OneFootball
Dan Burke·7 March 2024
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Dan Burke·7 March 2024
The Champions League round of 16 is done and dusted for this week, and title races across Europe are starting to get very interesting.
It's now time to update our weekly list of the continent's top 10 most in-form sides.
The reigning Turkish champions' disappointment at being eliminated from the Turkish Cup last week was short-lived, as they pulled off a 1-0 victory away to Istanbul rivals BeĆiktaĆ at the weekend.
That was their ninth consecutive SĂŒper Lig victory, and it leaves them two points ahead of Fenerbahçe in the race for the title.
Benfica were part of our top 10 last week, but a stunning 5-0 thrashing at the hands of Porto on Sunday saw them quickly drop out.
That was Benfica's second defeat in a matter of days, after they were also beaten by Lisbon rivals Sporting in the first leg of their Taça de Portugal semi-final tie the previous Thursday.
And another win for Sporting over Farense at the weekend leaves them a point ahead of Benfica at the top of the league table. That title race is one to keep an eye on, while they also picked up a draw with Atalanta in European action on Wednesday night.
The reigning French champions still hold a commanding nine-point lead at the top of Ligue 1, despite a goalless draw with Monaco on Friday night.
The bigger story from that game concerned Luis Enrique's shock decision to substitute Kylian Mbappé at half-time, prompting reports of unrest behind the scenes.
But that speculation was effectively put to bed when Mbappé bagged a brace to finish the job against Real Sociedad on Tuesday and book PSG's spot in the Champions League quarter-finals.
On and on they go!
A 2-1 win away at Atalanta on Sunday was the sixth in a row for Thiago Motta's side, and propelled them into Serie A's top four.
A big test of their credentials comes their way this weekend, when they welcome league leaders Inter to Stadio Renato Dall'Ara.
They made hard work of it at times, but a wonder goal from VinĂcius JĂșnior was ultimately enough for Real Madrid to advance past RB Leipzig in the Champions League on Wednesday, and nobody will be keen to draw the 14-time European champions in the quarter-final.
Before that, it was a brace from Vinicius which also saw Los Blancos come from 2-0 down to draw at Valencia on Saturday, and their lead at the top of LaLiga now stands at seven points.
It may have "only" been Sheffield United, but Arsenal's thorough dismantling of their beleaguered opponents on Monday night was another sign that they are not going away in the title race.
The Gunners are in sensational scoring form, with that 6-0 win making it 30 goals scored in their last seven Premier League matches. They are also the first team in Premier League history to have scored two or more goals in eight consecutive halves of league football.
It has done wonders for their goal difference, and Mikel Arteta will be hoping they can keep it up in the coming weeks, especially with a trip to Manchester City on the horizon.
Another slip-up for Bayern Munich (who could only draw 2-2 with Freiburg) on Friday night gave Leverkusen the chance to extend their lead at the top of the Bundesliga.
And that was exactly what they did, with a no-nonsense 2-0 victory away at Köln on Sunday.
Xabi Alonso's side remain unbeaten in 24 Bundesliga matches this season, and are 10 points clear at the top. They're surely going to be champions for the first time this year, aren't they?
Marcus Rashford's wonder-goal briefly threatened what would have been a surprise victory for United in Sunday's Manchester derby, but Phil Foden then took matters into his own hands to superbly turn the game around, before Erling Haaland's late strike clinched it for the Blues.
Pep Guardiola's men then pulled off another 3-1 home victory on Wednesday, this time against FC Copenhagen, to sail into the Champions League last eight. With a trip to Anfield to come on Sunday and a meeting with Arsenal later in the month, March could truly make or break the treble winners' title defence.
It looked for all the world like Premier League leaders Liverpool were about to drop vital points in the title race when the clock ticked into the ninth minute of stoppage time at the City Ground on Saturday.
But Darwin NĂșñez had other ideas, with his flicked header from Alexis Mac Allister's pinpoint cross snatching a big win for JĂŒrgen Klopp's side right at the death.
Sunday's meeting with Manchester City won't be a title decider, but it could have a massive say in the destination of that piece of silverware this season.
There is no budging Inter from the top of our Power Rankings, or the top of the Serie A table for that matter.
Monday's 2-1 win over Genoa was the Nerazzurri's 12th on the bounce in all competitions, extending their 100% winning record in 2024.
Simone Inzaghi's men are 15 points clear at the top, and the Scudetto race is surely all over bar the shouting.
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