The Champions League round of 16 is complete and we now have the pleasure (or disappointment, depending on your perspective) of a tournament with no Premier League teams still involved. And so, after a week in which Barca cemented their spot atop the Power Rankings, the top four remained the same while Europe's biggest and best clubs continue to fight for supremacy beneath them.
Barcelona continue to go from strength to strength and are clearly ready for Sunday's Clasico at the Camp Nou. Last weekend's 2-0 win at Eibar segued into an impressive (and playful) 1-0 win over Man City (3-1 on aggregate) to seal their spot in the Champions League quarterfinals. The front three continue to dazzle. Lionel Messi has scored 36 goals in 31 games (all competitions) since the 3-1 defeat back in October ... would you bet against him to score this weekend?
Business as usual for Pep Guardiola's side: A 4-0 rout of Werder Bremen at the weekend, capped by two goals from "struggling" striker Robert Lewandowski, keeps Bayern 11 points clear atop the Bundesliga. Thomas Muller curled one in and David Alaba scored what is becoming a trademark with a superb free kick before halftime. No wonder Philipp Lahm's as hungry as ever for more trophies.
The Serie A champions showed their versatility this week with a pair of difficult games. First, they barely broke a sweat in a 1-0 win at Palermo before handling Dortmund with ease 3-0 in their Champions League round of 16 second leg. Alvaro Morata scored in both games as he continues to steadily adjust to life in Italy. And credit to Massimiliano Allegri, who has managed to do something Antonio Conte couldn't do during his time in Turin.
After last week's chaos against Schalke in which Carlo Ancelotti's side allowed four goals yet still booked a spot in the quarterfinals, the weekend brought something much more positive: an easy, no-drama 2-0 win over Levante. Gareth Bale scored both goals, which should silence his fiercest critics temporarily, though Sunday's Clasico will offer a much truer sense of whereLos Blancos currently stand.
Goals from Jonas and Eliseu kept the defending Portuguese champions four points clear of FC Porto atop the league standings with a 2-0 win over Braga. Despite finishing dead last in their Champions League group, their season in on-track for a successful finish.
How are the big-money Ligue 1 side still this high in the chart? Thank the wave of goodwill after last week's Champions League victory over Chelsea. It was the kind of heroic, exhausting team effort (remember, they had 10 men for nearly 90 minutes including extra time) that is impossible to replicate and sure enough, they lost to a late goal versus Bordeaux at the weekend. Having fought back from 1-0 and 2-1 down, a Diego Rolan finish left PSG with nothing to show for their efforts, but they're still firmly in the French league title hunt, just two points back from Lyon.
Portugal keeps two teams in this week's Power Rankings as Porto followed up their Champions League progress with a 1-0 win over Arouca to keep pace with Benfica atop the Portuguese Primeira Liga. Vincent Aboubakar notched the game's only goal, a feat made more impressive by a red card for Porto goalkeeper Fabiano after just 12 minutes for a foul outside the area. Though they're only two points back, news of a possible summer exit for highly rated right-back Danilo -- of course he's going to Real Madrid, right? -- is a bit of a downer for Julen Lopetegui.
Jose Mourinho's Blues continue to slide down the rankings despite holding firm atop the Premier League, though that's as much due to Man City's continued struggles than anything else. Last weekend saw Chelsea draw 1-1 with Southampton in a game they could easily have lost, such was the slew of chances for both teams. Some rest for key players earlier in the season might have helped mitigate this brief blip in form but let's face it: The Prem title is still firmly in their sights.
A shocking 1-0 Bundesliga defeat to Augsburg could have had the "crisis" alarms sounding for Germany's second-best team at present, but it was merely a blip. They hammered Freiburg 3-0 on Sunday with goals from red-hot Kevin De Bruyne, Gonzalo Rodriguez and Maxi Arnold before sealing their spot in the Europa League quarterfinals with a 2-1 (5-2 aggregate) win over Roberto Mancini and Inter Milan. Nicklas Bendtner even scored! They still arguably remain the favourites to lift UEFA's secondary club trophy on May 27 in Warsaw.
After a streak of underachievement a strong week was vital for Diego Simeone's side in order to ensure a positive final few weeks to the season. Plus, doubts about Simeone's future have been eased with reports of a new contract, giving a firm foundation for sustained success. They drew 0-0 with Espanyol at the weekend (Miranda was sent off, making their task harder) though a loss of focus could have been excused given the midweek clash with Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League. There, Atleti did not disappoint, overturning a 1-0 first leg deficit to reach the quarterfinals on penalties after Raul Garcia leveled the aggregate score. It's the kind of resiliency that has become their brand.
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