English Premier League
| Pos | Team | Pts |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arsenal | 32 |
| 2 | Manchester United | 31 |
| 3 | Chelsea | 30 |
| 4 | Manchester City | 29 |
| 5 | Tottenham | 26 |
Samir Nasri fired Arsenal into top spot in England with a double in their 2-1 home win over Fulham, while Chelsea slipped down to third after a 1-1 draw with Everton. Manchester United’s clash at Blackpool was postponed due to a frozen pitch, while Manchester City kept in touch with a 1-0 win over Bolton.
Tottenham slipped off the pace in the race for the top four after a 1-1 draw at Birmingham City, while Liverpool moved up to eighth with a comprehensive 3-0 win over Aston Villa who are down in 16th.
| Pos | Team | Pts |
|---|---|---|
| 18 | Wigan | 15 |
| 19 | Wolverhampton | 12 |
| 20 | West Ham United | 12 |
Wigan snapped a two-game losing run with a 2-2 draw at home to Stoke City but they may have hoped to win that clash. Wolverhampton continue to struggle after a 3-0 loss at Blackburn, while West Ham lost 1-0 at Sunderland after a good week.
Spanish La Liga
| Pos | Team | Pts |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | FC Barcelona | 37 |
| 2 | Real Madrid | 35 |
| 3 | Villarreal | 30 |
| 4 | Espanyol | 28 |
| 5 | Valencia | 24 |
Lionel Messi struck a brace to maintain Barcelona’s superb run and stay at the top of the table after a 3-0 win over Osasuna. Elsewhere, Real Madrid bounced back after last Monday’s El Clasico massacre by defeating Valencia 2-0, with Cristiano Ronaldo scoring a special goal.
Elsewhere, Villarreal stayed in touch with the top two with a 1-0 victory over FC Sevilla courtesy of Nilmar’s first-half strike, while Espanyol made it three wins on the trot after a 1-0 home triumph over Sporting Gijon.
| Pos | Team | Pts |
|---|---|---|
| 18 | Sporting Gijon | 10 |
| 19 | Almeria | 10 |
| 20 | Real Zaragoza | 9 |
As a result of Espanyol’s win, Gijon slide into the bottom three, with Malaga moving clear after a solid 4-1 win over 16th-placed Racing Santander. Levante defeated Atletico Madrid 2-0 to move up to 15th, but a 1-1 draw between Almeria and Zaragoza doesn’t do much to help either’s case.
Italian Serie A
| Pos | Team | Pts |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | AC Milan | 33 |
| 2 | Lazio | 30 |
| 3 | Juventus | 27 |
| 4 | Napoli | 27 |
| 5 | Internazionale | 23 |
Champions Inter Milan continue to lose ground of the leaders after slumping to a 3-1 loss at Lazio on Friday evening. The pressure is subsequently mounting on boss Rafa Benitez who has seen his side lose three of their past four matches.
Meanwhile, AC Milan continue on at the top after easing to a 3-0 victory over Brescia. Juventus continued their good recent run with a 3-1 win at Catania with Fabio Quagliarella grabbing a double, while a stoppage-time Cristian Maggio strike saw Napoli beat Palermo 1-0. Roma’s 2-2 draw at Chievo sees them mired down in eighth.
| Pos | Team | Pts |
|---|---|---|
| 18 | Cesena | 12 |
| 19 | Lecce | 12 |
| 20 | Bari | 10 |
The bottom four all lost in Serie A this weekend, with 17th-placed Brescia taking action after their loss at Milan by sacking boss Giuseppe Iachini and replacing him with ex-Siena boss Mario Beretta. Cesena lost 2-0 at home to Bologna (their first away win this campaign) in a real relegation battle, while Lecce blew a half-time lead to lose 3-1 to Genoa.
German Bundesliga
| Pos | Team | Pts |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Borussia Dortmund | 40 |
| 2 | FSV Mainz | 30 |
| 3 | Bayer Leverkusen | 29 |
| 4 | Hannover 96 | 28 |
| 5 | SC Freiburg | 24 |
Leaders Dortmund extended their lead again after cruising to a 2-0 win at FC Nurnberg, while Mainz continued their slide after a 2-1 loss at Eintracht Frankfurt. Bayer Leverkusen continue to appear the most likely to challenge BVB after a hard-fought 3-2 win over FC Koln.
Improving Bayern slumped to a 2-0 loss at Schalke 04, which blew the Bavarians’ charge up the table. Goals from Jose Manuel Jurado and Benedikt Howedes settled the contest, as Felix Magath’s Schalke move away from the drop zone.
| Pos | Team | Pts |
|---|---|---|
| 16 | VfB Stuttgart | 12 |
| 17 | FC Koln | 12 |
| 18 | Moenchengladbach | 10 |
Indeed, down the wrong end, Schalke moved away from the bottom three and up to 16 points, while Stuttgart’s 1-1 home draw with Hoffenheim moves them above Koln who lost at Leverkusen. Ex-Germany keeper Oliver Kahn is now being linked with the Koln managerial role.
Random League: French Ligue 1
| Pos | Team | Pts |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lille | 28 |
| 2 | PSG | 27 |
| 3 | Stade Rennes | 27 |
| 4 | Olympique Marseille | 26 |
| 5 | Olympique Lyonnais | 26 |
It is an incredibly tight and unpredictable race in France’s Ligue 1 this term, with four points separating first from tenth. Marseille fell from their perch at the summit this weekend after a 1-0 loss at Nice, allowing Lille to move into top spot after an amazing 6-3 win over Lorient.
PSG kept up the pressure with a 3-1 win over Brest, while Stade Rennes defeated Monaco 1-0. Olympique Lyonnais move up to fifth, and linger with intent, after inflicting a 2-1 win on Montpellier, who have slipped down to tenth after two straight defeats.
| Pos | Team | Pts |
|---|---|---|
| 18 | Racing Lens | 15 |
| 19 | Caen | 14 |
| 20 | Arles | 7 |
It’s not looking good for Arles who drew 1-1 with Nancy this weekend, while Caen lost their sixth consecutive match, 1-0 at Toulouse. Lens managed a 1-1 draw with Auxerre, while Monaco’s loss at Rennes means they slip to 17th on 15 points.