📈 Power Rankings: Two new entries as Barcelona sky-rocket | OneFootball

Before club football breaks for the international window, there’s just time for us to update our Power Rankings.

Here’s our list of Europe’s top 10 most in-form sides.

10. Milan (🆕)

Milan boss Stefano Pioli seemed certain for the sack at the turn of the year with the Rossoneri out of the Champions League and struggling to make the top four places in Serie A.

But things have changed on the red and black side of San Siro with Milan now riding high in second place and having gone unbeaten in six games in all competitions.

The triple threats of Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Christian Pulisic and Rafael Leão saw Milan beat Verona last time out to firm up their chance of Champions League football next term.

9. Sporting (👎 Last week: 8)

Domestically, Sporting continue to sweep all before them with the Lisbon side top of the Primeira Liga by a point having beaten Boavista 6-1 last weekend.

Viktor Gyökeres remains the man of the hour for Rúben Amorim’s men with the Swedish striker netting another hat-trick in that game to take his tally for the season to 30.

On the European front however, Sporting weren’t quite so successful with Atalanta just ousting them out of the in the Europa League last week.

8. Manchester United (🆕)

It’s been a while since Manchester United troubled these rankings but Erik ten Hag’s side are back and fully deserving of their eighth place.

Last weekend’s FA Cup win over Liverpool wasn’t just one their best victories of the season but many seasoned Old Trafford-watchers are calling it one of the greatest matches that storied stadium has ever seen.

Amad Diallo’s injury time goal in extra time saw United beat their old rivals 4-3 to set up a semi-final clash with Coventry City next month.

Could this be a genuine turning point for their otherwise middling campaign?

7. Inter (👎 Last week: 4)

In the context of Inter’s impressive season so far, this past week has been a nadir for Simeone Inzaghi and his side.

First the Nerazzurri were knocked out of the Champions League by Atlético de Madrid, despite going into their second leg encounter with a 1-0 lead.

And then this past weekend they drew 1-1 with a struggling Napoli outfit to cut their lead at the top of Serie A to … 14 points.

The Scudetto is essentially theirs, but Inter will need to recover after this troubling eight days.

6. Arsenal (👎 Last week: 1)

Arsenal are the victim of circumstance this week as they slide down our list purely because of their weekend off.

The Gunners were due to play Chelsea in the Premier League but had that fixture rescheduled because of the Blues’ FA Cup commitments.

With the international break, Mikel Arteta’s side now won’t play until March 31 when they take on Manchester City in what looks like being one of the games of the season and a surefire title shoot-out.

5. Paris Saint-Germain (👍 Last week: 7)

Kylian Mbappé may have virtually sealed his move to Real Madrid this summer but the French sensation hasn’t take his eye off the ball at Paris Saint-Germain just yet.

Mbappé was at his sublime best this past weekend as he netted a truly astonishing hat-trick in their 6-2 win away at Montpellier.

Luis Enrique’s men are now 12 points clear of second-placed Brest at the top of Ligue 1.

4. Barcelona (👍 Last week: 10)

Barcelona shoot up six places in our ranking after their best win of the season and arguably their greatest victory during Xavi’s tenure as boss.

The Blaugrana went to Atleti over the weekend with Diego Simeone’s side fresh off the back of a morale-boosting triumph in the Champions League against Inter.

But Barça overcame the intimidating atmosphere and and comprehensively beat the hosts 3-0. Xavi’s side are now second in LaLiga and will face PSG in the Champions League quarter-finals next month.

3. Manchester City (👍 Last week: 6)

In an FA Cup weekend in which we saw two of the all-time classics, Manchester City’s 2-0 win over Newcastle was instantly forgettable.

But the way in which Pep Guardiola’s side coolly dismantled the Magpies without breaking a sweat was laudable in its own way.

With the season now coming to its crux, City are clearly coming into their own with that crunch clash with Arsenal just a few weeks away.

2. Real Madrid (👍 Last week: 5)

Real Madrid were without the suspended Jude Bellingham for the weekend’s clash with Osasuna but Los Blancos hardly missed their English talisman.

Carlo Ancelotti’s men swatted aside the Pamplona outfit to claim a comfortable 4-2 win and extend their lead at the top of LaLiga to 12 points.

It’s going to be a truly crucial few weeks for the capital club though, with Athletic, Barcelona and a Champions League double header with Manchester City to come.

1. Bayer Leverkusen (👍 Last week: 2)

Bayer Leverkusen are the wonder that never cease, with Xabi Alonso’s side twice winning 3-2 in the past week.

The first of those came against Qarabağ in the Europa League as goals in the 93rd and 97th minute saw them claim an unlikely passage to the last 16 of that competition.

And then on Sunday Die Werkself backed that up with a victory away at Freiburg to maintain their 10-point lead at the top of the Bundesliga.