📈 Power Rankings: Real Madrid rocket, City slickers, vicious Villa! | OneFootball

League leaders continue to stumble and only two Champions League semi-finalists feature due to some rocky domestic form for the other two. It’s the latest Power Rankings.

10. Barcelona (👎 Last week: 9)

The LaLiga title is still almost certain to be wrapped up but Barcelona are now three games without a win and have failed to score in each of them.

That 4-0 Copa del Rey defeat against Real Madrid has been followed up by goalless draws in the league and Xavi has some tweaks to make if he wants to get his players firing again. An 11-point lead looks comfortable but more dropped points in the coming weeks and that margin for error will likely start to make things a bit nervy.

9. Napoli (👎 Last week: 7)

Fellow league leaders Napoli are even more comfortable domestically but have had a month to forget. Having lost 4-0 to Milan in the league, they have now also been knocked out of the Champions League by the Rossoneri (who have failed to beat Empoli and Bologna in between) and could also only muster a draw against Verona at the weekend.

Victor Osimhen is fit again and Napoli have a healthy Serie A cushion but their recent form is a cause for concern.

8. Juventus (👎 Last week: 5)

Likewise, Juventus appear to have crumbled at just the wrong time. A superb run of form had put them in top four contention before league defeats to Lazio and Sassuolo over the past two weeks burst that particular bubble.

Things are a little better in Europe, where the Bianconeri played poorly but beat Sporting in their Europa League quarter-final first leg last week and now likely have to go all the way in that competition to be in next season’s Champions League.

7. Feyenoord (🆕)

Our only new entry of the week as the Eredivisie outfit edge closer to a first league title since 2017. Arne Slot’s side have played exciting football all season and their reward is a lead in the Europa League quarter-final against Roma and an eight-point lead at the top of the league table.

Overall, it’s now 11 wins from their last 13 games in all competitions, with nine consecutive Eredivisie wins to boot. Catch them if you can.

6. Bayer Leverkusen (👎 Last week: 4)

Leverkusen have had a slightly disappointing week, drawing with Union St Gilloise in the Europa League and then Wolfsburg in the league, but the fact two draws are a bit of a let down just underlines how well they have done of late, winning seven in a row before these latest results.

It’s now 11 consecutive games unbeaten as they continue their assault domestically as well as in Europe.

5. Arsenal (👎 Last week: 2)

Two weeks, two two-goal leads, two draws. It is not what you need when Manchester City are in pursuit. Yet Arsenal are still unbeaten in nine Premier League games since mid-February, racking up seven wins before the draws against Liverpool and West Ham.

And their title fate is still in their own hands with a trip to Manchester City approaching.

4. Aston Villa (👍 Last week: 6)

The aim has gone from safety, to midtable, to Europe. Is it now … top four? With five wins in a row, Villa are the Premier League’s form side not named Manchester City.

Since defeats to the league’s top two, the Villans have gone eight unbeaten, picking up 22 from a possible 24 points, with six clean sheets along the way and Ollie Watkins giving Erling Haaland a run for his money.

Saturday’s 3-0 demolition of Newcastle was their most impressive of the season and Unai Emery really has something cooking. Do not write them off.

3. Real Madrid (👍 Last week: 10)

And out of nowhere, here they are. Real Madrid have been inconsistent for months. Now, suddenly, they have seven wins from their last nine games, scoring 23 times in the process and advancing to the Copa del Rey final, then the Champions League semi-finals.

The gap to Barcelona at the top of LaLiga is probably too large to bridge but Madrid will never say never and they have hit their stride at just the right time.

2. Atlético de Madrid (👍 Last week: 3)

However, the form team in Spain’s capital is Atleti, who made it six league wins in a row and 13 games unbeaten as they beat Almería 2-1 at the weekend.

Remove defeats to Real Madrid (with ten men and after extra-time in the Copa del Rey) and Barcelona (with ten men in LaLiga) and you have to go all the way back to 9 January for their last defeat. What a shame they weren’t in European competition after Christmas.

1. Manchester City (No change)

Pep Guardiola has combined those famous technical qualities of all of his teams with physicality and it is daunting. Four centre-backs and Rodri at the back, Erling Haaland up top, they tower over their opposition while also playing them off the park.

It’s a most unGuardiola-like cocktail to anyone who fell in love with his Barcelona team but the results are the same, the form is just as ominous. Maybe more so. And they have Arsenal in their sights.