Spanish La Liga
| Pos | Team | Pts |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | FC Barcelona | 80 |
| 2 | Real Madrid | 77 |
| 3 | Valencia | 56 |
| 4 | Real Mallorca | 51 |
| 5 | FC Sevilla | 51 |
Barcelona have made their move in the Spanish title race, after their strong 2-0 El Clasico victory over Real Madrid. Lionel Messi and Pedro got the goals, as they ended Real’s 100% home record, heaping the pressure on boss Manuel Pellegrini, although the club haven’t given in the fight.
Third-placed Valencia’s bad week got worse (after their Europa League exit) after a 3-2 loss at Champoins League chasing Real Mallorca, who hold off surging Sevilla. Rojiblancos defeated Malaga 2-1 on Saturday to retain hope of Champions League football next season, while the chasers, Bilbao, Villarreal and Getafe, all won.
In the drop zone, it isn’t looking good for Tenerife, Valladolid and Xerez who remain in the bottom three. New Valladolid boss Javier Clemente couldn’t inspire the side in a crucial relegation battle against Tenerife in the Canary Islands which ended 0-0. The result didn’t help either side.
Italian Serie A
| Pos | Team | Pts |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | AS Roma | 68 |
| 2 | Inter Milan | 67 |
| 3 | AC Milan | 64 |
| 4 | Palermo | 54 |
| 5 | Sampdoria | 54 |
Claudio Ranieri’s AS Roma have taken pole position from Inter Milan at the right end of the Serie A season following a 2-1 win over Atalanta Bergamo. Earlier in the weekend, Inter had slipped to a 2-2 draw at Fiorentina allowing the Romans in, while Milan could only draw with Catania.
In the Champions League race, Palermo stayed in fourth after a good 3-1 victory over Chievo Verona, while Sampdoria remain right behind them after a 1-0 Genovese derby triumph. The Old Lady are a further three points those two, after a 1-0 win over Cagliari.
In the relegation mire, Bologna slipped into 17th after their fifth consecutive loss, a crucial 3-2 come-from-behind defeat from fellow battlers Lazio. But of the bottom three, only 19th Siena could manage a win beating Bari 3-2.
English Premier League
| Pos | Team | Pts | Games Played |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chelsea | 74 | 33 |
| 2 | Manchester United | 73 | 34 |
| 3 | Arsenal | 71 | 33 |
| 4 | Manchester City | 62 | 33 |
| 5 | Tottenham | 58 | 32 |
Only six Premier League games were completed over the weekend with the FA Cup semi-finals also on, but those fixtures will be played midweek. Nevertheless, Manchester United’s 0-0 draw at Blackburn is a significant result which gives Chelsea a chance to stretch their lead to four points when they host Bolton on Wednesday.
In the battle for the Champions League spots, Manchester City firmed with a 5-1 thrashing of Birmingham City, on the back of their 6-1 rout of Burnley. The Sky Blues certainly have bolstered their ECL hopes of late, while Liverpool’s European ambitions have slumped after a goalless home draw with Fulham left them in sixth some six points behind City.
Down the wrong end, Burnley revived their hopes of survival after a 4-1 win at Hull City but battling West Ham’s critical 1-0 home victory over Sunderland takes them away from the drop zone.
German Bundesliga
| Pos | Team | Pts |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bayern Munich | 60 |
| 2 | Schalke 04 | 58 |
| 3 | Bayer Leverkusen | 54 |
| 4 | Borussia Dortmund | 52 |
| 5 | Werder Bremen | 51 |
Felix Magath’s Schalke 04 stumbled to their second consecutive loss, a 4-2 loss at Hannover 96, prompting the boss to all but concede the title race, labelling his side ‘too soft’. Bayern Munich to stay top despite a 1-1 draw with high-flying Bayer Leverkusen.
Dortmund missed their chance to push up into the Champions League spots after a 1-0 loss at FSV Mainz which has allowed Werder Bremen to come into calculations following a 4-0 win over SC Freiburg with Claudio Pizarro scoring twice.
In the relegation battle, 14th placed Nurnberg and 15th placed Bochum both lost on Sunday at home to Wolfsburg and Hamburg SV respectively, allowing Hannover 96 to make ground, closing to within a point of the pair, after their win over Schalke. Bottom-club Hertha lost 1-0 at home to Stuttgart and appear gone.
Random League: French Ligue 1
| Pos | Team | Pts |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Olympique Marseille | 62 |
| 2 | AJ Auxerre | 60 |
| 3 | Olympique Lyon | 58 |
| 4 | Montpellier | 58 |
| 5 | Bordeaux | 56 |
In-form Marseille claimed the advantage in the French title race on the weekend, with a 4-1 win over Nice. But OM boss Didier Deschamps refuses to get carried away saying: “It is a good place, but we have seven steps to go”. And Marseille have a game in hand on the rest of the top four.
Elsewhere, Auxerre kept up their pressure at the top with a late win at Nancy, while Lyon and Montpellier both could only manage draws. And champions Bordeaux appear out of the race following a stunning 3-1 loss at PSG.
Down the bottom, it is a fait accompli with the struggling bottom three all appearing already relegated. Boulogne, Le Mans and Grenoble make up the drop zone and there’s nothing to suggest from the weekend they can pull off any miracles.