tiki_taka
11 years ago
Edited
- Real Madrid - Last Week: 8 Differential: +1
Real Madrid essentially sealed qualification from their UEFA Champions League group midweek by earning a point away to Juventus.
To then come back and destroy Real Sociedad 5-1 at the Bernabeu is even better, and there is a clear top three pulling away at the top of La Liga now Los Blancos are starting find their rhythm.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored yet another hat-trick during the win over Jagoba Arrasates men.
- Paris Saint-Germain Last Week: 7 Differential: +1
As usual, we go to B/Rs Jonathan Johnson for the Paris Saint-Germain lowdown:
It was a great weekend for PSG as they move four points clear at the top of Ligue 1.
A solid 3-1 win over Nice thanks to Zlatan Ibrahimovics hat-trick moved them a provisional five points ahead, but Lilles goalless draw at Guingamp later on Saturday sliced one off of that margin. Monacos disappointing 1-1 home draw with Evian on Friday provided the defending champions with the chance to pull clear and they didnt need a second invitation.
The recent 1-1 draw with Anderlecht in the Champions League was a minor setback, but otherwise Laurent Blanc will want to ensure his team maintain their current non-complacent form after the international break.
Comparing them at this point of the season to last year, they are eight points better off having won three more matches and lost none. PSG are now just eight games away from equalling FC Nantes 1994-1995 record of 32 league matches unbeaten, the longest run of invincibility in Ligue 1 history.
- Borussia Dortmund Last Week: 3 Differential: -2
Two losses in a row is tough to take for Borussia Dortmund fans, but perhaps even tougher is the news that Neven Subotic is out for the season following a tear to his ACL.
Defeat to Arsenal was tough to take considering the home sides dominance in the match, but in many ways it represented karma for the way in which BVB stole three points from the Emirates.
That Sokratis purchase in the summer is looking oh-so-smart now, isnt it?
- Arsenal Last Week: 5 Differential: +1
Arsenal have enjoyed a mixed week, beating Borussia Dortmund in Dortmund then losing to Manchester United at Old Trafford.
The win in Germany was a magnificent smash-and-grab affair, but against the Red Devils they look flat, tired and perhaps even ill from a bug going around the Emirates.
It is their first league loss since catching fire, and their response is critical. They find themselves moving up in our rankings solely due to others around them having blips.
- Atletico Madrid Last Week: 2 Differential: -1
Atletico Madrid failed to win in La Liga for only the second time this season, travelling to El Madrigal and drawing with the impressive Villarreal.
An own goal from Mario set the visitors up with a lead, but Ikechukwu Uche scored a late equaliser. It was a goal undoubtedly cheered by Barcelona fans, as it assisted in opening up a three-point gap at the top of the table.
Los Colchoneros will go again against Getafe after the international break.
- Barcelona Last Week: 4 Differential: +2
Lionel Messi is facing up to two months out with a hamstring issue, but if the 4-1 win at the Estadio Benito Villamarin is anything to go by, Barcelona should be just fine.
After the Argentine hobbled off, Cesc Fabregas moved into the centre-forwards role and provided a game-winning impact, scoring two and assisting one in a Man of the Match performance.
With Neymar, Pedro and Alexis Sanchez, La Blaugrana are hardly short of options up front and should be able to ride out this Messi-less period. Its the reason they paid so much for Neymar, right?
- Bayern Munchen Last Week: 1 Differential: None
Bayern Munich have been atop our rankings for a little while now and, as long as they continue to win, face little chance of being knocked off.
Their 37-game unbeaten streak in the Bundesliga, secured by beating Augsburg 3-0 at home this weekend, is a record for the league, surpassing Hamburgs 36-game streak from the 1980s.
They are four points clear at the top of the table and show no signs of slowing down.
-
-
- 5 Premier League Players Who Are Enjoying a 2013-14 Renaissance + + +
-
We have perused the game tape and squad lists to bring you five prime examples of players who are enjoying a much-improved 2013-14 season.To qualify, the player must have had a poor or underwhelming previous campaign. Bolts from the blue (such as Andros Townsend and Ravel Morrison) were not considered, while players such as Aaron Ramsey and Fabian Delph improved at the tail end of last season—not this season.Have we missed one? Share your views below.
BY SAM TIGHE (WORLD FOOTBALL TACTICS LEAD WRITER) ON NOVEMBER 12, 2013
Disagree with our rankings ? Post your own in the comments below !
- Paris Saint-Germain Last Week: 7 Differential: +1
As usual, we go to B/Rs Jonathan Johnson for the Paris Saint-Germain lowdown:It was a great weekend for PSG as they move four points clear at the top of Ligue 1.A solid 3-1 win over Nice thanks to Zlatan Ibrahimovics hat-trick moved them a provisional five points ahead, but Lilles goalless draw at Guingamp later on Saturday sliced one off of that margin. Monacos disappointing 1-1 home draw with Evian on Friday provided the defending champions with the chance to pull clear and they didnt need a second invitation.The recent 1-1 draw with Anderlecht in the Champions League was a minor setback, but otherwise Laurent Blanc will want to ensure his team maintain their current non-complacent form after the international break.Comparing them at this point of the season to last year, they are eight points better off having won three more matches and lost none. PSG are now just eight games away from equalling FC Nantes 1994-1995 record of 32 league matches unbeaten, the longest run of invincibility in Ligue 1 history.
- Borussia Dortmund Last Week: 3 Differential: -2
Two losses in a row is tough to take for Borussia Dortmund fans, but perhaps even tougher is the news that Neven Subotic is out for the season following a tear to his ACL.Defeat to Arsenal was tough to take considering the home sides dominance in the match, but in many ways it represented karma for the way in which BVB stole three points from the Emirates.That Sokratis purchase in the summer is looking oh-so-smart now, isnt it?
- Arsenal Last Week: 5 Differential: +1
Arsenal have enjoyed a mixed week, beating Borussia Dortmund in Dortmund then losing to Manchester United at Old Trafford.The win in Germany was a magnificent smash-and-grab affair, but against the Red Devils they look flat, tired and perhaps even ill from a bug going around the Emirates.It is their first league loss since catching fire, and their response is critical. They find themselves moving up in our rankings solely due to others around them having blips.
- Atletico Madrid Last Week: 2 Differential: -1
Atletico Madrid failed to win in La Liga for only the second time this season, travelling to El Madrigal and drawing with the impressive Villarreal.An own goal from Mario set the visitors up with a lead, but Ikechukwu Uche scored a late equaliser. It was a goal undoubtedly cheered by Barcelona fans, as it assisted in opening up a three-point gap at the top of the table.Los Colchoneros will go again against Getafe after the international break.
- Barcelona Last Week: 4 Differential: +2
Lionel Messi is facing up to two months out with a hamstring issue, but if the 4-1 win at the Estadio Benito Villamarin is anything to go by, Barcelona should be just fine.After the Argentine hobbled off, Cesc Fabregas moved into the centre-forwards role and provided a game-winning impact, scoring two and assisting one in a Man of the Match performance.With Neymar, Pedro and Alexis Sanchez, La Blaugrana are hardly short of options up front and should be able to ride out this Messi-less period. Its the reason they paid so much for Neymar, right?
- Bayern Munchen Last Week: 1 Differential: None
Bayern Munich have been atop our rankings for a little while now and, as long as they continue to win, face little chance of being knocked off.Their 37-game unbeaten streak in the Bundesliga, secured by beating Augsburg 3-0 at home this weekend, is a record for the league, surpassing Hamburgs 36-game streak from the 1980s.They are four points clear at the top of the table and show no signs of slowing down.
Disagree with our rankings ? Post your own in the comments below !!
- Paris Saint-Germain Last Week: 7 Differential: +1
As usual, we go to B/Rs Jonathan Johnson for the Paris Saint-Germain lowdown:It was a great weekend for PSG as they move four points clear at the top of Ligue 1.A solid 3-1 win over Nice thanks to Zlatan Ibrahimovics hat-trick moved them a provisional five points ahead, but Lilles goalless draw at Guingamp later on Saturday sliced one off of that margin. Monacos disappointing 1-1 home draw with Evian on Friday provided the defending champions with the chance to pull clear and they didnt need a second invitation.The recent 1-1 draw with Anderlecht in the Champions League was a minor setback, but otherwise Laurent Blanc will want to ensure his team maintain their current non-complacent form after the international break.Comparing them at this point of the season to last year, they are eight points better off having won three more matches and lost none. PSG are now just eight games away from equalling FC Nantes 1994-1995 record of 32 league matches unbeaten, the longest run of invincibility in Ligue 1 history.
- Borussia Dortmund Last Week: 3 Differential: -2
Two losses in a row is tough to take for Borussia Dortmund fans, but perhaps even tougher is the news that Neven Subotic is out for the season following a tear to his ACL.Defeat to Arsenal was tough to take considering the home sides dominance in the match, but in many ways it represented karma for the way in which BVB stole three points from the Emirates.That Sokratis purchase in the summer is looking oh-so-smart now, isnt it?
- Arsenal Last Week: 5 Differential: +1
Arsenal have enjoyed a mixed week, beating Borussia Dortmund in Dortmund then losing to Manchester United at Old Trafford.The win in Germany was a magnificent smash-and-grab affair, but against the Red Devils they look flat, tired and perhaps even ill from a bug going around the Emirates.It is their first league loss since catching fire, and their response is critical. They find themselves moving up in our rankings solely due to others around them having blips.
- Atletico Madrid Last Week: 2 Differential: -1
Atletico Madrid failed to win in La Liga for only the second time this season, travelling to El Madrigal and drawing with the impressive Villarreal.An own goal from Mario set the visitors up with a lead, but Ikechukwu Uche scored a late equaliser. It was a goal undoubtedly cheered by Barcelona fans, as it assisted in opening up a three-point gap at the top of the table.Los Colchoneros will go again against Getafe after the international break.
- Barcelona Last Week: 4 Differential: +2
Lionel Messi is facing up to two months out with a hamstring issue, but if the 4-1 win at the Estadio Benito Villamarin is anything to go by, Barcelona should be just fine.After the Argentine hobbled off, Cesc Fabregas moved into the centre-forwards role and provided a game-winning impact, scoring two and assisting one in a Man of the Match performance.With Neymar, Pedro and Alexis Sanchez, La Blaugrana are hardly short of options up front and should be able to ride out this Messi-less period. Its the reason they paid so much for Neymar, right?
- Bayern Munchen Last Week: 1 Differential: None
Bayern Munich have been atop our rankings for a little while now and, as long as they continue to win, face little chance of being knocked off.Their 37-game unbeaten streak in the Bundesliga, secured by beating Augsburg 3-0 at home this weekend, is a record for the league, surpassing Hamburgs 36-game streak from the 1980s.They are four points clear at the top of the table and show no signs of slowing down.
Disagree with our rankings ? Post your own in the comments below !!
- Paris Saint-Germain Last Week: 7 Differential: +1
As usual, we go to B/Rs Jonathan Johnson for the Paris Saint-Germain lowdown:It was a great weekend for PSG as they move four points clear at the top of Ligue 1.A solid 3-1 win over Nice thanks to Zlatan Ibrahimovics hat-trick moved them a provisional five points ahead, but Lilles goalless draw at Guingamp later on Saturday sliced one off of that margin. Monacos disappointing 1-1 home draw with Evian on Friday provided the defending champions with the chance to pull clear and they didnt need a second invitation.The recent 1-1 draw with Anderlecht in the Champions League was a minor setback, but otherwise Laurent Blanc will want to ensure his team maintain their current non-complacent form after the international break.Comparing them at this point of the season to last year, they are eight points better off having won three more matches and lost none. PSG are now just eight games away from equalling FC Nantes 1994-1995 record of 32 league matches unbeaten, the longest run of invincibility in Ligue 1 history.
- Borussia Dortmund Last Week: 3 Differential: -2
Two losses in a row is tough to take for Borussia Dortmund fans, but perhaps even tougher is the news that Neven Subotic is out for the season following a tear to his ACL.Defeat to Arsenal was tough to take considering the home sides dominance in the match, but in many ways it represented karma for the way in which BVB stole three points from the Emirates.That Sokratis purchase in the summer is looking oh-so-smart now, isnt it?
- Arsenal Last Week: 5 Differential: +1
Arsenal have enjoyed a mixed week, beating Borussia Dortmund in Dortmund then losing to Manchester United at Old Trafford.The win in Germany was a magnificent smash-and-grab affair, but against the Red Devils they look flat, tired and perhaps even ill from a bug going around the Emirates.It is their first league loss since catching fire, and their response is critical. They find themselves moving up in our rankings solely due to others around them having blips.
- Atletico Madrid Last Week: 2 Differential: -1
Atletico Madrid failed to win in La Liga for only the second time this season, travelling to El Madrigal and drawing with the impressive Villarreal.An own goal from Mario set the visitors up with a lead, but Ikechukwu Uche scored a late equaliser. It was a goal undoubtedly cheered by Barcelona fans, as it assisted in opening up a three-point gap at the top of the table.Los Colchoneros will go again against Getafe after the international break.
- Barcelona Last Week: 4 Differential: +2
Lionel Messi is facing up to two months out with a hamstring issue, but if the 4-1 win at the Estadio Benito Villamarin is anything to go by, Barcelona should be just fine.After the Argentine hobbled off, Cesc Fabregas moved into the centre-forwards role and provided a game-winning impact, scoring two and assisting one in a Man of the Match performance.With Neymar, Pedro and Alexis Sanchez, La Blaugrana are hardly short of options up front and should be able to ride out this Messi-less period. Its the reason they paid so much for Neymar, right?
- Bayern Munchen Last Week: 1 Differential: None
Bayern Munich have been atop our rankings for a little while now and, as long as they continue to win, face little chance of being knocked off.Their 37-game unbeaten streak in the Bundesliga, secured by beating Augsburg 3-0 at home this weekend, is a record for the league, surpassing Hamburgs 36-game streak from the 1980s.They are four points clear at the top of the table and show no signs of slowing down.
Disagree with our rankings ? Post your own in the comments below !!
Welcome to the latest edition of our European club form rankings.It was a topsy-turvy weekend in England, which has resulted in plenty of movement, we have a new No. 2 and some streaks are coming to an end.
Southampton
Saints made Hull City look like amateurs on Saturday, and Adam Lallana celebrated his England call-up by putting in an astonishing showing in front of the onlooking Roy Hodgson.
Villarreal
Villarreal are now one of the most exciting teams to watch in football and have the results to match their performances. They sit in fourth place in La Liga.
Lille s impressive winning streak came to an end this weekend, but they have moved ahead of Monaco in the Ligue 1 table.
There was no Liga Sagres action this weekend as the Taca de Portugal captivated the nation, and Porto advanced to the next round by beating Vitoria Guimaraes 2-0.
In midweek the Portuguese behemoths traveled to Russia and secured a credible 1-1 draw with Zenit St. Petersburg, and it now looks a dogfight between the two to qualify from Group G in the UEFA Champions League.
The Dragoes will likely need to beat Atletico Madrid at the Vicente Calderon to go through.
Internazionale closed the gap on the top three to three points in beating Livorno 2-0 at San Siro.
Goalkeeper Francesco Bardi suffered the embarrassment of scoring an own goal against your parent club to open proceedings, and Yuto Nagatomo wrapped things up in stoppage time of the second half.
After a strong start Walter Mazzarris troops dipped, but they are picking up form and you would be mad to write them off this early.
Fiorentina grabbed themselves another Serie A victory this weekend, toppling Sampdoria 2-1 at home.
Giuseppe Rossi scored his 10th and 11th goals of the domestic campaign as he continues his miraculous return from long-term injury, with Juan Guillermo Cuadrado completing an astonishing 12 dribbles.
The Viola look all set to qualify for the latter stages of the UEFA Europa League and appear to be handling the balance effectively.
As usual, we go to B/R s Jonathan Johnson for the Monaco update:
The last few weeks have been difficult for Monaco.After suffering their first competitive defeat of the season at Reims in the League Cup, they were beaten 2-0 by title rivals Lille. Now, they have been frustrated at home by Evian after Fridays 1-1 draw and cracks are starting to appear in the side.
The defence will be a particular concern for Claudio Ranieri; his side have shipped eight goals in their last six matches with Eric Abidal and Ricardo Carvalho beginning to show their age. In all fairness to Evian, they should have won Fridays match and Les Monegasques were guilty of presenting their Savoyard visitors with their best opportunities through sloppy mistakes.
If Radamel Falcao, James Rodriguez and Joao Moutinho thought winning the Ligue 1 title was going to be easy after their good early form, this reality check should make them think again.
Bayer Leverkusen bounced back from their shocking defeat to Braunschweig last week by putting five past Hamburg at home.
Son Heung-Min scored a hat-trick in 55 minutes to set the Werkself on their way to three points, and goals from Stefan Kiessling and Gonzalo Castro made the result safe.
In the Champions League they managed a 0-0 draw at the ferocious Donbass Arena in Ukraine, keeping them in second place after four games.
Manchester United beat Arsenal on Sunday to reaffirm their status as one of the top clubs in England.
There was a certifiable hiccup as David Moyes picked up the slack, but they are on the rise again after putting together an unbeaten streak of nine games.
The Red Devils look in pole position to qualify first from Group A in the UEFA Champions League despite drawing 0-0 at Anoeta midweek.
There were many, many fans panicking after Tottenhams 1-0 loss to Newcastle United on Sunday, but sit back and take it for what it was: an incredibly unlucky 90 minutes.
Spurs have been flaccid in front of goal at times, no question, but after taking 31 shots and forcing Tim Krul into a league-high 14 saves, its safe to say it was just - one of those days.-
AVBs troops have already qualified for the latter stages of the Europa League, and Erik Lamela looks primed. Good times lie ahead.
Liverpool put in a tremendous performance against Fulham this weekend but showed us nothing we didnt already know about them.
They have the capability to smash lesser sides 4-0 at home—their goal difference will be outrageous by seasons end—but its the bigger games against the bigger sides when they must step up.
Are they title contenders or not? We are still waiting for their true colours to show.
Manchester City are arguably the most inconsistent side in world football right now, capable of switching from superlative to shocking in the blink of an eye.
Their loss at Sunderland was harsh; they peppered Vito Mannones net with shots but failed to make the breakthrough, but how can you go from scoring seven against Norwich and five against CSKA Moscow to drawing a blank against the 19th-placed Black Cats?
It was City s fourth loss of the Premier League season.
Chelsea scavenged a draw at home to West Bromwich Albion courtesy of a questionable Ramires penalty.
The result was a big disappointment, but they did turn over Schalke 3-0 three days previous. Consistency issues reared their ugly heads once again as yet another title favourite dropped points, and results such as these only confirm what we were all thinking: It is going to be a crazy season.
Napoli picked up a vital 3-2 home win over Marseille in midweek to pile the pressure on Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League.
What followed was a daunting trip to the Juventus Stadium, and after losing 3-0 in a potentially pivotal game against Antonio Contes troops, they slip to four points off the pace Roma have set.
The Partenopei host Parma next in what could turn out to be something of a banana skin. In any other week Rafa Benitezs troops would fall in our rankings, but luckily for them it was a weekend of dropped points.
Juventus had a pretty decent week in Turin, claiming a 2-2 draw with Real Madrid in the Champions League and beating Napoli 3-0 in Serie A.
They might be in a spot of bother in Europe, and they need to win their final two group games, but domestically they are chugging along nicely and have pulled themselves to within a point of Roma.
Beating the Partenopei—their nearest contender for the title—so convincingly is a major mental boost.
Romas record-breaking start has begun to falter, and right now they look desperate for a win to keep themselves atop the Serie A table.
The 10th victory against Chievo looked laboured, sluggish, and their two draws since have screamed of exhaustion. They were overwhelmed by the pressure to keep winning and now seem overwhelmed by the pressure to win just one.A 1-1 draw against Sassuolo—the worst team in Serie A—is not good.
Welcome to the latest edition of our European club form rankings.It was a topsy-turvy weekend in England, which has resulted in plenty of movement, we have a new No. 2 and some streaks are coming to an end.
Disagree with our rankings? Post your own in the comments below!
Saints made Hull City look like amateurs on Saturday, and Adam Lallana celebrated his England call-up by putting in an astonishing showing in front of the onlooking Roy Hodgson.
Villarreal are now one of the most exciting teams to watch in football and have the results to match their performances. They sit in fourth place in La Liga.
Lille s impressive winning streak came to an end this weekend, but they have moved ahead of Monaco in the Ligue 1 table.
There was no Liga Sagres action this weekend as the Taca de Portugal captivated the nation, and Porto advanced to the next round by beating Vitoria Guimaraes 2-0.
In midweek the Portuguese behemoths traveled to Russia and secured a credible 1-1 draw with Zenit St. Petersburg, and it now looks a dogfight between the two to qualify from Group G in the UEFA Champions League.
The Dragoes will likely need to beat Atletico Madrid at the Vicente Calderon to go through.
Internazionale closed the gap on the top three to three points in beating Livorno 2-0 at San Siro.
Goalkeeper Francesco Bardi suffered the embarrassment of scoring an own goal against your parent club to open proceedings, and Yuto Nagatomo wrapped things up in stoppage time of the second half.
After a strong start Walter Mazzarris troops dipped, but they are picking up form and you would be mad to write them off this early.
Fiorentina grabbed themselves another Serie A victory this weekend, toppling Sampdoria 2-1 at home.
Giuseppe Rossi scored his 10th and 11th goals of the domestic campaign as he continues his miraculous return from long-term injury, with Juan Guillermo Cuadrado completing an astonishing 12 dribbles.
The Viola look all set to qualify for the latter stages of the UEFA Europa League and appear to be handling the balance effectively.
As usual, we go to B/R s Jonathan Johnson for the Monaco update:
The last few weeks have been difficult for Monaco.After suffering their first competitive defeat of the season at Reims in the League Cup, they were beaten 2-0 by title rivals Lille. Now, they have been frustrated at home by Evian after Fridays 1-1 draw and cracks are starting to appear in the side.
The defence will be a particular concern for Claudio Ranieri; his side have shipped eight goals in their last six matches with Eric Abidal and Ricardo Carvalho beginning to show their age. In all fairness to Evian, they should have won Fridays match and Les Monegasques were guilty of presenting their Savoyard visitors with their best opportunities through sloppy mistakes.
If Radamel Falcao, James Rodriguez and Joao Moutinho thought winning the Ligue 1 title was going to be easy after their good early form, this reality check should make them think again.
Last Week: 16Differential: NoneBayer Leverkusen bounced back from their shocking defeat to Braunschweig last week by putting five past Hamburg at home.Son Heung-Min scored a hat-trick in 55 minutes to set the Werkself on their way to three points, and goals from Stefan Kiessling and Gonzalo Castro made the result safe.In the Champions League they managed a 0-0 draw at the ferocious Donbass Arena in Ukraine, keeping them in second place after four games.
Last Week: 19Differential: +4Manchester United beat Arsenal on Sunday to reaffirm their status as one of the top clubs in England.There was a certifiable hiccup as David Moyes picked up the slack, but they are on the rise again after putting together an unbeaten streak of nine games.The Red Devils look in pole position to qualify first from Group A in the UEFA Champions League despite drawing 0-0 at Anoeta midweek.
There were many, many fans panicking after Tottenhams 1-0 loss to Newcastle United on Sunday, but sit back and take it for what it was: an incredibly unlucky 90 minutes.Spurs have been flaccid in front of goal at times, no question, but after taking 31 shots and forcing Tim Krul into a league-high 14 saves, its safe to say it was just - one of those days.- AVBs troops have already qualified for the latter stages of the Europa League, and Erik Lamela looks primed. Good times lie ahead.
Liverpool Last Week: 15Differential: +2
Liverpool put in a tremendous performance against Fulham this weekend but showed us nothing we didnt already know about them.They have the capability to smash lesser sides 4-0 at homeu2014their goal difference will be outrageous by seasons endu2014but its the bigger games against the bigger sides when they must step up.Are they title contenders or not? We are still waiting for their true colours to show.
Manchester City Last Week: 11Differential: -1
Manchester City are arguably the most inconsistent side in world football right now, capable of switching from superlative to shocking in the blink of an eye.Their loss at Sunderland was harsh; they peppered Vito Mannones net with shots but failed to make the breakthrough, but how can you go from scoring seven against Norwich and five against CSKA Moscow to drawing a blank against the 19th-placed Black Cats?It was City s fourth loss of the Premier League season.
Chelsea Last Week: 14 Differential: +3
Chelsea scavenged a draw at home to West Bromwich Albion courtesy of a questionable Ramires penalty.The result was a big disappointment, but they did turn over Schalke 3-0 three days previous. Consistency issues reared their ugly heads once again as yet another title favourite dropped points, and results such as these only confirm what we were all thinking: It is going to be a crazy season.
Napoli Last Week: 10 Differential: None
Napoli picked up a vital 3-2 home win over Marseille in midweek to pile the pressure on Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League.What followed was a daunting trip to the Juventus Stadium, and after losing 3-0 in a potentially pivotal game against Antonio Contes troops, they slip to four points off the pace Roma have set.The Partenopei host Parma next in what could turn out to be something of a banana skin. In any other week Rafa Benitezs troops would fall in our rankings, but luckily for them it was a weekend of dropped points.
Juventus Last Week: 9 Differential: NoneJuventus had a pretty decent week in Turin, claiming a 2-2 draw with Real Madrid in the Champions League and beating Napoli 3-0 in Serie A.They might be in a spot of bother in Europe, and they need to win their final two group games, but domestically they are chugging along nicely and have pulled themselves to within a point of Roma.Beating the Partenopeiu2014their nearest contender for the titleu2014so convincingly is a major mental boost.
Romas record-breaking start has begun to falter, and right now they look desperate for a win to keep themselves atop the Serie A table.The 10th victory against Chievo looked laboured, sluggish, and their two draws since have screamed of exhaustion. They were overwhelmed by the pressure to keep winning and now seem overwhelmed by the pressure to win just one.A 1-1 draw against Sassuolou2014the worst team in Serie Au2014is not good.7. Real Madrid Last Week: 8 Differential: +1Real Madrid essentially sealed qualification from their UEFA Champions League group midweek by earning a point away to Juventus.To then come back and destroy Real Sociedad 5-1 at the Bernabeu is even better, and there is a clear top three pulling away at the top of La Liga now Los Blancos are starting find their rhythm.Cristiano Ronaldo scored yet another hat-trick during the win over Jagoba Arrasates men.