after losing at Shakhtar on Nov. 16. They're still in first place though and have also clinched third place in their Champs League group.
Next Up: Some Ukrainian team Friday, then Fenerbahce Istanbul in a meaningless CL game Tuesday.
Against Top 25: Tied Arsenal at home (1-1, Sept. 17), lost at Emirates (1-0, Nov .25)

Dropping Out:
Celtic (16), Udinese (17), Fiorentina (18), Benfica (21), Chivas (22)

Also receiving consideration:
Porto, Hertha Berlin, Boca Juniors

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Due to the labor-intensive effort involved with putting together this list, Soccer Source's Top 25 will skip next week's edition. But first, this week's list! Read on:

1 (1). FC Barcelona
Barca inexplicably dropped points to FC Basel at home in the Champions League, though the game was largely irrelevant seeing as the Catalonian club qualified for the quarterfinals anyway and likely would have even if they had lost that game. Took out whatever frustrations they had against Valladolid Saturday, in a 6-0 blowout. Barca is in first place in la liga. Their only blemish came on opening day when they lost at Numancia by 1-0.
Next Up: Host Benidorm in the return leg of their Copa del Rey match, then it's Recreativo Huelva on the road Sunday.
Against Top 25 (when they were Top 25): Beat Atletico Madrid at home (6-1, Oct. 4), beat Sporting Lisbon at home (3-1, Sept. 16).

2 (2). Liverpool
Came back to tie Atletico Madrid in the Champions League at midweek, then had absolutely no trouble with West Bromwich Albion, as might be expected.
Next Up: Visit Spurs in the League Cup Wednesday, then visit Bolton Wanderers in Premiership action Saturday. Face Fulham at home a week after that.
Against Top 25: Beat Manchester United (2-1, Sept. 13), beat Olympique Marseille on the road (2-1, Sept. 16), tied Atletico Madrid (1-1 at Madrid, Oct. 22 and 1-1 at Anfield, Nov. 6), won at Chelsea (1-0, Oct. 26).

3 (6). Inter Milan
Played Famagusta to a 3-3 tie in their midweek CL tie then beat Udinese with a stoppage time goal yesterday. Famagusta has been confounding just about everybody and are actually in a good position to advance to the quarterfinals. Inter are all but through to the quarters. They sit first in the group with a four point lead over third place with two games to go.
Next Up: Visit Palermo Saturday. Juve visit the San Siro a week after that.
Against Top 25: Lost to AC Milan (1-0, Sept. 28), won at Panathinaikos (2-0, Sept. 16), tied at Fiorentina (0-0, Oct. 29).

4. (3). Chelsea
Lost at AS Roma, 3-1 before rebounding at Blackburn Rovers yesterday. Blues still lead their Champions League groups, but they could have wrapped up a quarterfinal berth with a win. They'll probably still make it, facing Cluj and Bordeaux in their last two games. Still, Roma were having a horrible time coming into this game and really had no business winning. But they did, which made Chelsea look bad. Which makes us move them down a few spots.
Next Up: Burnley in League Cup action Wednesday and W.B.A. Saturday. Isn't Burnley the team that upset everybody in the F.A. Cup last year?
Against Top 25 clubs: Tied Man U at home (1-1, Sept. 21), lost to Liverpool (1-0, Oct. 25).

5. (5) AC Milan
The rossoneri beat Sporting Braga in UEFA Cup action at midweek then dropped two points at Lecce in a 1-1 tie. It was still good enough to move into a tie for second in Serie A.
Next Up: Host Chievo Verona Sunday.
Against Top 25: Beat Inter Milan (1-0, Sept. 28), beat Lazio (4-1, Sept. 21).

6 (8). Juventus
The Juve rejuvenation continues, as Claudio Ranieri's men won a pair of 2-0 games last week, the first of which was more impressive (at Real Madrid for their second straight victory over the Royalists). The second was at Chievo Verona and moves Juve into fifth place in Serie A.
Next Up: Host Genoa Thursday and are then idle until a trip to Inter Nov. 22.
Against Top 25: Beat Zenit St. Petersburg (1-0, Sept. 17), tied at Fiorentina (1-1, Aug. 31), tied at BATE Borisov (2-2, Sept. 30), beat Real Madrid (2-1 at home, Oct. 22 and 2-0 at the Bernabeu, Nov. 5).

7 (4). Manchester United
Man United faced two top 25 teams last week, both on the road. How did it go? Not well. Sir Alex' men managed only a 1-1 tie at Celtic Park before suffering what might have been a more significant loss at Emirates to Arsenal, 2-1.
Next Up: Visit Queens Park Rangers in League Cup action, then host Stoke Saturday. Aston Villa visit a week after that.
Against Top 25: Lost to Zenit St. Petersburg (2-1), lost at Liverpool (2-1, Sept. 13), tied Villareal at home (0-0, Sept. 17), tied at Chelsea (1-1, Sept. 21), beat Celtic at home (3-0, Oct. 22) and tied at Celtic Park (1-1, Nov. 6), lost at Arsenal (2-1, Nov. 8).

8 (10). Bayern Munich
Tied at Fiorentina which was likely enough to clinch a place in the Champions League quarterfinals, then won a very important game over Schalke, 2-1. Move into third place in the Bundesliga with the victory. Bayern's stock is clearly rising; we told you so last week.
Next Up: Visit Borussia Moenchengladbach, Michael Bradley's club, Saturday.
Against Top 25: Tied Olympique Lyon (1-1, Sept. 30), won at Steaua Bucharest (1-0, Sept. 17), beat Fiorentina at home (3-0, Oct. 22), tied at Fiorentina (1-1, Nov. 6).

9 (7). Real Madrid
Real's struggles continue. Not only did Bernd Schuster's side lose at home to Juventus they then struggled to defeat Malaga at home. They're still in decent shape in the Champions League, with a two point lead over third placed Zenit St. Petersburg with two to play. We reckon they'll get through to the quarterfinals. But over the medium term we can't help but be a bit concerned.
Next Up: Host Real Irun tomorrow in the return leg of their Copa del Rey tie (Real, that is Real Madrid, lost the first leg 3-2). Visit Valladolid Saturday.
Against Top 25: Won at Zenit St. Petersburg (2-1, Sept. 30), beat Atletico Madrid (2-1, Oct. 18), lost to Juventus (2-1 on the road, Oct. 22 and 2-0 at home, Nov. 5).

10 (9). Atletico Madrid
The final minute of stoppage time was all that kept Atletico from upsetting Liverpool at Anfield last week. They followed this up with a disappointing scoreless draw at last-placed Osasuna in Liga action.
Next Up: Host Orihuela in the return leg of their Copa del Rey tie (after winning the first leg, 1-0), then host sixth-placed Deportivo La Coruna in what might just be a must-win situation if the rojiblancos are going to have any serious pretensions at a Spanish league title.
Against Top 25: Lost at Barcelona (6-1, Oct. 4), lost to Real Madrid (2-1, Oct. 18), tied Liverpool (1-1, Oct. 23), tied Villareal (4-4, Oct. 26), tied at Liverpool (1-1, Nov. 5).

11 (11). Olympique Lyon
Did not appear to have any problem with one-time Top 25 club Steaua Bucharest, winning the midweek CL tie 2-0. Lyon then won at Monaco 1-0 on Saturday. Things are definitely looking up for l'OL, though it will take a little more for them to move up in our rankings.
Next Up: Host FC Metz (no relation to the New York Mets baseball club) in a league cup game tomorrow. Then third-placed Girondins Bordeaux pay a visit Sunday.
Against Top 25: Tied Fiorentina at home (2-2, Sept. 17) and Bayern Munich on the road (1-1, Sept. 30).

12 (15). Arsenal
Gunners played a scoreless tie at Fenerbahce Istanbul in the Champions League at midweek, then beat Man United at Emirates, 3-1 in their best game of the season by far.
Next Up: Host Wigan in the League Cup tomorrow, followed by Aston Villa Saturday. Man City is up a week after that.
Against Top 25: Tied Dynamo Kiev (1-1, Sept. 17), beat Man United at home (2-1, Nov. 8).

13 (13). Villareal.
The Yellow Submarine tied Aalborg at midweek but it was enough to qualify for the quarterfinals. Beat Almeira yesterday to take back second place in La Liga.
Next Up: Polideportivo Ejido in the return leg of their Copa del Rey tie (Villareal somehow lost the first leg 5-0 so this is effectively a scrimmage one would think) and visit Malaga on the weekend.
Against Top 25: Tied Man U at Old Trafford (0-0, Sept. 18), beat Celtic at home (1-0, Sept. 29), tied Atletico Madrid at home (4-4, Oct. 26).

14 (14). Valencia
Managed to only tie FC Kopenhagen in their UEFA Cup match before rebounding with a more impressive 3-0 victory over Getafe yesterday. Back in third place in La Liga but losing traction in the Top 25.
Next Up: The return leg of their Copa del Rey series (they won the first round easily) then Gijon at home. A trip to Sevilla looms Nov. 23. From what we can tell that's their first serious competition of the entire season.
Against Top 25: Lost to Real Madrid over two legs in Spanish Supercup.

15. (12) Dynamo Kiev
Lost at home to Porto to slip back into third place in their Champions League group. With a trip to Emirates up next, they are in very real danger of missing the quarterfinals. That would obviously knock them from this perch in the Top 25.
Next Up: A Ukraniian cup tie midweek then Shakthar Donetsk (Ukraine's other Champions League team).
Against Top 25: Tied Arsenal (1-1, Sept. 17)

16 (18) Celtic
Celtic once again came up short against Man United, though this time at least they have a point to show for their efforts. It likely won't help them much though. Actually it may not help at all. Celtic will have to beat Aalborg by four goals, hope that Villareal lose to Man. United, then beat the Spaniards in the final match day, preferably by two goal to make up what would then be a tie-breaker (not sure what the tie-breaker after goal difference is. Total goals scored?). Bhoys also beat Motherwell on the weekend and are looking good in the SPL. It will take more than that to make a dent in the Top 25 though.
Against Top 25: Lost at Villareal (1-0, Sept. 30), lost at Man Utd. (3-0, Oct. 22), tied Man Utd. at Glasgow (1-1, Nov. 6).

17 (16). Udinese
Udine passed their first test last week, winning at Spartak Moscow by a 2-1 score. They played Inter Milan tough in their second, but ultimately lost on the game's only goal in stoppage time.
Next Up: Visit face Spartak Moscow on Thursday, and No. 6 Inter Milan Sunday.
Against Top 25: Lost to Juventus (1-0, Sept. 14), lost at Inter Milan (1-0, Nov. 9).

18 (20). Fiorentina
La Viola tied Bayern Munich at home and will now almost certainly miss the quarterfinals of the Champions League. Things went better in their Serie A game, where they beat Atalanta di Bergamo.
Next Up: Visit Cagliari Sunday.
Against Top 25: Tied Steaua Bucharest at home (0-0, Sept. 30), lost at Lazio (3-0, Sept. 24), tied at Lyon (2-2, Sept. 17), tied Juventus at home (1-1, Aug. 31), lost at Bayern Munich (3-0, Oct. 22), tied Bayern at home (1-1, Nov. 6).

19 (19). Sevilla
Lost at Standard Liege in UEFA Cup action at midweek. This is the same Standard Liege that nearly ousted Liverpool from a Champions League qualifier so we're somewhat tolerant of that result. On the other hand, why aren't Standard Liege on our radar for this list? Hmm. Sevilla also beat Huelva yesterday to keep pace with the leaders in La Liga.
Next Up: The return leg of their Copa del Rey tie (they're down 1-0 from the first leg) followed by a trip to Getafe.
Against Top 25: Won at Atletico Madrid (1-0, Sept. 28)

20 (-). Sporting Lisbon.
Sporting return to the Top 25 after beating Shakhtar Donetsk to advance to the quarterfinals in the Champions League. The Lisbon side has admittedly been inconsistent this season, losing to domestic rivals Porto (twice, including a Portuguese cup tie last week) and No. 21 Benfica (whom they actually outrank here. More on that in a bit.). But after a forgiveable loss to No. 1 Barcelona on Sept. 19, they have a perfect record without giving up a goal in European play. Granted that was all against clubs FC Basle and Shakthar Donetsk (the former have absolutely no right to be in the Champions League).
Next Up: A pair of domestic league opponents, neither of which we can ever pretend to have heard of.
Against Top 25: Lost at Barcelona (3-1, Sept. 19).

21 (17). Benfica Lisbon
Lost at home to Galatasaray, 2-0, at midweek. That's not very good. With one point from two games, Benfica are in very real danger of not advancing out of what is admittedly a pretty tough group (Hertha Berlin, Olympiakos and Metalist Kharkov are the other teams). Play Desportivo Alves later today.
Next Up: Desportivo Alves today, Estrela Amadora Sunday. Both games are home.
Against Top 25: Beat Sporting Lisbon (at home, 2-0).

22 (22). Chivas Guadelajara
Ousted River Plate from the Copa Sudamericana tourney, where they are now in the semifinals against Brazil's Internacional. That's the good news. The bad news is Chivas lost an important Mexican league match (against Puebla, which is in last place in a different group) and are now in acute danger of missing the postseason.
Next Up: The first leg against Internacional, which takes place at the Jalisco (that is the name of their home grounds, right?). Then host Indios Suarez, another crap Mexican team Sunday. Then the return leg in Brazil a week from Thursday.
Against Top 25: Beat Atlante at home (1-0, Oct. 19)

23 (23). Zenit St. Petersburg
Did well against BATE Borisov to keep their Champions League hopes alive, then only managed a draw in their Russian league match. They're 16 points behind first-place Rubin Kazan on the penultimate match day. Fourth place is still attainable, maybe even third. Neither gives them a shot at the Champions League though. It's looking like the club from the city formerly known as Leningrad are looking at UEFA competition both this year and next.
Next Up: Host third-placed Dynamo Moscow Sunday, then visit Spartak Moscow Nov. 22. A must win against Juventus looms Tuesday, Nov. 25.
Against Top 25: Lost at Juventus (1-0, Sept. 17), lost to Real Madrid (2-1, Sept. 30), tied at BATE Borisov (1-1, Oct. 22), beat BATE Borisov at home (2-0, Nov. 5).

24 (-). Standard Liege
The Belgian club does make the Top 25 list, by virtue of its 1-0 home victory over No. 19 Sevilla. After narrowly losing to Liverpool in Champions League qualifiers, Liege (who are sometimes known as Luettich, or maybe I'm confusing that with something else) ousted Everton from UEFA Cup competition. They sit second in the Belgian Jupiler league, one point behind Bruges.
Next Up: Two Belgian clubs in Jupiler League action this week.
Against Top 25: Lost to Liverpool in Champions League qualifiers (1-0 in aggregate on an overtime goal in the second leg), beat Sevilla at home (2-0, Nov. 6).

25 (-). AS Roma
They're back. Barely. And thanks to one result and one result only, the 3-1 victory over Chelsea that may have just salvaged Roma's season (they also tied at Bologna 1-1 on the weekend). Things are looking good for CL advancement at least; all they have to do is win their next game at CFR Cluj (before you laugh, the Romanian side held a spot in the Top 25 for several weeks a short time ago) and tie Bordeaux on the last matchday (they're equal on points with the French side but beat them at Bordeaux when the teams met earlier this season).
Next Up: Host Lazio in the Roma derby (it's pronounced dar-bee) on Sunday.
Against Top 25: Lost at home to Inter (4-0, Oct. 19), lost at Chelsea (1-0, Oct. 22), lost at Udinese (3-1, Oct. 26), lost at Juventus (2-0, Nov. 1), beat Chelsea (3-1, Nov. 4). That's five Top 25 opponents in a row. Nobody else has done that (granted Roma lost all but the last one, but still. At least things will get easier from here).

Dropping Out:
Boca Juniors (21), BATE Borisov (24), 1899 Hoffenheim (25).

Also receiving consideration:
FC Sao Paolo, Napoli, Galatasaray, Girondins Bordeaux, Estudiantes.